HE105: Hero No. 616.

Date: c1970s

Size: Length - 5 1/2 inches capped; 6 1/8 inches posted.

A new old-stock Hero pen from China.  This pen is part of a consignment of old stock Chinese pens that I have recently purchased.  It has never been inked or used, but may have some small surface marks or irregularities.  This is a rather unuusal Hero 616 with the gold tone cap.  I have never actually seen this version of the 616 before.  Of all the Hero designs that were based on the Parker 51, the 616 is the closest in appearance to that pen.  At first glance, it is just about identical, and I have found that the caps are actually interchangeable.  The cap has a conical "jewel", and an arrow design pocket clip that is all but a direct copy of the Parker clip.  The gold tone cap has a pattern of incised vertical lines, similar to the Parker "converging lines" pattern.  The imprint is around the lip of the cap.  The barrel unscrews to reveal an Aerometric style filling system.  There is a transparent window between the barrel and the hood, through which you can see how much ink you have remaining.  The nib is made from a steel alloy with an iridium point.  The nib would be a fine point, but Hero nibs always come up on the narrow side, so I would say this was an extra-fine point.  

I did just dip the nib to get the writing sample below.  It feels very smooth despite its fineness and writes with a good wet and extra-fine line.   These Hero pens really are excellent writers - better than some pens many times their cost.