Hero 529 Fountain Pen Review

The world of inexpensive Chinese fountain pens is something I've recently fallen into, and I've had mixed results so far. My most recent impulse buy is a Hero 529 fountain pen. For less than $3 (sometimes less than $2), you get a fountain pen shipped from China. There's something completely unbelievable about that, but it's the real deal.

So, what do you get from a $3 fountain pen? Well, not much.

When you consider the functions of a pen, a few things that come to mind are: it writes, it's comfortable to hold, it keeps ink from drying out when not in use, it clips to a pocket, and it's reusable. Lots of pens cover these basic characteristics. But there's another characteristic that many of my favorite pens have that's difficult to quantify: they're delightful to use.

That's where the Hero 529 falls short and the main reason it will probably not see very much action after this review. It's not fun to use, and it actually detracts from my writing experience. These are harsh words for a pen, and I should probably back them up. So, here we go.

Aesthetics

The Hero 529 is black -- I never saw any other options in my search. From what I can see, it's also only available in a fine nib. The material of the body and cap is cheap plastic. Each part of the pen has a slightly different shade of color, adding to the low-quality look. The metal clip is silver and actually does a good job as a clip, but it also looks like plastic.

The main thing that does it for me is the silver label on the cap of the pen. I was really disappointed when I realized it wasn't a sticker that could be removed. I'm not sure why it's there. In the top part of the rectangle are Chinese characters, and the bottom part says "fountain pen" in a script font. Why? The pen would look a bit classier if the silver stamp wasn't there.

There's also a plastic gem in the top of the cap that feels a little loose to the touch.

Uncapped, the grip section is textured in a hatch pattern, although it doesn't really provide any real grip. The texture is very slight. The nib is hooded by the end of the grip section, which gives it a unique look.

Overall, it looks like a $3 pen, and that's fair. No problem.

Writing

The pen writes fairly smoothly. I'm sure that a little nib smoothing would help a bit, but I'm not really interested in working on it.

It's a very light and narrow pen and handles well either posted or unposted in my hand.

The nib can be finnicky regarding the angle of attack. I have to be very mindful when writing with this pen of whether I'm holding it at the right angle. If it changes by a degree or two, it skips and stops writing.

Again, it works, but not in a way that makes me want to continue using it.

Overall

This is a perfectly good pen for $3, and I'm really impressed that a functional fountain pen can be made at that price.

Unfortunately, this pen just isn't enjoyable to use. It asks a lot of the writer and introduces constant distractions and speed bumps along the way. There's nothing wrong with buying a $3 pen just to experiment, and I certainly don't feel like I wasted my money. I'm just disappointed that I now own a pen that I'm certain will never be used.

It's fun to experiment with different pens, but every now and then you end up with a dud. I guess that's just part of the game. At least I have plenty of other delightful writing instruments to use instead. After all, it's not fair to hold a $3 pen to high standards. In this case, you definitely get what you pay for.

(You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution, Twitter, and App.net.)

Sailor Trident Review

All fountain pen innovation starts in Japan.

Is that too strong of a statement? Probably so. I'm certain Germany, for starters, would have a good argument. But for me, I'm constantly amazed by the ideas that come out of Japan. The Sailor Trident was one of those brilliant ideas. A fountain pen that writes like a ballpoint - who wouldn't want that? Not many people apparently. Innovation does not always equal success, as the Trident never really established itself upon launch in the early 1980's.

Sailor did not come up with the idea for the Trident on it's own though. Instead, they purchased the three nib design from a company called Spacer (all of this history is found on Russ Stutler's Trident page which was the main resource for this review.) They felt they could convert the hordes of ballpoint users into fountain pen users with the Trident, but the pen had too many shortcomings to gain a foothold in the market.

The primary issue with the Trident was maintenance. All of the extra tines in the nib left the Trident prone to clogging. IF the pen stayed in constant use it was great, but if left to sit for a day or two it became a problematic writer. Disposable pen users could not handle that added aggrevation caused by this unique design.

My experience with the Trident (on loan from the esteemed Thomas) was generally positive, but not overly impressive. The three nib system worked as intended, but left my line width inconsistent. I imagine it had to do with the exact spot on the nib I was hitting the page with. With three nibs and six slits all coming together to make one point I don't see how this is avoidable. There was no skipping, but that is because Thomas keeps his pens in pristine condition. The ink flowed nicely, but I have to admit that it felt odd as the nib moved across the page. This is not your traditional fountain pen.

And I think that is the lesson learned with the Sailor Trident. You can't be everything to everyone. It is exciting to see companies like Sailor innovate and take risks like this, regardless of the commercial success of the product. It's like a concept car that actually saw the light of day, and I'm glad I got to take it for a test drive.

You can read more about the Sailor Trident at Mr. Stutler's site linked above, and also this wonderful dissasembly from Penzuki.

You knew this was coming, right?

Kaweco Liliput Fountain Pen Brass Wave Body Review

If you are looking for the best portable fountain pens you need to look no further than Kaweco. They have perfected the format in my mind, combining design, materials, and performance into one beautiful package. Their latest release, the Kaweco Liliput Brass Body Fountain Pen, may be the best of them all.

I've long been a fan of the aluminum AL Sport model. The short barrel with the wide diameter fits my hand well and the metal barrel gives it the heft that is lacking in the plastic barrel Classic Sport. The original aluminum Liliput took portable to a whole new level with its size and weight. It was a feat of engineering but it was so light it was easy to lose track of. The Liliput Brass is an excellent mash up of the AL Sport and original Liliput.

Kaweco offers a smooth brass barrel in the Liliput but also branched out with a new Wave barrel design. I wasn't sure about it from the pictures but now that I have had it in hand for a week or so I am in love with it. The pattern is visually stunning while feeling awesome at the same time. I have a hard time putting it down because it feels so great. The brass construction is a huge improvement on weight from the aluminum model, making it superior in my book. It is an all around great pen.

I chose the EF nib (reviewed here) with my Liliput, but I have a #ProTip for all of you hardcore Kaweco fans. Since their nibs are so easily swappable I sent one of my brood to Shawn Newton for an 0.5 mm cursive italic grind that I stick in whatever Kaweco I have inked up. That is what you will see in the review below, inked up with the newly released Sailor Jentle Four Seasons Miruai. I love being able to have this much flexibility in nib choices.

The Kaweco Liliput Brass Wave has barely left my pocket since its arrival. The section is already getting that great brass patina from frequent use and I imagine it is only going to get better with age. Kind of like me.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)