FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I have always loved the simplicity and colours of the Safaris.I still do.
The people at Hero clearly do too; because, different colour aside, the Hero Summer is the Lamy Safari you have when you're not having a Lamy Safari!
It comes in a cute plastic container - very sturdy. First impression? Gee, it's a purple Safari!
8/10
APPEARANCE AND DESIGN
When it comes to appearance and design there is not really a lot to separate these two pens. I have always liked the look of the Safari so naturally enough I like the look of both pens.
The key differences between the pens are small.
The top of the cap on the Safari is a cross; on the Hero it's a flower - cute.
Both have the same ink window in the same place (although the 359E seems a tiny bit wider); and the same clip.
On the body, the 359E has one flat side and the remainder is circular. The Safari has two flat sides and two circular. Not a great word picture so here is a drawing:
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| I know, I could have put a picture in here - but where's the fun in that! |
For a reason I can't quite seem to fathom, the Safari seems to be more sturdy than the 359E. It might be the colour - the purple is a little .... shallow? The 359E seems a little more "plasticky" in my hands - but only when I'm unscrewing the body from the lid. When writing, this isn't noticeable at all.
6/10
WEIGHT AND DIMENSION
I don't have a scale precise enough to tell the difference. With a pen in each hand, there is no discernible weight difference.Both are the same length. The caps are the same height and width; but there is a difference:
If you like to post your pen, both pens post; but, due to the 359E having only one flat side, it doesn't post very deeply making the 359E a longer pen posted, and a touch over balanced. The Safari wins on this front.
6/10
NIB AND PERFORMANCE
They look the same; but this is a hard comparison as I don't have a Medium Safari nib, only fines and italics.
Writing unposted with both pens they feel comfortable. The 359E nib is smooth out of the box, consistent and easy to write with. It feels great, well-balanced and simple. There is no flex in either nib; they just deliver what they promise: a clean, simple and comfortable write.
That has been my same experience with the Safaris. Once again, the posting (and I like to post) is the only point of separation as the balance is better with the deeper posting Safari.
7/10
FILLING SYSTEM
Both pens are Cartridge converter. There are minor cosmetic differences between the two converters as you can see; but both work fine and fill fine. Simple, no-nonsense filling here.
Neither pen is expensive, so my preferred piston fill is not really missed.
One other minor difference is the cut-outs in the screw section. The Lamy has both an arch shape (see pic above) and a Mosque shape and the Hero just the arch (maybe Lamy is being more ecumenical?) Just an observation.
7/10
COST AND VALUE
The cost of a Lamy Safari online (retail remains an expensive option in Australia) is around AU$18-22 (on current conversion rates, that's about US$17-21).
I bought this Hero 359E from an ebay seller for US$13.49 including postage and a bag of 6 blue "359" cartridges (that's about AU$14.32).
Both pens are good value for money.
7/10
CONCLUSION
The Hero 359E is a good value copy of a good value pen. It writes well out of the box, and delivers what it promises for very little outlay.
Only two things place it behind the Safari:
- The shallow posting of the cap
- The inexplicable feeling of lesser quality in the plastic (am I a pen snob? - I don't think so).
FINAL RATING: 68/100
0-50 = to be avoided at all costs
51-60 = if it’s cheap and you don’t really care….
61-70 = a nice pen with the makings of something better (just don’t spend too much)
71-80 = A better than average pen with just a few flaws that stop it from being really good
81-90 = A good pen, a keeper only a few minor places off being great
91-95 = Now THIS is a pen! If you can get it: keep it, love it, cherish it, and keep it away from the dog
96-100 = Grail