Matte Black Forest Fountain Pen Extra Fine Nib Classic Design with Converter and Metal Pen Box Set by Asvine

To me, the value of this pen far exceeds the modest price. The nib produces clear and very neat lines. It glides across paper with just the minutest amount of friction. Thus far, it’s performance is equal to the Parker, Waterman, and Schaeffer pens that have cost significantly more. The carbon fiber pen style I chose has a great weight, feel, and apearance. Of course, users should choose a quaity ink to compliment this quality instrument.

Edited December 2025: After two months, the clip broke off... This was my EDC pen, but I need the clip in order to carry it! ———— Original review in October 2025: The nib writes pretty smoothly, but this EF nib writes almost as large as Lamy Safari F nib. I did have a hard time getting the ink to flow for the first time, but after that I’ve had no issues. The case material feels smooth and premium, but it did come with a small scratch. Fine for me since I’ll be daily carrying this, but might be a turn off to some. The weight and balance is fine unposted, if a bit light, but writing feels extra nice with the cap posted. Overall, extremely good value, especially considering the built in converter. I’ll probably get a second one in another color to try out some of my other inks.

I am in love with this pen. First of all, it is a VERY attractive pen. It just looks stylish. Next is the weight. It is SO satisfying to hold this pen. It's balanced, the weight is perfect, and it feels great in the hand. Next is the writing it produces. I bought the extra fine tip, and it produces very solid, consistent, even, beautiful lines. I like to write small and create precise effects on my writing, and the extra fine tip is absolutely perfect for this. I would probably want a larger tip for more artistic writing or calligraphy, but if you need the pen to write for a job or if you are hand-writing a book, extra-fine feels perfect. Filling it with ink is refreshingly easy. The seller sent me a video, and it's just a matter of dipping the cartridge in the ink well, and turning the fill handle. No mess, and it fills the cartridge up completely. It comes in a very nice metal case. When I go somewhere and want to write, which is quite often, it makes transporting it easy, it fits right into a pocket on my backpack. I bought a second one so I will have one for work, and one for home. All other pens are dead to me. One thing I will mention is something about fountain pens in general. Generally, you will not be applying as much pressure when you write because they are designed differently than a roller pen. They are more satisfying to write with, but the lack of pressure means you won't be pressing through as well on carbon copies. So if you want need to make carbon copies, fountain pens might not be for you.

I ended up coming back and editing this review after having the pen for a few more months. I don't have a lot more to say than what has already been said: generally, this is a really nice fountain pen for a very reasonable price. It feels nice in the hand and has a sleek, modern look. The nibs are generally and overall pretty incredible given the cost. While the difference between an EF and an M is not as substantial as in other brands, all of my nibs so far have written very smoothly. The fude and architect options are nice bonus options-- the fude/bent nib is an especially great example of the type. I have three big gripes that depress the rating for me, with the second two being the bigger offenses. The first is simply that 3.4mm is not a very common bore size. This really limits what cartridges can be used, for those who prefer to use them. Given that it comes with a converter, there are plenty of other pens with proprietary cartridge sizes, and that I use bottled ink most of the time, this is only a minor inconvenience... but one still worth nothing. It could certainly be a frustration for someone new to fountain pens or someone who does not want to use bottled ink. Second is that the pen feels unbalanced when posted. I didn't really notice how much until I tried using it for longer writing sessions. It's actually quite disruptive and uncomfortable for me when trying to write for anything longer than 10-15 mins at a stretch. Ultimately, this isn't a big surprise for a metal pen, and it's a little long when posted anyway. I still think it's nice to have the option for posting a pen with these kinds of aesthetics. It's just a bit of a shame it's not a little more balanced that way. Lastly, the biggest drawback is that the seal is pretty iffy on some caps. It's not a constant problem but I have experienced some lightning fast drying out of nibs, or even evaporation of ink from the converter. If this were a truky big and recurring issue I'd be giving this a lot less than four stars, but it's definitely worth noting. There were a few times it took a lot of effort to get the ink flowing again after the pen sat unused for just a few days. For whatever reason, this was largely eliminated after a nib switch for that pen, so I guess it's not solely a bad cap seal problem... just something to be aware of. I would say this is a pretty great *early* pen for someone just getting into the hobby and who is prepared to deal with some idiosyncrasies, but I think there are much better choices for first-ever fountain pens out there. Overall, though, I'd still recommend this pen pretty highly. It's a great pen for the price despite its quirks. I don't buy duplicate pens super often but I still have three of these. It's also a bonus that the nibs are interchangeable with some other great Hong Dian pens like the M2 pocket pen. 4/5 stars.

FYI, this is my first ever fountain pen, so I have zero experience with fountain pens. But I have always been a pen enthusiast and have tried many different kinds. I like to save money on nice pens, and this seems like the perfect way. Personally, on this one I love the metal feel, weight (it’s heavier in my hand than most pens), and the matte finish (I chose the matte black pen with the finest tip). It’s perfectly well constructed for my tastes (I don’t notice any issues whatsoever), seems sturdy, and it’s fairly intuitive when you take it apart. Still, having instructions is helpful. It’s possible I missed it, but there were no instructions enclosed, so I had to go back to the Amazon page for a bit of help putting the first cartridge in. But it was very easy, and now I won’t have any trouble going forward. After inserting the first ink cartridge (bought separately from the same brand), I swung the pen around a bit to see if any ink would fly out, and none did. I use everything pretty gently, so maybe some users would have to be careful; I’m not sure. The ink flow is smooth and gorgeous. It doesn’t bleed even on cheap paper yet it flows perfectly. I’m a big fan and will probably use this pen all the time. The ink refills are even super affordable. I can’t wait! I’m considering if I’ll like to buy a few more of these pens plus ink in different colors for variety. I wouldn’t have to deal with my disposable pens anymore. It always bothers me to collect so many plastic throwaways, but I love pens, both for art and for writing. These are also much more convenient than my dip pens.

Easy to refill, comfortable fit and decently light for a metal pen. Smooth lines and seems durable. The minimalist style is appreciated, nothing jagged or overly smooth to bother your hands.

UPDATE! After a week this is hands down my favorite pen! Just ordered more ink colors, 3 different nibs, and 4 more piston refill cartridges. Well made, great looking, and smooth writing. Hard to find the correct cartridges for it, I've already bought the wrong ones and it doesn't specify the size that it does take. So i ended up buying a bottle of ink and refilling that way and it works great!

It was a decent pen, I got it and my father bought me the replacement nibs. Upon attempting to turn the nib counterclockwise to change it out, it was near impossible to do by hand. Upon finally getting the nib to turn and come out, instead of unscrewing, the feed and nib separated from the part you screw in, as if it just outright refuses to come out as suggested. (So, the replacement nibs will not fit because a piece of the first one was still lodged in the nib housing part) I was easily able to put them back in and get it working again, so no fuss no muss, but I really would have liked to be able to use those, that was my biggest gripe. This is easily the most popular pen of this brand and I would like if it said "NIB NOT REPLACEABLE" if that was the case. If it is supposed to be replaceable, I'm not happy about that. I'm also not a fan of the washing. If you do not flush this pen every other day, it WILL cease to work properly until you do, after a bit of time. It can be very prone to skipping after extended periods, which is fine for writing, but as an artist getting into fountain pens, it can be incredibly frustrating to stop drawing, get up, unclog the pen, sit down, and then have to do it again roughly an hour later. I also seem to have bad luck with not scraping up debris from the paper, although that is likely a result of the cotton-heavy paper I use and not the pen itself. The inks I use are speedball and rotring so I know that's not the issue. I love the easiness of the screw-style feed, I think that system should be standard across all fountain pens. you should have a little napkin ready but usually it shouldn't drip if clean. Never used cartridges, maybe it's better, IDK. The metal frame is durable and reliable, no need to worry about cracking or snapping this thing. If the cap is on, you could probably run it over with a car and still use it. Overall, I did have fun learning about how fountain pens work, and it gets the job done. (With some work.) If you want to try fountain pens to see if you like or dislike them and whether or not you can put up with maintaining them, I would recommend this pen for that purpose. If you want a workhorse pen or are an illustrator, I suggest investing a bit more for something hardier. It's a good enough working pen for a bargain price. Nothing more, nothing less.