Asvine V126 Vacuum Filling Fountain Pen Medium Nib, Transparent Clear Acrylic, Large-Capacity with Gift Case

This is my first vacuum filler pen, and so far, I love it. :) It's nice to see a vacuum filler that won't break the bank. Before this, I've preferred to eyedropper my pens, when I could, but vacuum filling is more convenient and far less likely to be messy. Its form is very similar to the Pilot Custom 823, but at a fraction of the price. The nib isn't scratch, but it has just enough bite to let you know you're using a fountain pen instead of a ballpoint or rollerball. I would say the feedback is a little lighter than a well-used pencil. The writing experience itself has been flawless so far. I've had it about a week, and it's never had a false start. As soon as you put pen to paper, it's ready to go, smooth as silk. Right now I'm using blue Iroshizuku ink. The pen seems to like it just fine. It's well-balanced, and doesn't feel heavy in the hand, but it's heavy enough to feel substantial. It's apparently possible to eyedropper the V126, but it involves using O-rings and silicone grease, so I haven't done it. The ink capacity of this pen is such that I wouldn't really feel a need. There's only one thing I can really ding it for: I would've liked a metal clip that was either gold or silver colored. The other colors for this pen have clips that are a bit more elegant than the matte black of this one. That's not enough of an issue that I'd take a point off for it, though.

So we own various pens that might be considered, depending on your specific criteria, competitors - PenBBS 355, various Opus 88 models like the mini and demonstrator, basic Nahvalurs , Jaipur V2, Kanwrite Heritage, Conklin, etc. And at this point these are my preferred pocket pen. (Note that I don't consider many of the previous pocket pens: pretty much anything that doesn't allow for closure of the ink chamber like Opus 88 models, the 355, and this pen do, doesn't really count as a proper pocket pen in my view, and even then some pens are too big for the pocket.) That said, of the above pens what I find is that the Kanwrite Heritage is an excellent host for desk usage involving nib unit changes or flex nibs, while Asvine 126 pens are great for daily pocket usage. These are good nib hosts. I have a Franklin Christoph SIG Fine nib on the stock Asvine feed + unit. I've not had this particular nib behave well in the Opus or PenBBS despite trying different feeds and units. it's been prone to random blotting and other inkflow issues. For the 355 I also had to sand down the finial thread for fit. On this pen, it just writes, with reasonable and safe ink flow. I do regard the factory "extra fine" as more of a fine-plus than an extra fine, but that's pretty much the case on most stock extra fine nibs in my view - they're often barely different than factory fine, and often mean factory fine is closer to medium. It's fine for writing with so long as you don't prefer writing extremely small. It write perfectly well, and perhaps slightly on the wetter side of things. I have noticed that once in a while the feed will stop for a moment for no clear reason (NOT skipping) - I think this happens when I forget to open the main chamber until after I've written extensively with it closed or have pocketed it cap-up without closing the main chamber. I assume that means both behaviors somehow lead to an occasional air pocket interacting with the feed. That said, it's not a frequent issue *at all* and solves itself in a couple seconds most of the time. A blip because I forgot to open or close the main chamber is much preferable to blotting or variable ink flow, so I don't mind this at all. I hate fountain pens that use ink cartridges - ink cartridges always leak, break, dry out, or otherwise cause problems, so IMO this is far and away preferable to anything that uses cartridges. I also tend to view regular piston fill pens as too prone to leaking for pocket use. Which makes this easily the best pen for regular everyday use under $100 IMO. It does post, though a bit loosely. I find the size to be slightly shorter than I care for unposted, and slightly taller than I care for posted, but that's not bad by any means - it's a more comfortable size than the Opus pens all round, though I think the length of the 355 unposted is slightly preferable compared to the Asvine V126. Have two of these and may get one more just to have another nib available for pocket use. Do wish they cam in more colors, especially more non-gold metal finishes.

The quality of materials and craftsmanship were greater than expected and the nib was smooth and surprisingly soft. The pen writes, looks, and functions better than pens 10 times the price. Obviously the nib is gold plated so it won't last like the $300 pen it's a clone of, but value for the money it's totally worth it. I bought a second one (the Grey one) because it writes so well. Having said that, it is a Vacuum Filler and in general Vacuum Fillers have some quirks that make them not flow well if you don't unscrew the back so ink can move into the section for longer writing sessions. But they are safer to travel with as the ink reservoir is sealed when the back screw the back closed so it is less likely to leak on planes and going up in elevation while driving. For context, I refurbish vintage flex fountain pens as a hobby and my collection includes Pelican, Mont Blanc, Pilot, Monte Verde, Conklin, Maybe Todd, Parker, Waterman, Lamy, as well as Pen BBS, Wing Sun, etc. So, I am not new to the fountain pen world.

This pen should check a lot of my boxes. Blue? Check. Matte finish? Check. Sturdy construction (mostly)? Check. It has a huge ink capacity and feels solid in the hand. It even posts decently. The problem - and it's a big one - is that it's just not a great writer. It's nice and smooth and wet when it wants to be, but then it will just have little stuttering hard-starts, missing the beginning of lines so much that I get frustrated trying to write with it. (And before you ask, yes, I write with the vacuum valve open, so there *should* be a good supply of ink getting to the nib.) So many people seem to swear by these, so you must stand a pretty good chance of getting a good one. I just didn't though. This was my first Asvine pen, and I'm not eager to try more if this is the writing experience I can expect. EDIT, 2025 So after basically writing this pen off, I did some work on it - I took the nib out, did some adjustments to bring the tines to a more reasonable level of separation (they were too far apart, if I remember right), then made sure everything was aligned properly. And now, after these adjustments, it's a pretty decent writer - very smooth, no more skips and hard-starts. While I added a 4th star, I can't give if 5 stars because I shouldn't have needed to do all this in order to have the thing write consistently.

As a collector of fine writing instruments I am truly impressed with the quality and writing experience of this pen. I have used it on different papers with diamine inks and I can't think of a more affordable pen with the reliability and smoothness of this Medium nib. It might have some hard starts when not unscrewed at the back but onces it gets going it is a great writer. I did not need to make any adjustments to the nib. It was fantastic from day one. Very balanced pen overall.

Nice pen. It writes smooth. Its is an antique looking color. Holds quite a bit of ink. Easy to see the quantity of ink left. The pen delivers a tight ink outline not too wet. The filling is kind of aggravating until you get the hang of it.

This isn’t my first 823 clone. I purchased one about a year or so ago and it was vastly inferior. You can tell as soon as you hold the pen. The resin used in this one feels of higher quality compared to the other clone. It does not feel as nice as the 823, but that is now nearly a $400 dollar pen. That one feels more luxurious, softer in a way that once you handle it in comparison, you’ll know. The filling mechanism works well. On my first vacuum fill I got approximately half a barrel. That’s a good amount. The nib writes smoothly and wet. I was worried about that as an “in house” nib is usually an unknown gamble. Well, the gamble paid off. I have the F nib. Design wise, the threading on the cap is lined up to where the nib will be displayed in the center of the cap. It’ll either fall directly across from the clip or directly under it, depending on where you start twisting it close. That’s great attention to detail, and I can’t confirm if it was luck of the draw or if it was intended. (I have the more expensive Asvine vacuum filler and it is slightly off center.) The weight is is good. It’s well balanced and has enough heft to feel expensive. The grip is a nice size and shape, similar to the Pilot version. Overall, once filled with ink, this pen looks and writes great. My only concerns, and they haven't been realized yet, is how it will hold up over time. Will the resin get scratched up easily? Will it start getting duller or yellowing? Will the vacuum mechanism fail? I don’t know and I can’t hold any of that against it, since it hasn’t happened yet.

The Asvine V126 is a well-built piston-filling fountain pen that offers a smooth and consistent writing experience. Its transparent body looks elegant and makes checking ink levels easy, while the large ink capacity is perfect for daily use. The nib glides nicely across paper, though the grip can feel a little slippery during long sessions. Overall, it’s a sturdy, reliable pen that offers great value for both beginners and experienced fountain pen users.