Just got mine a few days ago, and I must say, for the price, I am very pleased with the experience. It's not earth shattering, but a nice solid Vac filler for $40 isn't bad at all, and it's certainly a looker, at least to my eyes.
That is an excellent review. I was in between the V169 and the P80, and watching your two videos on those pens was not only incredibly enjoyable, but also surprisingly informative. You've got a new subscriber, and he will definitely be back for more fountain pen content!
LOL, loved your hype treatment near the end. I am among those fp nerds who purchased one of these pens and I am liking it, I must say. Like yours my clip was crooked, and so far I have unscrewed the barrel while uncapping once with no harm done, thankfully. The Asvine family, yes, they used to live down the block from me, but they missed the good ol' PRC, who could blame them? Glad they're still crafting and creating. Thanks, Doug! Cheers! Btw, your new Leonardo is spectacular.
Good review. I think the information regarding the shifting name change and possible ownerships of the chinese pen companies is more interesting than the pen itself, which to me is gaudy. It's like the local restaurant that serves the same food but the personnel and owners change constantly.
With the section coming off… I haven’t had that with mine, but just to make sure, I gave the acrylic end of the cap a little work with micro mesh just to ensure it won’t “grip” on the body. I do love this pen though… interesting and built with quality. Thanks for the review!!
Just played with mine, and uncapped it a bunch, and no issues with the section unscrewing. Either I don't tighten the cap that hard, although it is as tight as my other pens, or Doug got a dud. I mean it does happen. An O-ring can probably fix that, and make for a tight bond when tightened.
I had the same problem of the section coming undone while unscrewing the cap. Finally gave up on this pen. Guess I'll have to wait for your review next time.
Thanks for sharing. It seems some people have the issue and others don't. I've taken a suggestion and micromesh sanded the bottom of the cap so it doesn't bind to the barrel. Seems to help.
Very nice video! It just happens that I ordered one of those pens last night! I think it's the same color combination, though I like an extra fine nib. Just a question, and I'm going to open it up to anyone who knows the answer, because I'm a noob with fountain pens and need to ask once in a while. What inks should you not use (popular brands, I mean) in a pen that says "no carbon inks". Even Platinum Carbon Black? It's my favorite black ink so far. It's not a deal breaker if I can't use it, though. I have a bottle of Noodler's Baystate Blue that isn't carbon. Great video, and I subbed and joined!
I finally got around to opening up my Asvine V169, silver with gray/blue acrylic. Mine must have gone through better QC than yours. The section fits snugly, with no accidental unscrewing when removing the cap. The clip is straight and tight. Mine came with a medium nib, so I'll ink it up and see how it writes. If it's like your fine nib, I'll be pleased. Can't wait to see the other two I ordered, and I'll compare the QC on those to this one. BTW, my frosted box says "Asvine". I watched Doodlebud's review, and I have to say, he must be OCD. I mean, criticizing the instructions for the drawing of the plunger filler not being perfectly parallel. Come on...
Yeah, I agree about the OCD, BUT, he did start by saying the pen was almost great and was making suggestions to make it perfect. So, he wasn't actually ripping on them.
I was hoping this would be your pen for review this week, and sure enough! After seeing the other reviews of this pen, I decided to pull the trigger. I purchased mine from Amazon, and it arrived yesterday. Only two days from order to door via Amazon "Prime". I chose the clear version, so what ever ink I choose will dictate the pen body color. I did my pre-ink clean and flush today, and am looking forward to putting in it my February rotation. My initial impression, for the money, this is a well made feature rich pen. So, if writes as good as looks and feels, I'll be a "happy camper"!
I have 2 V169s, Uncapped 100s of times, never had section unscrew issues. Fine threads & o-ring secure section to barrel. The larger cap threads require less torque to turn, so the cap comes off before section unscrews. Maybe it's a Great White North Phenomenon.
Yes, I saw your excellent reviews before I received mine. Perhaps Asvine/Hongdian/Kaco/Moonman/MaJohn are making special versions for the Canadian market?? LOL
Have you tried adding a little o-ring between the section and the barrel to make a tighter grip than the cap to the section? I think the PenBBS 456 is almost as good of poster as the Pelikan. Good review.
No I have not. But the section already has an O-ring on it that makes it tight. Sometimes, with the slippery chrome section, it is hard to unscrew the section from the barrel. That's why the torque from the cap on the section must be great indeed. I think Doodlebud had it right that the cap and the barrel actually touching each other is a design flaw.
@@InkquiringMinds I was just thinking that it could leave the cap not touching the barrel but leave the barrel tight against the section. You and Doodlebud are probably right though and it wouldn't work.
I just got this Asvine V169, I do not have issue of unscrewing the barrel inadvertently while uncapping, I love writing with this pen, decent weight and decent width very suitable for my write hand, the girth of the grip is deep enough for my right index finger to rest, the challenge is I cannot seem to be able to fill it fully like 95% filled, I only got 70% fill...
It is just the nature of the beast. The vacuum filler will not fill entirely. You can try the technique of pushing the piston back up while holding the nib up and pushing some of the remaining air out the nib. Then, without letting go of the piston rod's position, turn the pen down into the ink and push the rod all the way in again. I've been able to get 80 to 90% fills that way but it is tricky.
@@InkquiringMinds Thank you for your tips, but I think I will not dare to try as it will become a real fountain if I push the piston back haha. So I will take it that my fill is a normal volume. Thank you again :) By the way you have a video that has tutorial on using the syringe to fill up the converter, thank you for that tutorial as this method did not come to my mind.
Awesome video!!!! Love the part about the pen replicating the golden ratio! No matter what the explanation is behind this branding issue, I like the Asian pens. I mostly use them for artwork and calligraphy, so using a pen that works well is more important than an expensive heirloom type pen. Thanks for another entertaining review
Thanks! The golden ratio made me LOL! I actually used my calipers to measure various parts of the pen to see if there was a golden ratio anywhere on the pen - NOT. Maybe the "stick" is supposed to be like a Doric column?? Beats me. Perhaps they got it wrong in translation and meant "golden radio" 'cause the knobs look like they could be on a radio.
Hi Doug, great video again, with some interesting views on this pen. I feel you may be right, giant factories making Wing Sung, Wingsung, Majohn, Moonman, Yong Shen, and so on.....it's the Hero pen factory, a massive room full of thousands of people pressing buttons. While Penbbs is a small room with a small number of people creating things by hand. Congratulations on millions of views YAY Chels
Mine is on order and I can’t wait to try it. I have big hands and I don’t think I’ll mind the weight. One of the things I dislike most about my Pelican 200 is it is so light it feels like a throw away pen (but no, I’d never do that)
They are different! Yours is yours, and mine is mine. Other than that, they are the same! Thank you for showing the pen clearly and rotating slowly; I stopped the video to compare to my pen and spot the differences (color - plus the nearly 3-week wait from Amazon Prime) and similarities (holes, left-hanging clip, etc.). Enjoy the MZG! And maybe the Asvine/Hongdian/Hero/... too.
Caveat Emptor indeed... And THAT is why I listen & watch my "Pen Pal's" vid reviews... because I trust your observations and opinions! Thanks once again, my friend!
Interesting review! Your comments regarding the Chinese "Family owned" pens is thought provoking, you make an interesting case! The Leonardo Momento Zero Grande is very good looking! I look forward to that review!
Thank you for not Waxing Poetically about this. Yes, we all got duped initially by the 'Small Family Business' rhetoric. And the fact that it looked like a Poor Man's Laban Skeleton did not help to quell the hype neither. That crooked clip exists in mine, and all the posted reviews I've seen. The section business is such a mixed bag. At least it writes well. But it ain't no PenBBS. Caveat Emptor indeed.
@@jacobus57 Only got it as it was vac filler skeleton, and other alternatives that have the looks, and functionality are a couple orders of magnitude more, and so not in the budget.
I wasn't aware that there was much hype for this pen but I'm glad I passed on it. While it's reasonably priced, looks pretty nice, and is capable of having a barrel full of ink unlike the Laban. However the potential for the section to unscrew itself when being uncapped is a big no no and that weight, yeesh. What surprised me is they only took half the "Italian pens route" and just talked about their "history" but didn't charge an arm & a leg, so points for them.
I ordered the pen in blue/gray before seeing this review but someone else suggested that applying a bit of silicon grease on the lower section stopped all leaking and uncapping issues. Mine arrives tomorrow so I will flush, dry and apply the grease before I fill it. Isn't it a good idea to water flush pens (especially these off brands) before filling? Thanks IM for a thorough, honest review.
Small end-user update: thrilled by the overall 'amazing' of the Fine nib, I got an EF: the EF was *also* extraordinarily smooth, with only the subtlest feedback. On the other hand - and thanks to Doug (and Doodlebud) for the heads-up: the section unscrewed along with the cap. (I believe I heard - in a mixture of Mandarin-Pen and Esperanto - 'I cannot live without you! If you refuse to post, I will follow you to the ends of the dining room table! Damn the mess!') Could have been quite a mess.
Thank you Doug for this video, about the ink suction between PenBBS 456 and Asvine v169 which one sucks more ink or are they similar? Good that you have warned about accidental unscrewing the barrel while uncapping; this is huge for me to make a buying decision between the PenBBS and Asvine.
They hold about the same amount of ink (1.8ml) but the 456 is by far the better pen IMO. Balance, posting, comfort, writing, clip, section, disassembly and maintenance are all better.
I saw this early this morning and wrote a moderately long comment, and then I apparently navigated away from the page without actually posting it. In short. I got this in an EF nib and the blue/gray acrylic with chrome overlay. I inked it with DeAtramentis Document Fog Grey. I like it so far. I haven't written with it a lot, yet, and I'm not sure how I'm going to like that metal section over time. It is probably one of the smoothest EF nibs out of the box I've received so far, but I need to revisit some of my PenBBS REF (round extra-fine) nibs before I can give this one a proper ranking for out-of-the-box smoothness!
With all of the reviewers having the same experience of a smooth fine and extra fine nib, I think they must be doing some QC before they go in the boxes. Mine is surprisingly smooth EVEN in reverse!
Doug, I've now inked up my medium nib V169 with some Asa-Gao. I can honestly say that it is one of the best writing and smoothest nibs I've used. Still a little feedback, which I like for the sake of control. No issues with the clip or the section. I would highly recommend that you see if Asvine will send a medium-nibbed example for you to try. I think it's just a really great pen. Cheers.
Thanks for the video Doug. Probably the best reverse writing pen that I've seen. I'm still not sure why people want to do this but I am new to the pen world. However a lap full of ink and the weight probably would be a no no. On the marketing message, I am also concerned how much all these people are paid for the 30 hours building the pen and the individual testing of the nib, for a $40 pen, then we should not encourage companies to pay 'slave' wages by buying their product. Assuming 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 spilt between manufacture, sales and profit, that means their workers are getting $13.33/30 = $0.44 per hour.
Reversing the pen is a quick way to get a finer, drier line out of the pen. Sketch artists can flip the pen to get a fine line. Also, if you are writing on cheap copier paper, getting a drier line is useful to keep the ink from feathering.
My very very first fountain pen was in the 1990s, when I was in middle school. At that time reverse writing was an every day thing for me because the ink feathered on my cheap notebook paper and spirals. The finer line made it legible after feathering. The other use I’ve heard of is for artists trying to get lines as fine as possible when drawing (they often desire pens with the greatest potential for line variation in general, so being able to coax a finer line from a broader nib delights their souls).
@@InkquiringMinds Thank you, it makes sense. I am trying to stick to Clairfontaine A5 here in Australia which does seem to be almost reasonably priced. However in my pre fountain pen stage I aquired A5 notepaper with some seriously dodgy paper. I have A5 notebooks back to when Moses was in his basket.
Great review. Yes, Asvine engages in some improbable marketing grandiosity (on which one could rag mercilessly just by playing with the company name). True, the Chinese fountain pen industry is a mutant government subsidized command-economy-capitalist-juggernaut - while also making some very good pens, at a price point unthinkable in the West. (PenBBS stakes new turf for integrity in that atmosphere - no need for corporate hype). The thing about the Asvine 169 is: the nib. The nib is absolutely fantastic - out of the box, mine is just about the smoothest, wettest steel Fine in my collection. IF (if) Asvine does indeed test and attend to these nibs before shipping, that is *really* something.
@@InkquiringMinds I appreciated your ire - as well as the fair review *despite* the ire. (Although at the opening salvo, I nearly ran into the house crying, 'Mommy! Doug is being mean to my new favorite pen!' My fears were ... quelled with a glass of milk, and reason.)
This is another pen I’m looking forward to owning one day. I must take a break for a minute though. I have the Hongdian A1 on the way and I also just bought my grail pen(my realistic grail pen- one I actually had a means to get one day)
@@jacobus57 it wasn’t hype that sold it to me. It was that I work in a machine shop as a quality control inspector and I like to use my fountain pens and the metal dust that gets on my gloves gets in the threads of my pen so I wanted a cheap clicks type of pen without having to use a ballpoint and the Majohn a1 did that for me. It also allows me to see if I like that style of pen before I spend 160 bucks on a pilot vanishing point. I would much rather spend $40 to see if I like a style of pen than 160.
Instead of loosening the end cap to allow ink flow ,would removing the rubber washer at end of plunger allow flow all Th e time? I just leave mine unscrewed all the time . Looks kinda wonky.
Same sort of box as the Penbbs 350 fountain pen I picked up recently - red and blue. Picture straightener huh? What fun creeping around at midnight making them crooked. That V169 is quite an artillery piece. I'd be more likely to get a Laban which I think would be nicer, better quality pen to write with.
The glove is actually a nice touch (pun intended). In your opinion, is there any reason why this pen could not be filled with an eyedropper? If it could, would the stop valve and ink release system function the same? I have found that it is less trouble when you can use an eyedropper on a pen with another filling system, it usually is more efficient and takes about the same amount of time. Unless I am on the road, I use the eyedropper in those instances. What do you think?
I was going through my emails and found out Conklin has a new pen called the Endura and it looks JUST LIKE this thing. I'm just a bit fascinated that the copycatting is going in that direction.
Thanks for the review Doug! Not to critic but your TH-cam title is piston fill and the pen is vacuum fill, may make a difference with the algorithms and future pen models.
Very good review. Well worth the time and effort you put into it. Visconti made a Skeleton pen with powder coated titanium over sterling silver. I do not know if I would purchase this pen. It is too heavy for my liking. I am very much looking forward to you upcoming Momento Zero Grande review. It is gorgeous. I have MZ and Furore pens, but not the Grande version. The resin on the Grande is fabulous.
Thanks for sharing! I expect the MZG review to come the end of February. I'm waiting for Joost to send me the Leo wrench that was supposed to be supplied with this limited edition.
@@InkquiringMinds Jonathan Brooks resins are truly a sight, mesmerizing. I have one resin on a Narwhal. However this MZ resin is captivating. I think Jonathan has his own sight - Carolina Pen Company.
@@paulmchugh1430 He does. David Parker did a fascinating video where he and Jonathan made acrylic rods together. David has also commissioned a couple of different Leonardos with Brooks resins. The Carolina Midnight is really beautiful but nothing like this "Earth Magic 2.0".
From the bottom of my... small family run business.... I mean... heart.... thank you for another great review. I think I'll stay away from those "small family run businesses" for a while and check how evil corporations are making pens those days by just picking a Pelikan M600.
A nice looking pen at a reasonable but, I have to say I wouldn't buy one for myself. I guess it is a matter of personal preference -- skeleton models are not a favorite. As a matter of fact, I prefer demonstrators. But the real deal breaker in this case is the unscrewing of the section while uncapping. Thanks a lot.
The @ss vine pic had me laughing out loud. Another great review, but I’m still on the fence on this one. The design and fill mechanism are ok, but the likelihood of separating the barrel from the section is a big red flag. Also, I don’t like smooth metal sections. But I suppose I could add blue locktite to the barrel/section threads and coat the section with some clear epoxy. Hm… maybe…
Thanks for the down to earth, rational review. Overall weight and safe usage inkwise, are big factors on fountain pen writing which are hardly mentioned from others. Cheers!
This is very heavily inspired by the "MONTBLANC MEISTERSTÜCK #149 SKELETON BLUE HOUR" fountain pen. I doubt much "research development" was spent on this as-vine :).
That's real ad copy? So flowery 😆 I always thought the Amazon sellers got away with putting their name in the 'brand' field for some reason. Confusing especially when the brand name is often in the product photos. Who knows what they gain from that besides mucking up the waters. The section unscrewing is a big "nuh uh" from me. You might be able to pawn it for ink money.
Enjoyed, as usual, your review. Use 2 coats of Plasti Dip spray on those shiny metal grip sections. Get yourself a Huashi 90. - not to review. - just for fun. Huge nib.
The round robin game of naming pens from China is just a thing, probably because they shuffle their workers every year. And I have a sneaking suspicion that it's still the Hero conglomerate that cranks out the fake Hero pens, which, IMO, are some of the worst pens ever made. Other than PenBBS and Hero, there MAY be Jinhao, but I've gotten an allegedly Hero made "Jinhao." So... Even Moonman/Moijang/Majohn/whatever it's called this week HAS to be a part of the Hero conglomerate. Hero was who legally had permission to make Parker pens, and there's the Moon-whatever 80, which is just a cheap Parker 45. (Surprised that it wasn't a 90, "twice the pen as a 45." 🙄 Probably could have been a 22½...) Does this mean that id avoid this pen? Jury is still out on this. How different, really, is this from a Wing Sung vacuum filler, if at all? And, do I really need it? 😁 (There's still the N+1 factor... 😂) Thanks for saying what some are either unaware of, or unwilling to talk about.
Thanks for this, Paul. I have no facts to back any of this up of course. It is all pure speculation from a consumer. But there are precious few facts about how "companies" are run and regulated inside the Chinese regime.
@@InkquiringMinds I have read that they do the round robin game with workers, and other than Jinhao, the rest seems part of the Hero conglomerate. Especially those who seem the least honest...
I saw an Asvine on Amazon and the manufacturer was Hongdian. They really should get an English-speaking person in marketing to create brand names. Or they could just be messing with us. Some of these names just sound dirty. Hah, look what I made you say....you said poo! Poo and goo seem to be common in their names.
As time goes by and I learn more about pens, I'm thinking that Chinese pens are to be avoided more and more. I have several, none of which really impress me. I always reach for something else
Thank you for NOT being credulous. The fawning reviews have been too much. Plus aesthetically, the skeleton is, at least to my cynical eye, ugly and chunky. I'm glad it's at least a decent performer (although the section coming loose issue certainly causes one to question their claim of extensive QC!). And lying, or at least fudging, their origin story is also problematic. I also know you, unlike some reviewers, would have been just as honest if the pen had been sent to you 😉
Thank you, Jackie. That means a lot. It is a big, chunky pen. But some people like that kind of thing. The cap sticking to the section is a design thing rather than QC. I think Doodlebud did a good job of pointing out how the design leads to that cap pulling the section off. Two tenths of a millimetre would make the difference.
I do. But better putting the €40 in the purchase of a Diplomat Excellence A2 Oxyd, Brass or Iron (around 160 right now on amazon). The best ergonomics on a pen that reasonably weighs, model section covered with plastic ((unlike the Aero) so that it’s not slippery, not to mention the best (Jowo) steel nibs on the market.
Just got mine a few days ago, and I must say, for the price, I am very pleased with the experience. It's not earth shattering, but a nice solid Vac filler for $40 isn't bad at all, and it's certainly a looker, at least to my eyes.
That is an excellent review.
I was in between the V169 and the P80, and watching your two videos on those pens was not only incredibly enjoyable, but also surprisingly informative.
You've got a new subscriber, and he will definitely be back for more fountain pen content!
Thank you so much, @Pahheb! Welcome aboard!
LOL, loved your hype treatment near the end. I am among those fp nerds who purchased one of these pens and I am
liking it, I must say. Like yours my clip was crooked, and so far I have unscrewed the barrel while uncapping once with
no harm done, thankfully. The Asvine family, yes, they used to live down the block from me, but they missed the good ol'
PRC, who could blame them? Glad they're still crafting and creating. Thanks, Doug! Cheers! Btw, your new
Leonardo is spectacular.
Thanks, David. It IS spectacular. I usually write with a different pen in my journal every night. But, I haven't been able to put this pen down.
Good review. I think the information regarding the shifting name change and possible ownerships of the chinese pen companies is more interesting than the pen itself, which to me is gaudy. It's like the local restaurant that serves the same food but the personnel and owners change constantly.
Good point!
With the section coming off… I haven’t had that with mine, but just to make sure, I gave the acrylic end of the cap a little work with micro mesh just to ensure it won’t “grip” on the body. I do love this pen though… interesting and built with quality. Thanks for the review!!
Nice tip. Thanks!
Just played with mine, and uncapped it a bunch, and no issues with the section unscrewing. Either I don't tighten the cap that hard, although it is as tight as my other pens, or Doug got a dud. I mean it does happen. An O-ring can probably fix that, and make for a tight bond when tightened.
I had the same problem of the section coming undone while unscrewing the cap. Finally gave up on this pen. Guess I'll have to wait for your review next time.
Thanks for sharing. It seems some people have the issue and others don't. I've taken a suggestion and micromesh sanded the bottom of the cap so it doesn't bind to the barrel. Seems to help.
Very nice video! It just happens that I ordered one of those pens last night! I think it's the same color combination, though I like an extra fine nib.
Just a question, and I'm going to open it up to anyone who knows the answer, because I'm a noob with fountain pens and need to ask once in a while.
What inks should you not use (popular brands, I mean) in a pen that says "no carbon inks". Even Platinum Carbon Black? It's my favorite black ink so far. It's not a deal breaker if I can't use it, though. I have a bottle of Noodler's Baystate Blue that isn't carbon.
Great video, and I subbed and joined!
Great video as always. I wonder if moonjongvine will take your advice and lighten that piston knob.
I hope so! I think it would be much more interesting if the cap finial, section and piston knob were all the same acrylic as the inner barrel.
I finally got around to opening up my Asvine V169, silver with gray/blue acrylic. Mine must have gone through better QC than yours. The section fits snugly, with no accidental unscrewing when removing the cap. The clip is straight and tight. Mine came with a medium nib, so I'll ink it up and see how it writes. If it's like your fine nib, I'll be pleased. Can't wait to see the other two I ordered, and I'll compare the QC on those to this one. BTW, my frosted box says "Asvine". I watched Doodlebud's review, and I have to say, he must be OCD. I mean, criticizing the instructions for the drawing of the plunger filler not being perfectly parallel. Come on...
Yeah, I agree about the OCD, BUT, he did start by saying the pen was almost great and was making suggestions to make it perfect. So, he wasn't actually ripping on them.
Just filling mine today, so something to look forward to.
Cool! Hope it goes well.
I have a gold one, the pen that is its a wow factor that writes well smooth what more could you ask for £35 really.
I was hoping this would be your pen for review this week, and sure enough! After seeing the other reviews of this pen, I decided to pull the trigger. I purchased mine from Amazon, and it arrived yesterday. Only two days from order to door via Amazon "Prime". I chose the clear version, so what ever ink I choose will dictate the pen body color. I did my pre-ink clean and flush today, and am looking forward to putting in it my February rotation. My initial impression, for the money, this is a well made feature rich pen. So, if writes as good as looks and feels, I'll be a "happy camper"!
Excellent, Dave! I was very impressed with how well the fine nib wrote. One of the best, fine, Chinese steel nibs I've written with.
I have 2 V169s, Uncapped 100s of times, never had section unscrew issues. Fine threads & o-ring secure section to barrel. The larger cap threads require less torque to turn, so the cap comes off before section unscrews. Maybe it's a Great White North Phenomenon.
Yes, I saw your excellent reviews before I received mine. Perhaps Asvine/Hongdian/Kaco/Moonman/MaJohn are making special versions for the Canadian market?? LOL
@@InkquiringMinds Stranger things have happened. Great that we can share experiences.
Ah, well, let 'em hype all they want. I go for the reviews! Looks like a nice pen. Thanks for the detailed examination.
Thanks, Rob. The nibs seem to be consistently good.
Have you tried adding a little o-ring between the section and the barrel to make a tighter grip than the cap to the section? I think the PenBBS 456 is almost as good of poster as the Pelikan. Good review.
No I have not. But the section already has an O-ring on it that makes it tight. Sometimes, with the slippery chrome section, it is hard to unscrew the section from the barrel. That's why the torque from the cap on the section must be great indeed. I think Doodlebud had it right that the cap and the barrel actually touching each other is a design flaw.
@@InkquiringMinds I was just thinking that it could leave the cap not touching the barrel but leave the barrel tight against the section. You and Doodlebud are probably right though and it wouldn't work.
@@InkquiringMinds I mean if they are hand crafted by family of artisans, then some will not be quite perfect. :) All that hand crafty stuff.
@@martinlebl631 I think Doodlebud and I got the two pens made by Uncle Charlie then because they have the identical problem.
I just got this Asvine V169, I do not have issue of unscrewing the barrel inadvertently while uncapping, I love writing with this pen, decent weight and decent width very suitable for my write hand, the girth of the grip is deep enough for my right index finger to rest, the challenge is I cannot seem to be able to fill it fully like 95% filled, I only got 70% fill...
It is just the nature of the beast. The vacuum filler will not fill entirely. You can try the technique of pushing the piston back up while holding the nib up and pushing some of the remaining air out the nib. Then, without letting go of the piston rod's position, turn the pen down into the ink and push the rod all the way in again. I've been able to get 80 to 90% fills that way but it is tricky.
@@InkquiringMinds Thank you for your tips, but I think I will not dare to try as it will become a real fountain if I push the piston back haha. So I will take it that my fill is a normal volume. Thank you again :)
By the way you have a video that has tutorial on using the syringe to fill up the converter, thank you for that tutorial as this method did not come to my mind.
Awesome video!!!! Love the part about the pen replicating the golden ratio! No matter what the explanation is behind this branding issue, I like the Asian pens. I mostly use them for artwork and calligraphy, so using a pen that works well is more important than an expensive heirloom type pen. Thanks for another entertaining review
Thanks! The golden ratio made me LOL! I actually used my calipers to measure various parts of the pen to see if there was a golden ratio anywhere on the pen - NOT. Maybe the "stick" is supposed to be like a Doric column?? Beats me. Perhaps they got it wrong in translation and meant "golden radio" 'cause the knobs look like they could be on a radio.
Hi Doug, great video again, with some interesting views on this pen. I feel you may be right, giant factories making Wing Sung, Wingsung, Majohn, Moonman, Yong Shen, and so on.....it's the Hero pen factory, a massive room full of thousands of people pressing buttons. While Penbbs is a small room with a small number of people creating things by hand.
Congratulations on millions of views YAY
Chels
Well said! Thanks, Chels!
@@InkquiringMinds Thanks Dough :)
Mine is on order and I can’t wait to try it. I have big hands and I don’t think I’ll mind the weight. One of the things I dislike most about my Pelican 200 is it is so light it feels like a throw away pen (but no, I’d never do that)
The Pelikan 200 is way too small. I wish Pelikan would use some of those cool 200 resins on the 800 level pens!
They are different! Yours is yours, and mine is mine. Other than that, they are the same! Thank you for showing the pen clearly and rotating slowly; I stopped the video to compare to my pen and spot the differences (color - plus the nearly 3-week wait from Amazon Prime) and similarities (holes, left-hanging clip, etc.). Enjoy the MZG! And maybe the Asvine/Hongdian/Hero/... too.
You are so welcome!
Good honest review
I appreciate that
Caveat Emptor indeed... And THAT is why I listen & watch my "Pen Pal's" vid reviews...
because I trust your observations and opinions! Thanks once again, my friend!
Right on!
Great review! I was considering this pen (in medium) as I really like it’s look and also prefer heavier pens.
Thanks for watching!
Interesting review! Your comments regarding the Chinese "Family owned" pens is thought provoking, you make an interesting case! The Leonardo Momento Zero Grande is very good looking! I look forward to that review!
It is a family of companies owning other companies; see, family owned after all.
Thanks, Bill!
Thank you for not Waxing Poetically about this.
Yes, we all got duped initially by the 'Small Family Business' rhetoric.
And the fact that it looked like a Poor Man's Laban Skeleton did not help to quell the hype neither.
That crooked clip exists in mine, and all the posted reviews I've seen.
The section business is such a mixed bag. At least it writes well.
But it ain't no PenBBS.
Caveat Emptor indeed.
Not all of us😉
Overblown hype should always give one pause.
No, it ain't no PenBBS. Three of my four PenBBS 456s are inked. The Asvine is now... not.
@@jacobus57 Only got it as it was vac filler skeleton, and other alternatives that have the looks, and functionality are a couple orders of magnitude more, and so not in the budget.
I wasn't aware that there was much hype for this pen but I'm glad I passed on it. While it's reasonably priced, looks pretty nice, and is capable of having a barrel full of ink unlike the Laban. However the potential for the section to unscrew itself when being uncapped is a big no no and that weight, yeesh.
What surprised me is they only took half the "Italian pens route" and just talked about their "history" but didn't charge an arm & a leg, so points for them.
I ordered the pen in blue/gray before seeing this review but someone else suggested that applying a bit of silicon grease on the lower section stopped all leaking and uncapping issues. Mine arrives tomorrow so I will flush, dry and apply the grease before I fill it. Isn't it a good idea to water flush pens (especially these off brands) before filling? Thanks IM for a thorough, honest review.
Small end-user update: thrilled by the overall 'amazing' of the Fine nib, I got an EF: the EF was *also* extraordinarily smooth, with only the subtlest feedback. On the other hand - and thanks to Doug (and Doodlebud) for the heads-up: the section unscrewed along with the cap. (I believe I heard - in a mixture of Mandarin-Pen and Esperanto - 'I cannot live without you! If you refuse to post, I will follow you to the ends of the dining room table! Damn the mess!') Could have been quite a mess.
I'm glad your nib turned out well. They are obviously paying attention to those nibs. Glad you didn't have a mess too!
I like my Asvine 169 very much, I own 4. Where can I buy a nib that can fit an Asvine pen? Maybe a “Long Knife” or any other nib. Thank you
I was able to easily pull the nib on my Asvine 169 and replace it with a Kaigelu long blade and a Jinhao #6.
Thank you Doug for this video, about the ink suction between PenBBS 456 and Asvine v169 which one sucks more ink or are they similar? Good that you have warned about accidental unscrewing the barrel while uncapping; this is huge for me to make a buying decision between the PenBBS and Asvine.
They hold about the same amount of ink (1.8ml) but the 456 is by far the better pen IMO. Balance, posting, comfort, writing, clip, section, disassembly and maintenance are all better.
I saw this early this morning and wrote a moderately long comment, and then I apparently navigated away from the page without actually posting it.
In short. I got this in an EF nib and the blue/gray acrylic with chrome overlay. I inked it with DeAtramentis Document Fog Grey. I like it so far. I haven't written with it a lot, yet, and I'm not sure how I'm going to like that metal section over time. It is probably one of the smoothest EF nibs out of the box I've received so far, but I need to revisit some of my PenBBS REF (round extra-fine) nibs before I can give this one a proper ranking for out-of-the-box smoothness!
With all of the reviewers having the same experience of a smooth fine and extra fine nib, I think they must be doing some QC before they go in the boxes. Mine is surprisingly smooth EVEN in reverse!
Doug, I've now inked up my medium nib V169 with some Asa-Gao. I can honestly say that it is one of the best writing and smoothest nibs I've used. Still a little feedback, which I like for the sake of control. No issues with the clip or the section. I would highly recommend that you see if Asvine will send a medium-nibbed example for you to try. I think it's just a really great pen. Cheers.
Congrats! Thanks, Andrew!
Thanks for the video Doug. Probably the best reverse writing pen that I've seen. I'm still not sure why people want to do this but I am new to the pen world. However a lap full of ink and the weight probably would be a no no. On the marketing message, I am also concerned how much all these people are paid for the 30 hours building the pen and the individual testing of the nib, for a $40 pen, then we should not encourage companies to pay 'slave' wages by buying their product. Assuming 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 spilt between manufacture, sales and profit, that means their workers are getting $13.33/30 = $0.44 per hour.
Reversing the pen is a quick way to get a finer, drier line out of the pen. Sketch artists can flip the pen to get a fine line. Also, if you are writing on cheap copier paper, getting a drier line is useful to keep the ink from feathering.
My very very first fountain pen was in the 1990s, when I was in middle school. At that time reverse writing was an every day thing for me because the ink feathered on my cheap notebook paper and spirals. The finer line made it legible after feathering. The other use I’ve heard of is for artists trying to get lines as fine as possible when drawing (they often desire pens with the greatest potential for line variation in general, so being able to coax a finer line from a broader nib delights their souls).
@@animula6908 Thank you for that, it makes sense.
@@InkquiringMinds Thank you, it makes sense. I am trying to stick to Clairfontaine A5 here in Australia which does seem to be almost reasonably priced. However in my pre fountain pen stage I aquired A5 notepaper with some seriously dodgy paper. I have A5 notebooks back to when Moses was in his basket.
Great review. Yes, Asvine engages in some improbable marketing grandiosity (on which one could rag mercilessly just by playing with the company name). True, the Chinese fountain pen industry is a mutant government subsidized command-economy-capitalist-juggernaut - while also making some very good pens, at a price point unthinkable in the West. (PenBBS stakes new turf for integrity in that atmosphere - no need for corporate hype). The thing about the Asvine 169 is: the nib. The nib is absolutely fantastic - out of the box, mine is just about the smoothest, wettest steel Fine in my collection. IF (if) Asvine does indeed test and attend to these nibs before shipping, that is *really* something.
Good stuff! Thanks!
@@InkquiringMinds I appreciated your ire - as well as the fair review *despite* the ire. (Although at the opening salvo, I nearly ran into the house crying, 'Mommy! Doug is being mean to my new favorite pen!' My fears were ... quelled with a glass of milk, and reason.)
@@PL70015 LMAO!
This is another pen I’m looking forward to owning one day. I must take a break for a minute though. I have the Hongdian A1 on the way and I also just bought my grail pen(my realistic grail pen- one I actually had a means to get one day)
Congratulations on your grail! If you don’t mind me asking what is it?
You mean the MaJohn A1 on the way?
Save your money and get something better, that doesn't need silly hype to sell.
@@InkquiringMinds yes yes my mistake. My moonjohn… mahman… Majohn a1 that’s it
@@jacobus57 it wasn’t hype that sold it to me. It was that I work in a machine shop as a quality control inspector and I like to use my fountain pens and the metal dust that gets on my gloves gets in the threads of my pen so I wanted a cheap clicks type of pen without having to use a ballpoint and the Majohn a1 did that for me. It also allows me to see if I like that style of pen before I spend 160 bucks on a pilot vanishing point. I would much rather spend $40 to see if I like a style of pen than 160.
I am interested in the earth magic full length video. Would be exciting. 😁
You got it!
Instead of loosening the end cap to allow ink flow ,would removing the rubber washer at end of plunger allow flow all Th e time? I just leave mine unscrewed all the time . Looks kinda wonky.
Many people do just that.
Same sort of box as the Penbbs 350 fountain pen I picked up recently - red and blue. Picture straightener huh? What fun creeping around at midnight making them crooked. That V169 is quite an artillery piece. I'd be more likely to get a Laban which I think would be nicer, better quality pen to write with.
The Laban is certainly more manageable in the hand.
The glove is actually a nice touch (pun intended). In your opinion, is there any reason why this pen could not be filled with an eyedropper? If it could, would the stop valve and ink release system function the same? I have found that it is less trouble when you can use an eyedropper on a pen with another filling system, it usually is more efficient and takes about the same amount of time. Unless I am on the road, I use the eyedropper in those instances. What do you think?
There is absolutely no reason why you couldn't eyedropper this pen.
I was going through my emails and found out Conklin has a new pen called the Endura and it looks JUST LIKE this thing. I'm just a bit fascinated that the copycatting is going in that direction.
Thanks for the review Doug! Not to critic but your TH-cam title is piston fill and the pen is vacuum fill, may make a difference with the algorithms and future pen models.
I corrected the title three times. YT isn't cooperating.
@@InkquiringMinds well, that's disappointing. Thanks for trying and the reply!
@@edisontrent5244 It is changed now. If you still see the old title, refresh your browser.
@@InkquiringMinds Great! I watch on an android tablet - updated here too!
Very good review. Well worth the time and effort you put into it. Visconti made a Skeleton pen with powder coated titanium over sterling silver.
I do not know if I would purchase this pen. It is too heavy for my liking.
I am very much looking forward to you upcoming Momento Zero Grande review. It is gorgeous. I have MZ and Furore pens, but not the Grande version. The resin on the Grande is fabulous.
Thanks for sharing! I expect the MZG review to come the end of February. I'm waiting for Joost to send me the Leo wrench that was supposed to be supplied with this limited edition.
@@InkquiringMinds Jonathan Brooks resins are truly a sight, mesmerizing. I have one resin on a Narwhal. However this MZ resin is captivating.
I think Jonathan has his own sight - Carolina Pen Company.
@@paulmchugh1430 He does. David Parker did a fascinating video where he and Jonathan made acrylic rods together. David has also commissioned a couple of different Leonardos with Brooks resins. The Carolina Midnight is really beautiful but nothing like this "Earth Magic 2.0".
@@InkquiringMinds agreed
I love the look of that Visconti, but the price is the killer. It is just not going to happen unless I win the lottery or something like that.
What’s the weight of the pen uncapped?
Hmm... let's see (checks the measurements listed in the video)... 31.4g.
I can just imagine your mail person is like ... oop thats for Doug >LMAO
LOL! I wish!
Another great pen review that reveals truths of a Chinese manufacturer’s advertising claims… or misclaims.
Most advertising is hype. But some of these Chinese claims are in the stratosphere.
@@InkquiringMinds the Stratosphere, where the air is crisp and the talk is cheap. Hahaha
@@AdamGoodson LOL True dat!
From the bottom of my... small family run business.... I mean... heart.... thank you for another great review. I think I'll stay away from those "small family run businesses" for a while and check how evil corporations are making pens those days by just picking a Pelikan M600.
At least Pelikan doesn't force their workers to live inside the presses. LOL
Interesting. Very interesting.
I think so too!
Asvine has a TH-cam channel that has Hong Dian pens on it.
I get the feeling Asvine and HongDian have some sort of deal going.
Every time I hear the brand name I hear Edison Lighthouse singing, "Love goes where the Asvive grows..."
LOL Good band!
A nice looking pen at a reasonable but, I have to say I wouldn't buy one for myself. I guess it is a matter of personal preference -- skeleton models are not a favorite. As a matter of fact, I prefer demonstrators. But the real deal breaker in this case is the unscrewing of the section while uncapping. Thanks a lot.
The @ss vine pic had me laughing out loud. Another great review, but I’m still on the fence on this one. The design and fill mechanism are ok, but the likelihood of separating the barrel from the section is a big red flag. Also, I don’t like smooth metal sections. But I suppose I could add blue locktite to the barrel/section threads and coat the section with some clear epoxy. Hm… maybe…
Someone had the good suggestion today of micromeshing the acrylic at the bottom of the cap to allow it to slip a little better. I'll try that.
Thanks for the down to earth, rational review.
Overall weight and safe usage inkwise, are big factors on fountain pen writing which are hardly mentioned from others.
Cheers!
Well said!
This is very heavily inspired by the "MONTBLANC MEISTERSTÜCK #149 SKELETON BLUE HOUR" fountain pen. I doubt much "research development" was spent on this as-vine :).
Other than the fact the MB Blue Hour is a cigar-shaped pen and $7500, they are almost identical. :)
@@InkquiringMinds Pretty much :). 😄
That's real ad copy? So flowery 😆 I always thought the Amazon sellers got away with putting their name in the 'brand' field for some reason. Confusing especially when the brand name is often in the product photos. Who knows what they gain from that besides mucking up the waters.
The section unscrewing is a big "nuh uh" from me. You might be able to pawn it for ink money.
Yeah, that's real advertising copy. A bit over the top.
Enjoyed, as usual, your review. Use 2 coats of Plasti Dip spray on those shiny metal grip sections. Get yourself a Huashi 90. - not to review. - just for fun. Huge nib.
Searching "Huashi 90". BTW, your package arrived yesterday! THANK YOU!!!
Thanks Doug. The pen might feel lighter in your hand if you took that big honker of a ring off your finger! LOL
LOL I would lighten the load on my hand by 7 grams. That ring was given to me by my best friend of 45 years!
The round robin game of naming pens from China is just a thing, probably because they shuffle their workers every year. And I have a sneaking suspicion that it's still the Hero conglomerate that cranks out the fake Hero pens, which, IMO, are some of the worst pens ever made.
Other than PenBBS and Hero, there MAY be Jinhao, but I've gotten an allegedly Hero made "Jinhao." So... Even Moonman/Moijang/Majohn/whatever it's called this week HAS to be a part of the Hero conglomerate. Hero was who legally had permission to make Parker pens, and there's the Moon-whatever 80, which is just a cheap Parker 45. (Surprised that it wasn't a 90, "twice the pen as a 45." 🙄 Probably could have been a 22½...)
Does this mean that id avoid this pen? Jury is still out on this. How different, really, is this from a Wing Sung vacuum filler, if at all? And, do I really need it? 😁 (There's still the N+1 factor... 😂)
Thanks for saying what some are either unaware of, or unwilling to talk about.
Thanks for this, Paul. I have no facts to back any of this up of course. It is all pure speculation from a consumer. But there are precious few facts about how "companies" are run and regulated inside the Chinese regime.
@@InkquiringMinds I have read that they do the round robin game with workers, and other than Jinhao, the rest seems part of the Hero conglomerate. Especially those who seem the least honest...
I just love that the first model has 169 in the name...what is the story there.
Well, the video title may still need updating..
I’ve changed that damned thing three times now! YT is not cooperating!
@@InkquiringMinds maybe it will let you change it tomorrow?? Just guessing.
@@nancymilawski1048 The title is changed now. If it still doesn't show up for you, refresh your browser.
27:40 In other words, this pen is a little bit of a-swine?
I'll see myself out now.
LOL!
I saw an Asvine on Amazon and the manufacturer was Hongdian. They really should get an English-speaking person in marketing to create brand names. Or they could just be messing with us. Some of these names just sound dirty. Hah, look what I made you say....you said poo! Poo and goo seem to be common in their names.
Yeah, the only ASVINE that actually says ASVINE on it is this V169.
As time goes by and I learn more about pens, I'm thinking that Chinese pens are to be avoided more and more. I have several, none of which really impress me. I always reach for something else
Thank you for NOT being credulous. The fawning reviews have been too much. Plus aesthetically, the skeleton is, at least to my cynical eye, ugly and chunky.
I'm glad it's at least a decent performer (although the section coming loose issue certainly causes one to question their claim of extensive QC!). And lying, or at least fudging, their origin story is also problematic.
I also know you, unlike some reviewers, would have been just as honest if the pen had been sent to you 😉
Thank you, Jackie. That means a lot. It is a big, chunky pen. But some people like that kind of thing. The cap sticking to the section is a design thing rather than QC. I think Doodlebud did a good job of pointing out how the design leads to that cap pulling the section off. Two tenths of a millimetre would make the difference.
I do. But better putting the €40 in the purchase of a Diplomat Excellence A2 Oxyd, Brass or Iron (around 160 right now on amazon). The best ergonomics on a pen that reasonably weighs, model section covered with plastic ((unlike the Aero) so that it’s not slippery, not to mention the best (Jowo) steel nibs on the market.
Too bad about the clip. It would break my deal.
TBH the entire look is a bit much for me. Even though the nib writes very nicely, I've uninked the pen.
First
Plz consider me
It looks like a sonic screwdriver. Neat.