V200 Titanium Vacuum Filling

My original review was written before I learned more about this fountain pen and realized the pen was only as good as the ink you used in it. To be sure this is a well made, beautiful writing fountain pen. The ink flow is very consistent, very much more so than I or anyone would expect it to be. The tip of the pen is well made. It provides a smooth, consistent and level line of writing yet gives you full control over the way it writes. Unlike many fountain pens I have used this one has never leaked in my pocket or in the cap of the pen. I had many vacuum fill pens, which I think are the best method to fill the pen with ink, and this is a very easy pen to fill and will give you ways to fill the barrel to different levels. I press hard when I write with any type of writing instrument, this pen handles the pressure well and is responsive to varied pressure and the direction you hold the pen to let you control the written line. For the money this is a very well made pen, with characteristics, features, and quality of some very very(overpriced) expensive pens I have owned.

Bought the V200 <EF> Asvine nib about two weeks ago as my first fountain pen. Paired it with the Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black and a 24lb cotton paper. I am extremely pleased with the purchase. So much so that I bought my wife the anodized version of the V200 for her first pen, two days after this one arrived. Both have written excellent out of the box, with no tuning required. The piston rod on mine did have a slight warp. My wife's was flawless, so I think it was just a fluke, since I haven't seen it mentioned in any other reviews. The only impact this has is when the tiny O-ring on the end of the rod intereacts with the end of the feed. This one takes a little fiddling to seat the O-ring properly and get a complete shutoff. Again, my wife's pen functions perfectly, so I have something to compare against. That is literally the only negative I have to point out, though. Everything else is immaculate. Fit and finish are, with the obvious exception, impeccable throughout both pens. Operation of the vacuum filler is flawless, even with the curved rod. The section is comfortable with the kind of micro-grip you only really get from brushed metals. The thread profile here is also very easy to the touch. No sharp edges or burrs. Solid, well-built feel, right down to the cap. I haven't had any trouble feeling where I should stop twisting, but if over-tightening is a problem for you, it does not have any kind of thread stop. It is metal to plastic, both top and bottom. I don't recommend being hasty with the blind cap in particular. That would be possible to cross thread pretty severely. Simple solution is to treat it like a fine instrument and it should serve admirably. It is also quite simple to unscrew the section from the barrel and fill the reservoir with a dropper or syringe, which is what I like to do. The writing experience has been smooth and problem free. The few exceptions to that have been my own lack of knowledge or experience and not really anything to do with the pen. No hard starts or skipping. Really nice, super-fine line writing in reverse. The nib itself is beautifully polished and engraved with some decorative scroll work and the size of the point. The Asvine produced nib and feed have worked without a problem, right out of the box. I have no experience here, but I would personally say that it feels pretty stiff. Little to no line variation, which is a desirable trait for me, at least in this context. Asvine also offers replacement nibs in all four colors, for a little over $5 each. Replacing them is as easy as unscrewing one and threading another one in. I have only traveled with it once, but that was by bicycle and not over perfectly flat terrain. No leaks or burps during that trip. Would absolutely recommend and have plans to buy another in the next few days. If you are into demonstrator type pens, this one is offering some phenomenal value.

I have been using this pen for about a week and here are my thoughts. The pen is well made and it comes in a nice plastic box with a wrench for maintenance . The pen is. Transparent acrylic with a titanium grip section, titanium blind cap and titanium cap competent (the clip). Packaging & Accessories: 10/10 Well made packaging with a plastic case (foam inside) with the pen in a little plastic bag. Also, Asvine provides the wrench (sometimes sold separately on other models). Aesthetics & Quality (9/10) The pen is mainly an acrylic transparent plastic cylinder with titanium components. All in all, the pen is well made, sits well in the hand (the section is shaped as a milk bottle and allows for a comfortable grip). This is good because the pen is not light: the vacuum filling mechanism provides a good heft to the pen. I usually don’t post and posting would probably back weight the pen: the pen is plenty long unposted. A few words on the vacuum mechanism: I am not overly familiar with this filling mechanism but I can say that I struggled to get ink in this pen when I received it. It appeared there was suction (i.e., vacuum), but it was not very strong and I was getting just a tiny amount in the pen. I disassembled the nib (you just unscrew it from the section and you need no tool) and checked that there were 2 o-rings (one at the bottom and one on top of the section). I re-assembled the pen, cleaned it and waited a couple of days, then I tried to fill it again. That time it worked (I got about 50% fill): I think the problem was that the nib was not screwed all the way into the section and so the vacuum was not strong enough to get enough ink in the reservoir. In case you run into the same problem, just try to screw the nib a little tighter (just be careful not to break the nib housing, it is made of plastic). Nib and wiring quality: 9/10 As mentioned, the nib unscrews for replacement or maintenance. Asvine nibs are compatible with any #6 nibs, so if you don’t like the nib that the pen comes with, you can swap it for a Jowo, Bock or any other of your liking. The nib is friction fit so all you have to do is gently pull it out and use the Asvine feed. The nib I got is a fine: it writes like a Western fine and it is very smooth with a slight hint of feedback (i.e., good feedback). The feed is plastic and keeps up very well with no skipping. I am happy with this nib. Weight and Dimensions: 8/10 This is a big pen that some heft, so if you like light pens, this might not be for you. I did need some time to get used to as at first I was surprised by the girth and weight of the pen, but after a day or so it felt good to write with it. Also, remember to unscrew the blind cap (do not pull on the blind cap when ink is in the reservoir) to allow ink into the feed, otherwise it will dry pretty quickly. The pen comes with a safety feature: there is an o’ring at the end of the piston that seals the section from the reservoir so that you can transport the pen even on an airplane and don’t have ink spilling all over the place (just be cognizant of opening the reservoir and put the pen nib up and the ink in the section will go back into the reservoir and then seal the reservoir and you are ready to board). Cost & Value: 9/10 The pen is not cheap at $47 on Amazon, and the question is if it is worth it. Well, the pen is well made, it has titanium components and the vacuum mechanism looks very similar to those of vacuum fillers that are $20-$30 more expensive. Is this worth $47? The answer is subjective. I find the pen well-made and worth to have in my collection and the $47 are well spent (compare with similar products out there but you won't find one with titanium components). I enjoy writing with it and I am going to use it for work or leisure for sure. Conclusion: (45/50 –90%) This Asvine has lot going for it: 1. It is well made and the materials and components appear to be of excellent quality. I think it rivals similar products by more expensive brands. 2. The nib is a great writer: smooth with a hint of feedback and never skips. 3. The weight is OK once you get used to it, and it doesn’t take that long. 4. Asvine provides a wrench for maintenance as a nice bonus. By the way, the nib section unscrews as well for maintenance if you want to (I don’t think one would need to go to this extremes). 5. The pen has titanium components, which are usually found on products that cost much more than this one. Nonetheless, there are some cons (if we can call them so): 1. Alignment of nib and cap: I am a little OCD and especially in a transparent cap I like the nib to align with the clip. The threads are such that you have to try multiple times unscrewing and screwing the cap to achieve alignment. Not a deal breaker, but wanted to mention it. In conclusion, this is a nice vacuum filler, well made and a great writer.

First of all, this is a very well made pen. It's heavy. It feels precise like a machinist's tool. (Mine is the black frosted version.) I've been into fountain pens for about 10 years and have had probably a couple dozen pens up to the $200 mark. I'm especially into flex nibs for handwriting and fine art. I tend to like large ink capacities of piston fill, vac fill, eyedropper, bulk fill etc. The V200 is a vac filler with a key feature, a shut off valve. If you screw the back-end cap all the way down, ink flow from the reservoir to the section and nib is shut off. I've learned this is a far better design on any pen with such a large ink capacity, as this when shut off can absolutely prevent most burping, and prevent leaking while traveling as well. Honestly I will only eye-dropper fill this pen, which I find easier than the vacuum party trick, but the shut-off valve is what is key. While the nib that comes with this pen is just fine, I like to replace stock nibs with some kind of modern flex nib. My favorites are the FPR Ultraflex, and the Bluedew nib which is basically a stainless steel version of a Zebra G dip pen nib, intended for fountain pens. As it happens, the Bluedew nib unit, including the nib, feed, and plastic cylinder, will screw directly into the V200 nib section, the o-ring even seals up nicely. It's practically like they were designed to work together. (The plastic threads of the nib units I believe don't exactly match but it doesn't seem to matter.) This is definitely the easiest pen I've had for converting to a first-rate flex nib. Other similar pens I've had are the Opus 88 demonstrator and various Twsbi. Also Majohn, Jinhao, Pilot, FPR, Noodlers, Hongdian, Moonman, Duke, a bunch of Lamy's, etc. I would put the V200 at the top of the heap. The black frosted version in particular is aesthetically just wonderful. Perhaps the Opus 88 is slightly more premium feeling and looking, though that pen is twice the price and has its own drawbacks, like requiring way too many turns to uncap, and not being able to post. Also not at all easy to fit alternate flex nibs to the Opus. The V200 takes only 1-1/4 turns to uncap, posts very well. For these reasons, the V200 is my new number 1. For my admittedly particular purposes, it's practically perfect. I already want to get a couple more.

Excellent packaging. Comes with a wrench to disassemble; already pre-lubricated and ready to fill and use. Built quality: When filled, this pen has some heft. When posted, it may be a little too back heavy. Balance is perfect when not posted. Grip is excellent. No noticeably sharp edges in the transition from metal to acrylic near the grip. The cap threads are not uncomfortable for someone that would like to hold the pen a little further back. Grip is comfortable and not too slippery. It has a satin finish; this will probably help with those with sweaty or greasy fingers during long writing sessions, and is much better than a "piano smooth" surface. The rear cap screws securely with only a slight wobble when loosened to let the ink flow. The two rings you see near the back are rubberized and help hold the cap when posting the pen; I wonder how long they will last and if they're replaceable. There are no visible seems on the acrylic portion of the body and cap. My only complaint is the top corners of the spring clip on the cap had some sharp corners. They weren't burrs, just sharp... nothing that can't be sanded down slightly with some sandpaper. The spring clip itself has some nice spring to it that holds the pen secure when clipped to a pocket or organizer. The nib appears to be a Jowo type unit with some proprietary modifications; specifically, when unscrewed, there is a thick rubber o-ring at the base of the feed housing that probably helps to seal the pen. Otherwise, the nib and feed pull easily from the nib housing, which is what probably should be done if attempting to replace the nib with something else... though I don't think you have to! Filling was quick and easy without drama. As mentioned, the piston in the pen I received seemed to be already pre-lubricated, though no lube was included in the packaging, just a wrench. I was easily able to do a "super-fill" without spilling ink everywhere. Writing experience. This is smooth. There's a moderate amount of flow that feels just right. It lasts a while with the vacuum mechanism sealed completely, which works well for jotting down a few quick notes; you'll be able to write at least half an A5-sized page before the ink starts to dry up slightly, in turn increasing the amount of feedback you feel. Speaking of which, it's not buttery smooth like a Pilot nib, or pencil-like in feel like a Sailor, but there is enough feedback to feel the texture of the paper you're writing on. It's a steel nib, but there is some slight bounce to it; you can vary ink flow by the amount of pressure you apply when writing; useful when writing with a shimmer or glitter ink. Overall experience: I am pleasantly surprised by this pen. It's well worth its price; you definitely get more for your money than what you pay for with this one.

I love pens. I’m not quite a collector, or I don’t think of myself as one. I have a lot of pens ranging from the pretty expensive (montblanc and montegrapa) down to the very cheap (I love a Sakura Micron) and dozens in between. I also have been on the hunt for the perfect blue ink and so I have maybe 10 blue inks of various stripes. The last few years I’ve been fascinated by vaccuum exhibition style fountain pens. I love them for a number if reasons. 1) you’re freed from the fiddly internal vacuum cartridges which never properly work (or heaven forbid the awful disposable ones) 2) you can hold a lot of ink 3) you can clearly see that ink and 4) the engineering is fascinating. The reigning champion for me has been a TWSBI 580 diamond that I bought in 2019. It is the pen I benchmark others against, whether cheap or expensive (it can be had here on Amazon for 55USD and is well worth it). The TWSBI has a medium nib which I love. But on certain papers and in certain contexts it’s a lot. So yesterday I received the Asvine titanium vacuum pen with a fine nib. So far I’m very Impressed and I think it’s a real contender with my TWSBi. Build quality is excellent, perhaps slightly better than the TWSBi, although time will tell how it ages. Weighting is good and actually slightly better than the TWSBI, especially with the cap seated on the back (We’ll get to this in a second, but I think the reason is that the filling mechanisms are different) The nib is great, ink flow is consistent and uninterrupted, it’s slightly less smooth than the TWSBI But hard to assess how much of that’s combination of age and the much finer nib, there is slightly more “scratch” albeit very nuanced. The one draw back versus the TWSBI, which isn’t all downside is the vacuum mechanism. The TWSBI has a screw driven piston. To fill the pen you twist the back of the pen all the way clock wise, insert the nib in the ink pot and twist all the way counter clockwise. The twisting action is actually what drives the piston. Twisting counter clockwise pulls the piston head back and draws the ink into the barrel. The Asvine on the contrary, does not have a screw based system. It’s a smooth piston rod. You unscrew the back, pull the piston rod all the way out, insert the nib into the inkpot and drive the piston forward. Driving the piston forward forces the air from the barrel creating the vacuum that pulls in the ink. It’s a cool concept, but I have not been able to get the barrel more than 1/3 full. It seems that you have much less control over the filling process with this system than the TWSBI. That being said it’s mechanically more robust than the TWSBI as the only moving part is a titanium piston rod, vs the much more complex mechanism in the TWSBI. Further when you’re not filling the back cap Screws down tightly to the barrel of the pen, This is, of course, where the cap sits when writing. Attached pics Are using the excellent Noodle xfeather dark blue. I Hope this helps. Cheers

Normally I'm a big fan of ASVine pens, but this one just didn't do it for me. The nib had a very unpleasant feel right out of the box, and I'm not going to spend the time to grind it to where I want it when plenty of other pens are great out of the box writers. But honestly the biggest issue for me was that the vacuum effect wasn't nearly as strong as it ought to be - only able to fill less than half the volume of the storage area with ink. You could use it as an eyedropper or syringe pen with no problem and fill it up all the way, but at that point why pay for a vacuum? The design of the pen itself is nice, and I found it very easy to assemble and disassemble completely. While it's certainly possible I just got a dud, I ultimately chose to return the pen due to the experience I had. If the nib had been of sufficient quality and the vacuum a bit stronger, this pen would be an unbelievable value. As it stands, I think it's a bit of a gimmick.

This pen was a big good surprise for me! Yes, I admit I'm biased against cheap Chinese knock-off products, especially when they're sold to you as the original product. But this pen is neither a knock-off, nor cheaply made, and it doesn't try to pass itself off as something that its not. The Asvine V200 is visually similar to the Conid Bulkfiller, a $900 fountain pen made in Belgium. But that's where the similarities end. The Conid is designed to be filled with an eyedropper, and has a somewhat complicated (and patented) mechanism to maximize ink reservoir capacity, and a shut-off valve seen in some Japanese eye dropper pens (like the Opus 88). The Asvine V200 has a vacuum filling system, similar to what the TWSBI Vac 700 R, the Pilot Custom 823, and the Visconti Homo Sapiens use. The V200's filling mechanism is unremarkable, except that it works flawlessly, just like its more expensive competitors'. The clear acrylic of the V200 is crystal clear, allowing you to see the inside of the pen. Finial, clip, dual cap band and filler knob are made from titanium, which is perfect for the modern, industrial, esthetics of this pen. I opted for the Asvine #6 <F> nib; I could have opted for a Bock #250 nib, but decided to give the Asvine nib a try. I'm glad I did, because the Asvine nib is very good. Very smooth for a Fine nib, it provides an almost Japanese <F> line width, with no hard starts or skips. The nib is quite hard with virtually no line variation when pressing the nib against the paper. The nib and feed have performed reliably and flawlessly from the first stroke. The cap can be posted securely on the back of the pen, but pen length and weight distribution make this unnecessary, for me. The Asvine V200 has served notice to the "established" pen manufacturers that Chinese companies are capable of making products as good as "Western" products, at a fraction of the price, without resorting to simply imitating or cloning those "Western" products. If you're in the market for a good fountain pen, and are not fettered by nationality or brand loyalty constraints, this Asvine pen will definitely meet your expectations.