Asvine V126--Pilot Custom 823 Clone (sort of).

[Nhartist40]

Hi,

 

I just got an Asvine V126.  It is a vacuum filler and almost exactly the same size and shape as the Pilot Custom 823 which is so expensive.   The big difference is the blue frosted acrylic material the pen is made out of, and of course it just has a steel nib rather than the Custom 823's gorgeous 14k nib.  It is really quite attractive, and seems much more substantial than the Wing Sung 699 that everyone talks about as a clone.  I had a 699 but it almost immediately broke--the barrel cracked.  This seems better made to me and it writes quite smoothly.  The quality reminds me more of PenBBS pens.  I like it, although I am not a big fan of vacuum filling pens--this goes for the Pilot Custom 823. 

 

Don't get me wrong, the Pilot Custom 823 has a much smoother nib.  It glides across the page, while the Avine pen has some feedback and absolutely no flex.  The Custom 823 bounces a bit when you write, the way that lovely gold nibs do and it has some variation.   I did a short review on YouTube of the Asvine at:

 

[Paul-in-SF]

I bought one of these in the frosted white finish, pretty much as an impulse buy (but I don't think I mentioned it in that thread). It arrived today (and I haven't mentioned it in that thread either). 

 

My initial examination was very positive. The section readily unscrews, presumably for cleaning, and it feels like it is secured with an o-ring. It also appears that the filler is designed to be removable, as there are flat spots on the side of the threads that would allow you to use any small wrench to unscrew it, it wouldn't have to be a specialized tool. That is a good thing, as of course ink gets behind the gasket. I haven't tried removing the filler yet however. 

 

I have filled it and written just a little. The amount of ink it takes up is not impressive, less than half of the available space, but still a decent amount. I didn't think to weight it to see what the actual volume is. The section is the same material as the rest of the pen, and it has a comfortable matte feel to it. 

 

I will have to do a fair amount more writing to decide how I like the nib. So far, mine is quite smooth and very firm. I usually prefer a little more feedback than this one has displayed so far. 

[nibtip]

Thank you for your review.

 

Mine was only average for a chinese pen in the 20-30 range.

 

+ Nib was Smooth, but a bit dry and boring. Nothing special.

+ Construction and feel in the hand.

 

- The cap/section threads were all but smooth and was getting worse with time.

 

- I don't like the looks.

- WS 699 (vacuum not the the piston filler) is a better pen.

 

- I dislike hoarding useless stuff.

 

- If you replace the nib with a 14K, price would cross the 100 barrier. 

- The 823 is available for under 180 if you know how to import directly from Japan. It is one of the best pens at any price .-

 

- If you want a Chinese pen, go for the MJ P136.

  Best pen under 100, with the exception of Pilot CH92 And P3776.

 

 

It May be sound a bit provocative but i found this pen so-so so i dumped it.

[TSherbs]

Thanks for the review

[Megaloblatta]

I received mine today and am extremely impressed with it. It has an EF nib, and it is the smoothest nib I have so far. I have a collection of about 20 pens with EF nibs from a wide range of makers including, PenBBS, Pelican, Pilot, Sheaffer, TWSBI and Wing Sung, and none of them is as smooth at the Asvine nib. The smoothest two nibs I had prior to this were the gold nibs of the Pilot CH92 and old Pelikan 140. Both have a fair amount of feedback, which I don't like, but admittedly both are more 'springy' than the Asvine nib, which is stiff - but that's OK. The Asvine V126 is also a really well made, 'solid' pen, and not some mass-produced injection-moulded pen like the Pilot CH92. I really like it and expect it will become my favourite writer.

[Petar111]

I've got mine in frosted gray with black nib. Great pen. Unfortunately I displaced rubber gasket on vacuum rod so now I'm using it as eyedropper. The problem with Chinese manufacturer is lack of service. I could simply purchase new gasket and everything would be fine. Does someone have any idea how to contact Asvine?

Regards 

[jchch1950]

What was the reason for the disassembly of your pen?

[half_inked_one]

@Petar111

You need to find PenBBS replacement parts set - either on Etsy or aliexpress (I can see it for 10E now). They use the same system of vacuum as Asvine (and Narwhal), you will be able to find a proper gasket.

For details, find Doodlebud's review / comparison of vacuum fillers on youtube.

Good luck!

[Donato777]

Mine is a frosted blue with a fine nib.  Honestly, it writes so buttery smooth, that I could not tell the difference between this pen and my much more expensive Pilot Custom Heritage 91.  

[Driften]

Now you did it... I ordered one in frosted matte black.

[Dan Carmell]

On 10/6/2024 at 6:28 PM, Driften said:

Now you did it... I ordered one in frosted matte black.

The frosted matte black is so good that when they recently introduced it for the V200, I bought it immediately, although I’d been luckwarm on the pen previously. Hope you enjoy your V126!

[Driften]

1 hour ago, Dan Carmell said:

The frosted matte black is so good that when they recently introduced it for the V200, I bought it immediately, although I’d been luckwarm on the pen previously. Hope you enjoy your V126!

I had thought about the frosted back v200, but when the clear version was a prime day deal I got the clear. So far the V126 has been a good pen.

[Uncial]

I took a punt on one of these a little while back. There are a few issues to be honest. The colours they show don't quite match what you get, but I'm fairly used to the with Chinese pens. The plunger feels a little fragile and it doesn't fill as fully as the Pilot. The balance feels a little off (yet to find a Chinese pen with decent balance to be honest) and the ink slowly but surely seeps into the cap. On the plus side, the nib was a revelation; beautifully smooth and wet. It's worth a punt for the money, but its no Pilot Custom.

[efpen]

Recently I bought Asvine V126 Clear with EF nib. The nib is horrible and the pen leaked ink into the cap on the airplane with shut-off valve closed. Build quality is bad, shut-off valve seal in not working properly. I threw it away. The price of $26 on Amazon was the only good thing about it.

 

[SpencerianDream]

I’ve had one for a few weeks. It doesn’t “wow” me (but I have owned an 823 for years) but neither is it a poor imitation by any means. Mine has  a nice nib and writes really well, and sucks up plenty of ink. I bought it to see if it could be viable as an inexpensive pen for travel, but I have yet to flight test it. I’ve written pages and it always starts right up and has been very well behaved. 
 

Is the writing experience as good as the Pilot? Well, no. Mostly because of the nib. The #15 Pilot F is great. And that’s currently a $336 pen. This one cost me $24 and gives about 93% of the experience. So as a value proposition it’s great… IF you get a good one. Always a bit of a dice roll.