The Asvine V200 Fountain Pen: An Artist's Review

[@pedroesteban8346]

Thank you. Great review and very helpful. I love your channel.

[@mkompan]

Thank you! I'm glad you found my channel.

[@MoniDmajor]

Okay, I laughed so hard about your intro there, relatable 😅 The grip section is why I haven’t tried it yet, I don’t like metal and brushed aluminum, even some plastic is too sleek. Anyway, I will stay away from it for now and stay on the lookout. Thanks so much for this thorough review

[@mkompan]

Thanks! My nicer pens are in an organized storage case, but the rest of my pens are piled up in a drawer, which made me realize that isn't a collection, but a symptom of something else. :)

[@MoniDmajor]

@@mkompanAt least you have a clear preference for demonstrators and neutrals! I have 20 Jinhao 82’s alone just for the mix and match options 😅 But then again, you probably have the same amount of TWSBI Ecos in white 😊

[@LisaRSArt]

Thank you for this wonderful video and aspects of this pen. Was thinking about getting it for drawing since a lot of people in the fountain pen community seem to rave about it.

[@mkompan]

My pleasure. There's a lot to like here. I was so sad that it started dripping.

[@LisaRSArt]

@@mkompanI feel the same. That can ruin a drawing that you worked so hard on. Bummer. I wonder now how great Sailor’s expensive ones will perform over time. Thank you.

[@mahamarzooq1701]

I just got my v200 with an asvine housing unit, and it turns out it also takes a bock housing unit. Ive swapped the asvine nib with the FPR ultra flex bock housing that comes with an ebonite feed. It was an easy swap for anyone that may be interested.

[@mkompan]

I knew that FPR sold their nibs in Jowo housing, but didn’t know they also offered them in Bock housing. I just ordered one. Thanks for the information!

[@HollywoodColt]

Which do you prefer the asvine or the bock housing?

[@mahamarzooq1701]

@@HollywoodColt Hello, If you mean do I prefer the stock asvine or stock bock nib, I prefer the asvine one. Its very smooth. If you buy the pen with an asvine housing, it comes with an asvine nib, and if you buy it with a bock housing, it comes with a bock nib. Still the pen with asvine housing lets you screw out the asvine housing with its nib and screw in the bock housing with a bock nib. I'm not sure what you meant so I hope that helps.

[@emilg33]

@@mahamarzooq1701 quick question, did you get the asvine v200 with the asvine housing instead of the bock housing? I want to replace it with an fpr ultra flex nib like you.

[@sharonkatz4093]

Thanks so much for this Marc. Your pen reviews are a huge help in choosing pens and nibs. I'm building quite the collection! How would you compare the Bock vs Noodler's Ahab #6 flex nib? Is it worth swopping the Ahab with a Bock? Thanks!

[@mkompan]

You’re very welcome. Bock nibs are very nice, but very similar to the ones made by Jowo. If you already have a few Jowo nibs, then I don’t think getting Bock nibs is necessary.

[@jeremyeicke3682]

Thanks for the Review! I am going to wait on this pen for next gen I think. Have you had a chance to check out the kaweco sport piston fill that just came out?

[@mkompan]

You’re welcome! I just ordered the Kaweco piston filler, and will be doing a review soon.

[@jeremyeicke3682]

@@mkompan when I saw it for the first time online i immediately thought of you and your review of the brass sport ( which i purchased) hope it’s awesome so I can justify another pen purchase!

[@fivespice]

I got a Sailor Safari recently and the ink just doesn’t flow smoothly. I unclogged it with warm water and it started again but each time I begin to use it, the ink barely flows. I’m using Sailor factory ink cartridges. I store it tip down. I welcome your sage wisdom. 🙏

[@RunningFromTheFeds]

I had this problem with platinum preppy, After eyedropping it stopped, I assume it was cartridge fault

[@mkompan]

Ink residue can sometimes build up under the nib, so make sure to pull out the nibs and feed (if you can) and give it a good scrubbing. Running a piece of acetate, or a brass shim through the nib slit and the ink channel on the feed also helps.

[@fabiosilvadesouza5364]

For the leaking problem, switching the feed from another pen would be a solution? I want to buy this pen, but i may wait a while though.

[@mkompan]

I have a few other Asvine pens that have the same feeds and tried them with no improvement. I’m going to research what is causing this and see if I can come up with a solution, since I’ve encountered a number of pens with this exact problem.

[@ichirofakename]

@@mkompan I'm looking forward to any info on leaky pens.

[@bradwavemb]

I had a similar issue with my ECO and it turned out the nib moved slightly forward while carrying the pen around in my bag and so it wasn't't adhering properly to the feed. Clearly this is not the same problem, since Mark has tested the pen with multiple nibs and he would have noticed that, but it leads me to believe something may not adhere properly and small ink drops may accumulate in some crevices. That's my guess.

[@mkt045]

the more i watch your videos the more i come to the same conclusion: theres a lot to consider when buying fps but the most important is the nib quality. you may get good ink capacity from a lot of chinese fp but theyre not well built and have usually not good nibs. i once considered buying a chinese fp and swap nibs vs a good nib fp, like a faber castell, and i believe the faber, although has low ink capacity delivers more. ☘🖖

[@mkompan]

It is all about the nib and the feed, but having a great pen body to go with it makes a huge difference. I almost always switch out the nibs when I buy Chinese pens, and one thing I like about Asvine is that you can buy them with high quality Bock nibs. This one was a disappointment, but my other two Asvine pens are fantastic.

[@mkt045]

@@mkompan all the other asvines do switch nr 6 nibs, like goulet nibs?

[@mkompan]

@@mkt045 Yes they do

[@HansWeberHimself]

Thank you.

[@mkompan]

My pleasure!

[@hiltonprice2625]

Pen burping is not uncommon in large bodied vac and eyedroppers. It is a question of physics. During protracted writing or drawing sessions the heat from your hand expands the air in the pen and pushes ink out. The solution for long sessions is to keep the pen full to minimize air. Even happens to $1000 eyedroppers.

[@mkompan]

The sealing mechanism eliminates burping problems, as it does in my large Opus 88 eye drop fillers. The issue here is a fault in the feed. Once I switched it, the problem resolved itself.

[@ichirofakename]

I have only recently found myself aggravated by insufficient ink capacity in a fountain pen. It seems to matter to me when using a broad nib in a pen taking only small international cartridges. It's a silly objection, really, as the cartridge can be refilled in less than two minutes - maybe one minute if you hurry. My plan is just to get used to it.

[@mkompan]

In the studio, large ink capacity is not a consideration. But in the field, the natural habitat of the fountain pen, it's a good thing to have (especially with an ink hungry flex nib). Cartridges limit your ink choices, and there is no perfectly safe solution to carrying refilled cartridges around. The brass caps made by The Great Fountain Pen shave potential, but I haven't subjected them to a full battery of tests.

[@ryanwong9857]

Thanks for the video. You can unscrew the nib unit from the v200, you can also buy nib units from Asvine. Unfortunately, companies like Asvine don’t have the quality assurance like other larger pen companies. I must have been lucky with mine. I’m using a long blade nib that has worked amazingly well (so far)for at least half a fill.

[@mkompan]

By unit, you're referring to the feed and nib only? Because I don't see a housing unit here, at least not one that I can unscrew.

[@ryanwong9857]

@@mkompan hmm mine has a plastic housing that contains a nib and feed that I can unscrew and remove.

[@mkompan]

@@ryanwong9857 Strange. I tried unscrewing it and it won't budge. The housing can't be that tightly screwed in, can it? Another possible QC issue.

[@RunningFromTheFeds]

​@@mkompandid you got bock version? Asvine has different feed, that might have been the cause of leaking, I use asvine nib units and never had a problem with flow

[@ryanwong9857]

@@mkompan 😅You had me worried that I'd made a mistake. This morning I unscrewed my V200 to prove to myself that I wasn't I wasn't delusional. It easily unscrewed. I wouldn't be surprised that the problems you had with your V200 and your stuck nib housing are all connected.

[@7_v610]

I am not keen on companies that do not have a strong and solid web presence. So, Asvine fountain pens would not be an option for me.

[@mkompan]

I can understand that. This is a very new company, so perhaps they'll get that aspect of their business worked out.

[@7_v610]

@@mkompan I understand, but still there is no any safeguard for any potential purchase. Plus, when a company is new, that is an extra risk. Of course, I do not want to be judgmental; I just expressed my concerns with companies like that. No judgment for you, Sir, as well. Thanks for your video, which sheds some light. Have a nice day.