Asvine V169 Vacuum Filling Fountain Pen, Matte Black Water Drop Skeleton Transparent Acrylic Pen, Black Fine Nib Office Pen with Case Set

I bought this pen after seeing a glowing review video, but while I waited for it to arrive, I saw a couple of less enthusiastic reviews, so I was a little concerned. When it arrived, though, it was as good as I had originally expected. The pen is well built and heavy; it doesn't feel cheap or plasticky. The choices of color for the resin is good; the Gray Blue is a good match for a lot of the blue-black inks that I use (I like to match my pens to my inks so that I know what I'm getting when I grab a pen), and if you like the look of the metal skeleton in the photos, you'll like it even better in person. The vacuum filling system works perfectly, and the ink capacity is excellent.The nib is about average all around: average flow, and average smoothness... not at all scratchy, but there's some feedback from the paper. I tend to prefer a smoother nib, so I may polish it a bit with some mylar, but it may be that it will be perfect after writing a few more pages.I've heard one report of the grip section of the pen unscrewing from the body when attempting to unscrew the cap. I can't reproduce that effect at all. I've tightened down the cap quite a bit to try, and it always comes loose before anything else. I have tried to unscrew the grip section, and on my pen, it's either very tight or it's glued (I hope not), but I decided not to break it loose. The cap threads are very flat and comfortable, and the grip section has a strong enough concave shape that it doesn't feel slippery... but I don't have a problem with the grip of my LAMY Studio either, and some people do, so that may depend on your hands. The cap can be posted on the end of the pen while writing, technically, but it's too heavy to be comfortable there.All in all, it's hard to find a vac filler for less than $50, and a good one is even harder to find. I'd say that this is a good one, if you don't mind some heft.

UPDATE 11/26/2023: I have thoroughly cleaned the pen. I put all parts into an ultrasonic cleaner and flushed out the nib with a syringe a few times. It appears to be writing smoothly now, with no skipping or stopping. I have adjusted my rating to 5 stars (originally 3) to reflect this. I will report back if I run into any issues again, but now that it is working well I am entirely pleased with it.I love how this pen looks and feels, and that's most of where the stars are coming from. It is nice and weighty. I love the size. I think it looks really cool and unique. The metal cut outs are crisp, but not sharp enough to be a problem when touched. The nib is very smooth to write with.My problem is the vacuum filling mechanism. Once I got the hang of it, I was able to get it mostly full. It holds a large volume of ink. My problem is that it will dry out even when I have opened up the back to allow the ink to flow. I have been tempted to try to sabotage the vacuum filler mechanism and use it as a dropper pen instead, because it is driving me crazy. It will write just fine for a while and then stop. I have had reasonable luck if I pull the plunger all the way back and let the ink sit directly on the feed, but that's rather inconvenient and leaves the pen looking a bit unsightly.As a result, I don't use this pen much, but I like to look at it.

This pen is lovely to write with. It holds plenty of ink, and the nib is smooth while still having a pleasant feedback. I only have a couple nitpicks about it. 1. I wish the clip was a bit sturdier and more durable. It gets the job done though. 2. I prefer to post my pens. The cap does not post and would be extremely backweighted if it did. The cap is hefty and gives the pen a nice weight, but I wish I could post the cap instead of having it lay on my desk or having to hold it with my other hand.Overall I highly reccomend this pen. It is heavy so if you prefer lighter pens this won't be for you. The build quality is great, the writing performance is great even with an extra fine nib, and it is very eye catching especially once ink is in it. If you can deal with a flimsy clip and not being able to post the cap, buy it. It will serve you well.