Asvine J16 Ebonite.

[JasonR]

The Doodlebug video sold me and I'm super excited to get the Amazon green version with the fine flex nib.  Gorgeous looking pen... Asvine is really changing the face of modern pen value expectations.  I was afraid that these were going to be a limited edition, so it brightened my morning seeing them available on Amazon again.  

[mge01park]

@camelsuspicious Great info 🙏. I placed my order for one, the Petrified River with B nib. 

[drakolord]

6 hours ago, mge01park said:

All in all, the J16 seems quite impressive and it can be purchased with a Broad nib which I see is Jowo vs. Asvine (not selling any pens with a B nib) or Bock. My only thought is the green ebonite which I like most with the B nib is $66.99, sought of up there and significantly more than the 800 or 80 which I presume is due to the titanium, although, it’s a #6 nib. I’m hoping you all post once you start receiving them. 😊. 

The v200 has bock option but it is a premium. I bought mine with bock broad. Just switched it with fpr fine flex nib

[mge01park]

27 minutes ago, drakolord said:

The v200 has bock option but it is a premium. I bought mine with bock broad. Just switched it with fpr fine flex nib

I bought the V200 a month or so ago in the black matte with a B Bock nib. I didn’t like the overall size & weight (too light) & feel of it. I didn’t ink it as I had decided to return it. It’s a beautiful pen though. 

[1pen2pen]

On 2/6/2026 at 9:49 PM, mge01park said:

How does it compare size-wise to the V800, V200, and the C80? Thank you. 

 

fyi, the barrel of the V200 and the J16 (just below the ink window) are both 13.3mm.

[drakolord]

Grrr was supposed to get it today. But just got update it will not deliver till tomorrow.

[JasonR]

27 minutes ago, drakolord said:

Grrr was supposed to get it today. But just got update it will not deliver till tomorrow.

I hate when that happens.   The excitement builds up only to have it turned to disappointment.  

[drakolord]

Yep

[1pen2pen]

got mine, and i like them a lot! both have a bit of tine mis-alightment but only one needed immediate attention. it wasn't severe but it was overly scratchy for my tastes and since i'm not adverse to slipping on a pair of blue gloves and fiddling around a bit I did and all is well now: basic realignment and nothing more. as writers i see they'll be every bit as satisfying as the Ti J16.

 

as to the ebonite i have to say that i love it. if this is what ebonite pens are like then i've been missing out on a great thing. as mentioned previously, i've never had an ebonite pen before so i basically know nothing about them, but these are beautiful, the finish is glossy and flawless from what i can see, and they are lovely in the hand.

 

these ebonite pens have one property which i really like but have only found elsewhere in my Lamy 2000 Makrolons: they warm in your hand and retain a bit of that heat in use. maybe a bit weird and esoteric but these have it and i really appreciate that.

 

mine are both M nibs so you get the standard Jowo experience: good feel for a steel nib and very smooth when properly aligned; no baby's bottom or other such troublesome issues. all in all 👍👍.

[mge01park]

@1pen2pen that’s great that you can make the adjustments. Did you use a loupe? And did you have to do anything with the feed? I’m trying to prepare. I’ve done some minor tine adjustments using some of the Goulet videos, but I was just checking to see what your experience was like. Thanks for posting.

[1pen2pen]

i do have a loupe but TBH i find one of these more convenient (most of the time):

 

 

they can be had for a decent price, 30-50USD depending on features. i find it very useful and never regretted the purchase.
with that and a box of blue medical gloves -- or finger-cots if you prefer the minimal approach -- you're set for basic work. (5USD)

look into some mylar polishing pads or sheets -- i have 2000-12,000 grit but mosty use 2000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 -- if you want to tackle problems like baby's bottom and/or simple nib grinding. (5-15USD)
i'd recommend a pair of soft jaw pliers to help with stubborn friction-fit nibs. (5-10USD)
also a feeler gauge -- or assorted brass shim strips -- for "flossing" your nibs. (less than 5USD; 2, 3, 4 thou is all you really need here)
if you're into Chinese pens it's also worth getting the nib and piston wrenches from the various brands. (roughly 5-20USD depending on how many you get for free with various pens).
you can be all set to get yourself into plenty of trouble for less than 100USD.

 

if you want to get serious and really mess things up a rotary tool -- like a Dremel -- will be just the thing. heat build-up is your enemy here so always proceed very slowly and cautiously with fine grit bits and plenty of water on hand for cooling. or rig up a little water flow -- like from a fish tank pump or similar -- to have running water near or even on your work. if this is what you want to get into be sure to buy a fistful of cheapo nibs to practice on: my recommendation here is Kaigelu loose nibs as they are generally good nibs and you can get them for roughly 1USD each if you buy them in batches on sales (which always seem to be available on AliX).

 

with all that it's just up to you and your trial and error skills. you WILL wreck some nibs so do take heed of the "cheapo nibs" advice. i'd say never touch a nib that you can't live without but most people never listen to that -- I know I didn't -- and prefer to learn the hard way. do have spares -- or substitutes -- on hand to avoid the depressing fact of ending the day with a ruined nib and a pen out of commission until you get a replacement nib. that takes all the fun out of it.

 

and last but not least i find it useful to remember that all nibs are not created equally. what worked on one nib yesterday may mean little or nothing with some other nib today. sad but true i'm afraid. ymmv.

[drakolord]

Just inked it up with Robert Osters Sinners Heart. I love that swirls line up and that it is ebonite on ebonite threading.

[mge01park]

@1pen2pen Thanks for the info. I’m going to get involved in it. I have several of the items already. 

[mge01park]

I received my J16 yesterday. It’s impressive and an attractive ebonite body. Regretfully, I think I received incorrect overall dimensions in search particularly the diameter. It’s too small for my preference and what I’m used to. It’s just me though. It looks like for Ebonite I’ll be using my Noodler’s Neponset and Konrad pens for now. 😊. I realized after receiving it, I had the same issue with the V126. 

[Dan Carmell]

Mine arrived today, or rather both the Amazon Green and the Glacial Runoff arrived today. I’ve never done this before and wouldn’t do it to any other business than to Amazon, but I bought them both with the intention to send one back. 
 

Out of the box, I thought both very handsome but ultimately I did go for the Amazon Green—more dramatic and a bit different than any modern ebonite I have. 
 

Decision made, I put a Kanwrite nib on the pen, a titanium EEEF ‘ultraflex.’  I like the feel of the nib a lot, but that’s about two too (or too too, if you prefer) many Es for honesty—unflexed it is about equivalent to a Japanese EF, which is perfect for me. As for UltraFlex—no, but nice semi-flex with just a little pressure. 
 

I had the titanium J16 for six months or so, never inked it, never warmed to it. I inked this J16 as soon as the Kanwrite nib was in and loved it immediately. 

[InkyProf]

Thanks to this thread (I mean it: thank you!) I picked up one of these, too, in Glacial Melt*, which was delivered today. My first Asvine, indeed my first pen from a Chinese brand; I was waiting for what seemed like the right point of entry, and I think this is it. I don't have room in the tray to ink it now, but first impressions are positive: attractive (and only mildly aromatic) ebonite, good fit and finish, piston moves smoothly, and the pen feels nicely balanced. (Dimensionally, to compare it to what I have in my tray, it's like a stretched MB 146: same width, but a centimeter longer overall.) The nib alignment looked good, which I confirmed with a quick dip; it writes well, with pleasant feedback. Since I have quite a supply of JoWo nibs already, including some custom grinds, this seemed like a no-brainer, and so far, I'm pleased. I'm not crazy about the cap ring, but that's okay...

 

*Sounds like it should be part of an Anthropocene Series, along with "Torrential Downpours" and "Intensified Wildfires"

[jotterius]

For some weird reason the Fine Flex nib is still not available in any European Amazon stores. Also it hasn't poped up on AliExpress yet.

 

Aghh the struggle is real 😩

[1pen2pen]

11 hours ago, jotterius said:

For some weird reason the Fine Flex nib is still not available in any European Amazon stores. ...

are you familiar with the FineFlex? i have it in other pens and it's not really a Flex nib IMO, more like "F - a little bit softer".

also, the F-F nib unit is readily available -- expect to pay roughly €12-15 -- and it's a simple matter of unscrewing whatever current Jowo nib unit you have and screwing the Jowo F-F in. et voila! a J16 with the F-F nib. no tools required, just pinch the nib firmly and gently twist it counter-clockwise to remove it. obv, the reverse direction to install the nib unit.

 

chances are the F-F nib you buy won't have the silicon O-ring that your pre-installed nib does have. you can either move the original O-ring over to the F-F nib before screwing it in, or put a replacement on and then install the nib. from what i can tell with a calipers it looks like the 0-ring is a OD7.2xCS0.6mm which are readily available on AliX.

[jotterius]

I'm not looking for a full flex nib, if it has the same responsiveness as my M200 steel nib then I'll be happy.

 

Yes changing a Jowo nib unit is a breeze but to he frank I can't be bothered. At some point they will pop up on Amazon Europe or AliExpress.

[1pen2pen]

np, enjoy your pens.