The budget Custom 823
Where the score comes from
| Reviews read by hand | 8.3 |
|---|---|
| Reddit sentiment | 7.3 |
| Mentions found | 1304 |
| Positive / negative | 368 / 82 |
What it is
Full-size vacuum (plunger) filler in frosted or clear acrylic, near enough the Pilot Custom 823's size and cigar shape to be discussed as a stand-in. Has the same shut-off valve trick: close the blind cap and the feed is isolated, which is what makes it a sane pen to fly with.
Spec sheet
| Homage to | Pilot Custom 823 |
|---|---|
| Filling | Vacuum / plunger |
| Nib widths | Medium |
| Materials | stainless steel · acrylic |
| Street price | $41–$60 |
| Colourways | 12 |
Dimensions mined from retailer listings and cross-checked across stores — approximate.
For and against
- Vacuum fill with a working shut-off valve at ~1/10 the price of the pen it echoes
- Nib is the most-praised part — repeatedly called smooth and wet for the money
- Big ink capacity, ink fully visible
- #6 nib unit swaps for JoWo/Bock if you don't like it
- Skipping reported by a minority of owners
- Threads can feel gritty and reportedly worsen with use
- Plunger seals can fail and there is no repair channel
- Fills to well under half the barrel volume, as vacuum fillers do
The single most recommended pen either brand makes. Reviewers land on roughly '93% of the experience for 7% of the cost' versus the Pilot — with the caveat that any individual unit is still a dice roll.
What owners say
Asvine all the way. I reach for my v126 more often than my custom 823. Every tswbi I have ever owned broke or had one issue or another within 6 months. Maybe bad luck- but I’ll always advise to skip the eco due to my personal experiences. r/fountainpens · 26 pts · thread
I believe the V800 is one of Asvine's thickest and largest pens, it's definitely on the extreme end of sizing and won't work for everybody. You might prefer the V126, which is smaller. The poor filling and nib leaking is unfortunate, though. Sounds like something is not fitted right on your example. r/fountainpens · 22 pts · thread
I love me an Asvine appreciation post! Congrats on the triplets! (I’ve got the V126 in frosted clear, like you, as well as a P20 and C80. They’re such great pens.) r/fountainpens · 12 pts · thread
I've got the V126 with the 1.1 stub nib and it gets daily user absolutely love how smooth and wet it is! r/fountainpens · 6 pts · thread
As someone that owns both I can tell you that both are great pens. I'd suggest the Asvine over the Wingsung if it's one or the other. Both are great but the v126 feels a little more solid and being a vac-filler, I'm fairly sure it has a larger capacity (I have not measured this!). I'm not sure that you could go wrong with either. r/fountainpens · 6 pts · thread
I have found the V126 to work great with the dry inks I complain about. r/fountainpens · 5 pts · thread
Colourways
12
Stocked at
| www.everythingcalligraphy.com | $41 |
|---|---|
| www.ttpen.com | $49 |
| thepenworld.com sold out | $60 |
| thepenworld.com sold out | $60 |
| thepenworld.com sold out | $60 |
| thepenworld.com sold out | $60 |
Converted to USD at August 2026 rates.
Sources
Review: Asvine V126 — Inky Imaginings
“It looks great, feels great in the hand, and (most of the time!) writes very smoothly.”
Asvine V126 — Pilot Custom 823 Clone (sort of), FPN
“The quality reminds me more of PenBBS pens.”
Asvine V126 frosted vacuum filler — FPN
Asvine V126 Fountain Pen Review — Bottle and Plume
The Ultimate Chinese Fountain Pen Catalogue — The Mind Palace
