Montblanc Permanent Black

[Bigeddie]

Hi all,

 

I've been slow on the uploading, but here is the third of three reviews of the new (Oct '13) Montblanc inks. Some of the text on the background is copy and pasted, this is in grey should you want to skip it I see some of you have already checked out the Flickr album!

 

Montblanc seem to be shaking up their line a bit, Midnight Blue is no longer listed as being a permanent ink and two new permanent inks are being introduced.

The packaging is the same format as the existing inks with new graphics, All white with blue and black text. The bottle is the same shoe as we are used to with the existing line up (with the nice two part filling arrangement).

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5477/10108346353_779b6d73ca_z.jpg

IMAGE_1.jpg by Bigeddie100, on Flickr

Included below are samples of the new ink, and some from Mystery Black for comparison. My scanner is now older than some forum members, that is to say rather tired. I have taken photos in direct sunlight for comparison. Both inks were in Lamy Safari pens with medium nibs.

 

 

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7381/10116588723_c5577df8a6_z.jpg

Montblanc Permanent Black on copy paper by Bigeddie100, on Flickr

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3788/10116533925_da7d9bebf0_z.jpg

Montblanc Mystery Black on copy paper by Bigeddie100, on Flickr

 

 

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2820/10116512226_fa55819151_z.jpg

Montblanc Permanent Black on Rhodia by Bigeddie100, on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7380/10116525525_6451b35e04_z.jpg

Montblanc Mystery Black on Rhodia by Bigeddie100, on Flickr

 

 

Analysis:

The new black has a much heavier flow than Midnight Black and a more intense depth, it is truly black. I would rate it on blackness with Noodlers (bulletproof) Black or Sailor Kiwa-Guro, whereas the Mystery Black has quite obvious shading, to me the sign of a not black black. Performance is good despite the heavy flow, even on cheap paper; the same caveats as the Permanent Blue here, it looks like single sided use only due to the bleed and show through, but there is very little feathering. Performance on Rhodia is superb, with a deep black, good lubrication.

 

Water resistance:

These new permanent inks from MB are the first that I have seen with an ISO certification for permanence, here I am only testing water resistance when dry. The inks proved to be very water resistant, I would be hard pushed to detect the difference between inks before and after soaking. Certainly this ink along with the new Permanent Black are the most water resistant inks out there, unlike the pigment inks nothing floats off of them. But the black does rub off, a little bit. After a two hour soak (photo to be added) I could rub some of the black off, legibility is still excellent, far ahead of that of the old or new Midnight Blue inks, and miles ahead of Mystery Black (which disappears after a 5 minute soak, as below).

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3747/10116653463_80c76125ea_z.jpg

Water resistance in progress by Bigeddie100, on Flickr

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3764/10116561223_bec75a871d_z.jpg

Water resistance by Bigeddie100, on Flickr

 

Conclusion:

This is a nice black. The down side, as with the Permanent Blue, is that it's £19 a bottle. For a good permanent black ink I would go to Noodlers black (90ml currently £12.50 from Niche Pens) or Sailor Kiwa-Guro (50ml around £16, The Writing Desk or Write Here). It's nice enough but not very remarkable for the money, and both of the other two have better performance for use double sided.

 

I look forward to your opinions

Edited October 9, 2013 by Bigeddie

[hari317]

I have been looking forward to your review of this ink. In fact, I even checked FPN this morning specially to see if you had posted it, thanks!

 

Of the three new inks, this one looks most promising, will buy it soon.

 

Can you post some scans/pics of the pamphlet with this ink (usually there used to be a pamphlet inside the box as with the previous inks)? I am interested in what MB have to say about the care to be taken with these inks...

 

Best

Hari

Edited October 9, 2013 by hari317

[GabrielleDuVent]

Oo, I do like the blue. It's going on my shopping list!

[Bigeddie]

[...]

Can you post some scans/pics of the pamphlet with this ink (usually there used to be a pamphlet inside the box as with the previous inks)? I am interested in what MB have to say about the care to be taken with these inks...

 

[....]

 

 

Hi Hari,

 

The pamphlet in the Permanent Blue is the old one, I assume it will change soon, the Midnight Blue (new formula) and Permanent Black has changed slightly. Changes in red:

 

Old:

The following colours are available: Mystery Black, Royal Blue, Burgundy Red, Lavender Purple, Toffee Brown, Oyster Grey, Irish Green and Midnight Blue (permanent, ferro-gallic content).

New:

The following colours are available: Mystery Black, Royal Blue, Burgundy Red, Lavender Purple, Toffee Brown, Oyster Grey, Irish Green and Midnight Blue, Permanent Ink Blue and Permanent Ink Black.

 

The cleaning advice is the same, but the note at the end has changed:

 

Old:

It is particularly important to clean the fountain pen regularly if permanent ink (Midnight Blue) is used, as the high solids content of the ink can lead to deposits forming in the feed system.

New:

It is particularly important to clean the fountain pen regularly if permanent ink is used, as the high solids content of the ink can lead to deposits forming in the feed system.

 

So evidence that the rest of the line up is the same, including Lavender Purple which should be back soon.

[The Good Captain]

Oo, I do like the blue. It's going on my shopping list!

I shall use to reply to you, Princess!

[The Good Captain]

Another great review and comparison, so thanks. I won't be buying the black version as I don't 'do' that colour unless I've no choice.

I have not been impressed with the new Midnight Blue at all and think that 4001 Blue-Black has the edge anyway: over almost all other blue-black inks. Of course that's just my opinion.

There's just something about the iron-gall tinged original Midnight Blue that shines over this new version. But it's still a competitive price her so just get to live with it, I say.

Then buy 4001! I know I have!

[Pens Woods]

What ever happened to the Montblanc Meisterstuck Diamond Blue ink? Is it discontinued?

 

Pete

[Bigeddie]

What ever happened to the Montblanc Meisterstuck Diamond Blue ink? Is it discontinued?

 

Pete

 

So far as I know all inks that come in anything other than the 60ml 'shoe' bottles are special editions, Currently that's the Balzac (Writers Edition), Swift (WE, some left in stores but will dry up soon), Einstein (Character Edition), Winterglow Red (?seasonal). Discontinued inks include Colodi (WE), Hitchcock (CE), Ink of Joy/Love/Friendship (?seasonal), and Diamond (released alongside the diamond pens) in the current bottles, with several seasonal editions and one or two others before about 2010.

[mrchan]

Thanks for that, this ink looks to be a solid chioce for permanent blacks. Doesn't seem to have any shading at all. But good for solid work purposes I guess. Btw I truly truly dislike mystery black. Own a bottle myself and really dislike how it takes on a brownish hue..UGH! As usual, this ink hasn't reached Australia yet. Everything takes forever to come here!

[Blade Runner]

Thank you. The permanent black looks very good. But I'm intrigued by permanent blue.

[georges zaslavsky]

Thanks for the review Eddie , I think I will buy a bottle of each

[lunarfp]

Excellent, Eddie. Thank you.

Following your review, I'll probably get a bottle of the new permanent black.

[david6]

Thank you for an excellent review

 

The price for this ink in the UK is £19 which is just a ridiculous price for a bottle of ink. I don't care how permanent it is, on principle I am not going to be ripped off by Montblanc. When my last bottle of Midnight Blue has gone I will look at other makes of ink.

Edited January 14, 2014 by david6

[amberleadavis]

Thank you. You are quite knowledgeable.

[ethernautrix]

Because of you and this review, I learned about these Permanent inks and so tried the Permanent Blue yesterday, and I like it very much, am very pleased.

 

Thank you!

[Tulku]

Great review. I was in the Montblanc store in Brisbane and they showed me the new permanent ink line. I have to admit that I hadn't been keeping up with much ink or fountain pen news for the past few months so this had slipped under the radar. On a whim I bought the Black and I have to say that it is a sensationally dark black, which is great. While I love my Noodler's HOD this ink is much more suited to my Montegrappa with its easily clogged ebonite feed and fine nib. So now I can keep using HOD in my other pens and I finally have a deep black for this pen as well. Unfortunately at $40 aus it is an expensive ink. Currently about £23 Normally MB inks are $30 aus.

[DanielLiao]

It seems very good, I hope I can buy one.

[prolixbrio]

I loaded some MB permanent black into a Faber-Castell e-motion (which supposedly boasts smooth strokes) and was reminded of the dreaded experience of scratching a ballpoint pen in a vicious cycle just so the ink would come out.

 

Don't get me wrong, it's great ink; just not in conjunction with the Faber-Castell e-motion.

[Sharksteve]

I got this ink last week, and have to say I'm badly dissappointed. The ink I have (Package Looks exactly like the one in this thread, permanent black, purchased in the montblanc boutique) is not permanent or waterresistant at all. Even a day later it smears at the slightest touch, water liquifies it. That means I can't use it with watercolors or anything, I think its not different to lets say Pelikan Edelstein Onyx or any other ink. I thought it would be waterproof, but its just usual black ink. Is this how its supposed to be? I tried it with copypaper, clairefontaine, drawing paper, aqua colorpaper, sketchbooks and notepads, let it dry 24hrs, no water resistency. Everywhere the same. I dont get it, maybe I'm too stupid to use it. Is there a trick?

[Pelikan Vera]

I bought both inks and the blue is the outright winner with regard to water resistancy. It is extremely good but also runs quite dry in my Pelikan M205. The black ink is not very water proof when I tested it. Must try them in a different pen and see how they perform then.