Best Ink For A Montblanc?

[leonard6july]

MB Blue black, which is a permanent ink. That remind me, I should clean my 149 this weekend.

[hollyuk]

I have the same pens as you (my Meistertuk is 1 - Mozart and 2 - 149). I love MB inks. The one I use the most is Violet as it seems to go for most things, but I also love Turquoise in the summer months (now discontinued but Visconti is a nice alternative).

 

My friend who has a Marlene Dietrich uses only MB black which makes her life a lot easier than mine as she only has one ink to buy and stock!

 

Depends on what you are suing it for - for everyday use my suggestions are fine, but if you decide to do a bit of calligraphy type work then you may like more colour.

 

Enjoy and experiment!

[indyshaq]

I like to use Pelikan turquoise and Private Reserve DC Supershow blue. I used to put PR Plum but found that the color was staining the ink view, so I now stick to blues and greens.

[Dutchpen]

all my pens are loaded with PR american blue, my 149 never had any problems with it.

[DJJM19951998]

Any ink that is not made by MontBlanc!

 

Sure! I mean why would you want to use an ink that was formulated to use with MB pens?

MontBlanc ink is junk mostly. Their black is a joke, Royal Blue dry and light but overall okay, and Bordeaux a red. The Sepia has decent flow and color, as does the Violet. The Bordeaux is closer to red, but has good flow. Their black is absolutely horrible! It looks gray, horrible flow. Aurora Black works great in MontBlancs. I still have yet to have a successful ink-pen combo with a MB pen and a MB ink.

[niksch]

MontBlanc ink is junk mostly. Their black is a joke, Royal Blue dry and light but overall okay, and Bordeaux a red. The Sepia has decent flow and color, as does the Violet. The Bordeaux is closer to red, but has good flow. Their black is absolutely horrible! It looks gray, horrible flow. Aurora Black works great in MontBlancs. I still have yet to have a successful ink-pen combo with a MB pen and a MB ink.

 

Thanks for your response. I think it speaks clearly for itself.

[Sandy1]

Hello,

 

The only MB that I use with any regularity is a 149 with a Broad nib. After fiddling about with many inks, primarily in the Blue range, I tried my 'workhorse ink' - the Parker BlBk. I liked the results, but didn't like the idea of using my day-to-day ink in such a pen. As a result, I tried the MB BlBk, and have never used anything else since. That pen+nib and ink combo does very nicely on just about any paper, but really wags its tail when I show it a sheet of G Lalo.

 

In my other pens, including the MBs, I'll use whatever ink seems right, so long as it's Blue... You may wish to try the J. Herbin range. I like their Eclat de Saphir quite a bit, especially when using a pen with a Fine nib.. ... Maybe when I buy a Pink Lamy Safari, I'll get some Noodler's Dragon's Napalm.

 

Best Regards

Sandy1

[niksch]

Hello,

 

The only MB that I use with any regularity is a 149 with a Broad nib. After fiddling about with many inks, primarily in the Blue range, I tried my 'workhorse ink' - the Parker BlBk. I liked the results, but didn't like the idea of using my day-to-day ink in such a pen. As a result, I tried the MB BlBk, and have never used anything else since.

 

I call it MB Black-n-Blue because the shading can make the same ink look Black or Blue. It's a delightful, responsive and non-damaging ink--regardless of it's unfounded reputation here.

[ArchiMark]

Hello,

 

The only MB that I use with any regularity is a 149 with a Broad nib. After fiddling about with many inks, primarily in the Blue range, I tried my 'workhorse ink' - the Parker BlBk. I liked the results, but didn't like the idea of using my day-to-day ink in such a pen. As a result, I tried the MB BlBk, and have never used anything else since.

 

I call it MB Black-n-Blue because the shading can make the same ink look Black or Blue. It's a delightful, responsive and non-damaging ink--regardless of it's unfounded reputation here.

 

So, you don't need to worry about MB Black-n-Blue drying out in pen, since it's iron gall? That was my only concern about using it...

[Blade Runner]

Any ink that is not made by MontBlanc!

 

Sure! I mean why would you want to use an ink that was formulated to use with MB pens?

MontBlanc ink is junk mostly. Their black is a joke, Royal Blue dry and light but overall okay, and Bordeaux a red. The Sepia has decent flow and color, as does the Violet. The Bordeaux is closer to red, but has good flow. Their black is absolutely horrible! It looks gray, horrible flow. Aurora Black works great in MontBlancs. I still have yet to have a successful ink-pen combo with a MB pen and a MB ink.

Mostly you seem not to like MB inks for its colors and saturation rather than performance, which is subjective. I prefer the look of less saturated inks, but I don't think saturated inks are mostly junk, because other folks prefer the look of them. MB black happens to flow very well in every pen I've used, MB or non-MB. It isn't dark in all pens, but in those with greater flow, it's black as any black I've tried, including Aurora. Aurora's black is dark in pens with a greater range of flow.

Edited October 9, 2009 by jeen

[talkinghead]

So, you don't need to worry about MB Black-n-Blue drying out in pen, since it's iron gall? That was my only concern about using it...

 

 

Mark,

 

I think you have to worry about ANY ink drying out in your pen. Never let that happen. Maintenance is the key. The MB Black and Blue is iron gall but a more modern version and not as caustic as older iron galls, but as with any ink, never let it dry out in your pen.

 

Rick

[niksch]

So you don't need to worry about MB Black-n-Blue drying out in pen, since it's iron gall? That was my only concern about using it...

 

You need to worry about ANY ink drying out in the barrel of your PF. For some reason, MB Black-n-Blue carries an iron gall stigma that really relates to the ancient permanent inks that had a ferrous component to make them permanent on paper. MB B-n-B does not actually have that component, but another modern synthetic trait to that ensures permanence. That said, B-n-B is slightly more finicky since it tends to be a more dry ink in some folks' opinion. I actually prefer MB B-n-B to most other inks, but MB Racing Green runs a very close Second.

 

I have personally had more problems with Private Reserve inks than with MB inks, but my experience does not constitute a quality sample size.

[ArchiMark]

So, you don't need to worry about MB Black-n-Blue drying out in pen, since it's iron gall? That was my only concern about using it...

 

 

Mark,

 

I think you have to worry about ANY ink drying out in your pen. Never let that happen. Maintenance is the key. The MB Black and Blue is iron gall but a more modern version and not as caustic as older iron galls, but as with any ink, never let it dry out in your pen.

 

Rick

 

 

Thanks, Rick, understand that it's not a good thing to let your pens dry out with ink in them, but specifically was concerned about any potential for damage with iron gall inks, especially in some of my more valuable pens...ie, just don't want to take chances if you know what I mean, given that there's so many inks available that aren't iron gall type...

[Blade Runner]

The ink insert says to flush MB BB at a certain interval, I forget the details.

I use it often in my piston filling Meisterstucks and flush once a month or two, (and sometimes longer intervals), and have never had a problem.

Edited October 9, 2009 by jeen

[ArchiMark]

So you don't need to worry about MB Black-n-Blue drying out in pen, since it's iron gall? That was my only concern about using it...

 

You need to worry about ANY ink drying out in the barrel of your PF. For some reason, MB Black-n-Blue carries an iron gall stigma that really relates to the ancient permanent inks that had a ferrous component to make them permanent on paper. MB B-n-B does not actually have that component, but another modern synthetic trait to that ensures permanence. That said, B-n-B is slightly more finicky since it tends to be a more dry ink in some folks' opinion. I actually prefer MB B-n-B to most other inks, but MB Racing Green runs a very close Second.

 

I have personally had more problems with Private Reserve inks than with MB inks, but my experience does not constitute a quality sample size.

 

Got it, niksch....thanks for the detailed input....

[Siv]

Is BB the only one that you have to be worried about? I use BRG, Violet and Burgundy as well (I guess I don't hate MB inks).

[niksch]

I think you have to worry about ANY ink drying out in your pen. Never let that happen. Maintenance is the key. The MB Black and Blue is iron gall but a more modern version and not as caustic as older iron galls, but as with any ink, never let it dry out in your pen.

It's almost like we are of the same mind. Except you actually work for a living.

[niksch]

The ink insert says to flush MB BB at a certain interval,

 

I have a 149 I have not flushed in 17 months, and I use only MB B-n-B in it. I consider a refill a flush, and I have never had a problem with Black-n-Blue in this pen. (or others for that matter)

 

I did have a problem once when I deployed and left a 146 sit with a barrel of ink for 16 months. I had to completely disassemble the pen and completely clean each component to mostly remove the ink. It wasn't MB B-n-B, but another non-MB ink, and suffice it to say, that will never happen again.

 

My rule of thumb is: take care of your pens and expensive maintenance will be the other guys' problem.

[DJJM19951998]

Any ink that is not made by MontBlanc!

 

Sure! I mean why would you want to use an ink that was formulated to use with MB pens?

MontBlanc ink is junk mostly. Their black is a joke, Royal Blue dry and light but overall okay, and Bordeaux a red. The Sepia has decent flow and color, as does the Violet. The Bordeaux is closer to red, but has good flow. Their black is absolutely horrible! It looks gray, horrible flow. Aurora Black works great in MontBlancs. I still have yet to have a successful ink-pen combo with a MB pen and a MB ink.

Mostly you seem not to like MB inks for its colors and saturation rather than performance, which is subjective. I prefer the look of less saturated inks, but I don't think saturated inks are mostly junk, because other folks prefer the look of them. MB black happens to flow very well in every pen I've used, MB or non-MB. It isn't dark in all pens, but in those with greater flow, it's black as any black I've tried, including Aurora. Aurora's black is dark in pens with a greater range of flow.

I like how the black it shades well, but it is so dry the only pen I can use it in is my Lamy 2K. The blue also shades well, works great for calligraphy, but again pretty dry.

[Blade Runner]

The result of ink running dry may be true for you compared to other inks you have, or it can be a related to the level of flow in your pen(s). Choose whatever inks work best for you (it's cheaper than getting flow adjusted), but I would not necessarily call an entire brand's ink junk, because for many of us, MB inks look and work just fine in our pens.