Montblanc - Royal Blue

[Sandy1]

Please take a moment to adjust the brightness & contrast of your monitor to accurately depict this Gray Scale.

As the patches are neutral gray, their colour on your monitor should also be neutral gray.

• Mac My link
• Wintel PC My link

Note: This is purely the 2009 production; I did not add any of the earlier production into this bottle; nor did I have the presence of mind to keep enough of the older ink for comparison. Ooops!

 

Figure 1.

Gray Scale.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/INK576-1.jpg

Figure 2.

Swabs & Swatch

Paper: HPJ1124 24 lb. Laser Copy.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Montblanc%20Royal%20Blue/d7d1d568.jpg

Figure 3.

• NIB-ism
• My link
• N.B. Depicts nibs' line-width and pens' relative wetness.

WRITTEN SAMPLES: Moby Dick

 

Row Height is 8mm.

 

Figure 4.

Paper: HPJ1124.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Montblanc%20Royal%20Blue/d31722df.jpg

Figure 5.

Paper: Rhodia.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Montblanc%20Royal%20Blue/6b31d9c6.jpg

Figure 6.

Paper: G Lalo, Verge de France, white.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Montblanc%20Royal%20Blue/91ef2f47.jpg

Figure 7.

Paper: Royal, 25% rag.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Montblanc%20Royal%20Blue/7213ca0b.jpg

 

Figure 8.

Grocery List

Paper: Pulp. One-a-Day calendar page.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Montblanc%20Royal%20Blue/be8c706c.jpg

 

OTHER SAMPLES:

 

Figure 9.

• 'HAPPY!' on Glossy Card.
• Smear/Dry Time on Glossy Paper.
• Smear/Dry Time on HPJ1124.
• Wet Tests on HPJ1124.
• Wet Tests on Royal.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Montblanc%20Royal%20Blue/7a911624.jpg

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

 

Type:

• Dye-based fountain pen ink.

Daily writer?

• Very possible.

A go-to ink?

• Yes - it could be the Royal Blue ink.

USE

 

Business:

• Easily.
• MBRB has enough gravitas for the Conference Room and external correspondence, yet sufficiently human for internal correspondence.
• It can be seen as a colour that projects authority, especially in the darker tones.
• It is just far enough off Blue to be useful for mark-up, editing, etc.
• Not my first choice for error correction or grading of assignments, but could be pressed into service.

Illustrations / Graphics:

• A bit tricky.
• It may not be the best choice as a gradient between Dark and Light Blue.
• A good choice for a transition colour between Blue and Purple.
• In wet narrow nibs is has good saturation, so should be suitable for narrow lines on hard paper, crosshatching, etc.

Students:

• Certainly.
• MBRB does really well on the highly absorbent Royal and the ridiculous Pulp, so may do well on low-cost papers: no feathering or woolly line.
• While not too robust, what is written should survive domestic mishaps.
• A very good choice for hand-written assignments.

Personal:

• Oh yes.
• This ink has enough warmth to be personal, without being invasive.
• A person could write to me about almost any topic with MBRB.
• For pro forma business writing, MBRB may be too good for bill collectors, government minions, regulators, sheriffs, etc. Once again, switch to Lamy Green instead.
• Very modest billet doux are within reach.
• I've run many sizes and shapes of nibs with MBRB, and believe that all results were quite acceptable. (Unlike my fussing & indecision with warmer and lighter inks.)

PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE & CHARACTERISTICS

 

Flow Rate:

• More than willing.

Nib Dry-out:

• Oh, come on - too busy writing! I'm not as handy as Kali!!
  

Start-up:

• Immediate.

Lubrication:

• Quite high.
• The feedback from the nib was very nicely conveyed, allowing me to keep the narrow nibs running on their sweet spot; the wider nibs remained surefooted.

Nib Creeping:

• None.

Staining:

• None after 3 days.

Clogging:

• Not seen.
• Seems unlikely.

Bleed Through:

• No.

Show Through:

• No.

Feathering / Woolly Line:

• No.

Smear/Dry Time:

• Glossy: <2 seconds!
• HPJ1124: 15 - 20 seconds.

Water Resistance:

• HPJ1124 and Royal:
  • -3-
  • "All legible, but either very faint and/or has heavy staining from re-deposit of soluble dye.
  • Needs recovery/restoration for anything beyond personal use."

Smell:

• Very faint.
• Reminiscent of polished cowhide leather.

Hand oil sensitivity:

• Not noticed.

Archival:*

• Not claimed.

Clean Up:

• Extremely quick and very thorough with plain water.

Mixing:

• No thank-you. MBRB is excellent as it comes from the bottle.
• I've mixed MBRB into Sheaffer Blue-Black to breathe a bit of life into it.

* No FP ink is certified as 'archival' by a recognised standards organisation. e.g. ISO, ANSI.

 

THE LOOK:

 

Presence:

• Pleasantly reserved, yet highly engaging.
• Reminiscent of someone I'd like to be seated with at the evening meal.

Saturation:

• Not so very high.
• To obtain a saturated line from anything but an XF nib, a wet writer and absorbent paper is required, and that's unlikely to happen by accident.

Shading:

• Yes.
• Very attractive and pervasive without being overwhelming. My link
  

Variance depending on pen+nib combos used:

• The change in density (light-dark) between writers is evident, but somewhat less than expected, which is typical for darker inks.

High Resolution Scans:

• From the 51 on HPJ1124 My link
• From the 502 on Rhodia My link
• From the Estie on G Lalo My link
• From the Safari on Royal My link

FIDELITY:

 

Is the name appropriate?

• No doubt - it is Montblanc, and it is Royal Blue. Wiki Link

Are swatches accurate?

• Within reason.

SIMILAR COLOURS:

• Not so many that are Royal Blue leaning well towards purple.
• Perhaps Diamine Majestic Blue?
• Readers - please chime in.

PAPERS:

 

Lovely papers:

• Crisp white paper.
• Can handle dirty-white papers, and those with optical brighteners.

Trip-wire Papers:

• Can't think of any within reason.

Tinted Papers:

• Could work well on any sensible tint, especially from a wetter writer.

PrePrinted Paper:

• As much as I'd like to use-up the Lamy Green, MBRB will do just fine on pre-printed paper.
• What's written on the form may be taken as being true - but don't push your luck.
• There may be a slight difficulty when reading a completed form: the MBRB comes forward off the page, while the typical form, printed with black ink, resides behind the plane of the page.
• For grids, etc., MBRB is an excellent choice, as it will move away from such constructs; but the shading just might create a conflict with the even litho-ed lines. So dots then?

Is high-end paper 'worth it'?

• Not really.
• MBRB performs well on the HPJ1124, but the Rhodia does allow the shading to be much more evident.
• More a matter of preference over performance.

OTHER THAN INK:

 

Presentation :

• 60ml bottle cossetted in a box.
• No HazMat warnings.

Country of origin:

• Austria.

Container:

• The clear heavy glass MB 'shoe', that puts the funk back in functional.
• 90x37xcapped height of 60mm
• The off-centre round opening is slightly tilted towards the right-hand edge of the smaller ink tank, and is an accommodating 20mm ∅. By being off-centre, one may exert considerable torque to open a balky cap.
• Dual tank, sediment collector, filling aid. Now how hard was that?
• The label is on the top of the bottle, so the ink level is apparent, and over-immersion / dunking of one's pen may be avoided. Snorkies & TDs rejoice! (Their owners too.)
• The hard plastic screw cap has more than adequate grippy bits, and is a good height for ease of use.
• The cap seal is plastic foam.
• The cap is not child-proof.

Box:

• A goofy OTT 'sliding drawer' affair.
• 120x60x67mm
• Includes a seal with an expiration (?) date, five years hence.

Eco-Green:

• The box is needlessly made from mixed material, so cannot be easily recycled.
• Dummer Fehler!

Availability:

• High street shops, online retailers, online Montblanc Refill boutique. My link
• Other locations? Please chime in.

ETC:

 

Majik:

• It does have the potential, but I'm still not sure how to conjure it up. Likely a fair hand is required.

Personal Pen & Paper Pick:

• Safari+1.1i on the Rhodia.

Yickity Yackity:

• It seems that MBRB is one of the most under-the-radar Blue inks. It is without a doubt a Royal Blue, which is a colour with not so many supporters.
• The Look of MBRB can only be achieved from a fountain pen, as is the rewarding writing experience.
• Ah kushbaby, I imagine this is on your top shelf too, but off to the side.

{=x*x=}~{=w*w=}~{-=-]♢[-=-}~{=w*w=}~{=x*x=}

 

MATERIEL USED:

 

To be relevant to most members, I make an effort to use papers, pens & nibs that are readily available. For pens, I use those for which I paid $100 or less, new or used; and are 'factory stock' - not customised.

 

For the 'One Of The Ten' suite of inks, the same set of pens are used. My link

 

A. Parker 51, Flighter^✩, Mark I + 14K XF nib.

B. Pelikan M200 + M200-series g-p steel XF nib.

C. Waterman England 502 + some-flex 14CT 2A nib.

D. Sheaffer 330 + inlaid steel M nib.

E. Esterbrook J + 9968 firm steel B nib.

F. Lamy Pink Safari + steel 1.1i nib.

 

^✩ I cannot determine if this pen is a true 'Flighter' - set-up for use at low atmospheric pressure.

 

For lines & labels:

• Pilot Penmanship + steel XF with Montblanc Racing Green.

On these papers:

• HPJ1124 24 lb. Laser Copy.
• Rhodia.
• G Lalo, Verge de France, white.
• Royal, 25% cotton rag.
• Pulp.
• Glossy paper.
• Glossy card.

_________________

 

IMAGES

• Scans were made on an Epson V600 scanner; factory defaults were accepted.
• Figures shown were scanned at 96 dpi & 24 bit colour.
• Images linked were scanned at 300 dpi & 24 bit colour.
• Scans were cropped and straightened; no other changes were made.

_________________

 

DENSITOMETER READINGS (FWTW)

• Red 100
• Grn 113
• Blu 220
• Lum 131

===============

 

-30-

 

EDIT : Expletives replaced/deleted.

Edited October 8, 2010 by Sandy1

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

The Montblanc Royal Blue is the sixth ink to be reviewed in the 'One of the Ten' (OOTT) group of Blue inks.

 

When complete, the intention is to have the OOTT inks reviewed in the same manner, and compared in the same manner to the maximum practical extent.

 

Hopefully the OOTT reviews and comparisons will assist practitioners in choosing their lynch-pin Blue/s, and avoid unintentional purchase of equivalent ink/s. (As was seen in the comparisons of the Cd'A Blue Sky to Cd'A Blue to Sheaffer Skrip Blue.)

 

Also, the OOTT results should give common ground for claims, rumour and scuttlebutt to be discussed. Or be considered irrelevant, and so be ignored.

 

Bye,

Sandy1

[Sandy1]

COMPARISONS-COMPARISONS-COMPARISONS

[mrphyig]

Nonchalant elegance thoroughly girds;

Sandy1, madam, I'm fond of your words.

[TWRDO]

This one might be in the running along with Visconti Blue for my next blue ink. On my screen, at least, it's a pretty close match to the Visconti on the more absorbent papers, but a little on the lighter/less saturated side on less absorbent papers, like the Rhodia. The big plus to me is that the MB is one of the few brands I can get locally.

 

Yet another great review!

[geoduc]

Wow, this ink wasn't even on my radar until now. Your samples make it look good in all of your pens and on a wide variety of papers - I can definitely see adding this ink to the stable.

[BobR]

Often when I ink up a pen after laying off this for a while, I think, "What a great ink!!" In fact, the last 13 times that I have used this ink in various pens, I noted that it was "good" or "great" 7 times, a considerable achievement by my standards. It's especially spectacular in my picky but favorite Parker 75. Great review as usual, thanks.

[Sandy1]

Nonchalant elegance thoroughly girds;

Sandy1, madam, I'm fond of your words.

 

Its suddenly warm in here; would anyone mind if I were to open a window?

Edited October 10, 2010 by Sandy1

[Sandy1]

This one might be in the running along with Visconti Blue for my next blue ink. On my screen, at least, it's a pretty close match to the Visconti on the more absorbent papers, but a little on the lighter/less saturated side on less absorbent papers, like the Rhodia. The big plus to me is that the MB is one of the few brands I can get locally.

 

Yet another great review!

Hi,

 

I'm glad you liked the review.

 

In terms of the saturation / density profile, the Visconti has very little shading, and has a uniform appearance of a saturated ink. VB will change density to some extent according to papers' absorbency/wetness of writer. However, the MBRB has a considerably different s/d profile. It has subtle but persistent shading, which generates a level of transparency that I enjoy on harder (smooth) papers.

 

However, if one chooses to move MBRB to a more saturated Look, a simple change to more absorbent paper/s is all that's needed; one may carry on with the same writer. Going to a wetter writer on a harder smooth papers is also a viable option, as MBRB is reluctant to feather and incur bleed- show-though. (See the Safari on the HPJ1124 & Rhodia.)

 

If one has the time and inclination, take a close look at the image at the NIB-ism link; then follow a given writer across the four Written Sample papers. (A well-documented cure for insomnia.) In its way, the 502 is an interesting example, as there is a depiction of its nib striving to flex and deliver ink on the textured papers: the G Lalo being harder & less absorbent; the Royal being softer & much more absorbent.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited October 10, 2010 by Sandy1

[Sandy1]

Wow, this ink wasn't even on my radar until now. Your samples make it look good in all of your pens and on a wide variety of papers - I can definitely see adding this ink to the stable.

Hi,

 

Yes indeed, MBRB is soooo often overlooked.

 

Well, we all know that my atrocious handwriting is not making a 'silk purse from a sows ear', and the pens & paper are consistent throughout the OOTT series, so it must be the ink, yes?

 

It should make for some interesting comparisons to the other OOTT inks. (Cheap thrills or what?)

 

Bye,

S1

[Sandy1]

Often when I ink up a pen after laying off this for a while, I think, "What a great ink!!" In fact, the last 13 times that I have used this ink in various pens, I noted that it was "good" or "great" 7 times, a considerable achievement by my standards. It's especially spectacular in my picky but favorite Parker 75. Great review as usual, thanks.

[/quote]

Hi,

 

I'm glad you enjoyed the review!

 

MBRB has a beneficial side-effect of impressing those who use it; and the carry-on effect may well be a passing thought to 'rationalise the ink holdings'. (As if.) Buying new ink is part & parcel of my enjoyment of FPs

 

But I prefer a more 'Darwinian' approach: The real decision is made when a bottle runs dry - does it get replaced? or sent on its way with the usual ceremonies & protocol? (Usually involving Ink Putti playing Bach on their trombones, accordions & 5-string banjos.)

 

Bye,

S1

[geoduc]

But I prefer a more 'Darwinian' approach: The real decision is made when a bottle runs dry - does it get replaced? or sent on its way with the usual ceremonies & protocol? (Usually involving Ink Putti playing Bach on their trombones, accordions & 5-string banjos.)

 

Please enlighten me - who or what is Ink Putti? I desperately want to hear Bach played on trombone, accordion & banjo, but Google came up blank when I tried to find it.

 

edited due to late night spelling deficiencies

Edited October 10, 2010 by geoduc

[Sandy1]

But I prefer a more 'Darwinian' approach: The real decision is made when a bottle runs dry - does it get replaced? or sent on its way with the usual ceremonies & protocol? (Usually involving Ink Putti playing Bach on their trombones, accordions & 5-string banjos.)

 

Please enlighten me - who or what is Ink Putti? I desperately want to hear Bach played on trombone, accordion & banjo, but Google came up blank when I tried to find it.

 

edited due to late night spelling deficiencies

Hello,

 

I suspect that your online search skills may have been victim of the same condition which resulted in 'late night spelling deficiencies'. ErHmm.

 

Or you may have Parental Controls on your browser, which may well suppress results of that search.

 

Using "ink putti" as the Google search criteria, one does have relevant hits returned - all of which are on the FPN site. Being a Member, one may avail themselves of the Search facility. But, 'ink' is only three char which I believe makes it a throwaway word; so search FPN for "putti". Oooo - a bakers' dozen are returned.

So, rather than repeat myself, which I find is duller than dishwater, one may use the FPN search results to compile a multi-faceted depiction of the Ink Putti. [Title Case added.]

 

Bye,

S1

[geoduc]

Hello,

 

I suspect that your online search skills may have been victim of the same condition which resulted in 'late night spelling deficiencies'. ErHmm.

 

Or you may have Parental Controls on your browser, which may well suppress results of that search.

 

Using "ink putti" as the Google search criteria, one does have relevant hits returned - all of which are on the FPN site. Being a Member, one may avail themselves of the Search facility. But, 'ink' is only three char which I believe makes it a throwaway word; so search FPN for "putti". Oooo - a bakers' dozen are returned.

So, rather than repeat myself, which I find is duller than dishwater, one may use the FPN search results to compile a multi-faceted depiction of the Ink Putti. [Title Case added.]

 

Bye,

S1

 

I am chastened :embarrassed_smile:

 

A night's sleep and a cup of coffee have dramatically enhanced my search skills. Thanks.

[Lsarios]

So far, this is my go to and favorite ink! I find that it flows very well in finicky pens! I loved the review!

[Vincent1278]

I'm glad for such a thorough review and for the attention to this ink. I have read too many comments about it being weak.

 

This is a fantastic purplish blue.

[encremental]

Sandy1 - you are so right - MB Royal Blue is the blue which you think you know, but in fact you don't.

 

There are wisteria and hyacinth notes lurking in its shading, and a vibrancy which Waterman Florida Blue doesn't have for me. Familiarity may breed contempt in this ink's case. If you want to pay more and have a Japanese firsson, then Sailor's Spring ink 'Nioi-Sumire' is a dead spit. Doesn't shade as well, though....

 

John

[Treecat]

What an interesting ink! Thanks for the review, Sandy. This seems to have some of the best features of PR Midnight Blues and PR Lake Placid Blue. I'll give it a try when I run out of Lake Placid. I'd never considered Montblanc blue inks until I saw this review.

[Sandy1]

So far, this is my go to and favorite ink! I find that it flows very well in finicky pens! I loved the review!

Hi,

 

So nice you like the ink & my wee review.

 

When I bought my first Titanium nib, on a Stipula, I used MBRB as the 'welcoming ink'. And of course it was spectacular! MBRB from my 78G+F is also spectacular.

So there you go: a go-to for you too.

 

Bye,

S1

[Sandy1]

I'm glad for such a thorough review and for the attention to this ink. I have read too many comments about it being weak.

 

This is a fantastic purplish blue.

Hi,

 

I honestly don't think that 'weak' can be applied to MBRB.

Subtle? OK. I could agree with that - it is not an 'in your face' ink. It is Royal Blue.

And I don't think the ink was changed when it was re-packaged. (Feel free to chime-in on that proposition.)

 

Once again, all the One Of The Ten series inks are getting the same attention. The Written Samples are expanded, and the pens for the OOTT are consistent, to support review and subsequent comparison. So those who look at the Written Samples, without my chatter, may come to appreciate the ink just as well.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited October 14, 2010 by Sandy1