Montblanc Midnight Blue (Non-Iron Gall Formula)

[Pterodactylus]

I think they have withdrawn the old version because IG inks create some troubles in some FP's as I have read.

Hearsay

 

I never observed personally any troubles with modern IG ink, and the MB Midnight Blue is a real well behaving ink.

All these horror stories regarding IG inks are old as the hill, nowadays IG ink will neither eat stainless steel nibs nor the pens itself.

Just don´t let them dry in your pens, but this is valid for all inks.

 

IMO the current IG inks are some of the best inks you can get your hands on.

[shudaizi]

Hearsay

 

I never observed personally any troubles with modern IG ink, and the MB Midnight Blue is a real well behaving ink.

All these horror stories regarding IG inks are old as the hill, nowadays IG ink will neither eat stainless steel nibs nor the pens itself.

Just don´t let them dry in your pens, but this is valid for all inks.

 

IMO the current IG inks are some of the best inks you can get your hands on.

 

The old IG MB-MB has me won over (I went back and purchased two more bottles from Fountain Pen Hospital) so now I'm trying other IGs too. Have a sample of Salix in the "try soon" pile and an order of Platinum's Blue-Black (also IG) on its way. If MB still made the old formula I could easily be content with it for 99% of my FP use -- but as it's discontinued I feel like I have to husband it carefully to make it last.

Edited January 6, 2014 by shudaizi

[Sham69]

Montblanc sydney boutique only have original formula.. about 20 bottles of it left they told me before they are ordering the new one.

[Bigeddie]

It's difficult to get the old formula?

 

I want to try it and if I like it i will buy some bottles to use it daily.

 

The ne formula looks more grey than blue-black, I don't like it much, but the old (from wha i've seen from photos) it could be one of my favourite inks...

 

Alv, if you can find any over there (make sure it's the old formula) stock up. If you find you don't like it this ink will go the way of Racing Green and you will have no problem selling it on.

 

 

[...] as it's discontinued I feel like I have to husband it carefully to make it last.

 

I know what you mean, I feel sad using it up knowing that it will never be made again. But there are some other good options, I am coming around to Salix. I intend to use mine like there is no tomorrow and enjoy the last drop... then cry floods of tears. (Just as I am about to do with the last of my Ink of Joy :-( .)

[dneal]

Montblanc sydney boutique only have original formula.. about 20 bottles of it left they told me before they are ordering the new one.

 

Stock up on it then, if you like the color. I didn't realize they changed the formula and picked up a bottle of the new MB a couple of weeks ago. Disappointed is an understatement. At least it wasn't a problem with the pen (as I first suspected).

[JeanManuel]

 

 

Salix is quite disappointing in comparison and no replacement... It's quite unsaturated, pale, and lacks gravitas compared to MBMB. It's also somewhat less lubricated.

 

True, but Rohrer und Klingner inks are miscible.

 

I plan to mix Salix with other Rohrer und Klingner's inks, to copy the color of permanent MB midnight blue.

I am not in a hurry because I have 3 bottles of permanent midnight blue.

 

I have already mixed scabiosa with solfiero and sepia to give an excellent violet, which is clearly more water resistant than the permanent MB midnight blue.

 

[Pterodactylus]

True, but Rohrer und Klingner inks are miscible.

I plan to mix Salix with other Rohrer und Klingner's inks, to copy the color of permanent MB midnight blue.

I am not in a hurry because I have 3 bottles of permanent midnight blue.

I have already mixed scabiosa with solfiero and sepia to give an excellent violet, which is clearly more water resistant than the permanent MB midnight blue.

 

Yes they are miscible, but Sepia is special, R&K does not guarantee that mixes with Sepia are long term stable (the ink mix, not the result on paper).

That R&K provides information about mixing their products is really remarkable, I love their inks, for me some of the best inks you can get, and the price is also fantastic low.

Edited May 5, 2014 by Pterodactylus

[JeanManuel]

Yes they are miscible, but Sepia is special, R&K does not guarantee that mixes with Sepia are long term stable (the ink mix, not the result on paper).

That R&K provides information about mixing their products is really remarkable, I love their inks, for me some of the best inks you can get, and the price is also fantastic low.

You are right. I did not notice that until now. Thanks for reacting!

[Morbus Curiositas]

Thanks for this comparison. I was expecting a much bigger difference in water resistence. Like Cepasaccus, I also have the feeling that a real soak -- i.e. a bath in water for at least 5 min -- would show us something different. Your photos look like you "only" wiped a wet cloth over those lines. No harm meant.

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

 

No harm taken

 

I let them soak without agitation for about 5 minutes in the dish of water you can see in the first water resistance picture; I didn't time it, but I did go away and do other things. The paper was then pegged up to drip dry for another 15 minutes or so and it looks like there was some more run off based on the bottom edges. I considered going for longer but I thought that 5 minutes of submersion would be the worst case scenario for anything I would write. I was really surprised about the Mystery Black sample at the bottom of the paper.

 

However I haven't washed out the pens yet (I thought I'd keep them filled and use them for a bit for longer duration testing) so I have put another sample if the Midnight Blues and the two permanent inks into soak. I'll fish it out tomorrow and report.

 

Dear Big Eddie, Dear Mike (Lapis)

 

First of all...

Thank you for the GREAT BIG Eddie

 

Nice work and nice ink too.

 

I have posted a Review of De Atramentis Document Ink BLUE last month and a review of DA Document Ink DARK blue Yesterday.

 

I have tortured those inks beyond all forbidden actions mentioned by the Geneva Convention with very aggressive fluids (undiluted).

 

I today read your very interesting Review on the nice Montblanc Inks. I then read the post of Lapis on waterproofness.

 

That made me think. Oops I haven't tested that. So today I took Lady Atramentis fora swim a swim

 

This is Lady Atramentis before getting Wet oops that colloqiol... Er This is Lady Atramentis before swimming

But I have already tortured her with the undilluted fluids mentioned.

 

 

Oh yeah and it was in polluted toxic water she swam in. I added some toiletcleaner and espresso machine cleaner

 

 

HELP HELP me I can't swim... Call Baywatch.....

 

 

 

HELP HELP me I am drowning,call an ambulance

 

 

 

This is Lady Atramentis after her diving Experience with Jacques Cousteau to discover the beautiful coral reefs in my kitchen sink...

 

C'est domage. Monsieur Cousteau est mort But Lady Atramentis survived

 

If you are interested in the reviews down here are the links

 

De Atramentis Document ink Blue

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/263866-de-atramentis-document-ink/

 

You don't have to look in to this one Mike you already did

 

De Atramentis Document ink DARK blue

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/266158-de-atramentis-document-ink-dark-blue/

 

This is the review I Posted today. I will add these photo's in the reply to the reviews....

 

Mike Thanks for your interesting input

 

Big Eddie

 

Thanks for the review... pleas do some more!

 

Warmest regards Peter

[massoh]

thanks for the very nice detailed review and information.

[Calabria]

I have a bottle of what I believe or believed to be the new MB MB - bought at a stationers during a snow storm in January 2014. Unfortunately, I threw away the box.

 

Now, thus may sound sacrilegious, but I like it a lot - it's not "grey" in my M800, and has a nice color variation.

 

Now I'm wondering whether it's not an old bottle. When I unscrew the cap, all this dust of dried ink falls off. Is that true or the new version as well? And is there a way to tell from the bottle (i.e. expiry date?)

[LeonW]

Would the shoe shaped bottle be more rounded on the corners (older version) or more squared (newer)?

 

The cap with a metallic ring is newer.

 

I am no expert, just my observations.

[Calabria]

The boxes shown on this thread suggest that the old/new transition happened while the new bottle was already well established.

[lapis]

Too bad you chucked out the box.

The older edition (IG = "permanent", Ident. No. 105194 on the box) and the newer edition (IG = "non-permanent", Ident. No. 109204) both have exactly the same type of box, bottle and cap.

However, the older edition says -- on a lable on the bottom of the bottle -- ENCRE BLEU NUIT, whereas the newer edition says ENCRE BLEU NUIT non perma.

 

Mike

[Calabria]

Mine says "Made in Austria Feb 2017".

 

Anyway, I just ordered a certified vintage bottle from Rolf Thiel and am looking forward to comparing it. Meanwhile, though, despite all the negative criticism, I think the bottle I have easily outperforms Lamy, Pelikan, and Pilot.

[lapis]

"Made in Austria Feb 2017" is to be read instead like this:

 

 

Feb 17 / Made in Austria

 

 

That means that this bottle of ink is best before Feb 2017. The actual date of release from the company of manufacture was 5 years earlier. That applies to all MB inks. Of course, if you take care of these (or most other inks), they'll last longer than 5 years. Also, whether it's a perm (IG) or non-perm (non-IG) Midnight Blue or blue-black, they're all subject to this 5-year job.

 

BTW, the small, round clear plastic sticker covering the opening of the box (on the right-hand edge where you pulled out the inner box) -- in your case -- didn't state Feb 17 but FEB 2017.

 

 

Whew

 

[Calabria]

Thank you for the info! I just double checked the sticker on the bottle and it actually says "1205 Nov 2017 Made in Austria Encre Bleu Nuit". There is no additional perm./non perm. indication so according to what you said it's 2012 and part of the old formula which explains why it is so inky dark. (I was thinking, what are all these complaints, this ink rocks!)

 

Thanks for the info! 👍

[ksh]

I put a bottle of the old stuff on Ebay USA. Search: mont blanc iron gall

[tritrek]

As with so many things I've entered the game "late" with this new one, so for me, this is the anchorpoint. It's sort of funny (and sorry) to about all the good stuff that has been changed over the lapse of time to become something new.

However, interesting enough, I've been here with many new-old/old-new things and when I have tried the good ol' product I still liked the new one, probably because that was my anchor point...

[dkirker]

As with so many things I've entered the game "late" with this new one, so for me, this is the anchorpoint. It's sort of funny (and sorry) to about all the good stuff that has been changed over the lapse of time to become something new.

However, interesting enough, I've been here with many new-old/old-new things and when I have tried the good ol' product I still liked the new one, probably because that was my anchor point...

 

The new certainly isn't bad. I mistakenly used a bottle of it for a while. My gripe was that I selected the ink as a signature ink (actually, I originally selected it because it was DEEP in blue, and named midnight blue, but when I learned it was a permanent ink, that reasoning stuck). To have the permanent aspect unknowingly slipped out from under me kinda ruffled my feathers a little. But, I have since happily found the ESSRI (Ecclesiastical Stationery Supplies Registrar's Ink) and LOVE it. It is fun to watch the iron oxidize in front of my eyes (it is more of a profound process than it was with the Montblanc).