Monteverde Purple Ink Review

[Tessy Moon]

Monteverde Purple Ink

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I love this beautiful ink! The color is a unique shade of pink and purple united in a lively lilac with a nice variation and shading depending on the pen, nib and paper.

 

 

This ink is very well behaved for my needs* and performs reasonably well even on cheap printer paper. There is no bleed through, only a light ghosting on cheap notebook paper. It performs perfectly on good papers such as Rhodia, Clairefontaine and G Lalo.

 

My favorite thing about this ink (as with all my inks) is the exact color, shade, or hue. Now this color is unique, I have not seen anything else duplicated nor near matches for this color. The closest in color in my opinion, is Noodler’s Tchaikovsky. However, Tchaikovsky is grainy, thick, and is a very difficult ink; I love the color but hate the consistency and flow problems and I cannot stand the grainy texture.

 

Monteverde Purple is similar in shade as Tchaikovsky; it has that puplish-pink-bright lilac shade that I love. But Monteverde Purple is perfectly well behaved, has great flow, and has a nice smooth texture. This ink is not watery like J Herbin (which sometimes I like) but does not write dry either. It seems to be perfectly balanced and well lubricated without staining my fingers. (Of course this will also vary greatly depending on your pen, feed, nib and writing style.)

 

I highly recommend Monteverde Purple if you enjoy purple or pink inks. This has become my favorite ink and I cannot resist the lovely lively lilac shade!

 

This ink tends to start darker purple then move into its lighter purple pink shade as I write. This is especially true in the Artista Crystal.

 

 

*My personal preferences regarding inks:

I am a stay at home mom and a writer, so I can write with whatever colors and style ink I like on any paper I choose. I have total freedom in that arena – yay for fun colors!

Also, I do not perform any water tests. I do not like the “water-proof” inks as they are a huge pain to clean out. This is just my personal preference (although I still have some inks that I consider water resistant – as I am reminded every time I go to clean it out of a pen). I know that some people care a lot about water-proof and light steadfastness. Sorry, I am not one of them.

I care inordinately about the exact color, and some people will say this ink and that ink are the same and I can see differences others do not notice. Good flow is important to me too, I don’t like dry writers in pens nor inks. I also prefer broader nibs and stubs.

I hope understanding my ink preferences and peculiarities will help you as you read and take into consideration my reviews and how the inks will fit or not fit your personal preferences.

 

 

 

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Ink Review by Tessy Moon

Brand: Monteverde

Name: Purple/Violet

Paper: Rhodia 80 gm

Pen One: Monteverde Artista Crystal

Nib - #5 Medium

Pen Two: Hero 5028 Calligraphy Pen

Nib – 1.1 Stub

Flow: Good; not gushing or watery, not dry; perfect.

Shading: Moderate shading; offers lovely variations depending on nib, paper, etc. Shading is not distracting or over done.

Saturation: Medium; it is not like a Noodler’s ink with an overload of saturation, but it is more saturated then J Herbin inks.

Feathering: None

Show Through: Slight ghosting in broad 1.5 wet nibs (such as the Ahab – which is a really wet writer).

Bleed Through: None

Dry Time: Reasonable

 

 

 

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[Tessy Moon]

This ink is rather difficult to photograph and then convey through the computer screen. It is vibrant and yet it doesn't punch you in the face. It is purple and pink. It is a different color from any other ink I know. And yet, here are a few writing samples to help give you an idea of what this ink can look like in different lighting conditions, pens, etc.

 

 

Pen One: Monteverde Artista Crystal

 

 

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Edited June 12, 2014 by Tessy Moon

[Tessy Moon]

Written Sample with Pen Two: Hero 5028 Calligraphy Pen Stub Nib 1.1

 

 

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[Tessy Moon]

I posted my review on my blog:

 

http://tessymoon.wix.com/tessymoon#!Monteverde-Purple-Ink-Review/c1xji/4CE719F4-AF95-46FB-8691-6188D938C9FF

There is also a gallery with more photos. If you would like to see them please go here:

http://tessymoon.wix.com/tessymoon#!fountain-pen-love/cp8t

[Tessy Moon]

This is my first review so please let me know what was helpful, what can be improved, if there is anything else you would like to see, know or any questions you may have.

 

Thank you very much for reading!

[bone215]

I think you did a nice job with the review. Thank you. I am a fan of both Monteverde blue and green inks and if the purple behaves as nicely as those it is a nice ink to use. Since you do give that impression, I wonder if all Monteverde inks are that nice?

[Tessy Moon]

I think you did a nice job with the review. Thank you. I am a fan of both Monteverde blue and green inks and if the purple behaves as nicely as those it is a nice ink to use. Since you do give that impression, I wonder if all Monteverde inks are that nice?

 

Thank you so very much for your comments! They are greatly appreciated!!!

 

The only other Monteverde ink I have tried so far is the pink. It is nice too, but it wasn't the exact shade of pink I was looking for at the time (which ended up being J Herbin Bouquet D'Antan ~ a very light Ballerina Pink).

I liked the sample and it is definitely still on my radar for a future purchase.

 

All the other Monteverede inks are on my ink sample wish list and waiting their turn (which is coming up really soon!)

I have been eyeing the turquoise, green and burgundy especially.

I believe they are all made with the special "ITF Technology" even though I am not entirely sure what all that means, I do understand it is meant to help the ink flow better.

 

I think Monteverde offers something unique with their inks. They do not seem to copy anyone else but they have formulated their very own line of inks that stand apart from other inks and I admire that.

 

And for only $12.50 for 90ml these inks are an amazing deal! Plus I really like the unique bottle!

[theverdictis]

Written Sample with Pen Two: Hero 5028 Calligraphy Pen Stub Nib 1.1

 

 

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Great pics, looks and sounds like a really enjoyable ink to use. Another investment for me

[WaskiSquirrel]

I bought a bottle of the Turquoise. I was very impressed with the ink. It flowed well, it lubricated the piston, it dried fairly quickly, and it was an attractive color, at least for a blue (I don't like blue). Down the road, I want to try some more Monteverde inks. They're really impressive!

 

 

But, I'll never write as nicely as was displayed in this review. I'm also not patient enough to do this kind of review. I'm glad there are people who are patient and organized enough to do this kind of thing for us!

Edited June 12, 2014 by Waski_the_Squirrel

[Tessy Moon]

Great pics, looks and sounds like a really enjoyable ink to use. Another investment for me

 

 

Thank you so very much!!! It is a great ink and I (obviously!) highly recommend it!

 

I spent a lot of time trying to get the pictures adjusted to show off this ink in all it's different forms of glory! It is really a beautiful color that the computer screen just can not convey. And truly I want to make up a new color name for this ink. The closest color I know of is Heliotrope (that is why it is written on some of the samples!) Heliotrope flowers are much more purple (sort of like how the Artista Crystal first starts off). See here for an example of Heliotrope:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliotrope_(color)

 

Although this color is lighter and softer than our actual ink in question. Alas! There is nothing for me to do but to create a new color name to represent this ink. But then no one will know what I am talking about! lol!

 

Upon perusing Wikipedia it actually it looks sort of like the middle square and lower right square from here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magenta

 

But again only somewhat similar!

[Tessy Moon]

I bought a bottle of the Turquoise. I was very impressed with the ink. It flowed well, it lubricated the piston, it dried fairly quickly, and it was an attractive color, at least for a blue (I don't like blue). Down the road, I want to try some more Monteverde inks. They're really impressive!

 

 

But, I'll never write as nicely as was displayed in this review. I'm also not patient enough to do this kind of review. I'm glad there are people who are patient and organized enough to do this kind of thing for us!

 

 

That's great to hear positive feedback on the turquoise! It does look very pretty from my computer screen! I really wish this Monteverde Inks had more feedback with them! There aren't as many reviews and talk about them and it's kind of sad because they seem to be such wonderful inks!

 

Thank you so much for the kind words!!! They are greatly appreciated!

 

I have always had horrible hand writing and am still working hard to overcome that defect. My hands kind of shake, they did even when I was young. The doctor said it was because of some problem or another (I don't remember what words he used) and said this resulted in my having slow small motor skills. I was a little girl then and remember having to practice small routine movements over and over. I still am very unhappy with my hand writing and try to practice to improve it, although I do get impatient sometimes. Other times my thoughts flow far too quickly for my hands to keep up. That's when the computer comes in handy!

 

I have been intending to write this review for a couple months now and just now resolved to finish it. I would like to do more reviews but it does take a lot of concentrated effort and time. I am hoping the next ink I review won't be as difficult to photograph! (Although this was a lot of fun!)

[amberleadavis]

This review is wonderful. Your pictures are great. I really love how you included the "matching" pens. I hope to see more reviews from you in the future.

[Tessy Moon]

This review is wonderful. Your pictures are great. I really love how you included the "matching" pens. I hope to see more reviews from you in the future.

 

Your encouragement means so much to me Amber!!! Thank you!!! I have always admired your reviews and appreciate all you bring to the Fountain Pen Community! It means a great deal to me to have your praise!

 

I hope to do more reviews in the future too. It took me a while to decide how best to do the review, what pens to use, etc. I mulled it over for awhile before I actually began. But maybe now that I have the first one done it will be easier for me to get the hang of it and produce a review more quickly.

[amberleadavis]

 

The first step is always the hardest.

[VivienR]

Even if its hard to match the color on the monitor its still looks really lovely. I really love inks in pink-purple range, so, its very catchy to me. I admire your handwriting!

[TMac]

Good review. I enjoyed matching the pens and book with the color! I have Monteverde Burgundy and find it to be a really good and reliable ink. Looks like I need to add their purple now.

[Tessy Moon]

 

The first step is always the hardest.

 

So true!

[Tessy Moon]

Even if its hard to match the color on the monitor its still looks really lovely. I really love inks in pink-purple range, so, its very catchy to me. I admire your handwriting!

 

 

Thank you so much Vivien! It is a really beautiful color!

[Tessy Moon]

Good review. I enjoyed matching the pens and book with the color! I have Monteverde Burgundy and find it to be a really good and reliable ink. Looks like I need to add their purple now.

 

Thank you TMac! The book in the pictures is my first published YA novel, The Princess Within. The pen, ink and book do look good together and since I designed the cover myself, I have to admit I just really love the cover and showing it off, lol!

 

Monteverde Burgundy is another one on my wish list. It looks good and I am glad to hear it is reliable as well!

[Mishka5050]

Oh wow, now this is something for all pink/purple maniacs

Lovely review, lovely ink! Thank you