Ink Review: Diamine Monaco Red

[Chrissy]

This is my review of Diamine Monaco Red.

I decided to try a sample of this ink because I happened to be browsing on Goulets Pens web-site and noticed that it is one of their selections for their group of red inks. It's the type of 'blood' red I like, not too far along the orange scale and not too far along the blue scale. It has a hint of brownness to it, but is less brown than Oxblood.

I have almost finished regrinding my Mb Boheme nib from a B to something less broad, although I'm not absolutely sure what it is yet. However, I wanted to try writing with it so I filled a cartridge with this rather nice red ink.

As usual for a Diamine ink, it's a well behaved ink. It's saturated and shows some shading. I found it flowed smoothly across the page, and had no problems with lubrication in the Boheme or the Plumix stub nib that I used.

This ink exhibits a little showthrough and a few dots of bleedthrough on my thick Xerox ColorPrint paper.

This colour was specially formulated for his Serene Highness Prince Rainier 111 of Monaco and the Grimaldi family in conjunction with a presentation of a limited edition fountain pen.

On the whole I prefer Diamine Red Dragon and would rather buy that than Monaco Red. However, if I couldn't get Red Dragon, Monaco Red would be a good substitute. Red Dragon is a little more along the blue scale giving it a shade or so more pinkness. For me at least, that makes Red Dragon perfect. Monaco Red looks a shade or so more brown.

• The water test on the review form shows this isn't a waterproof ink, but the fact that there was some water on the surface underneath it, that soaked into the paper, shows there is some water resistance.
• Bearing in mind the paper I use is thick with a shiny surface, and I used a M (?) nib, this ink only took 18-20 secs to dry.
• It flows through the pen well and lubricates the nib well. I saw no skips or hard starts while I did swabs and dry time tests.
• It is currently available in 80ml glass bottles, 30ml plastic refill bottles or cartridges.
• Diamine sell it directly to end-users on their web-site.
• It's a reasonable price

[perfaddict]

Lovely review of a lovely ink. Diamine Monaco Red is one of my favourite reds. I like the way it shades from its characteristic colour to a very dark (almost black(?)) red. I am still torn between Monaco Red and Noodlers Red Black, though they are quite distinct.

[senzen]

Nice review! Maybe I'll get this when I run out of Rouge hematite...

[Newjelan]

I'm not a fan of red or pink inks, but I love Monaco Red.

[lgsoltek]

Not that I "love" this ink, but I like it much more than Red Dragon... I really dislike Red Dragon. It's just so brown. I suppose I'm the only one on this forum that dislikes it... (Red Dragon fans please don't stone me )

[perfaddict]

Not that I "love" this ink, but I like it much more than Red Dragon... I really dislike Red Dragon. It's just so brown. I suppose I'm the only one on this forum that dislikes it... (Red Dragon fans please don't stone me )

 

I like Red Dragon, but must admit it leans towards brown as well as not shading at all. Having said that, i would rather use Monaco Red than use Red Dragon. So, you do have a point.

[minddance]

Monaco Red that I have is alot more shadey and undersatured than Red Dragon. To me, Monaco Red is abit distracting in pens that are not wet enough to subdue the shading or pens so dry that produce faint and hardly legible lines (in pilot and sailor fine nibs, it looks anemic + breathless) . Red Dragon plays nice with all my pens, but more difficult to clean out than Monaco Red due to the heavier dye load.

 

I hate to offend anyone and would say, get both, and Oxblood too.

Edited October 30, 2017 by minddance

[Chrissy]

I think both of these red inks have their place and there will always be Monaco Red fans and Red Dragon fans. They are slightly different. I remember Red Dragon as slightly less brown and slightly more saturated than Monaco Red. Therefore Monaco Red fills a gap between Red Dragon and Matador Red in a red ink colour range.

[Tas]

My signature red.

I literally sign my sketches with this ink. Love it.

 

[Sagarb]

Nice review...I like this ink a lot..Thank you..

[Tom Kellie]

My signature red.

 

I literally sign my sketches with this ink. Love it.

 

 

~ Tas:

 

Really? That's very good to know.

If your sketches are as charming as what you've posted in FPN, they must be superb!

Tom K.

[Chrissy]

I must dig out my bottle and fill a pen with it. It looks really nice and Christmassy

[Tas]

 

 

~ Tas:

 

Really? That's very good to know.

If your sketches are as charming as what you've posted in FPN, they must be superb!

Tom K.

 

Thank you

[lgsoltek]

I think it is my first ink from Diamine. (Or Mediterranean Blue, or both at the same time.)

[inkstainedruth]

Not a red for me (I'm not big on "blood colored"), but thanks as always for the review.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Chrissy]

Not a red for me (I'm not big on "blood colored"), but thanks as always for the review.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

You're welcome, but this is an old review. It really needs updating.....

[OMASsimo]

Regardless how old the thread, this is a very nice review. Monaco Red is one of my favourites and I almost always have one pen inked with it. Of course, the colour is a matter of taste but I love it. I also enjoy the shading it provides when used with reasonably broad nibs on good paper. The only issue I have with it (like with many Diamine inks) is that it tends to bleed through when used on poor quality paper. The flow and lubrication of it is so great that it lays down a really wet line on the paper with pretty much all of my pens.

[Chrissy]

Regardless how old the thread, this is a very nice review. Monaco Red is one of my favourites and I almost always have one pen inked with it. Of course, the colour is a matter of taste but I love it. I also enjoy the shading it provides when used with reasonably broad nibs on good paper. The only issue I have with it (like with many Diamine inks) is that it tends to bleed through when used on poor quality paper. The flow and lubrication of it is so great that it lays down a really wet line on the paper with pretty much all of my pens.

 

You're welcome.