Recent Montblanc Cool Color Inks — 2019

[Tom Kellie]

[silverlifter]

Nice job, Tom: thank you!

 

That signature nib is a monster.

[AndyYNWA]

Nice!

 

My Egyptian Blue looks quite close to Maya Blue in your pictures. But it could be the camera, screen or my eyes that fools me...

[MsRedpen]

Tom, thank you for taking time to ink 2 pens, write samples, flush, than all over again. Multiple times.

 

Your mini review / comparison is perfectly showing colours against each other, and comparison in different nib widths. Key information!

 

Kipling is so intriguing...

[rosa_m]

Thank you for this beautiful review .

[clazbill]

That Lapis.. very tempting. Too bad I don't have the budget for it right now.

 

Also your handwriting looks like a clone of my own! Really looks like I'm reading my own notes.

[chromantic]

Kudos on the effort you put into this. The Petrol and (especially) the Jungle Green come across much better here than in other recent reviews.

[Tom Kellie]

Kudos on the effort you put into this. The Petrol and (especially) the Jungle Green come across much better here than in other recent reviews.

 

 

~ chromantic:

 

Thank you very much!

Both the Petrol and the Jungle Green have become treasured with use.

They're well-behaved, distinctive, and eye-pleasing.

In both cases I'm likely to add a second bottle.

Tom K.

[OCArt]

Thanks for the good comparison. Is that MB a music nib? From the photo I think I see three tines.

[Intensity]

I Love the look of Chinese Blue on these photographs. Very intrigued.

[Tom Kellie]

Thanks for the good comparison. Is that MB a music nib? From the photo I think I see three tines.

 

~ OCArt:

 

Thank you so much!

That nib is a Montblanc Bespoke 149 Monotone Yellow Gold Small Signature Nib.

Similar to a Music Nib, there are three tines.

It has a custom-designed ink feed to enhance rapid ink flow.

Smooth as silk on paper, it writes and writes and writes.

On the left side of the nib is ‘Lion’, while on the right side is ‘Panthera leo’.

It's a highly reliable nib without any problems.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

I Love the look of Chinese Blue on these photographs. Very intrigued.

 

~ Intensity:

 

Chinese Blue — to write with it is to love it.

Day by day I'm coming to love writing in Chinese Blue.

Tom K.

[visper]

Thanks great comparison. I really like Ultramarine.

[Zdenek]

 

 

 

 

It appears you become an ink collector.

[bemon]

Maybe now I can sell that terrible MB Midnight Blue for Ultramarine. I worked hard on thinning my ink collection down to three core bottles, but I kept a bottle of Midnight Blue stashed away with my only MB pen just to make use of the pair more of an occasion.

 

But midnight blue is is terrible. It's washed out and drier than my dad's sense of humor. Is Ultramarine fairly well lubricated? Anyone know of anywhere that does sample MB inks? I do prefer dark blue inks but 2/3 of the inks I kept are dark so I don't mind moving back more toward a standard blue for a pen that only gets occasional use.

[DrDebG]

Thank you so much for your great comparisons! I deeply appreciate all of the time and effort that you have put into these. Please do not be overly concerned regarding the recent thread about writing ink reviews. Each of us has a different perspective. Some may value the color mostly, others the formulation of the ink. Some may want a definitive approach while others just want to see if the ink is right for them. That is what makes this forum so useful. I am appreciative of all the ink reviews.

 

Your comparison is bad for my budget. I would love to buy all of them, but particularly Chinese Blue, Egyptian Blue, Lapis Lazuli Blue and Homer.

 

Thank you again!

[gerigo]

Thanks Tom for the lovely run down of the ink colors. I thought that with these rather unusual colors that some of the more regular members of the review group would have done a review when the inks appeared. But it would seem it did not garner much attention with the community. Maybe there are too many boutique players these days that inks from more traditional makers are going unnoticed.

[Tom Kellie]

Thank you so much for your great comparisons! I deeply appreciate all of the time and effort that you have put into these. Please do not be overly concerned regarding the recent thread about writing ink reviews. Each of us has a different perspective. Some may value the color mostly, others the formulation of the ink. Some may want a definitive approach while others just want to see if the ink is right for them. That is what makes this forum so useful. I am appreciative of all the ink reviews.

 

Your comparison is bad for my budget. I would love to buy all of them, but particularly Chinese Blue, Egyptian Blue, Lapis Lazuli Blue and Homer.

 

Thank you again!

 

~ 5Cavaliers:

 

It's reassuring to read your kind comments above.

The recent thread about ink review preparation was a tad intimidating.

The expertise and superb care of those who prepare and post full-blown ink reviews with waterproof tests, various paper grades and elaborate sketches is impressive.

However, one wonders whether there might be much real value in a basic handwriting in ink post.

I hesitated before posting this blue and green ink comparison, realizing that it's woefully deficient on the technical side.

The four colors you've mentioned above are all in the spectral and luminosity range which pulls me in.

BTW: For what it's worth, the two inks which I've used in recent weeks which most impressed me with their above average behavior in nibs and on paper were:

• Montblanc 2019 Ink of the Year Petrol Blue

• Montblanc James Purdey & Sons Single Malt

I agree with you that this forum offers a superb range of perspectives, all of which taken together are an education in fountain pens, papers and inks.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

Thanks Tom for the lovely run down of the ink colors. I thought that with these rather unusual colors that some of the more regular members of the review group would have done a review when the inks appeared. But it would seem it did not garner much attention with the community. Maybe there are too many boutique players these days that inks from more traditional makers are going unnoticed.

 

~ gerigo:

 

Yes, I'd similarly supposed that reviews of Montblanc's recent offerings would be posted.

When that didn't happen, I thought about a basic ink comparison, which resulted in this thread.

Perhaps in time others with greater experience and higher analytical standards will have time to post reviews.

The new inks are a really blessing from Montblanc in 2019.

Tom K.

[bobje]

Tom,

This comparison of colors is such a valuable, useful contribution to people wanting to make careful choices. Thank you so much for preparing it.