EFNIR: Montblanc Leo Tolstoy Sky Blue

[LizEF]

Extra Fine Nib Ink Review: Montblanc Leo Tolstoy Sky Blue

This is review #56 in my series.  Here's the YouTube video:

Post-recording notes: The darker parts in the shading is actually sheen.  Color reproduction is fairly accurate on my screens.

Easy cleaning with plain water.

And here is a screen of the final result, for those not interested in the video:

Scan of Completed Review:

Zoomed in photo:

Absorbent Paper Closeup (puzzle paper like thick newsprint):

Screenshots also available on Instagram: @zilxodarap

Previous Review: Visconti Sepia.

Want to influence the inky sequence?  Take the "next ink" poll.

Hope you enjoy.  Comments appreciated!

[inkstainedruth]

Thanks as usual.  

I'm sorry I didn't spring for a second bottle of Tolstoy when I had the chance.  It was sort of a happenstance purchase a few years ago in Fountain Pen Hospital one Christmastime, and they still had a couple of bottles of it left.  I had been looking through their ink swab books and it caught my eye -- and while I'm not normally a big fan of teal-ish inks, that one had just enough blue in it to make me go "hmmmm".  Of course I'm now searching for an ink that's close to it in color.  Diamine Guitar Series Pelham Blue Burst is pretty close, but not *quite* a match (although I do really like it).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

[LizEF]

Hmm.  To me, this ink doesn't appear tealish, but that could just be my eyes.  Still, I kinda wish I'd gotten a bottle too - it's beautiful, well-behaved, and has nice shading and sheen.  Alas, inky regrets.

[yazeh]

It must me be. But this ink despite all the praise to my untrained eyes looks like a ballpoint scribble. Or maybe it's EF nib that does that. Thought the close up looks truly nice but it doesn't look the same as the whole page photo.....

 

Quintus' adventures remind me of Asterix and Cleopatra, when Obleix breaks the sphinx's nose...

[LizEF]

26 minutes ago, yazeh said:

It must me be. But this ink despite all the praise to my untrained eyes looks like a ballpoint scribble. Or maybe it's EF nib that does that. Thought the close up looks truly nice but it doesn't look the same as the whole page photo.....

The zoom is closer to the right color.  The shading, sheen, and excellent behavior are what do it.  And the color sort of grows on you.  But yes, it is close to a "normal" blue, which is why I didn't buy a bottle.  Kinda regret it now, but then I've got too many inks already, so...

 

27 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Quintus' adventures remind me of Asterix and Cleopatra, when Obleix breaks the sphinx's nose...

  This is the first time I've seen or heard of that cartoon.  But, yeah, kinda similar.

[yazeh]

17 hours ago, LizEF said:

The zoom is closer to the right color.  The shading, sheen, and excellent behavior are what do it.  And the color sort of grows on you.  But yes, it is close to a "normal" blue, which is why I didn't buy a bottle.  Kinda regret it now, but then I've got too many inks already, so...

 

  This is the first time I've seen or heard of that cartoon.  But, yeah, kinda similar.

Asterix and Obelix are the gallic version of superhero approx 60 B.C. Very popular in Europe and elsewhere. If by any chance you get interested get the books. The movies and cartoons are not so good

 

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, yazeh said:

The movies and cartoons are not so good

They never are (in my experience).

[AndyYNWA]

On 12/16/2020 at 9:53 PM, yazeh said:

It must me be. But this ink despite all the praise to my untrained eyes looks like a ballpoint scribble. Or maybe it's EF nib that does that. Thought the close up looks truly nice but it doesn't look the same as the whole page photo.....

 

 

I wouldn't call the basic colour ballpoint blue. In my experience, it's slightly lighter blue than what it looks like in the pictures.

 

Also, when the ink gets to sit for some time in the pen, it gets a really nice sheen.

 

 

[AndyYNWA]

16 hours ago, yazeh said:

Asterix and Obelix are the gallic version of superhero approx 60 B.C. Very popular in Europe and elsewhere. If by any chance you get interested get the books. The movies and cartoons are not so good

 

The albums are great, really hilarious! 

 

I haven't seen the live-action movies, as they don't look that interesting. However, the animated movies are quite fun.

But it's still the albums that do it!

 

https://www.asterix.com/en/

[yazeh]

3 hours ago, AndyYNWA said:

I wouldn't call the basic colour ballpoint blue. In my experience, it's slightly lighter blue than what it looks like in the pictures.

 

Also, when the ink gets to sit for some time in the pen, it gets a really nice sheen.

 

 

Thanks Andy

[Dione]

I wish this colour was a bit more like Diamond Blue

[LizEF]

8 hours ago, AndyYNWA said:

Also, when the ink gets to sit for some time in the pen, it gets a really nice sheen.

 

I found it sheened even without needing to sit in the pen - but this depends on the pen and paper, of course.

 

4 hours ago, Dione said:

I wish this colour was a bit more like Diamond Blue

Found a review here (and had to paste the URLs into a new tab as they were http (no "s")), and I'm afraid I prefer this darker color, but to each their own.  And given the right pen, as @AndyYNWApointed out, it may well be closer.  Not that it matters much as this was a Limited Edition and is likely impossible to find now.

[LizEF]

8 hours ago, AndyYNWA said:

The albums are great, really hilarious! 

 

I haven't seen the live-action movies, as they don't look that interesting. However, the animated movies are quite fun.

But it's still the albums that do it!

 

https://www.asterix.com/en/

 

Thanks for the link.  Now I'm more informed on what I've been missing - since before I was born!  (A rare thing these days.)

[Sailor Kenshin]

I do have a bottle, but don't use Sky Blue that often.  Because cannot get more.

 

Thanks for the review!

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

I do have a bottle, but don't use Sky Blue that often.  Because cannot get more.

 

Thanks for the review!

Enjoy for the rest of us!

 

You're welcome!

[LizEF]

Here's the line width measurement. The line is one of those used for dry time.  Magnification is 100x.  The grid is 100x100µm.  The scale is 330µm, with eleven divisions of 30µm each.  The line width for this ink is roughly 275µm.