EFNIR: Monteverde Olivine

[LizEF]

Extra Fine Nib Ink Review: Monteverde Olivine

This is review #153 in my series.  Here's the YouTube video:

Post-recording notes: Cleaning was quick and easy. Yellow-leaning green similar to many others.  Both the scan and the screen capture are too dark and don't have enough yellow in them. The zoom and absorbent paper pictures are closer to reality.

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 (top is puzzle paper like thick newsprint, bottom is old 20lb copy paper):

Images also available on Instagram: @zilxodarap

Previous Review: KWZ Walk Over Vistula.

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

Need to catch up on The Adventures of Quin and Makhabesh?  Find the whole story here.

Hope you enjoy.  Comments appreciated!

[LizEF]

We wish you

an Extra Fine Christmas

and a Happy New Year!

 

From Liz (the EF nib ink reviewer), Mr. Hippo (formerly of The Corner Cubicle), Burrito (the Tree-Climbing Burro), and Mr. Grinch.

 

@Misfit - Mr. Hippo, just for you.

[lapis]

Nice ink, okay colour but IMO too yellow; yes, of course yellowish enough for green olives, but not bluish enough for the mineral olivine. How is the actual behaviour in regard to flow/wetness and lubrication?

[yazeh]

Great job @LizEF

Thanks for Makhabesh's  spark of fire... that brought light to this murky green....

and merry Christmas to Mr. Burrito, Makhabesh, Quin, Goatie, all the wizards and even to Oily Marsell

 

[namrehsnoom]

Nice colour… I’m a sucker for yellow-greens. And this one looks to be a bit darker than many others I’ve seen… 

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, lapis said:

Nice ink, okay colour but IMO too yellow; yes, of course yellowish enough for green olives, but not bluish enough for the mineral olivine.

Well, it's not the yellowest green ink on the planet, but does lean yellow.

 

1 hour ago, lapis said:

How is the actual behaviour in regard to flow/wetness and lubrication?

Average flow; lubrication is well above average.

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, yazeh said:

Great job @LizEF

Thanks!

 

1 hour ago, yazeh said:

Thanks for Makhabesh's  spark of fire... that brought light to this murky green....

Yes, Makhabesh has been enjoying his new magic - let's hope he doesn't start a forest fire!

 

1 hour ago, yazeh said:

and merry Christmas to Mr. Burrito, Makhabesh, Quin, Goatie, all the wizards and even to Oily Marsell

Thanks!  And to you & yours.

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, namrehsnoom said:

Nice colour… I’m a sucker for yellow-greens. And this one looks to be a bit darker than many others I’ve seen… 

Yes, it's probably the darkest yellow-leaning green I have, but not so dark as to mistake it for black (at least, not from this nib).  Given the lubrication, I quite enjoyed it.

[lapis]

10 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Well, it's not the yellowest green ink on the planet, but does lean yellow.

 

Average flow; lubrication is well above average.

Thanks for the information. Have a happy Inkmas!

[Sailor Kenshin]

I have this color AND a sample of Maiko, which I loved.  Happily enough, I haven't noticed the long dry time.

 

Thanks again for another cool review!  And Merry Christmas!

[LizEF]

20 minutes ago, lapis said:

Thanks for the information. Have a happy Inkmas!

You're welcome, and Happy Inkmas to you too!

[LizEF]

12 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Thanks again for another cool review!  And Merry Christmas!

You're very welcome!  And thanks!

[mizgeorge]

Well done @LizEF - you got me with this one. Actually, given the colour, I'm really surprised I don't already own it. 

 

Thank you for this, and all the other excellent reviews - and for a bit of inky enabling along the way!

[LizEF]

Just now, mizgeorge said:

Well done @LizEF

Thanks!

 

Just now, mizgeorge said:

you got me with this one.

Ha!  My mission is complete.  I can finally stop doing these stupid reviews! Phew!   (Guess I should have saved this ink for another 98 days...)

 

2 minutes ago, mizgeorge said:

Thank you for this, and all the other excellent reviews - and for a bit of inky enabling along the way!

You're most welcome.

[chromantic]

You finally hooked me, Liz - I ordered a bottle of this last night.

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, chromantic said:

You finally hooked me, Liz - I ordered a bottle of this last night.

Now, how do I contact Monteverde to collect my commission...?

 

Hope you like it!

[chromantic]

I'm having second thoughts. Some people in vis' review mention hard starts and, more worrying, nib crud crystal formation. I was going to use this in an Optima but will try it in another pen first to see how it fares.

[LizEF]

20 minutes ago, chromantic said:

I'm having second thoughts. Some people in vis' review mention hard starts and, more worrying, nib crud crystal formation. I was going to use this in an Optima but will try it in another pen first to see how it fares.

Hmm.  It seems a well-sealing pen will reduce or delay nib crud, as will frequent use.  It seems evaporation is one of the big contributors.  All I can say is that I didn't see it in my pen, but then it got daily use and the ink was only there for 4-5 days.

[A Smug Dill]

5 hours ago, chromantic said:

I was going to use this in an Optima but will try it in another pen first to see how it fares.

 

In my wife's and my experience with owning and using several Aurora Optima pens, their caps seal very well — on par with Pilot Custom and Sailor Profit models, all without spring-loaded inner caps — and so I'm confident no noticeable ink crud will form, even if you were to use a red or orange ink (which are the colours most apt to form ink crud in the ‘average’ pen that does not seal superbly). As for cleaning the inside of the piston-filler out, the Optima has a threaded, removable nib unit, so accessing the inside of the barrel with a blunt syringe needle (if necessary) is no problem, and it's easy to put a pressurised flush through the nib and feed when the nib unit is removed from the pen body. I don't see any reason for worry.

[LizEF]

5 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

In my wife's and my experience with owning and using several Aurora Optima pens, their caps seal very well — on par with Pilot Custom and Sailor Profit models, all without spring-loaded inner caps — and so I'm confident no noticeable ink crud will form, even if you were to use a red or orange ink (which are the colours most apt to form ink crud in the ‘average’ pen that does not seal superbly). As for cleaning the inside of the piston-filler out, the Optima has a threaded, removable nib unit, so accessing the inside of the barrel with a blunt syringe needle (if necessary) is no problem, and it's easy to put a pressurised flush through the nib and feed when the nib unit is removed from the pen body. I don't see any reason for worry.