Midnight Blue Ink Being Reformulated Once More?

[max dog]

I was at the Montblanc boutique the other day to get some inks and the sales person told me they were waiting for the new reformulated Midnight Blue ink. I asked if she was talking about the new non IG ink that they changed over to late last year, but she did not know.

 

Has anyone heard if Montblanc is reformulating their Midnight Blue once again? Could the IG version be coming back by popular demand?

[Dutchess]

Yes please!

[cellmatrix]

If that shipment comes in and you are disappointed to see that "newly reformulated" meant last years non-IG reformulation (which I am afraid is probably what is going to happen), you may want to consider trying ESSRI. Its a pretty good substitute for the old MB MB iron gall formulation, and far less expensive too.

[mrchan]

Yes they have reformulated the Midnight blue. I dislike the new one immensely due to how light and boring it looks. I have bought up the remaining 6 bottles at my local boutique (the one with the Iron gall content) and shall use them for the rest of my life!

 

If you haven't used the iron gall formulation before, I highly recommend it. When it dries up, after a while you can actually see how much darker it turns likely due to the oxidizing of the iron content.

 

Such a magical ink. How unfortunate that they are phasing it out.

[Vlad Soare]

Indeed, when I asked about Midnight Blue about two weeks ago at our boutique, they said they were out of stock and couldn't order more, because it was undergoing a reformulation process. They said a new Midnight Blue was expected soon.

At first I thought they didn't know what they were talking about, considering that the change from IG to non-IG had already happened a long time ago. But now that it's two of us who heard this in two different parts of the world, then who knows, there may be something in it...

Edited September 15, 2014 by Vlad Soare

[cellmatrix]

Interesting. I was initially skeptical but I hope you and Max are onto something here.

[Tas]

Granted the original is a STUNNING ink, and I've managed to stockpile three bottles now however, dare I say it, i've grown to like the chalky vintagesque look of the new formulation.

 

[max dog]

Indeed, when I asked about Midnight Blue about two weeks ago at our boutique, they said they were out of stock and couldn't order more, because it was undergoing a reformulation process. They said a new Midnight Blue was expected soon.

At first I thought they didn't know what they were talking about, considering that the change from IG to non-IG had already happened a long time ago. But now that it's two of us who heard this in two different parts of the world, then who knows, there may be something in it...

Thanks! Hopefully as Cellmatrix says we are on to something here.

If anyone else hears something, let us all know.

 

I've been using the non IG Midnight Blue a lot and I think it's a good ink in it's own right. I can even see a little shading in it. But I can see how it will be a disappointment for people who have used the old Midnight Blue for years and have come to know and love it for it's unique characteristics.

[meiers]

Blue-Black or Midnight blue will return as an IG ink at $28/bottle.

That's my prediction.

 

I will definitely purchase a bottle. It would be like a reunion with a long-lost friend.

I miss British Racing Green, too.

Edited September 16, 2014 by meiers

[Mister Mont Blanc]

I'd love to try this ink if it is reformulated with IG although I don't like using dark inks. It seems to me like Midnight Blue is basically black. Is it safe to say most permanent inks are dark? MB has only made permanent blue and black and the old IG was blue-black/Midnight Blue. I'd love Dandy Turquoise or Irish Green to have IG properties.

[Vlad Soare]

Noodler's permanent inks are available in a variety of colors.

 

http://www.gouletpens.com/Noodlers_Bottled_Ink_s/808.htm?searching=Y&sort=7&cat=808&show=60&page=1&f-Bulletproof=1237

Edited September 17, 2014 by Vlad Soare

[Mister Mont Blanc]

Noodler's permanent inks are available in a variety of colors.

 

http://www.gouletpens.com/Noodlers_Bottled_Ink_s/808.htm?searching=Y&sort=7&cat=808&show=60&page=1&f-Bulletproof=1237

Oh yes thank you I've heard of the bulletproof inks. I wonder why Montblanc hasn't followed suit. They seem to stick with the same colors consistently even when they change the name of them.

[meiers]

Oh yes thank you I've heard of the bulletproof inks. I wonder why Montblanc hasn't followed suit. They seem to stick with the same colors consistently even when they change the name of them.

They have a nice permanent grey (90 year Meisterstück anniversary edition).

I added some blue to it and now the ink looks almost like midnight blue.

Edited September 17, 2014 by meiers

[nujak]

Granted the original is a STUNNING ink, and I've managed to stockpile three bottles now however, dare I say it, i've grown to like the chalky vintagesque look of the new formulation.

 

The musings of fountain pen hipsters

[Mister Mont Blanc]

They have a nice permanent grey (90 year Meisterstück anniversary edition).

I added some blue to it and now the ink looks almost like midnight blue.

Oh that's right! I forgot about the perm grey as I'm not a grey fan haha. I guess I'm wanting to try the IG inks because I've heard they're dry. I don't need permanence, just need my EF nib to lay out an EF line lol. I've found the new non-IG permanent inks are not any drier than regular inks

[RudyR]

Oh yes thank you I've heard of the bulletproof inks. I wonder why Montblanc hasn't followed suit. They seem to stick with the same colors consistently even when they change the name of them.

 

 

They have a nice permanent grey (90 year Meisterstück anniversary edition).

I added some blue to it and now the ink looks almost like midnight blue.

 

And they also have the new Permanent Blue and Black. I have tried the Permanent Blue and found them superior in performance to any bulletproof Noodlers inks. It has a typical Royal Blue color but other than that, excellence overall. It even temps me to use it over my IG formula Midnight Blue except I prefer the color of Midnight blue over it. Maybe a skillful blend of Permanent Blue and Permanent Black would replicate this. No one has posted such an attempt yet.

[amcityink]

They have a nice permanent grey (90 year Meisterstück anniversary edition).

I added some blue to it and now the ink looks almost like midnight blue.

Yeah... I did the same thing, but with permanent black and the new formula of Midnight blue... I actually added 1/8 PB to the Midnight and it looks just like the older Midnight blue, and few drops of D-water... I called it.. Permanent midnight.

 

Have to try the P-Grey and New Midnight... 90 years of midnight...

[Pravda]

Wait.. so if I have a Midnight Blue from 2009-2010 in the new shape bottle, this is the first formulation or the second? Can someone explicitly please explain the colour difference to expect or how to tell which I have?

[Mister Mont Blanc]

Wait.. so if I have a Midnight Blue from 2009-2010 in the new shape bottle, this is the first formulation or the second? Can someone explicitly please explain the colour difference to expect or how to tell which I have?

I believe you may have the old IG formulation as I have read it changed recently in the last year or two. Of course if you are able to readily use it, you can test it by writing on a sheet of paper and after it dries, put water on it to see if it is waterproof.

[mrchan]

Wait.. so if I have a Midnight Blue from 2009-2010 in the new shape bottle, this is the first formulation or the second? Can someone explicitly please explain the colour difference to expect or how to tell which I have?

If you have a bottle from that year then its definitely the older version with IG. The newer version wasn't released until last year.