Rohrer & Klingner Alt Goldgrün

[JJBlanche]

Attached below is an image of a writing sample with Rohrer & Klingner Alt Goldgrün, and below that, the review proper. Regarding the image, "lorem ipsum" is a nonsense language used by printers to showcase a font/color (ie: it takes focus away from content and puts it on aesthetics). The water test was performed by submerging and agitating a sample swatch of the given ink in reverse osmosis water for thirty seconds, then letting it drip dry.

 

A key has been added, written on Clairefontaine paper, with a number of different inks for reference.

 

Standard Disclaimer: Image provided only to give a general sense of the color. The vibrance and nuance are typically lost when an ink is digitized. This is particularly true of R&K Alt Goldgrün.

 

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/5952/rkgoldgrunex4.jpg

Review

 

When I write a review, I first focus on color, and award an ink 0 to 100 based upon that alone, separate from other considerations. I then deduct points from the color score for defects (ie: lack of flow, creep, etc), to arrive at an overall score.

 

Color

 

R&K Alt Goldgrün is, to put it mildly, awesome when judged by color alone. Old Golden Green is the perfect way of describing this, as it is, indeed, a golden green, and is reminiscent of times past. This color stirs up an interesting set of emotions in me, for reasons unknown. A fantastic ink, and one that I think everyone should try at least once.

 

Color Score = 95

 

Deductions

 

R&K Alt Goldgrün performed terribly on the water test. In fact, it is the worst ink I have yet subjected to water, and should be labeled as "washable."

-5

 

This ink, being a "boutique" color, is not practical for everyday (reads "blue and/or black") purposes.

-5 for practicality

 

R&K inks rank among the most expensive, by volume, I've tested to date.

-4

 

Bonus Points

 

Alt Goldgrün behaves very, very well, right up there with Montblanc Racing Green. A benchmark in this regard.

+5

 

Overall Score = 86

Edited June 13, 2008 by JJBlanche

[JFT]

Thank you!

 

This ink looks impressive, how is it in term of flow and lubricating qualities?

[JJBlanche]

Thank you!

 

This ink looks impressive, how is it in term of flow and lubricating qualities?

 

Flow and lubrication are both excellent. In addition, it behaves very well, and I believe I'm going to amend my review to reflect that fact.

 

Regards,

 

JJ

[Stylo]

Interesting color

 

[Melnicki]

What do you mean by "boutique color"? The working world of the majority that demands blue or black does not set the standard for everyone. If this were so, there would be no room for individuality. I'm sick of being termed a weirdo when the things that I do and love make perfect sense to me.

 

This is my favorite of the yellowish greens that I've seen.

 

From what I understand R&K makes a damn good ink. Washability isn't really an issue if it's not marketed to be waterproof. This ink also has considerable "edge-darkening", as do most R&K inks. In a B nib it would really be a sight to see.

 

By the way, this ink seems identical in color to Standargraph Schilfgrun. Vert Olive is greener/yellower, more like an apple. this R&K ink is browner, but not really brown like Stipula Verde Muschiato. It also seems similar to N's Army Green based on the comparison scan by Hana, though Army is darker. Schilfgrun is very dry, by the way. I am slowly building up to a review of it.

 

Cost per amount of ink will go up considerably for imported inks; this is actually a good deal on this ink. CdA's inks are ridiculously overpriced. Same goes for Visconti if you get the nice bottle. Pilot's new blue inks too. All three of those give you a cool bottle, though. Perhaps that could be a complaint of the R&K inks; the bottle is ordinary. But the price isn't really THAT high. It's the same as a bottle of Noodler's. 50 mL is plenty. Herbin is more expensive too -- 9 bucks for 30 mL.

[JJBlanche]

What do you mean by "boutique color"? The working world of the majority that demands blue or black does not set the standard for everyone. If this were so, there would be no room for individuality. I'm sick of being termed a weirdo when the things that I do and love make perfect sense to me.

 

This is my favorite of the yellowish greens that I've seen.

 

From what I understand R&K makes a damn good ink. Washability isn't really an issue if it's not marketed to be waterproof. This ink also has considerable "edge-darkening", as do most R&K inks. In a B nib it would really be a sight to see.

 

By the way, this ink seems identical in color to Standargraph Schilfgrun. Vert Olive is greener/yellower, more like an apple. this R&K ink is browner, but not really brown like Stipula Verde Muschiato. It also seems similar to N's Army Green based on the comparison scan by Hana, though Army is darker. Schilfgrun is very dry, by the way. I am slowly building up to a review of it.

 

Cost per amount of ink will go up considerably for imported inks; this is actually a good deal on this ink. CdA's inks are ridiculously overpriced. Same goes for Visconti if you get the nice bottle. Pilot's new blue inks too. All three of those give you a cool bottle, though. Perhaps that could be a complaint of the R&K inks; the bottle is ordinary. But the price isn't really THAT high. It's the same as a bottle of Noodler's. 50 mL is plenty. Herbin is more expensive too -- 9 bucks for 30 mL.

 

No need to get excited. I only added the part about practicality because, regardless of your individual bent, you will not be able to use this ink for official purposes, period. Thus, it is not a practical everyday ink for someone that needs those traits.

 

...I doubt someone would call you a wierdo for using an ink that isn't blue and/or black, but they will say "no" if you try to sign a government document with one.

 

I've said this before, and I should really start putting this in all my reviews as a disclaimer, because I constantly catch flak for this: I look for water resistance in every ink I use, regardless of what's on the label. If an ink fairs poorly on a water test, it gets demoted according to my own personal standard of what is and is not important in an ink. If you don't care about water resistance, then don't pay attention to that aspect of my review.

 

Based upon your word choice (ie: "seems"), I'm led to believe you haven't actually used this ink yourself. There is no discernible brown in it whatsoever. This is decidedly golden green, and to call it anything else would be misleading.

 

I'm a very practical and frugal person, and to me this ink is expensive. The average price for ink is about $0.15 per mL. R&K is $0.24 per mL. Let me repeat that, $0.24 mL, or about $900 a gallon. And people complain about the price of gas...

 

Noodler's, by contrast, is $0.14 a mL, which is almost half the price of R&K per volume, and normally brings with it at least passable water resistance. Visconti inks (also in my stable) are $0.15 a mL. Do you see, then, how R&K could raise an eyebrow for someone who watches their finances carefully?

 

All this said, I really love R&K Goldgrün. However, I tend to write rounded reviews that focus on all aspects of ink, beyond the appearance on the page. I'm not going to let a great color distract me (or the people reading my reviews) from the fact that it is a poor value, and impractical to use on a daily basis.

[Annie]

I'm a very practical and frugal person, and to me this ink is expensive. The average price for ink is about $0.15 per mL. R&K is $0.24 per mL. Let me repeat that, $0.24 mL, or about $900 a gallon. And people complain about the price of gas...

Where I live a gallon of gas is $4.40. The difference between a 50ml bottle of Private Reserve ($6.00) and a 50ml bottle of Rohrer & Klingner ($10.00), is $4.00; not a big deal IMO. Ink is inexpensive. If I feel the need to buy something pen related, I can either buy a cheap pen ($50-$100), or buy a bottle of ink ($6.00-$20.00); ink is a bargain!

Edited June 13, 2008 by Annie

[satrap]

Calling Dr. Matt, Dr. Annie, Dr. Satrap!

 

 

Just want to give an update on the comment about government forms:

 

Just signed a bunch of forms at VA Hospital, using green ink. As a matter of fact, I have never signed a VA form with black or blue ink. OK, maybe VA is scared of us old Marines. However, it is the same for my tax forms and Social Sec. forms. (scrambled expletive removed), I do not even have black or regular blue ink. Not that I hate black or blue; some of my best friends are black and blue.

 

I have a friend who is a retired asst. prosecutor. He uses FPs, and signed all his court documents in "boutique" colours. One judge told him, "It's GREEN, Mr. P". "Yes, Your Honour."

 

Now, the feds may PREFER a certain ink colour, but since they have no LAW about it, I declare we have "Freedom of Ink".

 

:bunny01:

 

 

Edited to get in the Soul Train line.

 

Edited to removed scrambled profanity.

Edited June 19, 2008 by southpaw

[JJBlanche]

I'm a very practical and frugal person, and to me this ink is expensive. The average price for ink is about $0.15 per mL. R&K is $0.24 per mL. Let me repeat that, $0.24 mL, or about $900 a gallon. And people complain about the price of gas...

Where I live a gallon of gas is $4.40. The difference between a 50ml bottle of Private Reserve ($6.00) and a 50ml bottle of Rohrer & Klingner ($10.00), is $4.00; not a big deal IMO. Ink is inexpensive. If I feel the need to buy something pen related, I can either buy a cheap pen ($50-$100), or buy a bottle of ink ($6.00-$20.00); ink is a bargain!

 

Expensive, it seems, is a relative term.

 

Regarding the blue and/or black debacle, I suppose one could get away with using colors, but I tend not to draw attention to myself.

 

Ultimately, I get laughed off the stage each time I try to write a review that takes into consideration practical concerns. Perhaps the fountain pen crowd just isn't a practical bunch? After all, they're using an instrument most would consider outdated and, dare I say it, impractical.

Edited June 13, 2008 by JJBlanche

[saintsimon]

Which is more expensive depends on where you live :

Rolf Thiel of missing-pen.de, as the only source of Noodler's ink in Germany and one with the widest ink selection anyway, sells the standard Noodler's bottle for (VAT or import duties included) EUR 12.90, PR for EUR 9.90, R&K for EUR 5.95, De Atramentis for EUR 8.50, Standardgraph for EUR 4.50, Caran D'Ache for EUR 11.90, Diamine for EUR 9.90 etc. And his prices are among the cheaper ones ...

Edited June 13, 2008 by saintsimon

[Tangelfoot]

R&K inks rank among the most expensive, by volume, I've tested to date.

-4

 

I hve seen a similar color using a J. Herbin ink but I can not remember which. That may help out with the cost if tyhe color is the same.

[Melnicki]

For the record, i would not comment on an ink without having seen it in person (except as a wondering aloud sort of query). I say "seems" because indeed I haven't put any of the yellowish greens except Schilfgrun into a pen and out of a nib, but that doesn't mean I haven't seen what the inks look like in person. I'm saying "seems" because I understand very well the major variations an ink can have (for instance Noodler's Golden Brown -- ranging from egg yolk yellow to the brown of chocolate) depending on the circumstances. Also my eyes see things different than those of other people. (eg, Deirdre sees green in Highlands Heather, and with her very same sample, I don't see any. She figured out that she can see into the UV slightly, and indeed, HH fluoresces green (this I confim))

 

I'm not a color theorist, but people do indeed tend to describe colors as brownish even though there's technically no brown in them. See the discussion about Aircorps Blue-black beeing greenish, for instance, yet it contains no green at all. It's just perception. Looking at my paper samples from Phthalo, Alt-goldgrun is indeed less green than Vert Olive. I would say it is more brownish, but not as brownish as Verde Muschiato, but you're right it is not a BROWN color. A comparison of Alt-goldgrun with Vert Olive is a very important comparison to make, since the colors are so similar. I'd go with the R&K on behalf of the edge-darkening, and the darker color that is closer to brown than green.

 

JJB: I think the reason people are giving you heat about your reviews is because you are using a point system, which suggests that there is some objective quality to your assessments. But in truth, some of the things you are rating them on are subjective preferences, such as whether they suit your own needs for business documents and whether they are not water-resistant, despite labelling. These, of course, are useful things to point out in a review, but their contribution to an overall score is going to trigger peoples' emotions.

 

I'm not getting excited, I'm just trying to leave room for plurality, because indeed the FP community, like society, includes a lot of idiosyncratic darlings.

Edited June 13, 2008 by Melnicki

[p-zero]

I thoroughly enjoyed this ink review. In fact, I have liked ALL the ink reviews I have read here, regardless of how the reviewer chose to review the ink. Thanks to those reviews here at FPN, I have more ink than I will ever be able to use up. :embarrassed_smile:

Edited June 13, 2008 by p-zero

[JJBlanche]

I use a point system to objectify an ink, not imply objectivity. I've noted or intimated in almost every review that these are subjective observations, and I think anyone intelligent enough to be reading these forums can deduce that.

 

I'm all for a freedom and exchange of ideas, and indeed encourage this. However, the various nitpicks I've encountered in my reviews come off not as well-intended critique, but outright abrasiveness.

 

Example:

 

What do you mean by "boutique color"? The working world of the majority that demands blue or black does not set the standard for everyone. If this were so, there would be no room for individuality. I'm sick of being termed a weirdo when the things that I do and love make perfect sense to me.

[ethernautrix]

Not for nothing, but I didn't find Melnicki's reaction abrasive. Maybe slightly defensive, but not abrasive.

 

Also, if I used as much ink in a week as I use gas, I would stop using a fountain pen. It's fun to say which liquids cost more per gallon when comparing them to the cost of gas, but I don't drink nearly as much orange juice (for example) or use nearly as much ink as my car uses gas -- and driving the car to work is in my job description, as I must be prepared to run errands to and from City Hall.

 

Having piped up, I'd like to say... I like the ink reviews. Thank you to all who write them and provide scans and samples.

 

Also... where can I buy this brand? I saw a sample at Melnicki's -- it was the red color (I've forgotten the name, but I wrote it down... somewhere) -- and I'd like to buy a bottle (hurrah!).

[JJBlanche]

Maybe slightly defensive, but not abrasive.

 

Defending what, exactly, and against whom?

 

Regardless, these can be had at Pendemonium or the Inked Nib.

[ethernautrix]

Defending what, exactly, and against whom?

 

Regardless, these can be had at Pendemonium or the Inked Nib.

Defending his choice of using other colors against the presumption of the mainstream that to deviate from blue or black as the official color of business ink color means he's the weird one.

 

Thank you for the information about where I can buy this brand.

 

Happy Friday!

[Annie]

I'm not a color theorist,

IIRC, you are a scientist; I can see why you would question the statements made in these reviews.

I'm all for a freedom and exchange of ideas, and indeed encourage this. However, the various nitpicks I've encountered in my reviews come off not as well-intended critique, but outright abrasiveness.

I made a constructive and fair comment about your cost analysis.

Also... where can I buy this brand? I saw a sample at Melnicki's -- it was the red color (I've forgotten the name, but I wrote it down... somewhere) -- and I'd like to buy a bottle (hurrah!).

The Inked Nib stocks the two iron galls; Scabiosa is a new favorite of mine.

There's useful information (and color swatches) about the brand in this link: Rohrer & Klingner

 

[Annie]

Which is more expensive depends on where you live :

Rolf Thiel of missing-pen.de,

 

SS -

Have you seen the German Noodler's exclusive? I cannot remember the name but I believe it is a bulletproof blue.

 

[lefty928]

I thoroughly enjoyed this ink review. In fact, I have liked ALL the ink reviews I have read here, regardless of how the reviewer chose to review the ink. Thanks to those reviews here at FPN, I have more ink than I will ever be able to use up. :embarrassed_smile:

Ditto. And I have said before, I like JJBlanche's review format very much. The growing list of writing samples in different inks is fun to see. Having him contribute so many fresh reviews recently has livened up the activity in this section. For goodness sakes, reviews are opinions.

 

But then, I do like to know how water-resistant an ink is. Just a useful thing to know. For me. I just spilled coffee over a spread in one of my notebooks yesterday, for instance. (And I do have a bottle of Alt-Goldgruen anyway.)