Comparison : Herbin Eclat De Saphir :: Montblanc Royal Blue

[Sandy1]

Please take a moment to adjust the brightness & contrast of your monitor to accurately depict the following Gray Scale.

As the patches are neutral gray, their colour on your monitor should also be neutral gray.

• Mac http://www.wikihow.com/Calibrate-Your-Monitor
• Wintel PC http://www.calibrize.com/

Figure 1.

Gray Scale.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/INK576-1.jpg

Figure 2. Swabs

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Comparison%20-%20Herbin%20EdS%20TO%20MBRB/4c3a195b.jpg

1. Herbin Eclat de Saphir x3
2. Montblanc Royal Blue x3
3. Herbin Eclat de Saphir x2
4. Montblanc Royal Blue x2
5. Herbin Eclat de Saphir x1
6. Montblanc Royal Blue x1

Figure 3. Other Stuff

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Comparison%20-%20Herbin%20EdS%20TO%20MBRB/4ea99773.jpg

• Left Side: Herbin Eclat de Saphir
• Right Side: Montblanc Royal Blue

Written Samples - Moby Dick

 

Figure 4. Written Samples on Rhodia

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Comparison%20-%20Herbin%20EdS%20TO%20MBRB/ade5042b.jpg

• Left Side. Herbin Eclat de Saphir: Nine lines from the M200+EF; then ten lines from the 330+M; then ten lines from the Safari+1.1i .
• Right Side. Montblanc Royal Blue: Nine lines from the M200+EF; then ten lines from the 330+M; then ten lines from the Safari+1.1i .

Figure 5. Written Samples on HPJ1124

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Comparison%20-%20Herbin%20EdS%20TO%20MBRB/44d22b2f.jpg

• 1st Line: Herbin Eclat de Saphir from the 330+M
• 2nd Line: Montblanc Royal Blue from the 330+M
• 3rd Line: Herbin Eclat de Saphir from the Safari+1.1i
• 4th Line: Montblanc Royal Blue from the Safari+1.1i

 

High Resolution Scans

 

As I do not wish to have the sobriquet 'Queen of the Bandwidth Bandits', these are Links only.

• Herbin Eclat de Saphir from 330+M on Rhodia. My link
• Montblanc Royal Blue from 330+M on Rhodia. My link
• Herbin Eclat de Saphir from Safari+1.1i on Rhodia. My link
• Montblanc Royal Blue from Safari+1.1i on Rhodia. My link
• Herbin Eclat de Saphir and Montblanc Royal Blue from 330+M on HPJ1124. My link
• Herbin Eclat de Saphir and Montblanc Royal Blue from Safari+1.1i on HPJ1124. My link

Observations:

 

• These are the things which are not apparent from the Images.
• These observations may differ ever so slightly from the Ink Review/s that may be in place.
• My contribution was to generate enough reasonable samples, then capture the appearance of those samples.
• If you'd like more detailed information, please send me a PM; I'll do what I can. (Within reason - you naughty FPN boys).
• I leave it to each viewer to interpret what is seen, and/or to initiate discussion in the usual way.

Type:

• Both are dye-based FP inks.

Flow Rate:

• Both inks have higher than average flow.

Nib Dry-out:

• Both inks are OK.

Start-up:

• Both inks are OK.

Lubrication:

• Eclat de Saphir has a bare minimum.
• MB Royal Blue has significantly greater lubrication.

Nib Creeping:

• None for both inks.

Staining:

• None after 3 days for both inks.

Clogging:

• Not seen for both inks.

Bleed Through:

• None on papers used for both inks.

Show Through:

• None on papers used for both inks.
• Both sides of the sheet may be used.

Clean-up:

• Both cleaned-up very quickly with plain water.

Densitometer Readings - From the Ink Reviews. (FWIW)

 

• Herbin Eclat de Saphir:
  • Red 112
  • Grn 125
  • Blu 240
  • Lum 145

  [*]Montblanc Royal Blue:

  • Red 100
  • Grn 113
  • Blu 220
  • Lum 131

|:|''||''|:|''|.|''|:|''||''|.|''||''|:|''||''|.|''||''|:|''|.|''|:|''||''|:|

 

MATERIEL

 

• Paper:
  • Written Samples:
    • Rhodia
    • HPJ1124
    • Glossy card

    [*]Other:

    • Glossy paper
    • HPJ1124
    • Royal - 25% cotton rag

  [*]Pens:

  • Pelikan M200 + M200-series g-p steel EF
  • Sheaffer 330 + steel M
  • Lamy Pink Safari + a rather wet steel 1.1i

IMAGES:

Scans were made on an Epson V600 scanner; factory defaults were accepted.

Figures shown were scanned at 96 dpi & 24 bit colour.

Images linked were scanned at 300 dpi & 24 bit colour.

Scans went straight to the file sharing thingy.

-30-

[Sandy1]

INK REVIEW LYNX:

 

JH EdS: My link

MB RB: My link

[Inked]

Dear Sandy 1

 

What a fantastik comparison of these two noble inks. I always thought them very similar, but your meticulous application of pen to paper, has shown me that they are similar, and also very different.

 

Your water test really shows the foundational difference between the two. One towards purple, the other towards black.

 

The Safari with it's generous flow, also really polarizes the two inks. It makes the saphir, in the JH, pop. What a great little pen.

 

You also mention that both inks have minimal lubrication; I find that quite endearing, as it truly allows you to experience the interaction between your nib finish and the paper. There was a posting by Rogerico(I think), about a GVFC nib not having soul, and I believe it is inks like these, that truly exploit and transport the nib Meister's intentions, and deliver soul.

 

As always, your work, is a reference point for me when considering ink.

 

Merci beaucoup.

 

Inked

 

 

[Sandy1]

Dear Sandy 1

 

What a fantastik comparison of these two noble inks. I always thought them very similar, but your meticulous application of pen to paper, has shown me that they are similar, and also very different.

 

Your water test really shows the foundational difference between the two. One towards purple, the other towards black.

 

The Safari with it's generous flow, also really polarizes the two inks. It makes the saphir, in the JH, pop. What a great little pen.

 

You also mention that both inks have minimal lubrication; I find that quite endearing, as it truly allows you to experience the interaction between your nib finish and the paper. There was a posting by Rogerico(I think), about a GVFC nib not having soul, and I believe it is inks like these, that truly exploit and transport the nib Meister's intentions, and deliver soul.

 

As always, your work, is a reference point for me when considering ink.

 

Merci beaucoup.

 

Inked

 

 

Hi,

 

I'm flattered that you think so highly of this comparison.

 

These two inks are similar to me because they are both top-tier inks; and classy ones at that.

 

I'm afraid I don't quite share using the Wet Tests as a comparison : ink components may have different levels of solubility. e.g. The Cd'A Grand Canyon left a Turquoise-Cyan mark after being wet. But I do like the Smear/Dry Time smudges for a look. Even more, I take a white bowl of water, then drip a bit of the ink into it & give it a swirl. Very useful for dark inks whose colour is hidden due to the high density (darkness) of the ink. Especially useful for separating Dark Blues from Blue-Blacks.

 

As mentioned elsewhere, the Safari nib was goosed to increase the wetness because I wanted to use the Safari 1.1i nib but the stock nib was too dry for this OOTT series.

 

Ah, for the lubrication: I mentioned above that the EdS has minimal, and the MBRB has significantly more. So that's a comparative observation. In the Ink Reviews I expounded a bit more:

• EdS:
  • The legal minimum.
  • Really not enough on the hard textured G Lalo - certainly not from the narrow nibs.
  • It looks OK due to a healthy flow rate, but the writing experience on G Lalo was no joy.

  [*]MBRB:

  • Quite high.
  • The feedback from the nib was very nicely conveyed, allowing me to keep the narrow nibs running on their sweet spot; the wider nibs remained surefooted.

So this is one of the differences I mention between the IR, which includes 6 pens on 4 primary papers, and the Comparison which involves 3 pens on 2 papers. So if one is very concerned about lubrication, then the IRs have the non-comparative, broader observation, which is more important to those using papers & pens not included in the Comparison Post.

 

These inks are very different when it comes to writing experience.

• The EdS really runs best from a smooth nib on smooth paper to overcome the lower lubrication.
• The MBRB runs nicely from most any pen on most any writing paper.

To me, that's the biggest difference: EdS is fussy; MBRB not at all fussy. (and I can hardly wait for the replies to that point!)

 

Bye,

S1

[Lloyd]

Thanks for saving me from buying EdS when I already own MBRB.

[Sandy1]

Thanks for saving me from buying EdS when I already own MBRB.

Hi,

 

Well, OK then. You're welcome!

 

At least you're spared the tribulations of the Herbin bottle!

 

And one may well consider the PR Cosmic Cobalt to avoid the Herbin bottle.

• Private Reserve, Cosmic Cobalt :: Herbin, Eclat de Saphir - My link

Bye,

S1

 

EDIT - Expletives replaced / deleted.

Edited October 20, 2010 by Sandy1

[Lloyd]

EDIT - Expletives replaced / deleted.