Monteverde - Blue

[Sandy1]

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

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

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

Gray Scale.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/th_INK576.jpg

 

≈ ~ § ~ ≈

Figure 1.

Swabs & Swatch

Paper: HPJ1124 24 lb. Laser Copy.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Monteverde%20Blue/f832dd92.jpg

 

Figure 2.

NIB-ism ✑

Paper: HPJ1124.

Depicts nibs' line-width and pens' relative wetness.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Monteverde%20Blue/th_aa54b0bd.jpg

Pens, L → R: Somiko, M200, C74, 330, Phileas & Sonnet.

 

WRITTEN SAMPLES: Moby Dick

 

Row Height is 8mm.

 

Figure 3.

Paper: HPJ1124.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Monteverde%20Blue/e2c3fc8e.jpg

Figure 4.

Paper: Rhodia.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Monteverde%20Blue/c9de154b.jpg

Figure 5.

Paper: G Lalo, Verge de France, white.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Monteverde%20Blue/9611c1b1.jpg

Figure 6.

Paper: Royal - 25% rag.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Monteverde%20Blue/70cb2f0a.jpg

Figure 7.

Grocery List

Paper: Pulp. One-a-Day calendar page.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Monteverde%20Blue/fb749ca4.jpg

 

OTHER SAMPLES:

 

Figure 8.

Other Stuff:

'HAPPY!' on Glossy Card.

Smear/Dry Time on Glossy Paper.

Smear/Dry Time on HPJ1124.

Wet Tests on HPJ1124.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Monteverde%20Blue/fef26e47.jpg

 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

 

Type:

• Dye-based fountain pen ink.

Daily writer?

• Easily.

A go-to ink?

• Quite possible.

USE

 

Business:

• An excellent choice.
• Not a huge amount of gravitas, but MvBl is nimble and dynamic. (Please keep in mind this is Ms BlBk speaking.)
• In the higher densities MvBl could be used for mark-up and editing.
• Error correction and grading of assignments are beyond its scope.
• Reasonable for all but the most severe internal or external correspondence, in which case a hand-written document may be a non-starter.

Illustrations / Graphics:

• Just a bit of care is required.
• If not astutely paired / contrasted with other inks, the hint of violet which animates and adds dimension to MvBl creates potential for imbalance.
• MvBl should counterbalance Blues which are equally animated, yet lean into the cyan side of pure process Blue.
• Line quality is very high indeed, so unless one is using hard textured papers, MvBl can be used with confidence for cross-hatching and instances requiring tight skinny lines, figures & labels.

Students:

• Perhaps.
• A fair choice for hand-written assignments: the lively mood may indicate a bright bulb in the murk of academia. (MvBl won't ghost write 4.0 papers.)
• Lack of show- bleed-through on the the highly absorbent Royal and the run of the mill HPJ1124 indicate that MvBl will run well on 'lowest bidder' papers.
• The lack of water resistance may deter the accident prone.

Personal:

• No doubt.
• MvBl has the animation for cheerful chatter.
• Even at the darkest tone shown, the ink moves along at a comfortable brisk pace.
• Could be used for pro forma writing, (but use the Lamy Green instead).
• While easy on the eye, I wouldn't write a wee note of more than eight or ten A4 pages with a wide nib.
• Shaped nibs are certainly welcome, but MvBl is a shading ink, so those two elements combined may be distracting / jumbled. If used, wide Italic nibs may well benefit from increasing the line spacing.
• For billet doux, one really should have an alternate on hand, but MvBl would suit cute notes.

PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE & CHARACTERISTICS

 

Flow Rate:

• Modest, if not just a bit lean.

Nib Dry-out:

• Not seen.

Start-up:

• Prompt.

Lubrication:

• Good.
• MvBl will not conceal scritchy scratchy nibs, but just a bit more would be welcome when using narrow nibs on hard textured paper. (Nothing new there.)

Nib Creepers:

• Extinct.

Staining:

• None after 3 days.

Clogging:

• Not seen.
• Seems unlikely given the modest saturation.

Bleed Through:

• Not seen.

Show Through:

• Not seen.

Feathering / Woolly Line:

• Not seen.

Smear/Dry Time:

• Glossy paper - 2-5 seconds.
• HPJ1124 - 15 - 20 seconds.
• YMMV. Kindly run samples that reflect your materials and requirements.

Water Resistance: ☂

-1- on the 4S Scale:

"Some inky artifacts remain as evidence of activity, but no words legible.

Recycle."

Smell:

• Not apparent from a cartridge.

Hand oil sensitivity:

• Slight.
• (Also watch for hand sanitiser residue.)

Clean Up:

• Extremely fast & thorough with plain water.

Mixing:

• No stated prohibition.

Archival:*

• Not claimed.

*

At the time of writing, one ink is claimed to be permanent by virtue of compliance with an ISO standard for BP inks. That ink is not MvBl.

THE LOOK

 

Presence:

• Comfortable.
• Confident.
• One eyebrow cocked.
• Somehow minds me of a Cambodian dyed silk blouse - a certain lustre lurks.

Saturation:

• Modest.

Shading:

• Subtle, pervasive, attractive.
• On smooth papers, all nib-widths generated shading of a sort.

Variability:

• Pen+nib combos used:
  • Just a bit more than expected.

  [*]Papers used:

  • Less than anticipated.

  [*]Malleability:

  • As MvBl is fairly constant across a range of papers, it is a strong contender for a 'personal/signature' daily writer ink.
  • While it is evident that an 8mm row height is fine for yours truly, (just pretend OK?), somehow MvBl strikes me as really well suited to a smaller hand - perhaps those who are comfortable with 6mm row height.

Hi-Res Scans:

 

• Somiko on HPJ1124 http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Monteverde%20Blue/th_06ac704d.jpg

• C74 on Rhodia http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Monteverde%20Blue/th_30b558ca.jpg

• Phileas on G Lalo http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Monteverde%20Blue/th_b49895cb.jpg

• Sonnet on Royal http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Monteverde%20Blue/th_55edb8ed.jpg

FIDELITY

 

Is the name appropriate?

• Yes.

• The box says 'Monteverde'; the ink is 'Blue'. Simple, yes?

Are swatches accurate?

:ltcapd::roflmho::ltcapd:

 

SIMILAR COLOURS:

• Too many to recall or list.

Try this in the privacy of your own home:

• In twenty seconds - name the usual suspects which surround MvBl in the 3-stage swabs below. (Consenting adults only please.)
  

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Monteverde%20Blue/028f900e.jpg

 

 

PAPERS

 

Lovely papers:

• Whites of course; smooth glowing expanses of white.

Trip-wire Papers:

☠ Anything harder and/or more ink resistant than G Lalo.

☠ Dirty whites.

Tinted Papers:

• Most reasonable tints.
• MvBl is not opaque or heavily saturated, so the colour of the paper will combine with MvBl.

Preprinted Papers:

• Forms:
  • Will be OK on forms - no fussing about.
  • Comes forward very slightly, so is easily read.

  [*]For charts & graphs:

  • Good pick.
    

Is high-end paper 'worth it'?

• Not really.
• HPJ1124 is fine, just fine.
• A matter of preference over performance.

OTHER THAN INK

 

Presentation :

• Eight long (magnum) cartridges in a box.
• No HazMat warnings.

Origin:

• Somewhere in the wilds of Europe.
• Packaged in USA.

Container:

• Long international cartridge.

Box:

• 52x80x8mm
• Heavily coated card stock.
• An adhesive dot masquerades as a swatch. Tsk! . . . Tsk
• Ink colour name is printed on the UPC label affixed to the back of box.

Eco-Green:

• Daft. (When faced with temptation, my resolve not to use cartridges unless required simply sublimated.)

• All should be recyclable or benign.

Availability:

• Increasing.
• Also in bottles of 90ml, about 3 oz. by weight.

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t67/kcattx/woohoo.gif

Majik:

• Shows potential.
• Likely to be subtle and floating.

Personal Pen & Paper Pick:

• The 330 on the HPJ1124 nudged-out the C74, a perennial favourite.

Yickity Yackity:

• There seems to be something new about this ink, but I find it difficult to pin down and describe. I really doubt that such a nuance will be evident from the scans. Indeed, that indescribable 'something' may be just the thing that makes the ink seem new.
• Having only a few cartridges, I will be squeezed to decide for-against a bottle fairly soon. (I'm sure you know the answer to that one!)
  
• Ah kushbaby, I don't think this is one to order immediately, but the next time a pot of your Blue ink runs dry, and the strains of Bach float away on the breeze come sun-up, give Monteverde Blue a fair go - it certainly won't disappoint.

=+-+=+-+=+-+=+|+=+-+=+|+=+-+=+-+=+-+=

 

MATERIEL USED

 

To be relevant to most members, I make an effort to use papers, pens & nibs that are readily available. Pens are those for which I paid $100 or less, and are factory stock - not customised.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Monteverde%20Blue/th_57d4425c.jpg

 

Pens:

• Written Samples:

A. Sailor Somiko + TIGP F nib.

B. Pelikan M200 + g-p steel EF nib.

C. Pilot Custom 74 + 14K SFM nib.

D. Sheaffer 330 + steel M nib.

E. Waterman Phileas + steel B nib.

F. Parker Sonnet + 18K stock Italic nib.

^✢

^✢

Cost exceeds $100.

• For lines & labels:

Pilot 'Lady' + H882 g-p steel nib.

On these papers:

• HPJ1124 24 lb. Laser Copy.
• Rhodia.
• G Lalo, Verge de France, white.
• Royal - 25% cotton rag.
• Pulp.
• Glossy paper.
• Glossy card.

_________________________

 

IMAGES:

• Scans were made on an Epson V600 scanner; factory defaults were accepted.
• Figures shown were scanned at resolutions up to 150 dpi & 24 bit colour.
• Images linked were scanned at 300 dpi & 24 bit colour.
• Scans were not adjusted, so went straight to the file sharing thingy.

-30-

Edited December 22, 2010 by Sandy1

[SamCapote]

I'm trying to figure out where all the Monteverde linuep came from. One day it wasn't there, and the next day, with no fanfare or heavy promotion here at FPN, it showed up I think at Art Browns. It's like an artist in the sky just plopped down a whole new line of ink. As your review says and demonstrates, I enjoy this line a lot....certainly much more than the new Edelstein lineup. IMHO, their inks have a certain gravitas that has been missing except in a few brands.

[Sandy1]

I'm trying to figure out where all the Monteverde linuep came from. One day it wasn't there, and the next day, with no fanfare or heavy promotion here at FPN, it showed up I think at Art Browns. It's like an artist in the sky just plopped down a whole new line of ink. As your review says and demonstrates, I enjoy this line a lot....certainly much more than the new Edelstein lineup. IMHO, their inks have a certain gravitas that has been missing except in a few brands.

OMG! Someone I know has been staring at swabs & scans a bit too long, yes?

 

FPN member, terim, posted here: http://www.fountainp...ost__p__1782063

 

And the bottles are a whopping 90ml. As big as ... ah .. umm .. err .. 3x Herbin, oui?

 

But - - if it gets any better, I'll eat my oars be surprised!

 

(Please let us not get sidetracked by economics. The price-sticker is not a colour patch: it is outside the box / bottle / cartridge, hence beyond the Scope of an IR. I mean, my degrees are not in economics, and some folks think my IRs are a bit OTT now, so I am disinclined to expand the template to include another heading. And then I really would need to post a warning about 'May cause loss of consciousness ...')

 

After both Edelstein and Gate City Everflo™ lines omitted a Brown ink, (Tsk Tsk), and the Wancher Brown has a Smear/Dry Time issue, I welcomed the Monteverde line - with that appealing Brown. And now this Blue.

 

S1

Edited December 22, 2010 by Sandy1

[TMac]

Sandy, I always enjoy your reviews. For me, they become the "final word" on an ink before I will purchase.

 

Very thorough as usual.

 

Looks like a good, dependable blue ink.

 

Other then the brown and blue, have you sampled any of the other colors MonteVerde is now offering?

[theblackpen]

Thank you for taking the time to do all these thorough reviews. There are few FPN members that have a similar contribution to yours on this forum. Off topic, the ISO standard archival ink is De Atramentis WS 8, right?

Thank you!

Mihai

[Sandy1]

Sandy, I always enjoy your reviews. For me, they become the "final word" on an ink before I will purchase.

 

Very thorough as usual.

 

Looks like a good, dependable blue ink.

 

Other then the brown and blue, have you sampled any of the other colors MonteVerde is now offering?

Hi,

 

I'm glad you enjoy the IRs. As for a "final word", well, lots of people have lots to say, and I'm always interested in the IRs posted by other members - both before and after my IR.

 

All the written samples are generated in attempt to give a reader an idea about what sort of pen & paper they might use with a given ink. Or simply decide they do not care for some aspect of an ink, then keep looking. Other members will certainly depict an ink differently than I: paper, pen, nibs, much better penmanship, etc. And they will see things differently and express them differently. I think this is a huge benefit to FPN: members who contribute and participate at whatever level they choose.

 

As to the other Monteverde offerings: indeed, I do have one more, but I seem to have my hands full at present, so that'll have to wait. Believe me - it won't be 'the one that got away'. I have a swab of it in my bag, which I extract to inspect. People might think I'm reading a list or mantra or some such, but its three rows of the same colour at different densities. No one has struck-up a conversation upon seeing the swabs. (?) So - swabs are not guy magnets. Ah me.

 

Bye,

S1

[mrsphotobug]

So is this one not "one of the ten blues"??

[Sandy1]

So is this one not "one of the ten blues"??

Hi,

 

I'm afraid not. (It's too new and not sufficiently well-known.) However, you ma y notice that I've included a few of the same pens & papers, so level-field Comparisons can still be done as needs be.)

 

The one of the ten is having some trouble: this new idea about locking all OPs after 30 days without a reply / continuation of the thread has wreaked havoc on the series set-up. (I'm pouting.) Not beyond salvage I hope, but it won't be as seamless and user friendly as I envisioned: with all comparisons and reviews nicely linked. (To avoid bandwidth banditry, I post at a reserved pace. So even if I have stuff on-the-hook, ready to post, I must hang back.)

 

The latest IR for the series was the Noodler's Ottoman Azure.

And all those comparisons!! Crikey!!! Who's idea was that????? (Mine of course.) Not exactly a fast-moving, spell-binding, thrill-a-minute endevour. (Or is it?)

 

I do like to review a few of inks from new product lines, just so I can see for myself and convey to others what's new. (Diamine ASA Blue & Twilight, one from Fabriano, a few of the new-to-me Japanese 'Wancher' inks, the Gate City Evenflo Orchid, Edelstein Topaz and a few from Monteverde. Also my latest attraction to Browns has me running a One Of The Eleven series. (OMG!) I'd be doing the Written Samples for myself anyway, so I just cobble together all the bits to make an IR. (I do like to share!)

 

Bye,

Sandy1

[Sandy1]

Thank you for taking the time to do all these thorough reviews. There are few FPN members that have a similar contribution to yours on this forum. Off topic, the ISO standard archival ink is De Atramentis WS 8, right?

Thank you!

Mihai

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

The ink that is claimed to comply with the ISO standard for BP 'Document' Inks is the 'Document Ink from DeAtramentis. I do not know the DeAtramentis product code.

 

Bye,

S1

[OPG4711]

A quick check does indeed show De Atramentis Document Ink as ISO 12757-2 compliant. But it's also a whopping $35 (Art Brown), so it's also a serious investment! The FPN index indicates it has not been reviewed yet.

[ttakacs]

Hi S1,

 

How would you rank this ink in line quality next to asa-gao? Is the color of Monty Blue very close in similarity to any other ink you've reviewed?

[Sandy1]

A quick check does indeed show De Atramentis Document Ink as ISO 12757-2 compliant. But it's also a whopping $35 (Art Brown), so it's also a serious investment! The FPN index indicates it has not been reviewed yet.

Eeeek!

 

And - its Black! EeeeK!! EEeeek!!!

 

for that much dosh, one could just get a hammer & chisel and start carving words worth remembering into stone tablets. (That would dissuade long-winded documents, yes?)

[PenTieRun]

I'm trying to figure out where all the Monteverde linuep came from. One day it wasn't there, and the next day, with no fanfare or heavy promotion here at FPN, it showed up I think at Art Browns. It's like an artist in the sky just plopped down a whole new line of ink. As your review says and demonstrates, I enjoy this line a lot....certainly much more than the new Edelstein lineup. IMHO, their inks have a certain gravitas that has been missing except in a few brands.

Sam, there was a little bit of press a year ago (think I saw something in Pen World) and considering their line of roller/biro refills, one would expect some fountain pen inks. Overall, though, we normally see far more fanfare for new ink. Monteverde did seem to fall from the sky on us...which means now I'll have to snag a few bottles.

 

Thanks for the intro to the lineup, Sandy.

[Sandy1]

Hi S1,

 

How would you rank this ink in line quality next to asa-gao? Is the color of Monty Blue very close in similarity to any other ink you've reviewed?

Hi,

 

Both Pilot asa-gao and MvBl have wonderful line quality. I think this is one of the aspects of MvBl which appeals to me: it is 'crisp' on the page. But Pa-g and MvBl are very different in terms of line: MvBl has the very attractive shading, Pa-g not so much. So the ability of MvBl to hold a crisp line while the amount of ink (density) is changing is very desirable - it is not uncommon for a shading ink to exhibit a plump/woolly line when the amount of ink flowing from the nib becomes high (peaks). I think this combination of a crisp line with attractive shading generates an intriguing total package.

 

So:

On the Left is Pa-g, to the Right is MvBl.

Both from the Sheaffer 330 + steel M nib on Rhodia.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Monteverde%20Blue/62051ab9.jpg

 

 

As for the colour, well, its Blue. Nothing tremendously unique - not the next Parker Penman Sapphire, Noodler's Baystate Blue, or Pa-g.

 

The (unlabelled) swabs in the IR proper show how normal MvBl appears in terms of colour. The key to the swabs is in the Review text - the period '.' at the end of the sentence. But just click here.

 

Bye,

S1

[ttakacs]

S1, Thanks for the comparison. I have three Pilot Iro inks (tsuki-yo, kon-peki, and tsuyu-kusa), which are fabulous, but occasionally I would like to use an ink with more shading. So I ordered a bottle of Monty Blue, which arrived in yesterday's mail. Will report back my impressions ...

[corniche]

Greetings Sandy,

 

I'm curious about your cartridges of Monteverde Blue. Your report findings indicate that the flow was only so/so, as was the lubrication for the most part. Is this the NEW Monteverde ink with "ITF"? The reason I ask is because you do not mention "ITF" anywhere in your review and I would expect an "ITF" enriched ink to yield better flow and lubrication results than you seem to have experienced.

 

Monteverde's claims sound a lot like Parker's claims for Solv-X when they introduced it in 1943. I just purchased a 3 oz. BOTTLE of Monteverde Blue-Black with ITF from Peyton Street Pens today; I'm anxious to get it and try it out.

 

All the best,

 

Sean

Edited January 10, 2011 by S. P. Colfer

[Sandy1]

Greetings Sandy,

 

I'm curious about your cartridges of Monteverde Blue. Your report findings indicate that the flow was only so/so, as was the lubrication for the most part. Is this the NEW Monteverde ink with "ITF"? The reason I ask is because you do not mention "ITF" anywhere in your review and I would expect an "ITF" enriched ink to yield better flow and lubrication results than you seem to have experienced.

 

Monteverde's claims sound a lot like Parker's claims for Solv-X when they introduced it in 1943. I just purchased a 3 oz. BOTTLE of Monteverde Blue-Black with ITF from Peyton Street Pens today; I'm anxious to get it and try it out.

 

All the best,

 

Sean

Hello,

 

My Review states, "Flow Rate: Modest, if not just a bit lean."

 

'Flow Rate' or 'Wetness' is a property difficult to describe. It is relative only to other inks - there is no accepted means to quantify that property, though I have touched on possibilities elsewhere. So I chose 'Modest', to indicate that it is not likely to embarrass the practitioner by coarse manners / bad performance (bleed- show-through, feathering, etc. on run-of-the-mill papers).

 

In relative terms, the flow rate would be greater than Pelikan Royal Blue; quite similar to Waterman Florida Blue; and less than Visconti Blue.

 

I stated that Lubrication is "Good" - not 'so so'. Good is better than average, 'so so' is rather less than average.

I would put the Lubrication on par with Waterman Florida Blue; and far greater than Herbin EdS; and less than Visconti Blue.

 

I would say that the Monteverde Blue is not a disappointment in those areas you mention. Many other inks, which do not claim some special ingredient, perform perfectly well.

The box of cartridges does not mention 'ITF'.

 

I do a fair amount of hand-writing - scribbling, doodling, drawing, etc. I've used Quink BlBk with SOLV-X [ LINK ] for years as my daily writer ink, (exceptions being when I am in the field which may require a water resistant ink in a second pen). The daily writer has not encountered a single operational problem - totally reliable, and runs without acting up. I reckon other Members could say the same about their daily writer+ink combos.

The topic of SOLV-X surfaces from time-to-time. I choose to write more about bottle cap liners than a defunct ink ingredient.

 

IMHO, the positive effects of SOLV-X (and the Montblanc 'SC21') are likely carried forward in current inks without proclaiming their presence.

 

I hope the ink your bottle of Blue-Black does not look the same as the ink in these cartridges of Blue.

 

I look forward to your Review of the BlBk.

 

Bye,

S1

[corniche]

 

I stated that Lubrication is "Good" - not 'so so'. Good is better than average, 'so so' is rather less than average.

I would put the Lubrication on par with Waterman Florida Blue; and far greater than Herbin EdS; and less than Visconti Blue.

 

The box of cartridges does not mention 'ITF'.

 

 

Hello Sandy,

 

Please know that when I said "so/so," I was paraphrasing my interpretation of what you said- it was not meant to be a verbatim quote of what you said in your report. When I read "modest, if not a bit lean," for flow; I perceived that as "so/so." I clarified lumping lubrication in the same phrase by saying "for the most part" because I expected better than "Good" if these inks had ITF in them.

 

It is comforting to know that the cartridges you used do not indicate your ink contained ITF; because frankly, I'm hoping for better results from the blue-black I have coming. In regards to Solv-X; the fact that you've used it for years with no problems whatsoever says something for Solv-X that a few other ink manufacturers wish they could say about their own inks.

 

I'll tell you what I will do- when I get the blue-black with ITF, I'll send you a sample if you like and then you can compare the blue w/o ITF to the blue-black with ITF and see if you find any differences between them. Just LMK.

 

All the best,

 

Sean

* Edit, added ink offer sentence.

Edited January 10, 2011 by S. P. Colfer

[ttakacs]

After using Monty Blue for a couple of weeks, here are a few observations to add to Sandy1's review. Papers used were Clairefontaine (my daily writing stock), Ampad double gold, Staples bagasse, and Staples ARC. Pens: Montblanc Classic with medium nib, Lamy Artus with medium-to-fine nib, and (vintage) Aurora 88 with fine nib.

 

* Indeed, this ink produces a tight line.

 

* Monteverde claims that its ink contains "the world's latest leading ink treatment formula (ITF) which drastically improves ink-flow quality, extends cap-off time, and lubricates and protects the ink feeding systems from corrosion and clogging." From my modest experience with this ink, all of that is probably true. But, OK, but how does the damn stuff write? On a very smooth, less porous paper like Clairefontaine, expect lengthy drying times. Better results were obtained from the Staples ARC, although there was a mere hint of bleedthrough. Best bet: look for a good quality paper that is not glassy smooth like the CF. The right match of paper with this ink should result in a terrific value ($10.50 for 90ml at PSP).

 

* If you are looking for a dark blue that does not display purple or teal/turquoise tones, this is your ink.

[TWRDO]

I snagged a couple small bottles of pre-ITF Monteverde Blue a few days ago, and my limited experience seems to be spot-on with Sandy1's review. Her prediction that the ink would be well-behaved on cheap paper was also correct; on cheapo Mead 5 Star paper there is only the slightest hint of feathering and only an occasional bit of slight bleedthrough, though nothing major. This is with a middle-of-the-road wet Esterbrook #9968 broad.

 

Hopefully the addition of ITF - whatever that is - doesn't mess up what was already a quite nice ink.