Diamine Monaco Red

[Ben]

So my very first bottle of fountain pen ink is Diamine Monaco Red. Figured I'd write a short review of it and post a photo of writing samples with various pens.

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Love the bottle. Nice, classic, clean presentation. The ink looks like blood in the bottle. A good start!

 

PENS

Since this is my first -- and currently only -- bottle of ink, I used it to fill some of the fountain pens my father recently gave me: some old Sheaffer cartridge pens (medium nib used in writing sample), a vintage Esterbook (pearly red) with a 9556 nib, and a 1946 (second quarter) Parker "51" Vac. The lines laid down by the "51" and Esterbrook 9556 nib are strikingly similar in size, though the "51" seemed to present sharper definition. The 9556 nib is described as Fine Writing, so I'd assume that the "51" also sports a fine nib. I like the fine lines.

 

WRITING

This ink gave me no problems. Having nice pens helps too. But as a relative newcomer, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Well, the Monaco Red made a mad dash to the nibs and offered a smooth, consistent writing experience. It agreed nicely with the flowing Sheaffer and the more restrained "51" nib. This ink performed wonderfully in a variety of pens, which makes it a great choice for new pen addicts, as well as those who have already taken out second mortages to keep their amazing collections growing. The color is fantastic!

 

The Sheaffer with the medium nib laid down a big, wet line. The ink was most saturated with this pen. The Parker "51" delivered what I thought was the most clarity of color. The Esterbrook's 9556 showed the most red of the three pens used. On the envelope, the message at the top is split into three lines; one for each pen. I hope this review is helpful.

 

BEN'S REVIEW OF <--- Sheaffer M nib

• DIAMINE • <--- Parker "51" Vac

MONACO RED!!! <--- Esterbrook with 9556 nib

[chupie]

Wow. Very pretty color.

[Ben]

Yeah, and if my handwriting were as nice....

[southpaw]

Nice review Ben. Thanks. I have a few Diamine inks and am quickly growing very fond of this brand.

[chainwhip]

Thanks for the scan and review Ben!

[Goodwhiskers]

Way to go, Ben! This is the second FPN review of this color. The more reviews of any color, the better!

[RichardS]

Hi Ben, nice review. I'm a huge fan of Diamine Monaco Red, and the only thing I'd add is that it shades beautifully, especially with wetter nibs. If you like it with your Sheaffer 'M' nib, you should try it with their 'B'. I have one on my Sheaffer Balance II, and the combination is fantastic.

[Jared]

One of my favorite Diamine colors, so far...

 

 

[dandelion]

This is my favourite deep red! Thanks for the review!

[tawanda]

This is the only red I have, and am likely to have either - I love it!

 

[Federalist Pens]

My favorite Red as well!

Thank you for a good review!

 

Frank