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Ink Shoot-Out : Mont Blanc Midnight Blue vs Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite was my very first blue-black ink, and one that I like a lot - it's usually to be found as the perfect companion for my Lamy 2000. Then I read visvamitra's review of Mont Blanc Midnight Blue, and found another blue-black that spoke to me. Recently I managed to get my hands on a bottle of the MB ink. A great opportunity to do a detailed comparison, and find out which one of these inks I like the most. Enter... the Ink Shoot-Out. A brutal fight where heavyweight inks do battle for four rounds, to determine who is the winner. In the left corner - the challenger: Mont Blanc Midnight Blue. In the right corner - my current favorite: Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite. Which champion will remain standing at the end of the fight ? Let's find out... Round 1 - First Impressions For the first round I made my usual swabs and scribbles on Rhodia N°16 80gsm notepad paper. Both inks are a pleasure to use, and exhibit a very professional-looking blue-black color - perfect inks for the workplace and for daily business writing. They also shade nicely, even in smaller nib sizes. But... darn... on this paper, I'm hard pressed to notice any difference. Maybe a small hint that the Tanzanite ink is a bit darker ? Time for a second first impression ;-) For this I used Midori Traveler's Notebook N°13 Refill paper - this is a lightweight paper that's supposed to be close to Tomoe River (and has the advantage of being readily available here in Belgium). Yes... on this paper the Edelstein ink is definitely darker. And a further test on Moleskine paper confirms this - Tanzanite is the darker-blue of the two inks. Both inks are on par with each other, but there are some differences: MB Midnight Blue shows a wider range of hues on different paper types, ranging from a more greyish blue to real dark blue-black. Tanzanite exhibits a more consistent blue-black across papers.I didn't notice any sheening on the Rhodia paper, but on the Midori paper... wow... Tanzanite definitely is a real sheener ! You get a very prominent red-golden sheen where the ink is laid on thickly. The Mont Blanc ink doesn't stand a chance ! Both Midnight Blue and Tanzanite are top-of-the-line inks of their respective brands. And as expected, both are very fine-looking blue-black inks. For me personally, I appreciate the fact that the Edelstein ink is a darker blue-black, with a more consistent color range across different types of paper. And there is absolutely no competition for Tanzanite's splendid red-golden sheen. Knock-out ? No. But this round definitely goes to the Pelikan ink on points. Round 2 - Writing Sample The writing sample was done on Rhodia N°16 Notepad with 80 gsm paper. Both inks behaved flawlessly, with no feathering and no show-through or bleed-through. Both inks also showed good ink-flow and smooth writing with the EF nib. Here I was pleasantly surprised by Tanzanite - usually Edelstein inks are considered to be a bit dry in fine nib sizes, but that's not the case here ! I also like that both inks show decent shading even with the finer nibs. With many inks, shading almost disappears with EF/F nib sizes, losing some of the ink's character. Not so with these inks ! On the crappy Moleskine paper, both Midnight Blue and Tanzanite exhibit some minor feathering, as well as significant show-through and bleed-through. In my opinion, both inks indubitably (hey - not often you get a chance to use a word like this ;-) measure up to each other, and no clear winner appears. As such, this round ends in a draw. Round 3 - Ink Properties Both inks have drying times in the 15-20 second range on the Rhodia paper, with Tanzanite closer to the 15 second range, drying a bit faster than Midnight Blue. Both inks also do fine on the smudge test, where a moist Q-tip cotton swab is drawn across the text lines. There is some smearing, but the text remains perfectly legible. For the droplet test, I dripped water onto the grid and let it sit there for 15 minutes, after which I removed the water droplets with a paper kitchen towel. Midnight Blue is clearly the more water-resistant of the two inks, and did really well on this test. But although Tanzanite did worse, the written word did not disappear and remained perfectly readable. I will absolutely call these inks water-resistant ! The chromatography shows that Midnight Blue leaves a darker footprint after soaking in water - as shown by the bottom part of the picture. The chroma's look really similar, which probably explains why these inks are so alike. In this round, the Mont Blanc ink had a better technique, especially on the droplet test. Again - no knock-out, but this round definitely goes to the challenger - on points. Round 4 - The Fun Factor Welcome to the final round. Here I give you a purely personal impression of both inks, where I judge which of them I like most when doing some fun stuff like doodling and drawing. For this round - I really wished for a clear winner - but that's not to be... The dark-blue color of the inks is well-suited for some gloom-and-doom doodling and drawing. And both inks put their heart into it - nice flow, easy drawing, beautiful gloomy color ... what's not to like ? But in the end, they performed equally well, and no clear winner emerges. I'm sure there will be more of a difference on other papers - where Tanzanite is guaranteed to be a bit darker. Nevertheless, for this round, I call it a draw ! The Verdict Both inks deserve their place at the top of my ink collection. They are beautiful professional-looking dark-blue inks. Both MB Midnight Blue and Pelikan's Tanzanite win a round, with the other rounds ending in a draw. Nevertheless... it's the Belgian judge that gives the points. Although Midnight Blue has some technical advantages, I find Tanzanite the more aesthetically pleasing of the two. You just can't compete with that golden-red sheen ! And Tanzanite has a more consistent behavior across paper types, which I also appreciate. Both champions came out very close. But it's the judge's opinion that round 1 was the decisive one, and that Tanzanite comes out on top and remains the reigning champion !

About the Patron Alexander von Humboldt's travels through distant continents and research of foreign cultures made him the first German cosmopolitan. The naturalist and cultural patron was born in Prussian Berlin during the age of Enlightment and later travelled the globe to explore new horizons. Humboldt discovered a rich new world of flora on his great South American expedition (1799-1804) and researched the language and culture of the native Indians. The result was "Kosmos" a literary lifework in which Humboldt expounded on the knowledge gained through his travels and research. Information Launch: 2007 Limitation: 4810 (Another edition is 888) Characteristics: Black grenadille cap and barrel, 925 sterling silver inlays and Platinum-plated 18K Gold nib with an engraved sextant Official Link: Montblanc Review Initial Impression: 8/10 I started my limited edition pens from Great Character series hence I'm more familiar with big boxes which is twice of the size of Patron of Art 4810 packaging. Having said that, the packaging is simple and the pen display case has a beautiful turquoise colour. It is simple and also beautiful. It would be higher score if the packaging would be accompanied with an additional booklet which included in Great Character series. This is my first Patron of Art pen and I believe I'm starting with one unique pen of the series. It takes me a short moment to appreciate the pen due to its simplicity which is a contrast to Great Characters series which I own. The wood finish is the first thing that I noticed followed by the silver inlays. http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll206/ongl/20150120_160431.jpg http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll206/ongl/20150120_160448.jpg http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll206/ongl/20150120_160658.jpg Feel and Balance: 8/10 The pen is light yet balanced. It can't be posted securely. I believe this one of few pen made from wood by MontBlanc. There is a uniqueness in handling the pen. It is not as smooth as resin yet smooth enough with some grainy texture. It certainly good to feel differently from "precious resin" and metal for once. Twisting the cap is very smooth and with low resistance. There is no ink window which mean a careful estimation of usage would be applicable. I would fill the ink full before travelling on full day meetings or overseas. The pen has a stepped-down barrel. As some say, usually it would potentially cause an issue for long writing. I find it quite useful as It provided the place where I should put my fingers and not distracted by the silver inlays. http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll206/ongl/20150120_161318.jpg Design: 9/10 There are three silver inlay section: On the left, right and back side of the pen. The nib looks fabulous with dual-tone nib which offer a bit of variety instead of a single tone nibs. The silver inlays are securely placed with the wood barrel. I observed that some dust and dirt may settle in the small gaps between the inlays. Cleaning it would take more effort than a simple swipe. As said by many, the wood will change colour depending on exposure to sunlight and the contact with hands. It provides a unique personalisation to the pen. Montblanc does not provide any tips of the care for this material. I am still looking ways to best maintain the pen. Overall, the design is simple and projects back-to-nature sensation. http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll206/ongl/20150120_161000.jpg http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll206/ongl/20150120_160927.jpg http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll206/ongl/20150120_160947.jpg http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll206/ongl/0b327689-0bec-4ad4-a7a5-d72c8cd78756.jpg Nib Performance/Writing experience: 10/10 It wasn't until I start writing that I truly appreciate the pen. The nib performs very well and so smooth as if it 'glides' on the paper. Definitely the smoothest pen among that I have. The nib is Medium. http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll206/ongl/20150120_170649.jpg Overall: 8.5/10 The pen is a pleasant surprise for me. It was unique, simple yet great to use as daily writing. I could bring this out and it would not draw unwanted attention. Excellent for those who find PoA or GC pens too flashy. At the same time, being away from 'precious resin' provide a good break between other pens. The nib design is also visually pleasing. Cleaning would require different approach and more effort than other pens due to the material and intricate inlays. Finally, I can't agree more with one FPN member - Axis. I quote his comment in another thread:

what is the most efficient ways to test all the fountain pen inks available and to make a like for like comparison? For instance i have tested Waterman, Herbin, Viscontini and Diamine but the shade of colour vary a great deal i like Visconti Bordeuax as a red but on other days i may like Diamine Oxblood but i like the wetness of a waterman red ink. I aim to reduce to a set number of of inks, so a maximum of two for each of the colours Red, Green, Blue, Black.for daily use. 1 unique colour such as an orange/brown/purple for journal writing. let me know your ideas thanks

Hello folks, I’m new here and never in my life have I ever posted on this forum but I have a dilemma I purchase a StarWalker Ceramics Ballpoint Pen, Ident No.: 114749 of E-Bay and I paid £516 or $699 it was brand new i dnot know if its fake or real. I contacted Mont Blan and forwarded the serial no to them the responded by telling me only way to tell for sure is to send it to them for a fee so before I go to that length if I could get some feed back on this site as to what you guys think of my pen instead I would return it to the original seller who is based in the USA and simply ask for a refund they have 94.4 feed back and they only sell Mont Blanc’s negatives are for did not receive the item none for fakes or anything of that nature so I expect this pen to be genuine but how would I know for sure and would hate to have purchased a fake. I did ask the seller was the service book stamped they responded by saying no because they are not an authorized dealer they are only an authorized reseller, as I did not pay full money they say they can not stamp the booklet only if I paid $980 or £706 So please have a look at this pen and tell me what is your gut feeling the serial number is etched on the pen clip and under side of the pen clip is written Made in Germany then under that writing it says Metal there is no PIX written. The pen weighs 54 Grams which is about right and that’s all I know. The white outer box has the serial number stamped on a white sticker it says MADE IN GERMANY with a series of numbers one word then five numbers it has no EAN stickers and I knew before purchase that the guarantee book would not be stamped. Though Mont Blanc stated if I send it to them they would validate the pen for me. I was advised not to give the serial number for obvious reasons as I do not want to fall foul of Mont Blanc. Any responses will be gratefully received thank you and looking forward to the responses as I will value what you think of my pen is it REAL or FAKE please do tell, i'm all ears.

Hi I wonder any Mont Blanc expert can tell me the model and. Year made. Thanks

Hi, folks. Can someone identify and provide any information about this safety pen? According to the engravings, it's a «Stoffhaas» 204, 14K nib #4, but I can't find any information on the web. Dimensions: Closed: 11,8 cm Uncapped: 10,4 cm Uncapped + nib: 12,2 cm Posted: 16,7 cm Thanks in advance.

Greetings all or, y'all or all y'all, Earlier this week, I bought my first fountain pen since elementary school; a Mont Blanc Meisterstuck, 146 Solitaire Doue. After a lot of careful study on the FPN about spotting fakes, I bought mine on Ebay. It arrived never before inked. I have since inked it. I believe the nib to be a medium or a broad, hard to say without a comparator. I suspect the silver cap is stainless steel and not sterling, not marked, although it does have a number on the clip which might indicate information about the metal content of the cap. I've attached a photo. Looking forward to learning more and many thanks to all of you who offer such helpful advice. I'm looking forward to participating.

can anyone help me I find no info on these pen attach photos have written patent 508 058 are new to the forum I have many pens

Hello everyone. I and my friend bought these mont blanc pens. But we didn't find the same nib like our pens. It is like the nib doesn't fit to the pen. There are notchs on the top and the bottom sides of the nips as you can see from the pictures. The seller told us that pens are from 1970-1980s. If someone helps us about the pens, we would be appreciated.

Hello Everyone, First I have to admit. I am not necessarily a Pen Enthusiast however I am needing some help identifying this pen. I've scoured the internet and I can't find this model. It was my Dad's who recently passed away from Cancer. It appears to be from 2006 as it has the 100 year anniversary marker towards the top of the cap and has the Mont Blanc Diamond. I can't quite place the material on the body of the barrel and honestly I am having a hard time determining if I should call it yellow or green. Does anyone recognize this pen? Thank you all in Advance.

Hi. I wanted to know if this is a regular Starwalker model since i couldn't find any exact model picture. First off, a little about the origin of this pen, they belonged to my father, he had this MB and other three Stuckmeister (1 fountain pen (14K 585, 1 ballpoint and a mechanical pencil). All of these are at least 18 years old, the ballpoint pen has W-Germany on the top gold part, so probably they all are pre 1991. I'll probably start a thread on these. Anyone know anything about this pen?? Is it worth it? Thanks a lot.

Hello FPN I am lucky enough to own a MB Oscar Wilde pen & pencil set, which has been in a pen case for the past 15 years! I decided to revive and use both last week, all good with the pen (writing much more smoothly than I remembered, what a nice surprise!) but the PENCIL is having problems. There was HB leads in it and I decided to change them to B, that little bit softer; however when I went to change the leads, they won't advance? It seems the arm, the lever, inside that advances the lead won't retract. A pen repair friend just looked inside it and he said he could see the arm down all the way but it won't go back up again. No damage anywhere, I've hardly ever used it, but clearly something slipped or went awry when I was trying to load the leads last week. I am in Ireland, if anyone can point me to where it can be repaired I would be SO grateful. It is such a beautiful piece, I really do want to use it and bring it to life. Thanks! trish

Greetings from Cape Town, South Africa. I purchased my Mont Blanc No 149 Meisterstuck in France in 1976, 40 years ago, and (besides one repair) it has given me exquisite service throughout this time. The ink flows like a stream of thought, and the flexible18k gold nib enables one to practise calligraphy writing if one so chooses. Now there's a hairline crack in the nib holder which is causing a slow leak and my fingers get discoloured. See photo. MB say I must pay the service fee. My contention is two-fold: 1) that this fountain pen came with a Lifetime Warranty (admittedly which I no longer have), and that 2) such a hairline crack is an inherent fault which a world class brand (such as Mont Blanc) should repair at no charge. Have any Mont Blanc owners had a similar experience? If so please advise.

I have an old Mont Blanc 344, used for many years, but now cracked right across the barrel more or less at the joint between the clear section and the lower part. I have tried cyanoacrylate, which failed after a while probably because it's not waterproof; recently tried solvent welding with acetone but no joy. Grateful for any repair suggestions. If it's a hopeless case, would be good to know which other models would have a compatible barrel, e.g. 24x, 14x, as they seem to be somewhat rare (and very expensive!) Also curious about its age.

I have a Mont Blanc Masterpiece that used to belong to my grandfather. I'd like to know a bit more about the pen and more importantly where I can send it to get some tender loving care so that I can use it.

Hi, I'm a long time lurker but I only recently made an account here. I love Mont Blancs and have five of them, but sadly no fountain yet. I recently was using a Starwalker Rollerball I bought at a Mont Blanc Boutique in San Francisco two years ago when I noticed the cap has a wobble to it when it is capped or when it is screwed onto the back. I took it in once to the store in Beverly Hills, and they "tightened it" but I did not notice an improvement. I understand this pen isn't Mont Blanc's finest offering but the poor quality surprised me. I compared it another rollerball Star Walker I have that is much older and it has absolutely no wobble at all. What should I do to have this issue corrected? Should I go back to the boutique and ask them to reexamine it, or should I have it sent off to be repaired. I did repair an older Bordeoux Ball point that had a crack and a bent clip and for $100 they fixed it very well but I don't want to pay to have an issue I believe is a defect repaired. If any other pictures or information is helpful please let me know. Thank you, Raffi

Hi Everyone, I am new to this forum as my interest for rare pens started just a while back, when I inherited a bunch of Mont Blanc pens from a relative. As I am trying to understand the dynamics of the pen market, what makes a pen rare etc. I was looking for some help to identify three of the pens that I inherited? They are all pens. Thanks guys!

Hi all, I'm new to pen collection & in need of some advice. Basically, I have decided more or less to get a Mont Blanc rollerball pen. So far I have a Lamy 2000 fountain pen but due to leakage it's being sent away for servicing. Here are my choices, which do you all think is a better choice? 1. The 'M' rollerball (pity this can't accept the fine tip rollerball refill which I prefer & the part where the finger grip portion is with those tiny square patterns not sure if writing long term will be uncomfortable for the fingers?) 2. Heritage Rouge & Noir rollerball (quite like the unique snake clip) 3. Blue Hour Classique rollerball (a bit stretch on the budget...) And I understand if get Mont Blanc ballpoint can use third party rollerball refill e.g. monteverde is this true for all the 3 above models? But not vice versa e.g. Mont Blanc rollerball won't be able to use ballpoint refill correct? Thanks in advance, all suggestions & comments are welcome.

Appearance & Design (10) – Large, simple, and elegant. Beautiful contrast between mirror finish on the ebonite and the rhodium plating on the simple section ring, nib, and clip. Construction & Quality (10) – Well constructed. Wonderfully smooth threading between section and barrel. O-ring on section gives a confident tight connection when threading in section to barrel. Flawless polished finish on the ebonite that looks to be at least a mile deep. The ebonite has excellent hand feel - warm to the touch - begs to be used (this is even before one considers the nib). Weight & Dimensions (8) – Large pen (See comparison to Mont Blanc 149, Pelikan M1000). Surprisingly light for the size. Excellent dimensions for those enjoying larger pens (length and girth). Nib & Performance (10) – This #9 21k Sailor Nib is ridiculous. Same size nib as the 149 though the 21k vs. 18k, tine length, and adjustments to the nib make for the most amazing writing experience on fountain pen friendly paper and cheap paper alike. The nib glides across the paper while also seemingly grabbing the paper just enough to let you know you are using a fountain pen. The description of feedback similar to writing with an old-school #2 pencil is apt. The nib does allow for line variation with regular writing without stressing the nib to any significant degree. Works with all inks trialled thus far: Sailor, Noodler's BBKF, Iroshizuku, J. Herbin. This is an amazing nib - worth the price of admission. Filling System & Maintenance (5) - For the price one expects to have some technology and effort put into the filling system - not so much with this pen. The converter holds an acceptable amount of ink for routine business or school work x a few days. For travel one would need to bring additional ink. Upside is the easy of cleaning and maintenance. If adjusts could be made to make this an eyedropper - that would be most excellent. Cost & Value (8) – Expensive pen ~$550.00. As stated above, the nib is worth the price of admission. Conclusion (Final score, 8.5) - I truly enjoy using this pen - daily. I would buy it again and plan to get one with the Naginata Togi nib (another amazing Sailor nib that I enjoy on the 1911). Sailor KOP Ebonite, Visconti HS Bronze, Pelikan M1000, MB 149, Sailor 1911, Platinum 3776, ASA Porus Sailor KOP Ebonite, Visconti HS Bronze, Pelikan M1000, MB 149, Sailor 1911, Platinum 3776, ASA Porus Sailor KOP Ebonite, MB 149, Pelikan M1000 Sailor KOP Ebonite, MB 149, Pelikan M1000 Brothers from another mother - Sailor KOP Ebonite and MB 149 #9 Nibs

Hi All, I'm planning to purchase a Montblanc meisterstuck fp in near future.My choice is limited between mb145 and 146.Can anybody suggest me which model should I collect? I love piston filler pen. But someone told me that cleaning and servicing a piston filler pen is not easy and I should pick up 145 which is a c/c filler .I'm little bit confused.Please help.Thanks. Samba

Hi there, I found a Mont Blanc Meisterstuck fountain pen at my grandparents, and it has not been used since the passing of my grandfather (over 8 years ago). It has been well used, although the only 'dirt' I see are on the two parts in the image attached. Should I send it to them to clean it? Or should I use a nib cleaner myself and see how to use the cartridge? Thanks, Brutum

Hi Guys, I'm a new enthusiast who recently purchased his very first real fountain pen and has been in love ever since. My favorite pen, currently, is the Mont Blanc 144 and My favorite ink is Pilot Iroshizuku, Kon Peki. How are you all doing on this fine Friday?

Hi All, I know that this isn't a fountain pen but out of desperation I could not identify this Mont Blanc ballpoint pen. I received it as a parting gift from a friend of mine, and seeing the Mont Blanc logo I immediately called it into question. The pen has all of the parts to a real mont blanc pen, box, service book, legitimate refills and case. However the one thing that startled me is that it does not have a serial number in the service book, or on the pen itself. I was hoping that someone could help me identify and check the legitimacy of the pen. As a pen enthusiast, it would be an insult to me if it was not, which may sound ungrateful but I wouldn't be very nice to receive a fake from a good friend of mine. Below are some pictures of the pen (apologies for the quality). Thank you.

Hello All, I am working in China, and traveling to Vienna from July 14th-August 4th. i have a Pelikan that needs its piston lubricated, a Sheaffer Imperial with a non-working Touchdown filler, A Sheaffer school pen that needs servicing (dropped on its nib), and Mont Blanc 221 that has a cracked grip. Does anyone know where I can get these pens repaired in Vienna during my stay? Thanks,

Hey guys, Just wanted to gather the Middle East and GCC region Collectors and what are you latest purchases for 2016 Montblanc Writing Instrument Cheers