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Montblanc x Fritz Schimpf 149 Italic Edge


Tom Kellie

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Once again, thank you Tom for posting these. You give me lots of ideas for what to put into my pen. I like black ink. I've never tried CdA Cosmic Black. 

"One can not waste time worrying about small minds . . . If we were normal, we'd still be using free ball point pens." —Bo Bo Olson

 

"I already own more ink than a rational person can use in a lifetime." —Waski_the_Squirrel

 

I'm still trying to figure out how to list all my pens down here.

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Here is the 29 September update with a dozen additional inks generously tested by Tom Kellie (as appear in above posts).
 

Inks for Italic Edge 100

   Recommended: Dry and | or Light Colours

   Tested:

      BIRMINGHAM PEN

         [Carrau reports six **, below, looked and behaved well]

         Aluminium Oxide **

            (blue|teal grey) darker than usual,

            nearly black

         Barley

            light colour, softly glowing, shades well in this nib

         Brushwood 

            good shading

         Cordovan 

            good shading

         Cornflower **

            (med blue, H20 resist) slightly darker; 

            fine behaviour

         Eroded Bronze **

            (slate blue) improved saturation

            makes it usable 

         Lichen Watermark **

            (murky green) now med saturation 

         Pincushion Moss **

            (green, H20 resist) deeper green than 

             usual 

         Tattered Jute **

            (sepia, H20 resist) perfect in this pen 

      CARAN D’ACHE  

         Chromatics Magnetic Blue

         Chromatics Ultra Violet

            highest performance in this nib 

         Chromatics Cosmic Black

      COLORVERSE  

         TexMex

            high saturation 

         Quahog

            pale, distinctive colour

      DE ATRAMENTIS  

         Kir Royal

            (scented) this complex formulation of  
            natural ingredients and pigments performs well

      DIAMINE  

         Ancient Copper

            performs well

         Blue Black Archival Registrar’s Ink

         China Blue

         Damson

         Deep Magenta

            well behaved 

         Delamere Green

            high saturation; well lubricated

         Earl Grey **

            darker grey; more saturated than usual

         Eau de Nil

         Eclipse **

            (very dark purple) black when wet; 

            T. Kellie reports favourably 

         Golden Brown

         Green Umber

         Havasu Turquoise

            ravishing colour is very impressive in this nib 

         Honey Burst

         Maroon

         Prussian Blue

         Quartz Black

            dark tone, but the nib still exhibits pleasant shading 

         Red Dragon

         Safari

            admirably suited for this pen 

         Salamander

         Sargasso Sea

         Silver Fox

            well behaved; excellent shading

         Teal

      FERRIS WHEEL PRESS  

         Fleur-de-nuit

            pale, pastel ink performs well in this nib

      FRITZ SCHIMPF

         Fritzrot * ^

            (red) wet; good saturation; good 

            shading

         Gelassenheit

            an ideal ink for this pen

         Gewitterwolke

         Morgenröte

         Niebla

            (misty violet) an ideal ink for this pen

         Photographer’s Blue ^^^

            dryness is good match for this nib; good shading

         Sirimiri

         Sundowner *

            (orange) wet; good saturation; good 

            shading

         Zwischenlicht ^ **

      GRAF VON FABER-CASTELL   

         Cobalt Blue

            premium colour and performance 

      J HERBIN

         Ambre de Birmanie

         Bleu des Profondours

         Bleu Myosotis

            optimal ink flow and no skipping 

         Café des Iles

         Éclat de Saphir

         Larmes de Cassis

         Rose Cyclamen

         Rouge Opéra

            deep colour enhanced by this pen’s broad strokes

         Rouille d’Ancre

            anchor rust pastel colour shows well in this nib

         Vert Empire

         Vert Réséda

            colour inspired by mignonette (Reseda) foliage

      JACQUES HERBIN

         Rouge d’Orient

      JUSTWRITE + MONTBLANC (amberleadavis’ personal

                                                       blend)

         Blackstone Red + Red Fox (Petit Prince) ^^

            redder than Red Fox; nib crud evident

      KWZ  

         Grapefruit

            high saturation 

         Honey

         [Carrau reports both **, below, looked and  

         performed outstandingly]

         Iron Gall Blue-Black **
           high saturation; no shading in dip test

         Iron Gall Green #3 **
           (green-black) similar colour to the tree 

            Norway spruce; high saturation; no 

            shading in dip test

         Maroon

      KYOTO INKS

         Kyo No Oto Aonibi **

            (slate blue) beautiful shading; slight 

            skipping; performs best in this pen

         Kyo No Oto Adzuki-iro 

         Kyo No Oto Hisoku

         Kyo No Oto Imayou-iro

         Kyo No Oto Kokeiro

         Kyo No Oto Moegiiro

            rich colour; excellent shading; top-level 

            performance 

         Kyo No Oto Sakuranezumi

         Kyo No Oto Yamabukiiro

         Kyo-Iro Flaming Red of Fushimi

         Kyo-Iro Soft Snow of Ohara

         Kyo-Iro Stone Road of Gion

      L’ ARTISAN PASTELLIER

         Bleu Méditerranée

         Gris de Payne

            bravura performance in this nib

         Heure Dorée

         Omi Osun

         Sepia

         Teodora

         Yalumba

      L’ ARTISAN PASTELLIER CALLIFOLIO

         Anahuac

         Andrinople

            dark, rich-toned ink

         Atlantique

         Aurora

         Bosohore

            this premium dry ink works well in the nib

         Bourgogne

            another example of a sophisticated ink 

            working well in this nib

         Byzance

            truly outstanding performance in this nib

         Equinoxe(6)

         Inti

         Violet

      MONTBLANC

         Burgundy Red 

         Chinese Blue (The Blues Palette)

            soothing colour evokes fine blue porcelain 

         Cool Grey

         Enzo Ferrari Purple

            deep, rich, resonant purple 

         Green (Hommage à the Brothers Grimm)

            dark tone; shades well; full richness of hue 

            on display

         Lapis Lazuli (The Blues Palette)

            classic, rich blue shows well in this nib 

         Meisterstück Glacier

         Midnight Blue

         Miles Davis Jazz Blue ^^^

            dry, not very saturated ink, shades well in this nib

         Mint Green (Hommage à Victoria & Albert)

         Modena Red

         Petrol Blue (Colour of the Year 2019)

         Red Fox (Petit Prince)

         Royal Blue

         Scarlet Red (Hommage à Arthur Conan Doyle)

         Toffee Brown **

            (usually reddish brown) more 

            saturated; more red when wet | more 

            chocolate when dry; modest shading on

            Rhodia

         Ultramarine (The Blues Palette) ^^^

            wet; very dark; good shading; sheen present 

            (amount is paper dependent - gold on Tomoe

            River)

      PARKER  

         Quink Blue Black

            (“permanent” or stain-capable, not waterproof)

         Quink Washable Blue 

      PELIKAN EDELSTEIN  

         Olivine ^^^

            more shading than seen with 

            P.W. AKKERMAN Shocking Blue

         Smoky Quartz 

            fairly dry ink is admirably suited to this nib

         Tanzanite

         Topaz

            dry ink with richly saturated hue performs well in this

            nib

      PELIKAN 4001  

         [Iron Gall] Blue-Black **

            T. Kellie reports this ink is an ideal match    
            for this nib as it’s notably dry

         Brilliant Brown

            well behaved, smooth flow, no skipping

         Königsblau [Royal Blue]

         Turquoise 

         Violet

      PILOT

         Iroshizuku Ajisai **

            (light blue) colour similar to but more 

            saturated than the flowers the Cape 

            Jasmine (Plumbago) and the Cornflower

         Iroshizuku Chiku-rin

         Iroshizuku Fuyu-syogun

         Iroshizuku Kiri-same

            (light grey) shades well in this nib

         Iroshizuku Kon-peki

         Iroshizuku Shin-ryoku 

            rich saturation

         Iroshizuku Syo-ro

            typically of  Iroshizuku, well suited to this nib’s 

            ability to display rich colour 

         Iroshizuku Tsuyu-kusa

      PLATINUM

         Cassis Black

         Pigment Ink Brun Sepia

            [pigmented]

      P W AKKERMAN  

         China Town Red

            very well suited to the nib

         Delft Blue **

         Koninginne Nach-Blauw

         Laan van Nieuw Oost-Indigo

         Oranje Boven

            vivid saturation 

         Residentie Blauw

         Royal Akkermanblauw

            quintessentially premium ink works well in this nib

         Shocking Blue ^^^

            little shading; slight sheen; ink may be too wet for this

            nib

      ROBERT OSTER

         African Gold

            striking colour, beautiful shading

         Australian Opal Pink

            very light-toned ink performs in this pen

         Caffe Crema

         Direct Sun

         Dragon’s Night

            very dark ink still shades in this nib

         Fire Engine Red

         Grey Seas **

            (blue-leaning grey) well behaved;

            beautiful shading; T. Kellie reports superb hue and

            performance

         Midnight Sapphire **

            (grey-leaning blue) well behaved;

            lovely shading similar to PELIKAN 4001 

            Blue-Black

         Muddy Bucket

            shades very well

         Purple Rock **

            (grey purple) much more saturated |

            darker; less grey than usual; less 

            shading than usual

         Terracotta

            an ideal ink for this pen

         Vanness Blue River
      ROHRER & KLINGER

         Alt-Bordeaux

         Alt-Goldgrün

         Blu mare

         Deep Pine forest

         dokumentus light blue

            (H20 resist)

         Kastanienbraun

         Leipziger Schwarz

            very dark ink provides intense contrast in this nib 

         [Iron Gall] Salix

         [Iron Gall] Scabiosa

         Verdigris

         Verdura
      SAILOR

         [Pigmented] Nano Kiwa-guro

            (“shiny” black, H20 resist) dark tone 

         Manyo Ink Nadeshiko **

            (light blue) colour similar to but more 

            saturated than the flowers the Cape 

            Jasmine (Plumbago) and the Cornflower;

            (similar to PILOT Iroshizuku Ajisai)

         Manyo Ink Ume

         Nagasawa Kobe Ink Maiko-West Pearl Blue

            pale ink shades well in this nib

         Shikiori Ink Yonaga

            dark ink’s subtle tones show well in the nib

         Yurameku Ink Itezora

            pale ink that shades well in the nib

         Yurameku Ink Kyokkou

            light tone performs well in the nib
      
SCRIBE

         Indigo ^^^

            good shading; sheen present (amount is 

            paper dependent)

      SUPER5

         Delhi | Orange ^^

      TACCIA UKIYO-E

         Hiroshige-Ruri

            dry; effortless performance

      WALDMANN

         Blue

            good shading 

      WATERMAN

         Serenity Blue **

            very wet

——————

   Tested by:

      * Como (on Feinpost or Brause Calligraphy)

      ** Carrau (on Rhodia or Staples TruRed)

      ^ Sebastian Stolz (on Feinpost)
      ^^ amberleadavis

      ^^^ bunnspecial (on Feinpost, Rhodia, or Tomoe River)

      all others Tom Kellie (on Feinpost)

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@NoType, thanks for keeping this compendium up to date. I appreciate your efforts.

"One can not waste time worrying about small minds . . . If we were normal, we'd still be using free ball point pens." —Bo Bo Olson

 

"I already own more ink than a rational person can use in a lifetime." —Waski_the_Squirrel

 

I'm still trying to figure out how to list all my pens down here.

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I thought I might contribute to this thread with a quick nib comparison moving from small to big:

 

149 Calligraphy (Montblanc Royal Blue)

146 Calligraphy Solitaire (Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black)

1912 Broad (Iroshizuku Yama Budo)

149 Italic Edge (Diamine Ancient Copper)

 

I used three different nib-to-page orientations for the 149 IE writing sample

 

IMG_0347.thumb.jpeg.3f7d36059ada20ebbeb9eee254e9f1d8.jpeg

 

149 IE vs. 1912 B

IMG_0348.thumb.jpeg.b76bd9ababb44ce55a5237e20ebb34e0.jpeg

 

Currently inked

IMG_0339.thumb.jpeg.1ceed64ea849a42e6134dcbeedfdd28e.jpeg

 

I am really enjoying the Italic Edge. 

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5 minutes ago, masterguns said:

I thought I might contribute to this thread with a quick nib comparison moving from small to big:

 

149 Calligraphy (Montblanc Royal Blue)

146 Calligraphy Solitaire (Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black)

1912 Broad (Iroshizuku Yama Budo)

149 Italic Edge (Diamine Ancient Copper)

 

I used three different nib-to-page orientations for the 149 IE writing sample

 

IMG_0347.thumb.jpeg.3f7d36059ada20ebbeb9eee254e9f1d8.jpeg

 

149 IE vs. 1912 B

IMG_0348.thumb.jpeg.b76bd9ababb44ce55a5237e20ebb34e0.jpeg

 

Currently inked

IMG_0339.thumb.jpeg.1ceed64ea849a42e6134dcbeedfdd28e.jpeg

 

I am really enjoying the Italic Edge. 

Thanks, this is a very insightful post.  This thread is one about the IE but I cannot help from asking about your impression(s) of the 149 vs. 146 Calligraphy nibs.  In your writing sample they look very much they same.  As, I suppose they should, given that MB says each has a line width range from 0.3mm - 1.6mm.  Do you find that they write similarly? 

 

There is a very long thread on the topic of the difference between the 149 & 146 Calligraphy nibs elsewhere on FPN....if the mod thinks it is more appropriate that my question be moved over there, it is surely fine with me.

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Replying to Masterguns:

Your writings samples and your photos are very interesting. I would love to see a macro photo of writing with different nib angles, different line widths.

Personally I still have a hard time finding the good aspekts of my Italic Edge Nib. Why?

 

1.My only chance of producing a beautiful handwriting sample is with extra dry ink like Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black on very very very good quality paper. (Tomoe River, some Clairefontaine papers.)

2.The ink flow is so heavy and for such a broad nib it literally makes unusable on a lot of papers. Of course if you write very fast and big or sign it is OK.

3. The nib angle that produces a line is very "limiting"  and very "low" for my tastes. I have been used to BBB nibs to have the virtue to adapt to different angles so that you can control better the ink flow and perhaps the line width. 

4. The fact that you can write EF with the edge is not really that important especially when the rest of the characters are huge.

OK, perhaps I am seeing just the black side of things, but I must admit that except for the handwriting of Mr Schimpf himself and Mr Masterguns so far, I have not liked any other samples regarding the virtues of the nib.

No regarding the admiration of the dozens of inks with this specific nib, I would oppose that the results might be very equal with a Pilot Plumix BBB steel nib.

I am sorry If I sound so heretical and I ask beforehand for your understanding about my English, I am just curious if any one else faced the MB italic edge with similar thoughts

 

Disclosure: I am an amateur calligrapher, 52 y.o.a , plastic surgeon from Greece. I've been the last 8 years into copperplate and spencerian writing. I have a big collection of dip nibs, a big collection of modern custom grinded mostly Japanese fountain pens and a small collection of vintage flex pens. I own also the MB Calligraphy 149 and 146 which both write beautifully for out of the bookshelf modern flex pens. (By the way the MB 146 calligraphy pen  behaves betters calligraphyically speaking)

 

I'll post shortly samples of my "battling" with the "Beast"!!! 

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15 minutes ago, anthanton said:

Replying to Masterguns:

Your writings samples and your photos are very interesting. I would love to see a macro photo of writing with different nib angles, different line widths.

Personally I still have a hard time finding the good aspekts of my Italic Edge Nib. Why?

 

1.My only chance of producing a beautiful handwriting sample is with extra dry ink like Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black on very very very good quality paper. (Tomoe River, some Clairefontaine papers.)

2.The ink flow is so heavy and for such a broad nib it literally makes unusable on a lot of papers. Of course if you write very fast and big or sign it is OK.

3. The nib angle that produces a line is very "limiting"  and very "low" for my tastes. I have been used to BBB nibs to have the virtue to adapt to different angles so that you can control better the ink flow and perhaps the line width. 

4. The fact that you can write EF with the edge is not really that important especially when the rest of the characters are huge.

OK, perhaps I am seeing just the black side of things, but I must admit that except for the handwriting of Mr Schimpf himself and Mr Masterguns so far, I have not liked any other samples regarding the virtues of the nib.

No regarding the admiration of the dozens of inks with this specific nib, I would oppose that the results might be very equal with a Pilot Plumix BBB steel nib.

I am sorry If I sound so heretical and I ask beforehand for your understanding about my English, I am just curious if any one else faced the MB italic edge with similar thoughts

 

Disclosure: I am an amateur calligrapher, 52 y.o.a , plastic surgeon from Greece. I've been the last 8 years into copperplate and spencerian writing. I have a big collection of dip nibs, a big collection of modern custom grinded mostly Japanese fountain pens and a small collection of vintage flex pens. I own also the MB Calligraphy 149 and 146 which both write beautifully for out of the bookshelf modern flex pens. (By the way the MB 146 calligraphy pen  behaves betters calligraphyically speaking)

 

I'll post shortly samples of my "battling" with the "Beast"!!! 

I suspect that something is wrong with your Italic Edge. I have only used mine with MB inks, but I have no problems writing on Rhodia pads. I don't have to write quickly, but if I write slowly and deliberately I get bleed through. I am also able to vary the angle I hold the pen from 30º to 55º with good results. I have tried more extreme angles; I can't write that way anyway. I agree that edge writing has limited use for me. It can be done because of the ink channels on the tip of the nib. 

 

I would suggest that you contact Fritz-Schimpf. If you can provide writing samples that might help. It sounds to me like the flow of your nib needs to be adjusted.

 

I wish you well. I enjoy using my Italic Edge. I had no trouble understanding your English. Είναι καλύτερο από τα ελληνικά μου. (It is better than my Greek.—Thanks to google translate.)

"One can not waste time worrying about small minds . . . If we were normal, we'd still be using free ball point pens." —Bo Bo Olson

 

"I already own more ink than a rational person can use in a lifetime." —Waski_the_Squirrel

 

I'm still trying to figure out how to list all my pens down here.

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Thank you @masterguns for posting above. You have a nice collection of pens. I like Diamine Ancient Copper. I use it in one of my pens with a cursive italic nib; the shading is beautiful, as your example shows. I find the 146 Calligraphy and the 149 Calligraphy to be very similar. I have not done a detailed comparison, but from casual use, I see no significant differences. 

"One can not waste time worrying about small minds . . . If we were normal, we'd still be using free ball point pens." —Bo Bo Olson

 

"I already own more ink than a rational person can use in a lifetime." —Waski_the_Squirrel

 

I'm still trying to figure out how to list all my pens down here.

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2 hours ago, Seney724 said:

Thanks, this is a very insightful post.  This thread is one about the IE but I cannot help from asking about your impression(s) of the 149 vs. 146 Calligraphy nibs.  In your writing sample they look very much they same.  As, I suppose they should, given that MB says each has a line width range from 0.3mm - 1.6mm.  Do you find that they write similarly? 

 

There is a very long thread on the topic of the difference between the 149 & 146 Calligraphy nibs elsewhere on FPN....if the mod thinks it is more appropriate that my question be moved over there, it is surely fine with me.

 

For me, there are noticeable differences between 149C and the 146C in hand, at least mine. Bear in mind that this 146 has a slightly different nib than the current iteration (I believe). It seems like the current iteration of the 146C, both the gold leaf and the precious resin, are shaped the same as the 149C. The tipping is more substantial on my 146C as compared to the 149C, which allows me to more easily get a wider line on the down stroke if I prefer. 

 

IMG_0349.jpeg

IMG_0350.jpeg

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1 hour ago, anthanton said:

Replying to Masterguns:

Your writings samples and your photos are very interesting. I would love to see a macro photo of writing with different nib angles, different line widths.

Personally I still have a hard time finding the good aspekts of my Italic Edge Nib. Why?

 

1.My only chance of producing a beautiful handwriting sample is with extra dry ink like Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black on very very very good quality paper. (Tomoe River, some Clairefontaine papers.)

2.The ink flow is so heavy and for such a broad nib it literally makes unusable on a lot of papers. Of course if you write very fast and big or sign it is OK.

3. The nib angle that produces a line is very "limiting"  and very "low" for my tastes. I have been used to BBB nibs to have the virtue to adapt to different angles so that you can control better the ink flow and perhaps the line width. 

4. The fact that you can write EF with the edge is not really that important especially when the rest of the characters are huge.

OK, perhaps I am seeing just the black side of things, but I must admit that except for the handwriting of Mr Schimpf himself and Mr Masterguns so far, I have not liked any other samples regarding the virtues of the nib.

No regarding the admiration of the dozens of inks with this specific nib, I would oppose that the results might be very equal with a Pilot Plumix BBB steel nib.

I am sorry If I sound so heretical and I ask beforehand for your understanding about my English, I am just curious if any one else faced the MB italic edge with similar thoughts

 

Disclosure: I am an amateur calligrapher, 52 y.o.a , plastic surgeon from Greece. I've been the last 8 years into copperplate and spencerian writing. I have a big collection of dip nibs, a big collection of modern custom grinded mostly Japanese fountain pens and a small collection of vintage flex pens. I own also the MB Calligraphy 149 and 146 which both write beautifully for out of the bookshelf modern flex pens. (By the way the MB 146 calligraphy pen  behaves betters calligraphyically speaking)

 

I'll post shortly samples of my "battling" with the "Beast"!!! 

 

I'm sorry to hear of your challenges with this pen. For what its worth, I made a slight adjustment to my Italic Edge after some initial impressions that it really was a wet writer. Because I tend to write on the smaller side, and because I am fairly comfortable adjusting my nibs, I closed my tines very slightly to reduce the flow, which turned out well for me. I suppose its not for the faint of heart to mess with such an expensive pen, but it was relatively easy for me to do. 

 

I will do my best to provide some additional samples with a brief description of each a bit later.

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