The "best" red ink color ever made by Montblanc?

[Gradevole]

Hi everyone,

 

I will need your help on this one.

 

See, I recently purchased a few ink cartridges of "Modena Red", thinking that I would get a bright and wonderful red (as it appears on the box).

 

Much to my dismay, this ink is all but red. It is dark pink, salmon - call it whatever you like - but absolutely not red, and it is a shame that they dare to label it as "red" while it is absolutely not true. But the blame is mine, I should have watched some reviews about this ink before ordering, so I kinda screwed up. What I seek is a true red: bright, deep, not dark, without orange or disgusting pinky shades. So, in your opinion, what would be the most beautiful red ink ever made by Montblanc? 

 

I look forward to reading you. 

[txomsy]

Well, I do think you got what you bought, I mean, first thing that comes up to mind when I see Modena red is a reference to the wine (like Bordeaux or Burgundy), and the color you got does look to me as an appropriate red, basically what i would have expected.

 

As for a brilliant red, there are many, many hues that can be labeled as such (as the Modena, Bourdeaux, Burgundy examples imply).  Le Petit Prince can be seen as a red or an orange, for instance. Corn Poppy red may do, but may also be too dark for your taste. Legend of Zodiac Red, Adrian, Shakespeare, Arthur Conn Doyle, Naruto, etc, may be alternatives, but being limited edition inks may not be available.

 

I think the main question is why do you want/need to use Montblanc ink: opening the scope will give you a vast choice.

 

Personally, Sheaffer's Skripp Red is the most eye shearing I've found to date. Others may provide specific properties for specific applications.

[Lithium466]

Hello and welcome to FPN and to the search of the perfect red!

 

I like Pilot red, but it doesn't come in international standard cartridges.

Like txomsy said, I'm not sure you'll find what you're looking for within the MB lineup.

[Gradevole]

19 minutes ago, txomsy said:

Well, I do think you got what you bought, I mean, first thing that comes up to mind when I see Modena red is a reference to the wine (like Bordeaux or Burgundy), and the color you got does look to me as an appropriate red, basically what i would have expected.

 

Thank you for your answer.

 

Well like I said, the blame is mine as I didn't even try to see what this color actually looks like; and honestly I had no idea that it was a reference to a wine (I barely know anything about winery). I merely thought: "oh, looks like a very nice and shinny red" but nope. I do understand the reference to the Modena wine (which is correct), but it is totally misleading to label it as "red" in my opinion. 

 

I did see - too late -  there is the Corn Poppy Red as well and that one is undoutbtely closer to what I'm looking for (but it is maybe too dark, as you said).

 

As for the limited editions, well... like you point it out, they are limited, too expensive and very difficult to find. I'm really surprised that a company such as Montblanc is unable to offer a decent range of red inks. They make a truly beautiful Royal Blue (which I love using) but their black and red inks are kinda meh. So I did order a red ink bottle from Pelikan hoping that this one would offer a better result.

 

13 minutes ago, Lithium466 said:

Hello and welcome to FPN and to the search of the perfect red!

 

I like Pilot red, but it doesn't come in international standard cartridges.

Like txomsy said, I'm not sure you'll find what you're looking for within the MB lineup.

 

Thank you, I really appreciate.

 

Yes, it seems that I'll have much trouble in finding what I want within the Montblanc lineup, and it's a shame... it's a luxury brand famed for its Meisterstück fountain pens, and when you look at their store, the choices are really limited, even compared to the other brands.

[Lithium466]

I think you summed it up pretty well. Maybe luxury and vibrant red don't go hand to hand fo MB's marketing team?

 

Like you said, I suspect Corn Poppy Red would be too dark, unless maybe you're using it with an extra fine nib? Again based on my understanding of what you're looking for, which could be wrong.

 

As for Pelikan red, I hope you have wet pens! Maybe you could mix it with some of your MB Modena red.

[txomsy]

I think there is a confusion between luxury and variety.

 

The point is not that a luxury brand (like, say Rolex) should offer a wider lineup of products (like, say Casio), but whether their clients will demand and appreciate those.

 

I'd suppose (without any pretension to actually know what is in the mind of Montblanc directors) that they cater for a public that look for discrete distinction. So instead of a brilliant red, they prefer to offer subdued or off-side colors that will just draw attention yet not too much, mixing well in their target contexts (which to some extent is tied to corporate paperwork and to some extent to fancy) not being off-putting in any of them.

 

The point I want to make is that addressing a restricted public (luxury in this case) imposes additional restrictions instead of expanding the choice.

 

As for the color, if you do not call it red, so be it. Each of us has a different perception of what each word means.

 

Which is why I suggested looking into more general brands with a wider lineup of continuously produced colors. Diamine, Sailor, Noodler's and many more will give you tons of choice, whereas other brands with fewer choices may have decided to cover your specifically desired hue as properly targeting their objective customers.

[lapis]

• As to MB, it'll have to be their Corn Poppy Red, since its predecessors (all LEs) like Winter Glow, The Legend of Zodiacs, William Shakespeare and maybe maybe love you are all long since gone.
• Much better are Skrip's Red and Diamine's Poppy Red and/or Wild Strawberry. These are all "purer, brilliant" reds, less expensive and more easy to come by than MB's.

[Karmachanic]

Modena, or one of the unmentionables.  That's it!

 

 

[Mercian]

12 hours ago, Gradevole said:

What I seek is a true red: bright, deep, not dark, without orange or disgusting pinky shades

I also advise you to look at brands of inks other than just Montblanc.

Not least because their ‘reddest’ inks in my opinion are the ‘Alfred Hitchcock’ ink, and the ‘Velvet Red’ ink that was released with the ‘William Shakespeare’ pen. Both of those were limited-edition inks that are no longer made.
 

I advise you to have a look through this (long) thread - which is a place in which people are encouraged to post their ‘red’ inks.

If you see any ink that you like the look of, I urge you to read several reviews of that ink.

 

Firstly, because different people’s cameras and computers display the same colour of ink quite differently;

 

Secondly, because there are ink properties other than colour that you will need to know about.

E.g. whether an ink writes ‘wet’ or writes ‘dry’ - if your pen writes ‘wet’, you will not want to put a ‘wet’-writing ink in to it, or you will find that the ink will ‘flood’ out of it, leading to spreading, feathering, and show-through and bleed-through.

 

The final appearance of any ink on the page is as much dependent on the properties of your pen, its nib, and the paper that you are using as much as on the properties of the ink itself.

So, if you know that you want to use an ink in e.g. a ‘wet’-writing pen with a narrow nib, and on copier paper, you will need to find inks that work well in narrow nibs, from ‘wet’ pens, and on copier paper.

 

Good luck 👍

Edited January 16, 2023 by Mercian
FFE’s. Comme d’hab.

[Uncial]

Red is not a Montblanc strong point sadly. The shakespear red and corn poppy red are quite good but now in the realm of unobtainium...unless you are happy to pay silly money for ink. The older reds like winter glow and seasons greetings were far superior to any of the modern offerings.

[Kalessin]

Even 1970s-1980s Montblanc red wasn't anything special. 

 

Vintage Sheaffer Skrip Red, in red box or yellow box, is an excellent pure red, and my favorite.  No longer produced, it's available for not too much money in the used market.

 

I recommend trying red inks from the major manufacturers:  Pelikan, Waterman, Diamine (who have many reds), J. Herbin, Pilot, etc., to find one that you like.

 

Here is one buying comparison guide, at jetpens:  https://www.jetpens.com/blog/Red-Fountain-Pen-Ink-Comparison/pt/848

 

[Sailor Kenshin]

MB Modena Red looks beautiful to me!  I'd buy some, if I wasn't on an Ink Embargo just now.

 

What other qualities do you seek in a red ink other than bright, and not too orange or pink?  Want it wet?  Dry?  Lubricated?  

[Uncial]

I forgot about Hitchcock red, now that was a good red. You might get that now, but at a whopping price. Diamine Burgundy Rose is a doppelganger of it; easy and cheap to get.

[Mercian]

On 1/16/2023 at 11:05 AM, Gradevole said:

What I seek is a true red: bright, deep, not dark, without orange or disgusting pinky shades.

In my earlier post, I forgot to mention my recommendation for an ink whose colour matches your criteria 

 

For colour, I recommend Diamine Red Dragon.

But you need to be aware that it writes ‘wet’ - it is a very free-flowing ink. And that it has absolutely zero resistance to water.

 

Like I said before, I advise you to read/watch several reviews of it - it appears different in colour in different people’s reviews, and different reviewers remark on different aspects of the ink’s colour and behaviour.
Seeing several reviews will enable you to be far better-informed about any ink.

[ajoe]

Such a gorgeous ink. I would think that any Montblanc would be thrilled to be filled with such an ink that exudes passion and fire.

 

Of course, I know it is not to your liking and the box color was a poor representation, but in fairness, what color is devotion and fervor?

 

I would caution against using that ink in a lesser pen that may not be able to handle the gravitas of Montblanc ink.

 

😀

[arcfide]

Just another thing to keep in mind: be very careful about how an ink behaves on different papers. A lot of colors can shift quite dramatically between various papers, and you need to be conscious of that, especially when you want a color that "pops" like a bright red, which I find are much more susceptible to shifts based on paper composition and construction. 

[Gradevole]

Hey guys,

 

Thank you so much for all your answers, I honestly didn't expect to get such feedback.

 

Most of you gave me a wide range of beautiful red inks from various brands:

 

- Diamine Red Dragon (Diamine)

- Diamine Poppy Red (Diamine)

- Sheaffer Skrip Red (Sheaffer)

- Corn Poppy Red (Montblanc)

- William Shakespeare, Velvet Red (Montblanc)

- Rouge Hematite (Jacques Herbin)

- Brillant Red (Pelikan)

- Homage to Arthur Conan Doyle, Scarlet Red (Montblanc)

- The Legend of Zodiac, The Tiger (Montblanc)

- Winter Glow (Montblanc)

- and so on!

 

I also read the comparison guide on JetPens, and I must confess that Diamine red inks are particularly vibrant and beautiful - exactly the kind of ink I am looking for. As for whether I would prefer a wet or dry ink, well I do not really know the answer to this question. Is that something to do with the nib? I have a rather tight handwriting. As for my fountain pens, it's really not much: I'm using a pair of classic but exquisite Meisterstück 145 and a Souverän M600 Black-Green, all with a F nib.

Edited January 18, 2023 by Gradevole

[Mercian]

The general consensus on FPN is that Pelikan 4001 ‘Brilliant Red’ is not a good red - in the review threads for it, most people think that it is more of a pinkish-orange than a ‘true red’.

 

If you can still find any for sale, Pelikan Edelstein Garnet (their ‘Ink of the Year’ for 2014) ought to give you a good red if you put it in your Souverän M600 - e.g. it does in my M805F.
Pelikan’s pens are made to write ‘wet’, because the company’s inks write ‘dry’ - they make their pens so that they work well with their inks.

 

If you look at this review of Edelstein Garnet, you will see what I mean about how the same ink can look very different in different photographs. And different in scans to how it looks in photos.

You will also see that the reviewer, namrehsnoom, has not only shown how Garnet looks from different pens, and on different types of paper, he has included a grid of samples of several different red inks, including Montblanc ‘Corn Poppy Red’.

 

In another review - this one, by lapis - you can also see what a difference different types of paper make to the ink’s appearance.

He also includes samples of writing with other red inks, including Mb ‘Winter Glow’.

Do though bear in mind that the pen he was using - an M1000 with a ‘B’ nib - is one of the ‘wettest’-writing pens in the world! Your M600F will not write as ‘wet’ as lapis’ M1000B does 😁

[Shannon]

Well, as far as MB, my preference is the Hitchcock red.  Good luck finding it at a price that doesn't involve selling a body part.

 

My recommendation for a true red: Monteverde Valentine Red.

[Uncial]

On 1/21/2023 at 10:59 PM, Shannon said:

Well, as far as MB, my preference is the Hitchcock red.  Good luck finding it at a price that doesn't involve selling a body part.

 

My recommendation for a true red: Monteverde Valentine Red.

Read above; Diamine Burgundy Rose is the doppleganger. Price of a kidney....from the butchers.