Montblanc JFK Review



 Montblanc JFK is a limited edition ink produced to go alongside Montblanc's JFK Great Characters limited edition pen for 2015.


Specifications


Manufacturer: Montblanc
Color: Blue-black
MSRP: $20
Actual Price: $19
Amount of Ink: 30 mL
Cost per ml: ~63.3¢
Bottle: Small traditional-inkwell shape
Samples?: Not available
Where to Buy: Fahrney's Pens (available from Feb. 23), Fountain Pen Hospital, La Couronne du Comte, Pen Boutique

At a Glance

Sheen: Some but difficult to detect
Shading: Excellent
Water Resistance: Good but not archival
Saturation: Average
Feathering: Minimal
Bleed through: Minimal
Show through/ Ghosting: Minimal
Drying Time: Long 
Wetness: Wet 
Lubrication: Well lubricated
Staining: Can be washed out of clothes; doesn't stain converters
Cleaning: Easy
Okay on Copier Paper?: Yes (20 lb used for testing)

Thoughts


Every year, Montblanc produces a limited number of pens in commemoration of a "Great Character." To go along with those pens, a matching ink is also released. This year's pen was produced in honor of former U.S. president John F. Kennedy, and this blue-black ink was produced to match. Supposedly, its color should remind you of Kennedy's characteristic blue blazers.

The ink itself isn't all that interesting: it's just a standard blue-black. For that matter, I have never really liked blue-blacks; and this one doesn't do anything to change that, especially with a cents per mL cost higher than Iroshizuku's. As is par with most inks of this color, shading is excellent; and water resistance is also good.

One issue I encountered with it is drying times: in a fine-nibbed Pelikan M200, this ink took over a minute to dry. Perhaps this was due to its being inked only a few minutes pior to writing, but the issue persisted even with my Rembrandt a few hours later. However, in the very fine EF Sailor 1911 S,  JFK dried fairly quickly in just under ten seconds.

This ink performs fairly well, but at over 60¢/mL -- which is 4¢/mL more than Iroshizuku and only a few tenths of a cent less expensive per mL than Caran d' Ache's inks, I would recommend instead looking into a less expensive blue-black such as Diamine Regency Blue, Montblanc's standard Midnight Blue, or Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite.

Writing Sample


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Water Resistance Tests

Extended Soak Test Duration (separate piece of paper): 30 minutes
Soak Test on Writing Sample (A4 Rhodia): 5 minutes 














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2 comments:

  1. I really like your blog, it looks very nice, I'm happy to visit again to see your blog because it's very good indeed, thanks’ for all. My opinion is a matching ink is also launched. This months's pen became produced in honor of former U.S. president John F. Kennedy, and this blue-black ink changed into produced to fit. Supposedly, its coloration should remind you of Kennedy's feature blue blazers. The ink itself isn't all that interesting: it is just a preferred blue-black. I'm working at Outdoor advertising ad companies in Delhi For that rely, i have in no way really preferred blue-blacks; and this one doesn't do something to trade that, specially

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  2. I find the ink to be very wet, to the point that I am not sure if I will continue to use it.. :(

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