The Pen Enthusiast

Showing posts with label Ink Reviews. Show all posts

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

For best viewing, open this image in a new tab.

Water Resistance Tests

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

Specifications

The top of the cap

Manufacturer: Levenger

Color: Orange

MSRP: $12

Actual Price: $12, but often on sale for $10

Amount of Ink: 50mL

Cost per mL: 24¢

Bottle: Glass with an included inkwell for easier filling

Where to Buy: Only available directly from Levenger

At a Glance

Sheen: None

Shading: Slight

Water Resistance: None

Feathering: Average

Bleed through: High

Show through/ Ghosting: Average

Drying Time: High

Wetness: High

Lubrication: High

Staining: None
Saturation: Average
Cleaning: Average
Okay on Copy Paper?: Yes, but there is significant bleed through

Thoughts

The inkwell inside the bottle

Levenger, a U.S.-based stationery retailer, produces a line of fountain pen inks and often removes or adds to that line. In late 2013, they released three new inks, one of which was Blazing Sunset.

Levenger's Blazing Sunset is a vibrant true-orange which is one of my favorites. In contrast to other oranges such as Noodler's Habanero or Apache Sunset, this one has few traces of yellow and barely any shading - a quality which I like for note taking. Unfortunately, water- resistance is entirely nonexistent: after a few minutes, there was no trace of the ink's former presence.

One of my favorite aspects of all of Levenger's inks is the bottle. Inside is an inkwell to make filling easy even with only a few mL left. It's also deep enough that filling pens with large #8 or #9 nibs is still possible.

Overall, this is a well-presented, vibrant ink which I highly recommend.

Writing Samples

Note: Brackets indicate that there was significant bleed through or ghosting.

Extended Soak Test

Before

Of all the inks I've tested so far, this one has the least water-resistance. It's oddly satisfying to find a blank sheet of paper after less than 30 minutes submersed in water. This would be bothersome in a practical black ink, but it's fine here because I don't often write important notes in orange.

After

Gallery:

Specifications

Manufacturer: Noodler's

Color: Blue-Black

MSRP: $12.50

Actual Price: $12-$14

Price I paid: I bought this ink for $14 from my local store. This is higher than the price many online retailers charge, but I didn't have to pay shipping or worry about the bottle breaking in transit.

Amount of Ink: 3 oz (roughly 90 ml)

Cost per ml: 13.8¢/ml at $12.50

Bottle: Glass; I encountered no problems with a nearly full bottle, but lever-fillers may be difficult to fill as the ink level decreases.

Where to Buy: Noodler's ink is widely available in the U.S. and can be found at many stationery stores there. Online retailers that sell it include Goulet Pens, Amazon, Shop Writer's Bloc, Anderson Pens, Paper and Ink Arts, Wonderpens in Canada, Pure Pens in the UK, and Hyatt's. If you aren't in North America, Noodler's can be extremely hard to find, and your only choice may be to pay the high shipping fees from the U.S.

At a Glance

Sheen: A noticeable red sheen

Shading: Excellent

Water Resistance: Still legible

Feathering: Moderate

Bleed through: Slight

Show through/ Ghosting: Minimal

Drying Time: Extremely long; On Rhodia paper, drying times were several minutes long.

Wetness: Fairly Wet

Lubrication: Well-lubricated; no issues with skipping or hard starts in any pen tested

Staining: I have not used this ink in a demonstrator yet, but it doesn't stain any of my converters.
Saturation: High
Cleaning: Takes some time due to the saturation.
Okay on Copier Paper?: Yes

Thoughts

Midnight Blue is an excellent blue-black ink with great shading and a dark red sheen. It also performs admirably in regards to bleed through which is slight even on the worst paper. Words remain legible after being doused in water which is great for important notes and documents. Drying times aren't ideal- on Rhodia paper the ink takes several minutes to dry. Another issue with it is cleaning; the high saturation leads to tedious and lengthy cleanings.I highly recommend this ink for its great shading, deep red sheen, and slight water resistance.

Writing Sample

Main Pen: Pilot Vanishing Point Medium
Pen 2: Visconti Rembrandt Fine
Pen 3: Sailor 1911S Extra-Fine
Paper: Rhodia Ice Notepad