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Posts in the Montblanc category

Montblanc Albert Einstein

Montblanc Albert EinsteinMontblanc Albert Einstein

 

As part of the Great Characters series, Montblanc released their homage to Albert Einstein in 2013 in the form of a limited edition pen (3000 fountain pens, 1500 rollerballs, and 1500 ballpoints) and an accompanying Albert Einstein ink. This ink is a subtle and understated gray color that is reminiscent of the slate of a chalkboard. It has a surprisingly good amount of shading and all of the properties of a well-behaved Montblanc ink. The biggest downside I could think of is the fact that it is a limited edition ink, and once it’s gone it’s gone. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a bottle (which is the same style bottle as Montblanc Alfred Hitchcock, Winter Glow, Leonardo da Vinci, etc.) and I recommend picking one up if you like the look of this lovely gray!

The box art is actually quite nice. It depicts a sea of stars and nebulae with a few of Einstein’s equations scrawled over the top. The entire outside of the box appears to have a light metallic sheen to it.

Montblanc Albert Einstein

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Montblanc Leonardo Red Chalk

Montblanc Leonardo Red ChalkMontblanc Leonardo Red Chalk bottle

Montblanc Leonardo Red Chalk is a limited edition ink that pays homage to one of the most renowned figures of the Italian Renaissance. Some of his famous drawings were done in what appears to be a dusty red chalk and this ink is a nod to that. The color is a lovely, dusty red with hints of brown. There are many subtle qualities to the color of this ink that really appeal to me. I am a big fan of earth-tone colors, but I often find them muddy and unfulfilling as fountain pen inks. I think Montblanc have done a great job at keeping this ink from becoming dull and flat, but instead have created a color that is unassuming, yet possesses some of the timeless qualities of da Vinci’s original drawings.

At first, I was rather unmoved by the ink, but the more time I spent with it, the more I began to appreciate it. The ink is not waterproof in the slightest and becomes illegible when exposed to water. The shading can be quite nice in the right pen. Dry times are average, and I did experience quite a bit of railroading when flexing, but this may not be indicative of any flow issues as I had none in my non-flex pens.

It’s a lovely dusty reddish brown that I recommend picking up while you still can!

 

Montblanc Leonardo Red Chalk review

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Montblanc Lavender Purple

Montblanc Lavender PurpleMontblanc Lavender Purple bottle

 

 

Montblanc Lavender Purple went through a bit of an ordeal in late 2013 as it was pulled from shelves, much to the consumers confusion. Reports and speculations poured in and many incongruous theories popped up as to why it was disappearing. Some said they heard it was a viscosity issue, other reports said the formula was being altered for color sustainability, and some even heard the ink was going to be discontinued. Regardless of the reason, the loss of Lavender Purple left many Montblanc ink users disappointed. Then in early 2014, Montblanc quietly re-released the Lavender Purple ink and it started to work its way back into the stocks of suppliers. The ink made its return as if nothing had happened, much to the joy of those who love a delicious, warm purple ink.

Although I find the name of “lavender” to be a bit misleading, the ink is a very beautiful and juicy shade of purple. It reminds me of the juice from blueberries or a deep grape color. The color is warm and inviting and it lays down on the paper with some lovely shading. Lavender Purple is very well behaved like most Montblanc inks, and I did not get any bleeding with normal writing on Rhodia or copy paper. The dry time is surprisingly fast, but exposure to water pretty much obliterated the ink from the page. Overall, I would definitely recommend this ink if you are looking for a reliable, warm purple ink.

Montblanc_Lavender_Purple_review

 

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