Posts filed under Montblanc

Montblanc Manganese Orange Ink Review

Montblanc Manganese Orange was released in 2019, in conjunction with the Montblanc Pix Orange Ballpoint. Wait, a fountain pen ink was launched to mark the release of a ballpoint? I can’t find a similar fountain pen to match, so yeah, maybe so?

Or, more likely, it is my excuse to understand how an orange ink fan like myself missed a bright orange ink release by a major company. Yeah, the ballpoint threw me off. That’s what it was!

In reality, there are a lot of products launched every year, and with Montblanc Lucky Orange released two years prior, a new, similar looking orange from the company with the snowcap flew under my radar. It took a spin around the Atlanta Pen Show a month ago to run across a bottle of this ink stacked on the Dromgoole’s ink shelf. A quick look at how bright it was, and it was an easy purchase.

The main question I had about Manganese, aside from how I missed it, is how different it is than Lucky Orange. Given Montblanc’s repeated reissuing, repackaging, and renaming of existing ink formulas, that’s right where my mind went. Is this Lucky Orange in a new box?

I was assured it wasn’t, and that turned out to be the case. Lucky Orange is a nice, bright orange. Manganese is a nice, BRIGHT, orange. There is a visible difference to junkies like me, but is there enough of a difference to separate it from an already saturated orange ink contingency?

Once I inked it up, I was instantly drawn to it. It leans towards that searing, almost neon orange look that I see in Akkerman #16 Oranje Boven. It’s bright, that’s for sure. And usable, too. On the page, it does tone down the nuclear glow that I was seeing at first, simply making it a standout color.

But I’m not sure you need it if you already have something close. Montblanc Inks are some of the best on the market and fairly priced to boot. This bottle is $26 for 60 ml, with Lucky Orange, when originally available, priced at $19 for 30 ml. The beautiful 60 ml Akkerman bottle is slightly more at $30.

All of this is to say that I like Manganese Orange, and would recommend it if you don’t have something in this range. If you already have a similar orange, I’m not sure it is a difference maker.

Notes on the pen, nib, and paper used in this review: I bought my Franklin-Christoph Model 46 in Olivae at the Atlanta Pen Show as well. It is fitted with a black-plated steel EF nib with a SIG grind done by the Nib Doctor Audrey Matteson. This is a near-perfect nib setup for my writing style, and it will be in heavy rotation.

The two notebooks are the Yoseka Notebook for the line art, and The Paper Mind for writing and ink samples.

(I purchased this ink from Dromgoole’s at the 2022 Atlanta Pen Show.)

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Posted on May 2, 2022 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Montblanc, Ink Reviews.

Old but New to Me: 1970s Montblanc 149

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

Let me introduce you to Walter, my 1970s Montblanc 149. I looked long and hard for just the right 149. I knew I didn’t want a modern one. I wanted one that was lovingly used with a 14k nib with some bounce to it.

I chanced upon some desirable Montblancs on the Fountain Pen Geeks “For Sale” forum. But they were all sold before I could snag one. The seller, Barry Gabay, let me know that he had some others I might be interested in. Sure enough, he had a 1970s Montblanc 149 with a bouncy 14k nib. I bought it, completely unaware that I was purchasing it from the editor of Pen World Magazine!

When the pen arrived, I immediately fell in love. When I fall in love with a pen, I usually give it a name. There was no question he would be named “Walter.” I am a rabid Breaking Bad fan, and this gorgeous black 149 made me think of Walter White in his Heisenberg Pork Pie hat.

Of course, my Walter isn’t an evil meth maker, he’s just an innocent victim of my fountain pen addiction.

Like Walter White, my Walter has a few bruises and scars. These do not bother me in the least--in fact, I love that Walter’s finish bears marks of use. It gives him character.

The 149 is a large pen, measuring 5.8 inches/147mm capped, 5.2 inches/132mm uncapped, and 6.6 inches/168mm posted. It is perfectly balanced, and I adore large pens. My 149 has plastic piston threads, and the piston works flawlessly--as smooth as Heisenberg talking himself out of a tight situation.

The cap has a simple clip, somewhat brassed, but that’s what a rough life will do to you. The cap ring is engraved with Montblanc Meisterstück No. 149. “Germany” appears in tiny letters on the clip band.

The most stunning thing about any MB 149 is the enormous nib. This gorgeous hunk of 14k gold is tritone with beautiful scrollwork, the Montblanc logo, and the number 4810 (the height in meters of Mont Blanc).

The nib is a medium and is juicy, smooth, and bouncy. The solid ebonite feed supplies plenty of Kobe Mikage Grey ink to the nib. Walter is a delightful writer. He and I have collaborated on some rather dark poetry and prose.

I know some people think that Montblancs are overrated and ostentatious. I disagree. Even though the pen is large and can command attention, the simplicity of this black and gold cigar-shaped pen also allows it to be classic and stealthy--like black Ray-Bans over piercing green eyes. Yes. Go ahead and say it: “I am the danger.”

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Posted on April 5, 2019 by Susan Pigott and filed under Montblanc, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Montblanc Irish Green Ink Giveaway Winner

Would you be surprised if I told you Montblanc fountain pen inks are some of the best bang for your buck inks on the market? Yeah, me too. Their stock inks like Lavender Purple, Toffee Brown, and Oyster Grey are popular for good reason. I wanted to send a bottle of Irish Green out into the world this week, and the winner is: