thINKthursday
Montblanc UNICEF

Montblanc’s partnership with UNICEF aims to foster primary education and literacy for children around the world – and has the added benefit of providing a great ink.

thINKthursday – Montblanc UNICEF Blue

I love Montblanc’s standard lineup of inks, but their limited editions can be hit or miss. Luckily UNICEF Blue (actually turquoise) delivers in both color and performance. UNICEF comes in a unique 50ml glass bottle that is the same square shape as other limited release inks, but bigger! The bottle is absolutely gorgeous and (even if the ink wasn’t terrific) is be reason enough to get this ink – thankfully the ink is pretty! The only downside is the price, which is slightly hefty at $39. But for a beautiful turquoise ink, a fantastic bottle, and a good cause (UNICEF) – the price is stomach-able.  This review was done with a Sailor Pro Gear F, Lamy Studio B, and on Rhodia No 18 blank paper.

UNICEF is a striking turquoise that has a nice range of colors. In a fine nib the color is uniform but is still a very appealing dark robin’s egg color. In a broader nib the ink shades well and brings a spectrum of colors from a light cyan to richer cerulean blues. When applied with a brush or Q-tip, there were some area’s with red sheen, but I could not achieve this with a fountain pen.

Like nearly all other Montblanc inks, UNICEF performed excellently. The flow was good and there was no feathering or bleedthrough on Rhodia paper. Dry times were fine at 20-25 seconds and there was a moderate amount of shading with the right nib. While UNICEF didn’t have any water resistance, clean up was a breeze.

If you like the color or the bottle or both, I would act quickly. This ink isn’t likely to last very long. The turquoise is a beautiful color that’s passable as workplace appropriate in a fine nib. As an added bonus, 3% of proceeds from UNICEF products go to the cause.

As with any ink review, the pen, paper, and person doing the writing will influence the way the ink looks. If you’re not sure about a color, try a sample to see if it’s the one for you.

Ink it Up!
Chris

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