thINKthursday
Monteverde Ocean Noir

Take your writing to new depths with Monteverde Ocean Noir.

thINKthursday – Monteverde Ocean Noir

Monteverde has added 10 Noir inks to their already extensive lineup of ink. These new inks are generally on the darker side and offer a muted palette. Ocean Noir is a rich, dark blue that’s pretty and practical. Monteverde inks come in a 30ml glass bottle that is easy to fill from, and are well priced at $8. This review was done with a Sailor Pro Gear F, Lamy AL-Star B and on Rhodia blank No. 18 paper.

One might think that with noir after its, name Ocean Noir would be a blue-black, but it is all blue. The ink is highly saturated and doesn’t display much shading. In a fine nib the ink is a uniform dark navy. In the broad nib there is some slight shading that shows a lighter azure blue before shading to a dark navy. Ocean Noir does have a nice red/golden sheen that was achievable with a broad nib on Rhodia paper.

Monteverde inks come with an ITF (ink treatment formula) that purports to add lubrication and helps prevent the ink from drying out on the nib. I don’t know what this ITF actually is, but Monteverde inks do perform well. Ocean Noir had excellent flow with no feathering or bleedthrough on Rhodia paper. It is a highly saturated ink, but the dry times were good at 20-30 seconds. The ink had no water resistance, but clean up was easy.

If you like the color, then Ocean Noir will be a great workhorse ink. The color is workplace appropriate and the sheen gives it a little fun for all your other writing needs. If you’re looking for a blue, then Ocean Noir has the performance and price that make it an ink to consider.

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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