thINKthursday
Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Bordeaux

Have a glass, or a bottle of Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Bordeaux.

Rohrer & Klingner always seem to fly under the radar, but a lot of their inks are staples on my ink shelf. In my mind, Alt-Bordeaux is one of the quintessential burgundy inks. It is a beautiful plum-Merlot color that looks great in fine and broad nibs. R & K inks are exceptionally priced at $12 for a 50ml bottle. The round glass bottle has a slimmer neck with a metal cap, but it is still easy to fill from. This review was done with a Sailor 1911 F, Lamy Studio B and on Rhodia blank No. 18 paper.

Alt-Bordeaux is actually a lighter, more purple color than a standard Bordeaux (maybe that’s were the alt comes from?). It shades well in both a fine and broad nib and displays a similar range of colors. At its lightest, it is actually a cherry blossom pink. From there it shades to darker plum and mulberry colors. The ink finishes as a traditional Bordeaux color.

I’ve been impressed with R & K properties and Alt-Bordeaux is no exception. The ink flowed well with no feathering or bleedthrough on Rhodia paper. Alt-Bordeaux is moderately saturated but produces some nice shading. While it doesn’t have much water resistance, clean up is easy.

I think Alt-Bordeaux hits all the right spots. It has softer pink and purple tones but still offers a darker robust appearance. You’re going to get the same characteristics of this ink in whatever nibs size you put it in. And most importantly, it just writes well.

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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