thINKthursday
Montblanc Blue Hour
Montblanc Blue Hour fountain pen ink has been available for a while now, but it won’t be around forever so we wanted to give it a closer look while you can still get your hands on some. Blue Hour refers to the time of day when the sun is below the horizon line, which causes the sky to become a rich blue. The ink comes in Montblanc’s beautiful square 30ml bottle, with a geometric pattern on the outside cardboard box. This review was done with a Monteverde Invincia Fine nib, Lamy AL-Star Broad nib and on Rhodia no.18 blank paper.
The inspiration for Blue Hour is it’s namesake, and Montblanc really got to the essence of that color. The ink is a darker blue, with strong green undertones that lean toward teal.
In a fine nib, the ink looks like a basic blue-black, but still shades decently. In a broader nib the ink shades very well, and it really brings out the complexity of the ink color.
Areas where the ink pools have a definite teal color, that is set off by light blue. There is some red sheen on the swab tests, but it doesn’t come through in a meaningful way when writing.
Some users have mentioned that the ink looks fairly washed out, but I tend to disagree. It is not the most saturated ink, but that accurately captures the ephemeral nature of the blue hour – and in broader nibs the ink has a strong presence.
Like all Montblanc ink, Blue Hour has good flow, although a little longer dry time than some others.
It did not stand up well to water, but the drip test did reveal the green and yellow colors present in the ink. Clean up was easy, and there was little bleed-through.
We have a very limited quantity of bottles left, and once they’re gone, they’re gone. Reviews for this ink have been mixed, but I’ve enjoyed using it ever since it came out. If you’re looking for an interesting color, Blue Hour is perfect for any situation.
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 color for you.
Ink it Up!
Chris
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