I’ve been blogging about pens and ink for seven years and this is the first time I’ve tried a Montegrappa ink. Its safe to say, “Its about time!” So, my first bottle is the Montegrappa Violet (50ml $20).
Bottle rating? A+. Those Italians know a thing or two about making things look fabulous. The faceted glass bottle is elegant and classic and the matching facted top with gold coin logo is bellissima! The grippy gear at the bottom makes it possible to open and close the bottle even if your fingers are wet. Engineering points too!
I had fun using Montegrappa Violet as a watercolor. I was able to pull some of the pink out around the edges and get to see exactly how vivid and rich this ink is. Montegrappa Violet is a very saturated ink. In some ways it almost looks indigo its so rich.
In writing, especially with a flex nib, the color is so deep that there is not a lot of shading but it does give a good rich color that is very vibrant. If you are looking for a vibrant color for a fine nib, I think this would be a great option. It flows beautifully. And once dry, it does not move much so while its not a permanent or iron gall ink, it will survive an errant raindrop or drip from your beverage.
I realized that I didn’t have a lot of royal purples in my ink arsenal. Montegrappa Violet and Waterman Tender Purple are pretty similar but Tender Purple has a distinct green/gold sheen. All the other purples and violets in my collection were more reddish and purple and less violet.
While Montegrappa’s inks aren’t a titillating as the hot, sheening inks coming out of Australia or one of the FOMO colors from an itty bitty Japanese stationery shop, these colors are likely to be around for a long time and provide stable quality for a company that prides itself on heritage and craftsmanship.
There are seven other colors in the Montegrappa ink line to provide a good assortment of classic colors in classic bottles guaranteed to Montegrappa’s exacting standards.
DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by Kenro Industries for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
Thanks for this review. I’m really enjoying Montegrappa Blue, and while I’m not generally a purple ink guy, the Violet—like the blue-blackish Blue—has such a classic, vintage look to it that I’m tempted.
Your excellent photographs, writing samples and sketches help.