Montblanc Golden Yellow

So, I wasn't expecting to like this ink at all. It's yellow. My suspicion was that it was going to be too light for me to use for much of anything. In fact, it was the one limited edition from Montblanc that I was going to skip on purpose.

I sure am glad that Appelboom Pennen offered to send it to me for review. I'd have missed out on something really cool.

Golden Yellow is much more golden than it is yellow, I think. It's got an orange cast that reminds me of marigolds. I kinda love marigolds, so that's a huge plus for me. They're summery, they smell great, and they have all sorts of benefits to your garden. This isn't an ink that I'm going to use all the time, but it's certainly one that I'll use. I've been using it to grade some papers this last week, and it's pretty perfect for that.



Written Review

Close-Ups

I took these pictures in some indirect sunlight today, and it makes the paper look just a little bit creamy. I think it's okay, though, as the ink color looks right. 

A Terrible Drawing of a Marigold:
 Whatever. It's not that bad.

Copy Paper Test

 One of the best things about this ink is that there's not even a little bit of bleed.

Packaging?
 It's the same sort of design as the Pink Ink that they did last year. It's also the same bottle that is pretty common in the limited edition line.

Chromatography!

Color Comparisons

Extra color comparisons? I got those. 

I'm really excited about that Akkerman Oranje Boven. It's really striking.

Water Drop Test & Video Review

Thanks again to Appelboom for sending this out to me. It's a really interesting ink, and worth picking up if you're looking for an orangy-yellow for your collection. It comes in 30ml bottles for about $20 or so.

(If you're in the US, then check it out at Anderson Pens where it goes for $17. )

Akkerman #10 Ijzer-Galnoten

Hi folks!
I'm back! I meant to be pack to regular posting much more quickly after xmas, but I got hit with a pretty terrible cold right after I posted that last video. If you watch the video at the bottom of the post you'll hear my awesome cough. That's the best I've sounded in a week. Yeah. And I'm a guy who talks for a living. It's been a rough week.

On to the ink!

The latest Akkerman ink I'm bringing you is an iron gall ink that  undergoes a massive color-shift as it dries. The smear on the left is about 3 days old, and the one on the right is fresh from the sample vial. Whoa, right? It goes from a really nice blue to a really nice blueish-grey. I actually really like the way that both of these colors look on the page. In the smears, the grey side looks like it might be a little too light to read, but it's really not.

Where this ink really stands out, though, is in the performance. It writes on weak paper without any bleed, feathering, or spreading. It dries quickly. It is totally waterproof. What else could you want?


Close-Ups

Color Comparisons!

 Salix is another iron gall ink that's pretty commonly available in the US. It's not as dark as the Akkerman ink, but it performs similarly well on cheap papers.

The extra bit on the right side is a fresh squiggle of this ink for comparison. 

 Copy Paper Test!

 This is awesome, right? Not a bit coming through, even with broad, wet nibs. Perfect performance.

Chromatography!
 I don't know what that brownish stain is, but maybe it's something that's not very visible in the ink? Otherwise, just blues with a touch of grey.

Water Test & Video Review

This is what that little grid looks like after water was applied. Nothing moved. There's a little tiny smear at the bottom center, but that's some fine water-resistance if you ask me.

Check this ink out at Anderson Pens. They provided these samples for review, and they're one of only a couple of places that sell this ink in the US. If you're in Netherlands, then get over to Akkerman's store.

This ink comes in a really cool 60ml bottle for $29 or a 3ml sample for $2. You won't find these listed on the regular site, so you'll have to follow my links. Tell them you came from my blog!



**While this ink was provided free for review purposes, everything above is based on my own use and observation. No cash changed hands, and I'm as unbiased as I can be.**

"Where've you been, Mike?"

 Click here to see it on my YouTube channel.