Montblanc Elixir Calligraphy Inks - Black & Yellow Gold

Montblanc is always launching new stuff - pens, notebooks, accessories, inks, all that stuff. They've really been pumping out the inks lately and it's hard to keep up. One of the coolest things they've done as of late, in my humble opinion, is the Calligraphy line up. I've done a video of the Meisterstück 149 Calligraphy Flex pen before and I show the inks but at the time, the focus was really on the pens.

To complement the Meisterstück Calligraphy Collection, two permanent inks, inspired by the old India ink, one of the oldest and most durable pigments, have been created. Permanent ink contains more solids than other inks, which build up inside the fountain pen over time. The water in the ink, which causes it to flow, evaporates, leaving behind soot and sediment that line the capillary grooves of the ink regulator and the fine capillaries of the piston filling mechanism. For this reason, it is important to clean the fountain pen with lukewarm water after every use of permanent ink to keep it in perfect condition. - Montblanc

Both inks have an awesome matte finish. The black is a really solid black color for those that love a pure black for their writing. Shading is virtually non existent and it offers some solid coverage. The yellow gold is a very pretty color, showing some shading and still holding that matte effect. Both inks have the kind of flow you would expect of a "sootier" ink - they're a little slower to flow so I was not expecting either ink to gush from my pens. I ended up putting it in a higher end piston-filler (see below - the actual Montblanc Calligraphy flex pen!) and it was not as difficult to clean out as I expected. I was just sure to use the pen daily and not let the ink dry out. As soon as it ran dry, I flushed it out - no leaving it in that to-clean pile for days. Or weeks. I wasn't worried about putting it in pens I could disassemble to clean. Sometimes the simple systems are best! Yay eyedroppers!

I like the appearance of the boxes and bottles. Super clean and classy. Stack and store easily in drawers and on shelves. They're not flashy. The bottles are easy to fill from because they have nice open mouths and deep bodies.

They are pricy as heck. You're looking at around $60USD per bottle. They are certainly unusual and unique, and offer a completely different writing experience and effect. They do take some extra care and attention. I appreciate having the opportunity to give them a shot - thank you to Appelboom for providing these bottles to me. You can browse the Montblanc inks at Appelboom here!