Mystery Ink #22

[Scooby921]

Finally time for another mystery ink.

As with any mystery ink it is open to FPG veterans, n00bs, newbies, and lurkers. You volunteer, I pick names, I send free ink, you write with it and post your thoughts and observations. Guessing is welcome, but not required. There is nothing to "win" aside from personal satisfaction that you recognized it. No guess is confirmed until the mystery ink is finally revealed. The point of the mystery ink threads is an unbiased review. Fear not about the quality of your handwriting or sketching abilities. We don't care. We are all appreciative of those with the gift of artistic ability, but how well you draw or write doesn't impact your ability to test an ink and provide your opinion on it.

I only have plans through round #23. If you've been sitting on the sidelines time to hop off the fence and join in before your opportunity disappears!

[suzy01]

Yay another round. :) I think I have this one already so I'm in :)

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

[Sailor Kenshin]

I'd like to play, unless there are too many applicants. Thanks, Scooby!

[Chrissy]

I think I might have this one, so I can play. :applause: Thank you Scooby. :)

[azkid]

I'm in as long as I am not taking an opportunity away from newcomers.

[countrydirt]

I'll join, with the same stipulation as azkid, don't choose me if it displaces a newcomer.

[KKay]

Same here.

[Scooby921]

I'm out of town for the week. I'll leave this open for any other volunteers until Thursday. If we get any n00bs it should leave me time to procure an address and ship everything on Saturday.

[mulrich]

Unfortunately my schedule will likely be too busy for me to participate this time around (one more month and life gets closer to normal) but I look forward to seeing the reviews.

[Pterodactylus]

Hi Scooby,
I would also like to play again if you find an open slot for me, so please accept my formal application :)

Thanks again for hosting the game for us. :fans::fans::fans:

[Scooby921]

Ok, everyone is in. I'll get them in the mail as soon as I can.

[Scooby921]

Ok, so inks didn't get mailed out this weekend. After working 14 hour days for the week I decided to be a vegetable on the weekend. I'm attempting to put ink into vials right now, but it's 8:00pm and within the last 3 hours I have polished off a delicious bottle of shiraz...by myself. I can't guarantee that everyone gets exactly 3mL of ink :bounce:

[Scooby921]

Aaaaaaaaaannnddd that's the last of this bottle of ink. Enjoy!

[Scooby921]

Packages did get mailed out this week. I think most in the USA should see them by Monday or Tuesday (hopefully sooner). Ptero, your package went out two days earlier than the rest, but I recall it taking a few extra days to clear customs the last time I sent ink. I hope it gets to you by next Friday. I can send you a USPS tracking link if you'd like to keep an eye on it.

[KKay]

Scooby, mine showed up quickly. I was too tired when I got home to ink it up. I will do it this weekend. Some of the ink did leak out though, which was strange. It was taped up rather well, as usual. I can't tell where it is coming from. I think it was crushed a little bit. I still have enough to ink up a pen though.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Thanks, Scooby, for letting me try 22. It was late when I got the sample, the loaded pen didn't want to write, so I let it sit overnight in hopes that it would be an easier start the next day.

http://extras.ourpatioparty.com/files/4115/4250/2893/Mystery_Ink_022-640p.jpg

The paper-towel chroma went down flat, but when dry, it developed a fascinating, chalky, gun-blue center.

http://extras.ourpatioparty.com/files/6415/4249/3778/Mystery_Ink_Chroma_022-640p.jpg

Will test it on other papers and render further verdicts.

[KKay]

Sailor, I think it is a dark gray. At first it looked dark green to almost black on one paper. The second paper looked dark gray, kind of like Fog Grey. (DeAtramentis) I have written with it on two papers so far. I have not had hard starts, and it isn't too wet for my pen.

[azkid]

Well this is an interesting ink. I thought it was black before I wrote with it. But it is dark grey.

The first thing I observed is how it didn't cling to the sides of the vial. Like, at all. I think this means it has very high surface tension.

Holding it up to light, it has a brownish tinge versus a bluish one.

I loaded it into my Pilot Elite, wrote in a Clairefontaine 1951 Papier Velouté notebook and discovered the ink is a shading, warm, smoky, dark grey that pools up on the page and takes forever to dry (I gave up at 90 seconds). It seemed to flow well but the pen had some hard starting, partly the fault of the nib.

In my Jinhao 8802 it worked well. Generous flow but well controlled in pen and on the page. The shading is easy to notice, but without being distractingly dramatic.

The multiple pass test didn't show much difference between 2 and 3 but a contrast between 1 and 2 only.

I also tried the ink on some cheap notepad paper with unexpected results. The ink immediately soaked into the page with a little feathering, drying quickly to a light gray, much lighter than on the fancy paper.

I also tried on Rhodia and gave up waiting for it to dry and used blotter paper.

On my Esterbrook #048 nib the ink formed distinct, round droplets like rain on a freshly waxed car. As opposed to clinging to the metal. Strangest thing I've seen, ink-wise.

Some ink got on my finger. Washing it off was pretty easy, requiring brief, light scrubbing.

I'll post up waterfastness results and other tests or thoughts later.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181118/ab93739bdd1810f0969eca99a8768293.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181118/02b6476d032293a472842100fbdbbe76.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181118/0bb5764cb282af68a46e4490b73198b5.jpg

[azkid]

Waterproof test shows the ink is somewhat resistant to droplets and also resists complete washing off; a remnant remains on the paper.

Some inks I've tested, once exposed to droplets, release their dye into a big blob making the writing illegible unless the dye is completely washed off. MI 22 doesn't seem as prone to this issue.

I compared it to MB Permanent Black (totally waterproof) and another ink that I swore was Quink. I don't have my fill notebook with me. I will edit with corrections if need be.

Before:https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181118/37458547dcb2c91f1705c5288d04e885.jpg
After:https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181118/40bef254067bace85bde98670f583453.jpg

**Edited to add**

I haven't used the ink too much yet. Initially, I like the shading and the dark grey. I've never used a dark grey ink before, unless you count Quink Black. :D The way it pools up is kind of cool too.

The impractically long dry time is my biggest complaint. Inks that take more than 20 seconds to dry make a mess of my work notebooks. A full minute is already beyond the pale. And this ink may go two minutes for all I know.

I expect a pen that flowed less would allow a faster dry time. I bet I would lose the shading, though.

I would need to test for hard starting with other pens, next. I have a feeling this ink's high surface tension means it is much less tolerant of baby's bottom when writing on smooth paper. That's just a theory, though.

With the other dark grey inks out there to choose from, I am guessing this one wouldn't be the best fit for most of my pens.

[KKay]

43546
Overall I like the ink for performance, except the slow dry times. The color just didn't do it for me. I had zero issues with it besides this so far. I got ink on my hands, and it was easy to wash off. The paper I used in the photo was Maruman Mnemosyne. It was a little darker on average quality copy paper, and performed well on HP 32# paper. A good workhorse ink, but not a buy for me.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I tried MI 22 on Staples Bagasse paper (in a letter), and it has that same light gray look as yours. Interesting!

[KKay]

Yes, it was lighter on that paper than other papers I tried it on for some reason.

[Scooby921]

I guess I need to use this on some other papers. I've been using my normal Apica notebook for my sample and review and the ink is darker and dries very quickly.

[azkid]

I just tried it on one of my Apica notebooks. Took a lot less time to dry. I didn't time it but it was still long compared to my other inks. I need to try a drier pen I guess.

Edit: surprisingly fast dry times on Clairefontaine Vélin Velouté. More hard starting too. Minimal feathering.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181119/8823f340ddf11bb0f2e9be5b0ba80886.jpg

[Scooby921]

I'm early this time!

Pen:
Montblanc 145 / Chopin with medium cursive italic

Paper:
Apica Notepad
Rhodia Meeting Notebook
Black n' Red Notebook
Clairefontaine 1951 Notepad

As noted in my written review below I believe the pen had another ink dried up in the feed which I didn't get completely cleaned out after a previous inking. The mystery ink did get darker after a few sentences and was consistently darker thereafter. On the Apica paper (uncoated, very absorbent) it was dry in under 10 seconds (for me). This pen isn't necessarily a wet writer. It's tuned to be somewhere in the middle, but I do write with a heavier hand which tends to put more ink on the paper than most others. Thus I'm surprised that people are seeing longer dry times on absorbent paper than what I get with a medium nib and heavy hand. On coated papers I do concur with others. The dry time is excessively long...60+ seconds. This is entirely unacceptable for a daily use ink which needs to be dry before you turn the page in the notebook. It is not out of character for this brand though as I have another ink from this manufacturer which acts similarly and never dries.


https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=43568&d=1542646419

https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=43569&d=1542646443

https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=43570&d=1542646453

https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=43571&d=1542646465

I let the water soak for several seconds, then blotted with a napkin, and without removing it from the page gave it a wipe. Ink stayed, paper got soft and started to fall apart.
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=43572&d=1542646473



https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=43573&d=1542646484

https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=43574&d=1542646491

Phone camera white balance is terrible as this is white paper and photographed at the same time, under the same light as all of the other pics.
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=43575&d=1542646498

[FredRydr]

This looks good enough to buy!

[Pterodactylus]

Looks interesting, unfortunately I did not received the sample yet. :cry:
I guess the Austrian customs holding it again, as an ink sample from a sender in the US is obviously a really suspicious and dangerous good, which has to be examined for a long time. :facepalm: :crazy:

Looking forward every day to get it and test it.

[Scooby921]

Looks interesting, unfortunately I did not received the sample yet. :cry:
I guess the Austrian customs holding it again, as an ink sample from a sender in the US is obviously a really suspicious and dangerous good, which has to be examined for a long time. :facepalm: :crazy:

Looking forward every day to get it and test it.
I will dig around when I get home and send you the tracking number. The postal service hasn't logged any of my online shipments / purchases to my account since July. For older shipments I can click links and find tracking numbers. Not for this one. Luckily I printed the label too large the first time and had to print a second one, so I do have a copy of the customs / tracking number somewhere in the trash bin at home.

[KKay]

Scooby, I did find that the ink was darker for me on Tomoe River paper, but not nearly as dark as some of your writing. I did slightly shake the ink as usual, before I filled the pen. I had some decent shading with this ink too, on the non-absorbent paper. When I first used it, it reminded me of Fog Grey by DeAtramentis. I had a sample of it from a good while back. The last ink that was in the pen I used was a sample of Baltic Memories by KWZ. (I had cleaned the pen and stored it) When I got the sample from you, I filled it in that same stub pen. When it showed lighter gray on the Maruman Mnemosyne, it reminded me of Lexington Gray. My Lexington Gray is darker than this sample though. My sample did leak, so maybe I am not getting a full representation of the proper ink color.

[Chrissy]

Thank you for sending me this ink sample Scooby. :thank_you2: So far I've only written with MI#22 on my Rhodia DotPad.

I see the brownish tinge, but it's still just another grey ink for me. Notably very wet and takes a long time to dry, but also waterproof. It's not a brand I regularly use, but my first guess would be that it might be made by De Atramentis.

43599

[azkid]

Great reviews! This has been a fun one for me. I find this ink bewitching. I want it to work better on all my paper.

I feel this could be GvFC Stone Grey looking through some reviews. The color and range of shades and dry times puts it in the realm of plausibility.

It actually works just fine on my dot pad bullet journals so I ended up using it for work yesterday. The hard starting is quite frustrating, however.

[Scooby921]

Great reviews! This has been a fun one for me. I find this ink bewitching. I want it to work better on all my paper.

I feel this could be GvFC Stone Grey looking through some reviews. The color and range of shades and dry times puts it in the realm of plausibility.

It actually works just fine on my dot pad bullet journals so I ended up using it for work yesterday. The hard starting is quite frustrating, however.
I find the hard starts an interesting problem. I've had the ink in my pen for several weeks now, and even after sitting for a few days unused over a weekend I haven't had issues with hard starts. I have noticed the ink coming out almost oily though, like it doesn't want to stick to the paper. I marked it down as hand oils on top of coated paper (black n' red pad) making it difficult for the nib and ink to develop any friction and coax the ink out of the pen. This was only an issue on the lower half of a page where my hand was resting while writing on the top half. I haven't encountered this at all with the uncoated Apica paper used for the majority of my review. I'll have to spend a bit more time with this pen, ink, and a coated paper.

[Pterodactylus]

Scooby, does it look like this?

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/751/23155673786_3225a6dbee_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BhbT5W)Noodlers_response_06 (https://flic.kr/p/BhbT5W) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/117783735@N07/), auf Flickr

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5717/22885938940_7c520f1c8b_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ASmqj9)Noodlers_response_03 (https://flic.kr/p/ASmqj9) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/117783735@N07/), auf Flickr

And result finally in something like this if you touch the writing?

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5636/22813786049_1250eaeb34_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/AKYBLM)Noodlers_response_05 (https://flic.kr/p/AKYBLM) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/117783735@N07/), auf Flickr


These things I observe with Noodler’s Apache Sunset and Golden Brown after letting them sit in a pen for a longer time (typically 3-4 weeks).
These Noodler’s inks turn into a oily sticky fluid (can´t call this ink anymore),which still writes, but will never ever dry on the paper anymore.

I only observed such quality issues with the mentioned Noodler’s inks (I don’t know if this happens also with other Noodler’s inks if you let them sit unused in a pen for several weeks as I do not have many Noodler’s inks), I never saw something extreme like this with inks from other manufacturers.

So if what you observe is similar to what you see above, then I would immediately guess that the MI22 ink is a Noodler’s ink despite I don’t even received the sample yet.

[Chrissy]

Great reviews! This has been a fun one for me. I find this ink bewitching. I want it to work better on all my paper.

I feel this could be GvFC Stone Grey looking through some reviews. The color and range of shades and dry times puts it in the realm of plausibility.

It actually works just fine on my dot pad bullet journals so I ended up using it for work yesterday. The hard starting is quite frustrating, however.
I find the hard starts an interesting problem. I've had the ink in my pen for several weeks now, and even after sitting for a few days unused over a weekend I haven't had issues with hard starts. I have noticed the ink coming out almost oily though, like it doesn't want to stick to the paper. I marked it down as hand oils on top of coated paper (black n' red pad) making it difficult for the nib and ink to develop any friction and coax the ink out of the pen. This was only an issue on the lower half of a page where my hand was resting while writing on the top half. I haven't encountered this at all with the uncoated Apica paper used for the majority of my review. I'll have to spend a bit more time with this pen, ink, and a coated paper.
I didn't experience a hard start either, and after reading the reviews that were already on this thread, I left my ink fill in the pen for 24 hours before writing with it. However, I have experienced the hard start problem you describe, on the lower half of an A4 sheet of Tomoe River paper, when I'm writing on the top half and resting my hand on the lower half. I sometimes add a random piece of paper to rest my hand on for that reason.

[azkid]

Btw, what I am calling hard starting is that ink is reluctant to flow when first starting a stroke, regardless of how long ago ink last flowed from the nib (be it half a second or a day).

One pen may be partly to blame. The other hasn't had any issues with any of several other inks I have tried. This makes me think that the ink is at least partly to blame.

Theory: surface tension may be pulling it up into the nib and away from the paper more than do other inks that tend to cling to and spread across surfaces to a greater degree.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I note that MI 22 was impossible to completely clean from my pipette, though to be fair, I had let it stand overnight in water.

[Scooby921]

Scooby, does it look like this?

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/751/23155673786_3225a6dbee_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BhbT5W)Noodlers_response_06 (https://flic.kr/p/BhbT5W) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/117783735@N07/), auf Flickr

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5717/22885938940_7c520f1c8b_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ASmqj9)Noodlers_response_03 (https://flic.kr/p/ASmqj9) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/117783735@N07/), auf Flickr

And result finally in something like this if you touch the writing?

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5636/22813786049_1250eaeb34_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/AKYBLM)Noodlers_response_05 (https://flic.kr/p/AKYBLM) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/117783735@N07/), auf Flickr


These things I observe with Noodler’s Apache Sunset and Golden Brown after letting them sit in a pen for a longer time (typically 3-4 weeks).
These Noodler’s inks turn into a oily sticky fluid (can´t call this ink anymore),which still writes, but will never ever dry on the paper anymore.

I only observed such quality issues with the mentioned Noodler’s inks (I don’t know if this happens also with other Noodler’s inks if you let them sit unused in a pen for several weeks as I do not have many Noodler’s inks), I never saw something extreme like this with inks from other manufacturers.

So if what you observe is similar to what you see above, then I would immediately guess that the MI22 ink is a Noodler’s ink despite I don’t even received the sample yet.
No, a better description is like oil on water sort of floating and more droplet-like than the thicker oil-based paint thickness you get from the Noodlers. I think it's actually a case of water on oil as it may be the oils from my hand rubbed onto the paper (lower half of page) and the ink beads up because it can't soak into the page.


Btw, what I am calling hard starting is that ink is reluctant to flow when first starting a stroke, regardless of how long ago ink last flowed from the nib (be it half a second or a day).

One pen may be partly to blame. The other hasn't had any issues with any of several other inks I have tried. This makes me think that the ink is at least partly to blame.

Theory: surface tension may be pulling it up into the nib and away from the paper more than do other inks that tend to cling to and spread across surfaces to a greater degree.That is what I consider a hard start. Can be the ink or the pen. Sometimes it's every stroke. Sometimes it's the first lettter of every sentence. Sometimes it's only the first word of the day after sitting over night. My Montblanc as a medium round nib was good until I found one ink which gave me hard start issues. The ink was fine in other pens, but unique enough to showcase the baby's bottom on the tip of the MB nib. I fixed the baby's bottom with a cursive italic grind. Organics Studio inks are a different story. Those dry up in the feed and prevent flow, causing increasingly worse hard starts until you need water on the nib to reconstitute the ink to get it to flow. Definitely an ink issue. Plenty of experiences between the two extremes.

I wasn't intending to say you're wrong or calling it something else. It's a phenomenon I haven't yet experienced with this ink. Thus I'm intrigued.

[azkid]

No worries, I just wanted to offer my definition in case I was misusing the term. :D

It is an interesting ink to be sure. I'll bet I can find a pen or two that don't have hard starts with this ink.

[Pterodactylus]

Today I received the MI22 sample.

I’m currently preparing my first sample.

I‘ve inked up a Montblanc Noblesse with a Medium nib.
The first scribbling showed me a very nice graphite like grey ink.
I would compare it to a soft graphite pencil.

I scribbled on Clairefontaine 90gsm paper and also noticed the longer dry time.
But it seems to be a really well behaving ink on the first look.
I do observe neither bleeding nor feathering nor show through on Clairefontaine..... I like it :)

My first sample that I‘m currently preparing is of course a sketch.
And there I noticed something unusual.
I‘ve mixed MI22 with water to get some different grey tones.
But already after quite a short time period pigment particles fell out of suspension (with the deluted ink).
I never observed something like that in that form with other inks.
If you stir the deluted ink it will get into suspension again for a short period of time.
It seems that the water can’t hold the ink ingredients in suspension.

Could it be that MI22 is not a dye based ink but a pigmented ink?

I also observed a light blue component of the ink, shown in the drawing when washed as well as in the Sediment of the deluted Ink.... looks imho quite pretty.

First when I saw it in my drawing I thought I maybe did not cleaned my pen well enough and it‘s a remaining of an previous ink in that pen, but It‘s also clearly visible in the deluted ink (only with water).
So this ink clearly has a light blue component.

[Pterodactylus]

Ok, now I´ve taken some macro shots from my used porcelain palette.

First the undeluted mystery ink #22:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4887/44264059060_b1d3a5f3e8_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2arsSC5)Undeluted Mystery Ink #22 (https://flic.kr/p/2arsSC5)


We see also here on the planes where it is already drying clearly the light blue.


Second the with a bit water deluted mystery ink #22:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4855/46030252012_88a85d0b10_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2d8x5fG)Deluted Mystery Ink #22 (https://flic.kr/p/2d8x5fG)


This is my favorite shot, you can clearly see the black and blue sedimentation.


And third mystery ink #22 even more deluted (a lot of water and only little ink):

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4809/32208938988_b2745985ab_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/R5ceqh)Even more deluted Mystery Ink#22 (https://flic.kr/p/R5ceqh)


Here we see again the sediments when the water can´t hold the ink ingredients in suspension.

[Voiren]

This is intriguing! That's a wide range of results you're all getting. I had a guess based on the grey-brown look, but I'm pretty sure now it isn't what I thought it could be.

[Pterodactylus]

Ok, here is my first MI#22 sample.

https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/intermediary/f/259fb5e6-8a21-42f5-a528-43fbc5b86e8d/dct454i-d8763fad-ebe8-4cba-835f-0f8d0ef5fd83.jpg (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus/art/Mystery-Ink-22-Worm-774496242)
Mystery Ink #22 Worm (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus/art/Mystery-Ink-22-Worm-774496242) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus) on DeviantArt

(Montblanc Noblesse 1122, Mystery Ink #22 provided by Scooby921)


The ink was quite nice to write (line art with the Noblesse).
I see quite a bit of blue tint on the line art.
The ink does not play too well with water.
I´ve prepared (as showed yesterday) several deluted versions for the painting.
When the ink was applied, it almost immediately is fixed on the paper and you can´t really reactivate it with a wash.
So smooth gradients are a bit difficult to achieve with this ink.
Nevertheless it behaves also when applied very generous very well.
There is no bleeding or feathering observable.

The ink (water) from yesterday on the porcelain palette (see post from yesterday) evapurated in the meanwhile.
But the ink did not dried, it got an oily consistency, it looks almost like dry but when you touch it you can see and feel that it got an oily consistency.
So together with the fact that water can´t held the ink particles in suspension my assumption is that this ink isn´t really water based.
It´s based on something else or a combination with something else.

This makes it a quite unusual ink.

But still it´s very peasant to write with, it behaves really well, looks nice, my intermediate verdict is: I like this ink :)

[Scooby921]

Assuming they find time to write and post, we're still awaiting feedback on MI #22 from Suzy and Sam.

[Pterodactylus]

I would appreciate to have several days left until you reveal it (about a week would be nice) to have enough time to test it.

[Scooby921]

No problem.



Adding to my review...

I haven't used my pens in about a week. I went to use the pen last night and the nib was a touch dry. The first stroke was just a few streaks of ink. Thankfully a couple taps of the nib on the paper and it was back to normal flow.

[Pterodactylus]

Thanks Scooby :)


https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4834/46106373841_8437a64d0c_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2dfgdC2)Mystery Ink #22 (https://flic.kr/p/2dfgdC2)

(Montblanc Noblesse 1122, Mystery Ink #22 provided by Scooby921)

Today I´ve wrote on a cheap quite absorbent paper for 2 reasons.

I already saw that the dry time on Clairefontaine is really long, so I thought it might be shorter on a much more absorbent paper.
Yes it seem to be shorter, but the dry time is still quite long.

Second I wanted to see how it behalves on this cheaper paper.
And I have to say that I can´t criticise it´s overall performance on this cheaper (but still ok) paper (I have much worse paper here which maybe will be more challenging for the ink later...... :butcher: )
So also on this paper no bleeding, no feathering, no show through, it was really good.

I see also quite a lot of shading, and the used Noblesse does not really stimulate shading as it is a nail nib.
So for using a nail nib the shown shading is quite respectable.


Btw. the ink on the porcelain palette did not changed it´s state, it´s still oily and sticky.
Maybe there is also another possible usecase for this ink.
If you let it dry on a smooth surface you could use it to capture fingerprints. :bounce:


Looking at the oily consistancy and that it does not mix with water well, I still tend to think that this ink is not from a major ink manufacturer.

My gut feeling still whispers "Noodlers" in my ear as this one man show seem to use a lot of chemicals to achieve special properties, and I saw an oily consistency and the fact that it does not dry forever already on Apache Sunset and Golden Brown.

[Chrissy]

Great reviews! This has been a fun one for me. I find this ink bewitching. I want it to work better on all my paper.

I feel this could be GvFC Stone Grey looking through some reviews. The color and range of shades and dry times puts it in the realm of plausibility.

It actually works just fine on my dot pad bullet journals so I ended up using it for work yesterday. The hard starting is quite frustrating, however.

GvFC Stone Grey is a regular water based ink so wouldn't have produced the results that Ptero found when water was added to it.

[KKay]

I was hoping the ink had been revealed by now. I still have a tiny bit of ink left in the pen. I like to add what the ink is with that pen for future reference. I think my favorite gray ink up until now is Papier Plume-Oyster Grey. (for looks) For a performing gray ink I like Noodler's-Lexington Gray. I did like GvFC-Stone Grey as well, it would take the number 3 spot. I have no idea what this Mystery Ink is, and it is bugging me. :confused:

[Sailor Kenshin]

I'm calling it Agent Smith. ;)

[Scooby921]

I was hoping the ink had been revealed by now. I still have a tiny bit of ink left in the pen. I like to add what the ink is with that pen for future reference. I think my favorite gray ink up until now is Papier Plume-Oyster Grey. (for looks) For a performing gray ink I like Noodler's-Lexington Gray. I did like GvFC-Stone Grey as well, it would take the number 3 spot. I have no idea what this Mystery Ink is, and it is bugging me. :confused:
I can send you the info in a private message if you'd like.

[Chrissy]

I was hoping the ink had been revealed by now. I still have a tiny bit of ink left in the pen. I like to add what the ink is with that pen for future reference. I think my favorite gray ink up until now is Papier Plume-Oyster Grey. (for looks) For a performing gray ink I like Noodler's-Lexington Gray. I did like GvFC-Stone Grey as well, it would take the number 3 spot. I have no idea what this Mystery Ink is, and it is bugging me. :confused:
I can send you the info in a private message if you'd like.
Me too please? :)

[KKay]

I was hoping the ink had been revealed by now. I still have a tiny bit of ink left in the pen. I like to add what the ink is with that pen for future reference. I think my favorite gray ink up until now is Papier Plume-Oyster Grey. (for looks) For a performing gray ink I like Noodler's-Lexington Gray. I did like GvFC-Stone Grey as well, it would take the number 3 spot. I have no idea what this Mystery Ink is, and it is bugging me. :confused:
I can send you the info in a private message if you'd like.

I would love that! Thank you.

[Pterodactylus]

Why are you so impatient.

https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/intermediary/f/259fb5e6-8a21-42f5-a528-43fbc5b86e8d/dctbqwm-4c433b6f-47f2-4841-b7ac-0db4a0424895.jpg (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus/art/Star-Wars-Jawa-774851062)
Star Wars - Jawa (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus/art/Star-Wars-Jawa-774851062) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus) on DeviantArt

(Montblanc Noblesse 1122, Mystery Ink #22 provided by Scooby921)


So here is another sketch with the MI#22.
I´ve adapted my working and tried to work mainly wet in wet as the ink bonds with the paper immediately when the paper is dry.

Still I think it behaves really good, the line art, done with the Montblanc Noblesse stays in place also when heavily washed, so even it is not 100% water smear proof I would rate this ink clearly as waterproof.

Btw. the eyes are Rohrer & Klingner Helianthus.

[Chrissy]

Why are you so impatient.

I don't think I am being impatient. This thread started on October 30th but I already had a sample of this ink sent to me with a previous sample. :)

[Pterodactylus]

Ok, as promised, the test of MI#22 on really FP unfriendly paper.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4872/46132817171_0ef3a6aaec_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2dhAKiv)Mystery Ink #22 on bad paper (front) (https://flic.kr/p/2dhAKiv)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4877/31193743417_e17489cc5c_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pwu69n)Mystery Ink #22 on bad paper (back) (https://flic.kr/p/Pwu69n)


Summary for those which can´t decipher my chicken scratch.

This is really a FP unfriendly paper most inks show weaknesses on this paper.
It brings also MI#22 to it´s limits.
I can see some feathering, on the back we see some show though and also bleed through.
I think MI#22 benefits from it´s not water based structure and that the ink immediately bonds with the paper.

I also wrote some comparision lines with other inks.
On the bottom we see 2 conventional water based ink from big players, J.Herbin Rose Cyclamen and Rohrer & Klingner Alt Goldgrün.
Both show significant problems on this paper, we see feathering, bleed and show through.

In between I wrote some lines with ESS Registrars Blue-Black, one of my all time favorite inks.
As expected this IG ink outperforms all other inks clearly, the typeface is perfect, the edges are razor sharp, we can´t see any feathering, see or show through.
A perfect result, even I´ve used a very flexible nib (EMS modified FPR nib) which lays down a very generous amount of ink.
But it´s really hard to beat the ESS ink or even roughly compete with it, as you almost can write on toilet paper with this ink.


So first place for the ESS ink (as expected), but a respectable second place for the MI#22 ink in this competition.
I think it is based on a cellulose binding chemical which helps here.

[suzy01]

Apologies for my delay, I've not been super well recently :( plus it took me forever to get around to cleaning my pen from the ink that was in there. I used the twsbi go for this which with the previous ink was fine on my 150gsm Seawhite of Brighton sketchbook paper but with Mystery Ink 22 I felt like I was doing battle with my pen to achieve any strokes on the paper at all. I do not think that this is de Atramentis grey because I have that and it behaves a lot smoother and dries a heck if a lot faster. I started sketching the people on the train with me but as I said battling the pen made this less than enjoyable. I thought perhaps if I slowed down and was more deliberate in my pen strokes it might behave better which it did marginally with the second drawing which was from a pintrest reference. I enjoyed the other reviews. I was going to try one with water but don't wait for me before revealing! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181201/1cd48253e3469a16c89c948a41047497.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181201/34144c509d0a72542d773f78f0d7e48e.jpg

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

[KKay]

Why are you so impatient.
I got my sample a little over two weeks ago. I write with the ink, and then I like to write the true name of the ink, with my writing sample. Since my ink leaked, I didn't have much to begin with. I also like to add it to my color swabs. I always use that same ink for that writing, otherwise it would be out of place in appearance. I have a very low level of MI #22 left. That is why I would like to finish the writing needed, and clean the pen out.

[Pterodactylus]

And MI#22 on Clairefontaine

https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/intermediary/f/259fb5e6-8a21-42f5-a528-43fbc5b86e8d/dctcrbc-7fc9cbdc-a29e-4218-ace9-c126fab909b6.jpg (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus/art/Quote-Voltaire-774898248)
Quote Voltaire (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus/art/Quote-Voltaire-774898248) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus) on DeviantArt

(Montblanc Noblesse 1122, Mystery Ink #22 provided by Scooby921)


The major drawback of this ink is it‘s really long dry time.
Otherwise it really performs well and shade nice.

Now I will start to think about a guess......

[Scooby921]

I will say that it is not Noodler's...if that helps your guess :).

[Pterodactylus]

I will say that it is not Noodler's...if that helps your guess :).

Thx, I already excluded Noodler’s from my list.

My current search parameters are:

Search for a Grey designer ink (most likely a small manufacturer)
One that might be quite new on the market.
One that has a long dry time.
One that has quite a good water resistance.

I spent already quite a long time searching for such an ink, but found none.
The ones I found either are not water resistant enough or they have a too short dry time (in the reviews I found).

I also found no hint to an ink which does not mix with water well.

So maybe: I did not found the right reviews yet, or the reviews I looked at were wrong regarding water resistance and/or dry times, or there are none or very few good reviews of this ink (as it is quite new or not very popular)......

Private Reserve Flanell and Organics Studio Arsenic are not completely off my list even some of the attributes do not match with MI#22 (but Designer ink batches might vary relatively widely in their attributes).

[Chrissy]

The fact that this ink doesn't mix well with water completely stumped me too.

[Scooby921]

Ptero, it's not a current production ink. It was limited edition / release. Shipping a sample to you could be considered sending it "home".

[Pterodactylus]

Interesting hint.

2 Brands immediately come into my mind which are made in Austria: Montblanc and Monteverde

As far as I know there are only 3 Montblanc grey inks.

Oyster Grey which is not a limited ink, and I own Oyster Grey and MI#22 is definitely not that one.
Swan Illusion Plume, but it has a clearly reddish touch, so also off the list.
Spider Web Grey which is a LE, would fit with the color, has water resistance, has a bluish component but also a really short dry time, so also off the list.

So I would say MI#22 is not a Montblanc ink.

Iˋm not so familiar with the Monteverde LE inks.
A quick search gave me Smoke Noir which might would have fit color wise, it also is quite water resistant, what completely does not fit is that Smoke Noir has what they call ITF which improves flow, cap off time and dry time on the paper.

So I can remove this ink also from the list.

I will take a look at older Monteverde LE inks like the Gemstone collection, but there no matching color show up, Onyx looks way too dark for MI#22........

[junglejim]

Interesting hint.

2 Brands immediately come into my mind which are made in Austria: Montblanc and Monteverde

As far as I know there are only 3 Montblanc grey inks.

Oyster Grey which is not a limited ink, and I own Oyster Grey and MI#22 is definitely not that one.
Swan Illusion Plume, but it has a clearly reddish touch, so also off the list.
Spider Web Grey which is a LE, would fit with the color, has water resistance, has a bluish component but also a really short dry time, so also off the list.

So I would say MI#22 is not a Montblanc ink.

Iˋm not so familiar with the Monteverde LE inks.
A quick search gave me Smoke Noir which might would have fit color wise, it also is quite water resistant, what completely does not fit is that Smoke Noir has what they call ITF which improves flow, cap off time and dry time on the paper.

So I can remove this ink also from the list.

I will take a look at older Monteverde LE inks like the Gemstone collection, but there no matching color show up, Onyx looks way too dark for MI#22........

Monteverde Smoke Noir (as is all the Noir inks) is a fairly new release here in the States and is still available at all of my ink dealers. I had just received several of the Noir inks over the past month in the mail.

All the Best.

[Chrissy]

Interesting hint.

2 Brands immediately come into my mind which are made in Austria: Montblanc and Monteverde

As far as I know there are only 3 Montblanc grey inks.

Oyster Grey which is not a limited ink, and I own Oyster Grey and MI#22 is definitely not that one.
Swan Illusion Plume, but it has a clearly reddish touch, so also off the list.
Spider Web Grey which is a LE, would fit with the color, has water resistance, has a bluish component but also a really short dry time, so also off the list.

So I would say MI#22 is not a Montblanc ink.

Iˋm not so familiar with the Monteverde LE inks.
A quick search gave me Smoke Noir which might would have fit color wise, it also is quite water resistant, what completely does not fit is that Smoke Noir has what they call ITF which improves flow, cap off time and dry time on the paper.

So I can remove this ink also from the list.

I will take a look at older Monteverde LE inks like the Gemstone collection, but there no matching color show up, Onyx looks way too dark for MI#22........
As Scooby said it's not a currently available ink

[Chrissy]

To my shame, I have this ink and had forgotten that I had it. :redface:

[Scooby921]

The cat gets let out of the bag tomorrow :)

[Pterodactylus]

Ok, here is my guess.

I think Mystery Ink #22 is a Montblanc Limited Edition.

I think the strange behavior with water and the chemical structure is because we are looking at a permanent ink.
And as the permanence is not achieved via iron gall they had to follow a different (chemical) approach.

I think mystery ink #22 is Montblanc Meisterstück 90 years anniversary ink Permanent Grey from 2014.

Despite that it has a very long dry time it‘s a really good behaving ink.

Thanks Scooby that you gave us the opportunity to test this limited Edition and hosting once again this great game. :faint::rockon::dance3::fans::hail:

[Scooby921]

Ptero, you nailed it! junglejim also guessed correctly in a private message. Well done, both of you.


Mystery Ink #22 is Montblanc Meisterstück 90 Years Permanent Grey

https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=44046&d=1544014975

[Chrissy]

Good one Scooby. Thank you for sending out this ink for us all to try. :)

[Sailor Kenshin]

Indeed...thanks, Scooby. It has been SO much fun.

[azkid]

Very interesting! Thanks for the opportunity. This was a fun one!

This ink seems very different from MB Permanent Black in so many ways. Anyway I shall use up the rest.

[Scooby921]

Very interesting! Thanks for the opportunity. This was a fun one!

This ink seems very different from MB Permanent Black in so many ways. Anyway I shall use up the rest.
Yes. I have MB perm blue and a sample of perm black. The perm grey is different in more ways than color. The perm blue and black conform to an ISO standard for use on legal documents. The limited edition grey doesn't. Blue and black are pretty much bullet proof once dry. The grey does wash away some surface color, like an IG ink. It makes me wonder if MB started mixing things to create a grey and the permanence was discovered after the fact and added to the label.

[azkid]

That wouldn't surprise me. I guess MB Permanent inks used to be IG. Maybe it was based off an old formulation.

I do notice my Permanent Black being prone to smearing even after sitting for an hour or two (!!!). The ink appears to dry fast. But it smears.

And that behavior isn't consistent day to day. I didn't see that with MI 22, just the absurdly long dry times.

Anyway I still sorta kinda like it but most likely will try some different gray inks when done.

[suzy01]

Thank you so much Scooby, it was fun to try a new ink.

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

[Scooby921]

That wouldn't surprise me. I guess MB Permanent inks used to be IG. Maybe it was based off an old formulation.

I do notice my Permanent Black being prone to smearing even after sitting for an hour or two (!!!). The ink appears to dry fast. But it smears.

And that behavior isn't consistent day to day. I didn't see that with MI 22, just the absurdly long dry times.

Anyway I still sorta kinda like it but most likely will try some different gray inks when done.
I have noticed that with my sample of permanent black. It seems really thick and oily and can smear. Blue doesn't have the same behavior, which is why I have a full bottle of blue and only a sample of black.

[KKay]

I had never heard of this ink before, so I wouldn't have ever guessed it correctly. Thanks Scooby!!!

[Scooby921]

I had never heard of this ink before, so I wouldn't have ever guessed it correctly. Thanks Scooby!!!
I hadn't heard of it before seeing the 90th anniversary rose gold trimmed pens. I really wanted one of them and in my searching I discovered the grey ink. Still looking for the right pen. It's nearly impossible to find an 90th anniversary 149 with an EF nib. When I do find them I don't feel like spending that kind of money.

[Pterodactylus]

After a week not using MI#22 it became felt a bit darker.

https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/intermediary/f/259fb5e6-8a21-42f5-a528-43fbc5b86e8d/dcu9rrd-8eae6289-56a3-4253-9774-015a191ae34e.jpg (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus/art/Quote-Stephen-King-It-776438473)
Quote Stephen King, It (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus/art/Quote-Stephen-King-It-776438473) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus) on DeviantArt

(Montblanc Noblesse 1122 ..... Montblanc 90 years Meisterstück Permanent Grey provided by Scooby921)

This is also Clairefontaine 90gsm paper, but this time we see some blue feathering on it.

I also had some hard starts and some skipping since it is longer in the pen.

I assume that this ink has a bit of a long term stability problem (similar to some Noodler´s inks), for me that is most likely related to the way how they achieved the permanence (I guess some kind of cellulose binding process).

So overall this is for sure not one of their best inks. (but as it was only a limited edition for quite a short time this problem is minor, maybe it was a kind of experiment with a different kind of permanence, I don´t have their current permanent black or blue (only the old IG Midnight blue) but from what I read they are different from this one).