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Thread: Mystery Ink No. 7

  1. #201
    Senior Member naimitsu's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery Ink No. 7

    Quote Originally Posted by Chrissy View Post
    Yes GFVC is not a cheap ink. It's definitely up there with all of the expensive variations of Japanese inks. There may be a few points in it's favour though.

    Firstly is it's beautiful Art Deco glass bottle. It just oozes quality before you open it. Plus it is so stable, you would be hard pressed to accidentally knock it over.

    Secondly it is a 75ml bottle, so that makes it's ink price per ml a bit more competitive when you're comparing it with some of the more expensive Japanese inks.

    Thirdly, it is really good ink. I have it in 2 shades: Cobalt Blue and Moss Green and I really like both of those colors. I must think about reviewing them.

    I'm not suggesting that you necessarily get what you pay for when you buy more expensive inks. Of course, you have to pay for that beautiful bottle. And you can't get it refilled when it's empty, so if you want to carry on using that ink, you have to buy the bottle and the ink again.
    I have the cartridges of GvFC Stone Grey and it feathers and spreads on everything I write on, especially cheap paper. I have it currently in my Jean Pierre Lepine Indigo with a Medium nib and the ink is basically unusable for me. From the dipped sample from what I assume is the bottle in the vial I had brought with me to the meet, it seemed less feathery/spready than the cartridge. I think I will try filling the cartridge with the vial sample when it empties (as the Indigo is too tiny to have a converter :-/)

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  3. #202
    Senior Member naimitsu's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery Ink No. 7

    Quote Originally Posted by Chrissy View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Cob View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Laura N View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Sammyo View Post
    I'd agree that spread is not necessarily a huge negative point, but some people are really fussy about their line widths

    But feathering...
    Feathering is for the birds.

    But it seems what you are defining as spread isn't just the line width being wider than usual -- because that is what I see from a lot of wet inks, like MI6, for example. That's what I used to think "spread" meant. But I think you guys are describing something more, which is when the line spreads out after it is first put on the paper and becomes wider. That is something I don't think I've ever even noticed with any ink -- but of course I wasn't looking for it either. And I think I'd expect it as a matter of course with newsprint or very low quality paper; in fact I've seen that using markers on newsprint. But I tend to use most fountain pen inks with Clairefontaine and Rhodia paper.

    Anyway, it's all so interesting. I feel I learn something with each MI.

    Does anyone want to know what the ink is?
    I'd love tp know. Following the recent review, and your remarks, I have just written a couple of lines in a Rhodia pad I have. I studied it carefully wearing two pairs of reading glasses to be sure: not a trace of anything: it's as sharp as when I put it down. Please tell us: I am treasuring the last few drops I have!

    Cob
    Following some of the comments about spread and feathering, I went back and had a look at my review form, and still saw no evidence of either. However, that paper is very smooth, 100g/m2 paper, so I suppose it is not entirely unexpected. I also went back and had another look at 'elaineb's' excellent review, and although she didn't specifically mention spread or feathering, she said that 'the hairlines were crisp' so that suggests she didn't experience it either.

    I also went over to the 'other place' and looked at reviews of this ink over there. "Feathering/wooly line" was noted as "not seen" by 'Sandy1' who has done more thorough and excellent reviews on there than anyone else.

    IMHO many aspects could affect whether an ink spreads or feathers in any particular pen on any particular paper. How a pen nib is tuned, whether it has just been cleaned out and the internal feed is wet or dry, and the atmosphere you're writing in or storing your paper in, could all affect a perception of spread or feathering.

    However, I do want to make it perfectly clear that I am not one of those people who believes members' reviews should be challenged or countered for several reasons: Firstly, I am no expert in calculating how or why different inks behave in different pens on different papers, so I have no wish to project myself as trying to look like one. Secondly, it's not my place to challenge or counter a review that a member has done on here as a favor, or just as a fun response to a mystery ink thread. That kind of thing might put members off putting themselves forward and having a go with these mystery ink threads. After all it's supposed to be fun. That's only my view.
    I took a second look at the MI #7 writing sample in my Clairefontaine and it looks fine.
    Like Sammy said, there was beer & scotch involved... not to mention food and the darker ambiance of the bar, so it might have looked a bit fuzzy in that light.

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  5. #203
    Senior Member Laura N's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery Ink No. 7

    Quote Originally Posted by naimitsu View Post
    I have the cartridges of GvFC Stone Grey and it feathers and spreads on everything I write on, especially cheap paper. I have it currently in my Jean Pierre Lepine Indigo with a Medium nib and the ink is basically unusable for me. From the dipped sample from what I assume is the bottle in the vial I had brought with me to the meet, it seemed less feathery/spready than the cartridge. I think I will try filling the cartridge with the vial sample when it empties (as the Indigo is too tiny to have a converter :-/)
    Naimitsu, you have Stone Grey? Can you compare it to an Einstein writing sample you guys made? I'm really interested in how close these are in real life. What do you think when you see them side by side?

  6. #204
    FPG Donor ♕ Chrissy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery Ink No. 7

    Quote Originally Posted by Laura N View Post

    Another idea would be MB Permanent Grey, the 90th anniversary ink, which looks similar based on the Anderson's swab. This is another LE, but it is still available, as are samples. Of course, online swabs aren't totally reliable, etc.

    I know MB Oyster Grey is not the same -- it's lighter in color and just different.
    I also thought of Mb Permanent Grey. It looks similar. I never liked Oyster Grey and sold my bottle

  7. #205
    Senior Member reprieve's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery Ink No. 7

    Quote Originally Posted by naimitsu View Post
    I have the cartridges of GvFC Stone Grey and it feathers and spreads on everything I write on, especially cheap paper. I have it currently in my Jean Pierre Lepine Indigo with a Medium nib and the ink is basically unusable for me. From the dipped sample from what I assume is the bottle in the vial I had brought with me to the meet, it seemed less feathery/spready than the cartridge. I think I will try filling the cartridge with the vial sample when it empties (as the Indigo is too tiny to have a converter :-/)
    Thanks for this report. That's very interesting. I used up a 2 mL sample of Stone Grey and never saw any feathering. BUT--I only used it in one pen (in my Nakaya Piccolo with a soft medium nib) and I never experimented with different papers. These days, I almost always use Clairefontaine or Tomoe River (and sometimes Staples Bagasse, but I can't remember if I used the Nakaya/Stone Grey combo with the Staples paper). I know I liked the color a lot and was impressed that it dried quickly and was near-waterproof. Now I'm wondering if I should order another sample to test more thoroughly before I commit to a whole bottle.

    I wonder if you'll experience less feathering/spread with the sample from the bottled ink. That would surprise me as I can't imagine that the cartridge ink is somehow formulated differently although I suppose it's possible. In any case, please report back to let us know.

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    Default Re: Mystery Ink No. 7

    Quote Originally Posted by Chrissy View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by migo984 View Post
    Of course. I guess we can defer to Lao Tzu on this.
    Sure we can

    That gave me a good laugh. Most of those are fakes quotes. I've noticed the site Brainy Quotes does this a lot. Most of their Buddhist quotes aren't real either.

    Mind you, many of the expressed sentiments do make us think a bit differently about things, so it's not like they are worthless or anything. Just not Lao Tzu!


    EDIT: looks like I'll be spending most of my enthusiasts time here from now on in. Just been the victim of over-zealous moderation at the other place. You'd think that opening a dialogue would be a reasonable first action instead of an official warning, but apparently not. So... <shrug>
    Last edited by Empty_of_Clouds; May 6th, 2015 at 06:05 PM.

  9. #207
    Senior Member migo984's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery Ink No. 7

    Quote Originally Posted by Cryptos View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Chrissy View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by migo984 View Post
    Of course. I guess we can defer to Lao Tzu on this.
    Sure we can

    That gave me a good laugh. Most of those are fakes quotes. I've noticed the site Brainy Quotes does this a lot. Most of their Buddhist quotes aren't real either.



    EDIT: looks like I'll be spending most of my enthusiasts time here from now on in. Just been the victim of over-zealous moderation at the other place. You'd think that opening a dialogue would be a reasonable first action instead of an official warning, but apparently not. So... <shrug>

    Heehee. Yes :-) Yes, that's why I referred to "good old Google" in my reply to Chrissy. It takes you straight there yet that Brainy Quotes site is notorious for faking quotes. They quote some classic fake Gandhi epigrams.

    Re over-zealous moderation in the "other place", join the club. I'm thinking about selling t-shirts. Want one?
    Last edited by migo984; May 7th, 2015 at 01:11 AM.

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    Default Re: Mystery Ink No. 7

    We'd have to come up with a pithy slogan. Perhaps a competition to find one?

  11. #209
    Senior Member naimitsu's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery Ink No. 7

    Quote Originally Posted by Laura N View Post
    Naimitsu, you have Stone Grey? Can you compare it to an Einstein writing sample you guys made? I'm really interested in how close these are in real life. What do you think when you see them side by side?
    Sure! I'll try to remember to take the Indigo into work tomorrow and beg to borrow Sammyo's TWSBI mini to do a side-by-side on a few different papers and post them.

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    Default Re: Mystery Ink No. 7

    Quote Originally Posted by naimitsu View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Laura N View Post
    Naimitsu, you have Stone Grey? Can you compare it to an Einstein writing sample you guys made? I'm really interested in how close these are in real life. What do you think when you see them side by side?
    Sure! I'll try to remember to take the Indigo into work tomorrow and beg to borrow Sammyo's TWSBI mini to do a side-by-side on a few different papers and post them.
    I will bring the sample vial and pen and previous paper review and... and...

    Edit: To fix my stupid auto correct issues and inability to check propely while in a rush!!!
    Last edited by Sammyo; May 7th, 2015 at 10:19 AM.
    Sam O

    "A fountain pen with a bad nib is like a Ferrari with a flat tyre..." - Brian Gray, Edison pens

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    Default Re: Mystery Ink No. 7

    Again, late to the party. But I did compare MI7 with Lexington Grey, but when I tried to scan them to create the comparison photo, my scanner just couldn't distinguish between them. So frustrating.

    Lexington Grey is a touch darker, though not by much. However, it is what I'd call a dirty grey, brownish and muddy in comparison to the clarity of MI7. It is clearly a black ink that was just diluted to achieve lighter tone. I was disappointed when I first bought the bottle, and now even moreso when I saw it next to MI7.

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  17. #212
    Senior Member naimitsu's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery Ink No. 7

    So bear with me on this... it's going to get heavy (image heavy that is!)
    I have 2 sets of pictures for you all.
    Set One are the zoomed out comparisons going in order: Boise 90gsm Inkjet Paper, Clairefontaine, Rhodia, Apica, Tomoe River.
    Set Two are the zoomed in comparisons to see the spread/feathering issue I noticed with the inks, in the same order as Set One.
    The last picture is an accidental chroma of GvFC Stone Grey from the bottle.

    Set One






    Set Two
    Boise 90gsm: Top to Bottom -
    GvFC Stone Grey Cartridge (JPL M)
    Montblanc Albert Einstein (TWSBI M)
    GvFC Stone Grey Bottle Ink (Monteverde M)
    Clairefontaine: Top to Bottom -
    GvFC Stone Grey Cartridge (JPL M)
    Montblanc Albert Einstein (TWSBI M)
    GvFC Stone Grey Bottle Ink (Monteverde M)
    Montblanc Albert Einstein (Monteverde M)
    Rhodia: Top to Bottom -
    GvFC Stone Grey Cartridge (JPL M)
    Montblanc Albert Einstein (TWSBI M)
    GvFC Stone Grey Bottle Ink (Monteverde M)
    Apica: Top to Bottom -
    GvFC Stone Grey Cartridge (JPL M)
    Montblanc Albert Einstein (TWSBI M)
    GvFC Stone Grey Bottle Ink (Monteverde M)
    Montblanc Albert Einstein (Monteverde M)
    Tomoe River: Top to Bottom -
    Montblanc Albert Einstein (Goulet 1.1mm)
    GvFC Stone Grey Cartridge (JPL M)
    GvFC Stone Grey Bottle Ink (Monteverde M)
    GvFC Stone Grey Bottle Ink (Goulet 1.1mm)
    Montblanc Albert Einstein (TWSBI M)


    GvFC Stone Grey Chroma

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  19. #213
    Senior Member Sammyo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery Ink No. 7

    Quote Originally Posted by naimitsu View Post
    ...
    Clairefontaine: Top to Bottom -
    GvFC Stone Grey Cartridge (JPL M)
    Montblanc Albert Einstein (TWSBI M)
    GvFC Stone Grey Bottle Ink (Monteverde M)
    Montblanc Albert Einstein (Monteverde M)
    ...
    I think this image shows a similarity between the two inks! Especially the last two lines

    Thanks naimitsu
    Sam O

    "A fountain pen with a bad nib is like a Ferrari with a flat tyre..." - Brian Gray, Edison pens

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    Default Re: Mystery Ink No. 7

    Thank you naimitsu, that's a great comparison. They do look quite similar

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    Default Re: Mystery Ink No. 7

    Wow! That's above and beyond, naimitsu! Thank you!
    By the way, what is that lovely bright blue ink that you used to write Rhodia, Apica, TR, etc.? It's so vibrant and eye-catching.

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    Senior Member naimitsu's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery Ink No. 7

    Quote Originally Posted by reprieve View Post
    Wow! That's above and beyond, naimitsu! Thank you!
    By the way, what is that lovely bright blue ink that you used to write Rhodia, Apica, TR, etc.? It's so vibrant and eye-catching.
    If I'm not mistaken, the lovely bright blue is Private Reserve Naples Blue. I'm in the process of trying out a ton of lovely bright blues through my Franklin-Christoph 27... because I seem to think bright blue is the appropriate ink to be coming out of a red metalic pen!

    I started out loving the Pelikan Edelstein Topaz, then switched to J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche to try it, and realized that I like the brighter shade of blue. PR Naples Blue seems to be a good middle ground between the two and has quickly become one of my current favorites!

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    Default Re: Mystery Ink No. 7

    We have been visiting the same hotel in Naples FL for the past few years, and I always join Goulet's Ink Drop a month before I arrive so that there are some ink samples waiting for me to try out when I send all of my penpals' postcards and letters while I'm there.

    Last year one of the samples waiting for me was PR Naples Blue. I just thought it was so appropriate that it had the same name as my favorite place. It was the first one I used in one of the pens I had also bought before I arrived.

    I still have a little bit left in the bottom of the tube.

  27. #218
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    Question Re: Mystery Ink No. 7

    One additional thing noticed regarding the Montblanc Albert Einstein... did anyone else notice a metallic fleck or sheen to the ink? sometimes I am convince it is there other times I think I just see it because I want to. If it is there it is another thing I love about this ink!
    Sam O

    "A fountain pen with a bad nib is like a Ferrari with a flat tyre..." - Brian Gray, Edison pens

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    Default Re: Mystery Ink No. 7

    Quote Originally Posted by Sammyo View Post
    One additional thing noticed regarding the Montblanc Albert Einstein... did anyone else notice a metallic fleck or sheen to the ink? sometimes I am convince it is there other times I think I just see it because I want to. If it is there it is another thing I love about this ink!
    Yes, sometimes I see this metallic sheen too... It's subtle but I like it
    "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."
    [Socrates]

    Sometimes I post some words about Fountain Pens and Handwriting at my blog

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