Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Montblanc The legend of Zodiacs Red Chine Ink-- Review

Montblanc The legend of Zodiacs Red Chine Ink-- Review

Montblanc is well known for releasing beautiful, well formulated inks in limited quantities. This time Montblanc has released a workhorse red ink that is perfect for editing and collectors of red ink-- the Montblanc legends of Zodiacs Red Chine



Testing Red Chine

We tested this ink out on three types of paper-- Rhodia (white, grid), Tomoe River (white), and Copy Paper (Georgia Pacific Standard Multipurpose Paper). We were delighted by the vivid red ink with a slight tinge of orange. When we first used the we initially thought it was a bit "washed out" compared to other red inks. After some mileage it really grew on us as a red outside of the burgundy category and the firehouse category. Think of a red paper lantern at a Chinese restaurant or grocery store that has been in the sun for a few years-- this ink is just that color-- a beautiful, matte red that is just a tad weather-worn. 


Red Chine is on the drier side of the ink spectrum. Of the three types of paper we tried with the Red Chine, the clear best match was on the Tomoe River paper which showed through as a true red with slightly maroon undertones. 


On the white Rhodia paper the ink looked on the orangey pink side which is a delightful color, but not what we were expecting from a red. 





We were particularly impressed with how the ink handled on copy paper. On the bright white of the copy paper the ink dried very quickly and had minimal feathering and hardly any show-through. The color is the perfect color for grading. We highly suggest this  ink for people who want a red for grading papers or editing. 

Packaging


The ink comes in a ribbed, square glass 50 ml bottle with a black plastic cap with an inset Montblanc white star at the top. This bottle is a delight to see sitting atop a desk or on the shelf of a study. The packaging is a glossy, extremely sturdy, cardboard box that is red and white with Year of the Dog imagery on the sides (in the office we refer to it as the "Dog Ink"). As with all of their ink bottle packaging, the glass bottle sits in a box that slides out of a larger outer box, which is always a delightful tactile experience when opening and storing your new ink. 

Final Thoughts


Red Chine is a delightful red that is delicate and rather unique in that it's not a maroon or a hot-red ink. It sits firmly in the true-red category with slight orange leanings. We think Red Chine is an excellent ink for grading or editing documents because it plays so well with copy paper and also dries quickly. We currently have stock of Red Chine ink so place your order today with us!

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Sheaffer Star Wars Pop Line Production Delay

Sheaffer just let us know that there has been a production delay for the hotly anticipated Star Wars Pop line. The most up-to-date release date for the Rollerballs is early October and the Fountain Pens will be available towards the end of November. For everyone who has placed their pre-orders, we do apologize for the delay and greatly appreciate your patience! If there are any questions about your order please give us a quick call at 410-992-3272 or email at support@penboutique.com.


For those of you interested in these modern, lightweight, and affordable Star Wars Sheaffer POP pens here’s a bit more information on them:


The Rollerballs and Fountain Pens will be available separately in the following Star Wars themes:
-Darth Vader
-R2-D2
-Yoda


There are also matching notebooks and pencil pouches for these 3 themes!  There will even be sets available that include the notebook and rollerball so you can impress your coworkers with your nerdiness (and good taste in pens!) at the next staff meeting.


The Star Wars Pops are great for:
-Gifts for the Star Wars fans in your life (great for stocking stuffer!)
-Youngsters—the graphic design on the pen is bold, interesting, and fun
-People who prefer lighter pens—the body of the pen is a sturdy resin
-People who enjoy cylindrical pens – the body of the pen is uniform in diameter from end to end when capped with two blunt ends
-People who are interested in getting into fountain pens—the POP is an excellent starter fountain pen
-People who love smooth writing rollerballs—Sheaffer gel-rollerball refills are top notch


Pen Facts:
-          360 degree colorful character graphic art on the pens
-          Chrome appointments
-          High-gloss, resin body
-          Soft, black grip section
-          Fountain pen available in Medium nib only, made of steel
-          Fountain Pen refills are Sheaffer Classic Fountain Pen Refills
o   Available in Blue, Black, Blue-Black, Red, Green, Brown, Turquoise, Purple, and Assorted
-          Rollerball takes Sheaffer Gel Rolling Ball Refills which are available in blue and black
-          Comes either in a clam shell or in a beautiful gift box packaging with Star Wars theme
-          Comes with a limited 1-year Sheaffer warranty


Please let us know if you have any questions about these fun, new Star Wars POP pens or matching accessories or if you would like to place an order!