Monteverde Yosemite Green Ink: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

Monteverde USA recently introduced a whole new line of ink colors, all with their ITF (Ink Treatment Formula) technology. I chose several colors to review, the first of which is Yosemite Green.

The 30ml bottle comes in a clear, flexible plastic box that includes a card explaining the ITF technology in their ink. It states that the ink improves ink flow, extends time with the cap off, lubricates the feed system, and improves dry time.

I tested the ink in my vintage Visconti Manhattan with a medium nib. My ink tests revealed that the ink is a yellow-green with a slightly bluish tint. The ink is wet and flows quite nicely in my medium nib. The ink is not waterproof and exhibits no odor.

I honestly did not notice any difference in ink flow or lubrication with this ink as opposed to other inks I use regularly. It also seemed to have dry times comparable with other inks, such as Robert Oster. I don’t leave my caps off when I’m not writing, especially on my older pens, so I did not test the claim that the ink allows extended time with the cap off.

Chromatography shows that the ink has strong yellow, green, and blue shades in it.

The blue offsets the yellow for a rather unique shade. I compared Yosemite Green with my other green inks and none of them was a match.

The ink exhibits a gorgeous maroon sheen in ink splats.

And the same sheen and good shading comes out nicely in broad nibs. And, at least on Tomoe River Paper, I noticed some sheen even with my medium nib (not pictured).

I honestly didn’t know what to expect with Monteverde inks, but I’m impressed with Yosemite Green. It’s a really nice green with hints of blue and it works well in both narrow and wide nibs, though broader nibs bring out the shading and sheen more.

You can purchase Monteverde inks from JetPens for $8.00 (30 ml bottle).

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Alvin Draft-Matic Drafting Pencil Mab Graves Limited Edition Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter.)

Alvin mechanical pencils are much beloved, and these special Mab Graves Limited Edition colors add a lovely bit of charm to a tried-and-true product. The .3mm lead comes in pink, the .5mm in mint green, and the .7mm in violet. Mab chose the colors to represent herself and her Contemporary Pop-Surrealist art style. She also designed the gorgeous packaging with some of her signature 60's style space fairies. The back of the packaging features Mab's bio and her statement of affection for the Alvin Draft-Matic.

The pencils themselves are paragons of practicality. They have a plastic barrel with knurled metal grip and spinning lead indicator, a metal clip, a top button click to advance the lead, a capped eraser, and a 4mm long lead sleeve for drafting accuracy.

The plastic body helps keep the pencil light, to reduce hand fatigue. The interior threads are all metal, to keep them from wearing out. The pencil is still decently hefty. The knurled grip is pretty intense. You're not likely to drop it--I wonder if it might even stick to the wall. This may lead to some discomfort during long drawing sessions, at least until you and your pencil wear each other in.

The capped eraser is one of the tiny cylinder sort, but it erases very well. You'll definitely need another eraser on hand, though. The eraser plugs the lead chamber, which is quite narrow but holds a few backup sticks. The clip feels nice and sturdy. The lead sleeve is long--but it doesn't retract into the nose, so there's some risk of it being bent if it isn't cared for. The lead grade indicator is a handy accessory--but this one spins a bit too freely. The knurling even seems to help it catch on things and rotate when you don't want it to. I wouldn't consider it a terribly reliable indicator. It gives options for 4H, 2H, H, F, HB, B, and 2B. The pencils came with the indicator set to HB, but the lead it comes with is B. The lead itself was very nice to use. It was smooth and nicely dark, and it never broke as I wrote--even when I scribbled with the miniscule .3mm size.

Overall these are a pleasure to use, and I love the aesthetic of this special edition. The artwork on the packaging is so fun, I almost hated to tear it open. But there were great pencils inside, so I overcame my hesitation. They're of course perfect for drafting, but they're also great for sketching or writing. I think they're a good value for the price, and they feel and perform as well as much more expensive pencils.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

---

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 248 - We're Extraordinarily Particular

It took far too long for me to ask my friend Matt Armstrong from The Pen Habit to join Myke and I on the podcast. We discuss Matt’s beginnings with fountain pens, starting his blog, and how he produces the best fountain pen video reviews on the entire internet.

We also discuss Matt’s favorite pens and inks, and, of course, Luke The Dog.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

Pen Chalet: Click the ‘podcast’ link at the top of the website and enter the password ‘penaddict’ for this week’s special offer, and to get your code for 10% off.

Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code INK at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

Harry’s: Claim your free trial set!