For Ink Of The Month in January ’20 I decided to try out an ink I have heard a lot about, Monteverde Horizon Blue. This ink has been around for a while now and has quite a following, and I thought it about time that I dipped my toe in the ink and see what this blue is all about.
I ordered my bottle from Amazon and it cost £8.50GBP which I thought was very reasonable for a 90ml bottle of ink with a good reputation, I unpacked it and found that the bottle is not only sealed with a thin plastic collar but the cap was so tight there was no risk of it accidentally opening in transit.
In fact, it was so tight it wouldn’t budge at all and I started to think I would need to try the boiling water trick but thankfully, just as I was heading towards the kettle the cap started to move.
As you can see from the ink test, below, using a Q-Tip it is easy to increase the density of the colour and I used a Wing Sung 3013 as my test pen and I found this to be a well-behaved blue ink with a good level of saturation that flowed well in use. I got only a hint of red sheen on the very edges of some letters and in the concentrated areas of ink created by the Q-Tip test.
Despite the hint of red sheen this is definitely a blue ink, I got no underlying red or green tones when I was using it. Simply put this is just simply a very nice mid blue and if anything, it reminds me of Diamine Blue Velvet.
I have no qualms about recommending this ink, I think it is excellent value and it certainly lives up to its reputation; so if you are looking for a good mid-blue then put this one on your list.
Disclaimer: The ink was purchased with my own funds at retail price. The opinions expressed in this review are my own; and I am not connected with either the retailers or manufacturers in any way.
The Indian Marmalade Company 