Now for the final purchase of last week, Montblanc Homage to Hadrian: Rosso Antico.
I’ll have to admit that when I first saw this ink I did not know what the significance of the color was. But upon reading the Montblanc description, it is inspired by the red marble of the Pantheon. Do you think they nailed it?
Ink Blob: Tried a couple of different lights.
Writing Sample:
Thoughts: By the color on the bottle I was expecting this ink to be a lot more well…red? Upon looking at photos of the Pantheon red marble, I can see what they were going for, but since I was expecting a red, my perception was tainted a bit.
I do appreciate the sheen and shading that this ink has though! I didn’t see much sheen in regular writing, but it’s very evident in the blob. The shading in writing is wonderful and letters in a Lamy F nib have a nice range of color.
If you are looking for a true red ink, this isn’t it, but if you want a brick red/brown with sheen and shading, this is a nice option.
Comparison:
Many have asked for comparison shots, I chose 3 MB Limited Editions to compare. I hope this helps with color selection!
Giveaway Time!
Prize: 1X Bottle of Montblanc Homage to Hadrian
How to Win: Comment on this post with what you think about the color, and why you want it. I’ll choose someone on Friday to receive this beautiful ink. Open to all, domestic and international!Thank you to everyone who makes doing this blog so much fun ❤
Hippo Noto/Kickstarter News:
We are taking Late Pledges for our latest Kickstarter on our site www.hipponoto.com. The #hipposquad is very excited about the Pygmy Invasion, and all the TR goodness that will be coming later this Fall. Including our exclusive Robert Oster Pygmy Purple.
If you want a Hippo Noto now, our Pocket A5 series are currently shipping in 1-2 business days! Hippos have never been getting home faster ❤
KWZ Hawaii Blue Batch 3 Pre-orders are also being taken.
SquishyInk 
April 15, 2019 at 10:28 pm
I use red and black ink in my work charting all the time. I am partial to brick reds and pomegranate reds..This ink would be very much to my taste and I have never tried a Montblanc special edition ink before..
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April 15, 2019 at 10:40 pm
That is an interesting red. Adds to ink wishlist
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April 15, 2019 at 11:49 pm
I do not see it as a red but more like terracotta. The shading looks quite nice and I think its sheen would help make some great pottery drawings.
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April 15, 2019 at 11:53 pm
I love montblancs inks and this looks amazing! almost blood red, but it looks like it sheens almost. i have a thing for red inks and this one looks even better than shakespeare! thanks for reviewing 🙂
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April 16, 2019 at 12:28 am
I really like this range of the red spectrum.
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April 16, 2019 at 12:49 am
Interesting color. Not quite red, not quite brown. Nice saturation and sheen. I don’t have any of MB’s “special” inks –this one might just prove to be the one that tempts me.
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April 16, 2019 at 1:01 am
Such a great color! I prefer darker shades of red and even if this isn’t quite red it is still a lovely dark tone. I also love the shading! That alone makes me want it! 😅✨😋😋😋 Thanks for another great review and awesome giveaway!! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
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April 16, 2019 at 1:04 am
Looks terra-cotta to me. Would pair nicely with darker brown-leaning red.
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April 16, 2019 at 1:09 am
I didn’t know this junk existed, let alone that I needed this it, until I saw this review. The color is _amazing_! Reddish- browns are kinda my bag (as are anything-Browns, I guess)
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April 16, 2019 at 1:37 am
This would be my first Mont Blanc ink – and I’d love to see how it performs in the new Hippo I’m getting from the kickstarter!
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April 21, 2019 at 5:12 pm
Hello Rezz, you have own the giveaway! Please email k@hipponoto.com with the address to send it to!
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April 16, 2019 at 2:43 am
I love dark reddish-brown ink. One of my favorite (and most used) inks is Montblanc Alfred Hitchcock, which is a very dark orangy-red (I think it’s supposed to look like dried blood). Colors like this are dark enough to write with every day in a relatively formal setting, but are more interesting than navy blue or black.
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April 16, 2019 at 3:31 am
I think it’s a beautiful color so that in itself is a good reason to just enjoy the ink. I would love to able to share it with my pen club so more people have the chance to try it and then enjoy that bottle. I love their bottles.
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April 16, 2019 at 3:57 am
It looks like a rusty red, which I like. I tend to favor red inks.
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April 16, 2019 at 4:12 am
Looks like a great color. I’m a fan of Diamine Terracotta and Maruzen Renga and this looks like it fits right in with those two inks. I don’t have any of these premium MB inks and would love to see what they’re all about!
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April 16, 2019 at 7:36 am
This is a lovely brick red and I think it would be fun to try drawing with it.
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April 16, 2019 at 8:51 am
Gods, I absolutely love this colour. It feels both like a blood red in some places but it’s also very brick-like, also it really resembles of the red marble indeed. It’s also interesting because of the name, since “rosso antico” is also a name of an Italian aperitif, which is, as the name suggests, quite red. There’s so much to unpack here, really.
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April 16, 2019 at 8:58 am
I expected more of a red color too; however the brownish red is still appealing. I find it interesting that the blobs of ink look dustier that the writing samples.
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April 16, 2019 at 9:01 am
Reminds me a bit of Franklin-Christoph Terra Firma, that ink also dances between red and brown. I always want it to be more brown than red, but maybe I would always want this ink to be more red? 😀
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April 16, 2019 at 10:15 am
I’ve been looking for a dark red that I can use for work that isn’t to bright and this one is perfect. It’s got shading, and that dark halo that makes it serious yet beautiful. I want it for journaling as well.
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April 16, 2019 at 11:44 am
I like the red and the sheen! Almost like Christmas!
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April 16, 2019 at 11:49 am
I love that it’s not bright teacher grading red! To me it seems like a more grownup red and I’d love to use this ink at work!! Thanks for the review, definitely adding this ink to my wishlist!
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April 16, 2019 at 12:00 pm
Looks like a nice ‘working’ color that I could use professionally. It seems like a quality color and sheen, though I can see how you might have expected a more vibrant red based on the description. Thank you for sharing!
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April 16, 2019 at 1:45 pm
What a lovely color!
I’d love to use this one because of the nice shading and bit of sheen.
I’m really digging it.
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April 16, 2019 at 3:39 pm
I use reds at work…the downside they are often alarming…so I prefer deeper or crimson reds that add a bit of color but dont freak people out… This color seems perfect… Plus I have never tried a MB ink before…
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April 16, 2019 at 6:04 pm
I’d love to try it. Something a bit special in the saturation I am a Mont Blanc fan and this colour is on my wish list
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April 16, 2019 at 7:32 pm
This ink looks to have a really nice mix of shading and sheen. I love inks that can do this, like Sailor Oku -yama, and Yama-budo both do. The ‘not brown’ and ‘not red’’ color is awesome – dark, but not overly saturated. It would fit in my small collection of go to inks. Thanks for sharing the review, and for the generous giveaway!
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April 17, 2019 at 4:36 am
When I started in the fp world I didn’t liked red inks. For me that’s the color teachers use to grade and nothing more.
But after seeing colors like this one or some other deep reds,I fell in love with them..
They are a very elegant color that nobody uses because there are no ballpoint with similar colors. And more than that, they are nor simple reds, they have complexity like you showed in this review.
Thanks for the giveaway
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April 17, 2019 at 5:55 am
I prefer these non-pink reds that tend toward brick, orange, or brown that Montblanc has been releasing. They are elegant and quite suitable for both business and personal use.
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April 17, 2019 at 9:51 pm
I asked my “smart uncle” [Google] for the photos of red marble of the Pantheon and compared with the ink… Montblanc nailed it!
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April 18, 2019 at 7:57 am
I LOVE brown(ish) inks! It’s my thang! The sheen and coloring in this ink is gorgeous! Thank you for your fab review!
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April 19, 2019 at 10:41 am
That’s truly gorgeous. And I LOVE the box too!
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April 19, 2019 at 11:58 am
I love this ink! I use a lot of brown inks – some are more red, some are less. This one would be great addition to this range 🙂 Cheers!
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April 20, 2019 at 2:23 am
That wod go great with my maple wood Staedtler premium. I lime earthy colors for certain aspects and ideas. This looks to me lime a great ink for those ideas and thoughts of inner contemplation. So that’s what I would use it for. Oh, and in a Leuchteurm book, I believe that wod be a nice combination.
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