Waterman Absolute Brown Was a Dud For Me

[Foyle]

I picked up a bottle of Waterman Absolute Brown last time I was at Daly's Pen Shop. I was hoping they would have Mont Blanc Toffee Brown, but they don't carry Mont Blanc products at all any more. I figured I'd give the Waterman a whirl as I really like Waterman's Serenity Blue.

Let me just say, I really like the color of Absolute Brown. What I find so disappointing is the flow. It's a really dry writing ink. In my Lamy 2000 it just felt like there was no glide at all on the nib. It wrote just so-so on most paper, but on Tsubame paper the pen would barely write at all. The Serenity Blue flows great and gives a glassy ride when I write, so the poor performance of the brown was a real surprise.

I tried putting the brown in my Shaeffer Special, which is a very wet writing pen, and it would barely write at all. For some reason that very wet writing pen really did not get on well with the Absolute Brown. Looks like I've found another dud ink for me. That's two now: Parker Quink Washable Blue and Waterman Absolute Brown.

How's the flow on Mont Blanc's Toffee Brown? After trying Absolute Brown, I really enjoyed writing with a brown ink. Perhaps the Mont Blanc might be better.

 

[eezee]

I picked up a bottle of Waterman Absolute Brown last time I was at Daly's Pen Shop. I was hoping they would have Mont Blanc Toffee Brown, but they don't carry Mont Blanc products at all any more. I figured I'd give the Waterman a whirl as I really like Waterman's Serenity Blue.

Let me just say, I really like the color of Absolute Brown. What I find so disappointing is the flow. It's a really dry writing ink. In my Lamy 2000 it just felt like there was no glide at all on the nib. It wrote just so-so on most paper, but on Tsubame paper the pen would barely write at all. The Serenity Blue flows great and gives a glassy ride when I write, so the poor performance of the brown was a real surprise.

I tried putting the brown in my Shaeffer Special, which is a very wet writing pen, and it would barely write at all. For some reason that very wet writing pen really did not get on well with the Absolute Brown. Looks like I've found another dud ink for me. That's two now, Parker Quink Washable Blue and Waterman Absolute Brown.

How's the flow on Mont Blanc's Toffee Brown? After trying Absolute Brown, I really enjoyed writing with a brown ink. Perhaps the Mont Blanc might be better.

The flow of the Toffee Brown is excellent and is has quite a bit of shading. It was my first brown ink and I was after something darker so it didn't suit me right away. I later got a bottle of the Diamine Chocolate Brown, which is like writing with a melting Hershey's Bar!! With the dark brown category filled I went back and am using the Toffee Brown more. I personally think the MBTB does better with broader nibs.

FYI, I just recently acquired the "Johann Sebastian Bach" ink from De Atramentis, and it is a very unique and interesting brown. It has just a hint of purple. I like it a lot and think it is worth investigation. You can check out the swabs of that ink at Goulet.

 

[coyotewhisper]

I use the Montblanc Toffee Brown on a regular basis. Excellent flow with a fine nib.