Monteverde Coal Noir Ink Bottle, Grey - 30ml

Monteverde Coal Noir Ink Bottle, Grey - 30ml

The Coal?Noir ink is positioned in the Noir series as “a beautiful gray fused with black, this shade is timeless, practical and as fundamental as coal.” Monteverde USA+1 The reflective mood is one of subtlety, depth and utility: rather than a bright colour, this ink aims for a dark neutral tone—grey with black?under?tones—that works for writing that’s serious, understated, yet less stark than true black.

It uses Monteverde’s Ink Treatment Formula (ITF)—a formulation intended to improve flow, extend cap?off time, and lubricate the pen feed, thereby aiming to provide smoother fountain pen performance.

• Brand: Monteverde (part of the USA line)

• Collection: Noir (blended colours with black)

• Volume: 30?ml (glass bottle)

• Colour description: “Grey fused with black” (“coal” tone)

• Ink type: Dye?based fountain pen ink, with ITF treatment. (Not pigmented or iron?gall)

• Behaviour notes: On fountain?pen?friendly paper the colour is described as dark grey / light black; slight copper?sheen observable in large swabs.

Here are what reviewers and tests say about how the ink behaves and what it looks like:

• Colour: One reviewer notes: “Coal?Noir is a dark grey/light black.” On large swabs (on Tomoe River paper), some coppery sheen was visible. 

• Shading/Sheen: The shading is described as “low shading”, and the sheen is “tiny copper sheen… no shimmer.”

• Dry Time / Water Resistance / Other:

  • Dry time on quality paper: ~30 seconds in one test.

  • Feathering: None reported on good fountain?pen paper. Show?through: Medium. Bleeding: None on good paper.

  • On less ideal paper (e.g., standard copy paper) some feathering and bleed were observed: “On Staples?24?lb copy paper there was some feathering in most nib sizes and a few dots of bleeding.”

• Flow & Behaviour: The reviewer said the ink gave a “slightly wetter than average flow” in one broad nib pen.

• Suitability: Because of the dark grey / black tone, it could act as a near?black ink, while giving a subtle variation from pure black. It’s described as usable for “someone who wants a nice ink, but maybe not great for me” by one reviewer—i.e., competent, reliable, but not a standout specialty in that person’s view.

• Paper Choice Matters: To get the intended performance (minimal feathering, good colour depth), use fountain?pen friendly paper (e.g., Rhodia, Tomoe River, Leuchtturm) rather than low?GSM, highly absorbent paper. On cheap paper you may see more show?through, feathering or bleed.

• Colour Expectation: If you expect a light grey, this will not deliver that. The “coal” description means quite dark—almost black in many uses—and only under good lighting or large swabs does the grey or copper under?tone show.

• Pen & Nib Compatibility: Because the ink is treated for good flow (ITF), it should work reasonably well even in less?wet pens. However, if your pen already runs very wet or your paper is very absorbent, you might get longer dry times or mild extra show?through.

• Archival / Water Resistance: The ink is not promoted as waterproof or pigment?based. While one test says “water resistance: medium”, it should not be assumed to be safe for documents exposed to water or for archival purposes.

• Quality/Batch Note: There are reports in the fountain?pen community about some past batches of Monteverde inks having contamination/mould issues. For any bottle purchase, especially older stock, it’s wise to inspect for unusual odour, sediment, or floating particles. > “I have in past years had to get rid of a couple of Monteverde ink bottles because of mold…”

• Storage & Handling: Keep the bottle upright, cap tightly when not in use, and ensure your pen is cleaned regularly (especially if switching inks). Because this is a dark neutral shade, residual ink in a pen might affect subsequent colours if you switch to lighter inks.

• Application: A good choice for everyday writing, professional correspondence, journaling, note?taking when you want something less stark than black but still subdued and readable.