u/CaranDerwent

I heard so many bad things about Montblanc stationery it took me a while to purchase one, this A5 format in red.

I have found the paper to be excellent. It shows sheen in sheening ink, yet it dries fairly quickly and it is quite resistant to smudging even with pigment ink (the black ink is Chou Kuro).

There was no bleedthrough even with thicker nibs like the 1.5 Music Nib from Sailor; inks that usually tend to bleed through at least a bit, like the great Leonardo Noce Moscata showed their range of color and light sheen flawlessly.

The leather is durable, the paper has a bit of grit that helps even buttery smooth nibs like the Essentio’s <B> keep their line shape. The ruling is 10mms which might be a bit too much but it does invite the usage of thicker nibs, and the paper can definitely take it.

The only flaws I can find are: they do not like to lay flat, even with, say, *encouragement*, and the price.

They are certainly not worth 70 euro apiece in the A5 format but I always managed to buy them for half as much and in that case they are absolutely great notebooks, among the best I have used.

I think most people expect more than any stationary brand can give, and for the demanded price, they are right. But if you can use them writing, as quality notebooks that are no more than that, you might enjoy them more than you could image.