Ink Review #328: Montblanc Swan Illusion

Today we are looking at Montblanc Swan Illusion Plume, a new 2018 limited edition ink. I wanted to review this ink but couldn't find samples anywhere so I put out a request online and Krys from SquishyInk came to the rescue and sent a sample over for review. You can find this ink for sale at Appelboom.

The color:

Swan Illusion is a very light brown. It's almost a taupe color. I do think it is the color of some swan feathers, so the name is a good fit.

Swabs:

In large swabs, the ink is much darker, and has a slight green tinge.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm.

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: none

Other properties: medium shading, no sheen, and no shimmer.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering in every nib size as well as a bit of bleeding, so it's not an ink I would recommend for cheap paper.

Comparison Swabs:

Ink swabs for comparison, left to right (top to bottom for mobile RSS): Diamine Espresso, Montblanc Swan Illusion, and Robert Oster Melon Tea. Click here to see the Montblanc inks together. Swan Illusion has a similar tone to Melon Tea, but is much lighter. Espresso is darker and warmer than Swan Illusion.

Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz, Colorverse Space Laika, and Robert Oster Motor Oil. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer writing: 

I used a medium Pelikan M400 White Tortoise on Tomoe River paper. The ink had a dry flow.

Overall, the ink is a bit light for everyday use, and the flow is a bit too dry for my taste.

Disclaimer: A sample of this ink was provided by SquishyInk for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links.