The Montegrappa Gryffindor Red ink review and giveaway is here just in time for 2021! What are you doing to celebrate the end of 2020 and the arrival of 2021? For many of us, New Years plans aren’t typical. Due to the current pandemic, travel is limited, visits with friends and family are being postponed, and annual New Year’s Eve parties are being canceled. Depending on your area and your situation, you may not even be able (or feel comfortable) going out to dinner. If this year’s New Year’s Eve celebrations aren’t falling into place like they usually do, or you have no idea how to celebrate the historic move from 2020 to 2021, we have a suggestion. Read a book. More specifically, read one of the Harry Potter books (or ALL of the Harry Potter books). This 2021 New Year’s celebration suggestion is, of course, inspired by this week’s ink review that features an ink inspired by one of the most famous and widely read book series of our generation. While the first Harry Potter book was released in the US in 1998, Montegrappa’s Harry Potter Collection ink series was just released in late 2020!

All About the Ink Maker: Montegrappa

Montegrappa has been around since 1912. While widely known for high quality, meticulously crafted fine writing instruments, Montegrappa is less known for its fountain pen inks. The pen company does have a standard ink collection (and has had one for several years), including eight basic colors all housed in 42 ml. octagonal shaped glass bottles. In 2020, Montegrappa released a new ink series in connection with their Harry Potter Collection. Joining their popular Harry Potter House Pen Collection and Harry Potter Pen Case, the Harry Potter inks dropped just in time to claim a 2020 release date.

All About the Ink Series: Montegrappa Harry Potter Collection Ink Series

Montegrappa’s Harry Potter ink series stepped outside the box with some exciting ink colors, new packaging, a new ink bottle, and even a new ink bottle size. The ink series includes six colors:

• Hufflepuff Yellow
• Ravenclaw Blue
• Slytherin Green
• Gryffindor Red
• Knight Bus Purple
• Thestral Black

This week’s ink review features Montegrappa Gryffindor Red Ink, the color representing the House Harry Potter himself joined after the sorting hat declared it to all in the Great Hall!

This Week’s Featured Ink: Montegrappa Gryffindor Red Ink

Montegrappa Gryffindor red ink is a gorgeous dark red with hints of black. The beautiful color depicts the characteristics of Harry Potter himself. The royal burgundy shade reflects Harry’s status as a leader and admired member of the wizarding world, with the darker depths showing the bits of darkness in his character and his story. Montegrappa’s Gryffindor Red ink shows up very well on paper and is dark enough for everyday use and an excellent choice for special projects, notes, cards, etc.

*** If you’re looking for the giveaway…scroll to the bottom. The giveaway link is right at the end of the review. And don’t worry, we forgive you for not having time on hand at the drop of a hat to read our full ink review. But come back and read the full review later, so you don’t miss any important details about this week’s ink.

It’s Time: Montegrappa Gryffindor Red Ink Review

This week we put Montegrappa Gryffindor fountain pen ink through our standard ink review tests. Read on to see what we found out!

Ink Review Testing Factors (to keep things scientific):

We used a French-made J. Herbin spiral glass dip pen (with a tip comparable to a medium-fine fountain pen nib) and Rhodia dot pad paper.

Let’s Talk About the Montegrappa Ink Bottle:

Gryffindor ink comes in Montegrappa’s new Harry Potter Collection ink bottle, which is a heavyweight rectangular 50 ml. glass bottle. The ink bottle label clearly indicates the ink’s color name in cursive script, and the cap features the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry logo.

The ink bottle and packaging are consistent with other products available in Montegrappa’s Harry Potter Collection (fountain pens, rollerball pens, and pen cases). The deep blue box features a checkerboard-look design showing the various Hogwarts House logos in black. The packaging is accented with ink splats, the official Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry logo, and the trademarked Harry Potter logo on the front of the box, all in a yellow-gold. On the side of the ink’s box, the Wizarding World and WB logos indicate the collaboration that enabled Montegrappa to create the Harry Potter Collection. Montegrappa’s logo is featured on the top of the box.

How Much Does Montegrappa Fountain Pen Ink Cost?

Montegrappa Gryffindor fountain pen ink falls in the higher price range for a 50 ml. bottle of ink. However, part of this ink’s price is due to the collectibility that comes with the official Harry Potter name, logo, branding, etc. Check for the latest discounted price at PenChalet.com.

How Did This Week’s Ink Fair in the 1-Dip Test?

We conducted a 1-dip test with Montegrappa Gryffindor ink using a J. Herbin spiral glass dip pen and Rhodia dot pad paper. (For the 1-Dip Test, we dip the pen in ink once for each of three writing samples, “S,” “X,” and scribble lines, to see how well the pen performs). Gryffindor fountain pen ink very easily wrote across the paper on all three writing samples with lots of ink to spare.

How Fast Does Montegrappa Gryffindor Ink Dry?

Montegrappa Gryffindor fountain pen ink showed a very reasonable dry time of about 6-7 seconds with medium saturation, so we consider it an excellent choice for an everyday red fountain pen ink.

Does Montegrappa Gryffindor Ink Bleed Through?

We saw no bleeding during normal use on Rhodia paper. During the heavy saturated cotton swab test, there was almost imperceptible bleed through, but only at the wettest points.

Was There Any Feathering While Using Gryffindor Ink?

We saw no feathering during normal use on Rhodia dot pad paper. And no additional feathering during the water test.

How Does the Ink Stand Up to Water?

For the water test, we let an ink sample dry for about 3 minutes before running a wet cotton swab over the sample. Montegrappa Gryffindor ink isn’t waterproof, so we got the expected color smearing (due to the ink’s dark color). However, the lines were still pretty clear and legible.

Does the Fountain Pen Ink Have Good Shading Traits?

Montegrappa’s Gryffindor ink showed some nice shading possibilities during the review. With the right nib and penmanship, you could really take advantage of the possibilities this ink offers for shading.

Final Conclusion on this Week’s Featured Montegrappa Ink:

This week’s ink is higher-priced (since it’s a high-quality ink and also the product of a collaboration with a very well known story turned movie turned amusement park). Gryffindor is a beautiful, dark burgundy color with hints of black and a very reasonable dry time (about 6-7 seconds). Made by a well-respected Italian pen company, Montegrappa, the Harry Potter Collection inks feature classy Harry Potter themed packaging. If you’re a Muggle…happy writing from Italy! If you’re a witch or wizard…happy writing from Hogwarts! Whichever house you belong to!

Enter to Win a Harry Potter Fountain Pen Ink:

Enter to win the actual bottle of Montegrappa Gryffindor fountain pen ink that Pen Chalet used in this week’s ink review:

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