J. Herbin Lierre Sauvage Ink Review

Three weeks ago, I reviewed a lovely green ink from J. Herbin called Vert Réséda. I called it a light-medium green and said I would likely try out more green inks. Well, I did, and I don't think I'm done yet.

This time around, it's the J. Herbin Lierre Sauvage that caught my eye. Ever since JetPens started carrying the adorable little 10ml bottles of J. Herbin ink, I've been looking for excuses to buy some. I guess other people felt the same way, because they sold out fast. Finally, I got mine after stock returned. First up is my second green ink, and I'm pretty sure I like it better than the first.

Where Vert Réséda was a light, medium green, Lierre Sauvage is a darker green that reminds me of ferns and moss. It's a forest green, and I love it. It looks fantastic on paper and has more shading qualities than the former. This ink is what I think of as a true green. The Vert ink had a bit of aqua blue coloring, which pushed it slightly toward the turquoise range. It's a beautiful ink, but not quite what I had in mind for a standard green. You can never really tell what you'll actually get when looking at ink samples online, but I'm very happy so far with the Lierre Sauvage.

This ink is exactly what I expect from J. Herbin at this point: very well-behaved. It's worked flawlessly in both pens I've tested it in. One of the pens is a bit dry, while the other is normal. It's a lubricated ink that has no problems starting or keeping up with hasty writing, and it also does not dry or clog the nib after being uncapped for a couple of minutes.

It's a medium saturation and does have some mild shading properties. I've noticed that the shading comes out more on bright paper compared to ivory or cream paper. Dry time isn't fantastic, but it's not terrible either. It normally takes about 15 or 20 seconds to be smudge-proof.

Sadly, it doesn't shade as much as I'd like for a green. I'm still on the lookout for a beautiful green that shades easily, so let me know if you have one in mind.

Like the other J. Herbin green, this ink cleans out of pens very easily. Also, this new sample bottle size from J. Herbin is fantastic. I love the size, although it might be a problem for larger pens. The Lamy Safari and Al Star I used barely fit deep enough to draw ink up. That's something to consider when purchasing these bottles.

Overall, Lierre Sauvage is now my favorite green ink, but I'm still looking for more. It's a beautiful, well-behaved ink that lays down a gorgeous line. If you're in the market for a green ink, I think you should start with this one.

(You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution, Twitter, and App.net.)

J. Herbin Verte Réséda Ink Review

As I venture into more non-standard ink colors, I'm discovering that I really have an affinity for red and green inks in particular. They've become the main focus of my obsession lately, and I don't see any signs of it losing steam. One of the first inks I tried in this vein was J. Herbin Vert Réséda.

Vert Réséda is a light-medium green ink that makes me think of spring bloom. It's a happy, beautiful color and always puts me in a better mood when I start writing with it. It seems silly, but it's actually a real "property" of the ink in my book.

I don't have any pure greens to compare this ink to, but this one is a well-behaved easy-going ink that has worked perfectly in every pen I've tried – even the ones that tend to write on the dry side.

It's a well-lubricated ink that never stutters or skips, and it does a great job of not bleeding through the page. Even the ink swap I did in the writing sample is hard to see from the other side of the page. I haven't seen another ink do that. Most of them bleed through a bit.

There are some things it lacks, however, and I call those things "flair." Saturation, sheen, and shading are light or non-existent in this ink. I don't know enough about this color range to tell you if that's normal, but for this particular ink, it's very lightly-saturated, has no sheen, and has very light shading properties. The shading is hardly there at all in a regular nib, but it comes out more in the 1.5 mm nib I used. Personally, I would love more shading in this beautiful color. I think it would give it more character. I'd love to find a similar ink with more shading properties.

Overall, I've been very pleased by this ink. When I ordered it, I didn't think I would use it very often, but I've actually used it quite a bit for general writing and notes. It's an everyday ink for me. It's not eclectic enough to take a backseat for special occasions.

I'm happy with my initial dive into the green inks, and I'm pretty sure I'll be trying more. I think I'll set my sights on some of the Diamine offerings next.

(You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution, Twitter, and App.net.)

Sailor Kobe Ink No. 37 Island Blue Ink Review

I'm relatively certain that if I lived in Japan I would be broke. Just setting foot in a store like the Nagasawa Stationery Center would cause a wallet-gasm, if not outright bankruptcy. And then to learn they have their own shop exclusive line of inks, from Sailor no less? Well, let's just say I'm very lucky to have amazing readers who are helping me keep my wallet in check and my marriage intact.

Sailor Kobe Ink No. 37 Island Blue is another sample from a batch that Pen Addict reader Richard sent over, and a beautiful one at that. This color is inspired by "the view of the blue sea from Kobe", and if that is actually the case I need to book a plane ticket. It is a saturated ink, but vibrant at the same time. There is some shading too, which adds to its beauty. I don't have many other standard blues to compare it to, but it is unlike any other blue ink I have tried.

Prior to this review, Sailor was already one of my favorite fountain pen inks. Across the board, they perform perfectly with any pen, nib, and paper combo I've come up with. None of their inks have ever stained any pen, and they are easy to clean. Now, only if these great Japanese options were easy to buy.