J. Herbin Encre Rouge Ink Review

I've barely ventured into the realm of red inks, but the experience I've had with J. Herbin Encre Rouge makes me want to try more. I'm a little confused as to what to call this particular ink, so I'll just stick with Encre Rouge (translates to "red ink") for now. This ink is part of the Les Subtiles ("subtle") line of scented inks, available in 5 different flavors/colors. Each scent is matched to a color, so in this case: roses are red.

I don't remember the exact circumstance that landed this ink on my radar, but I bought a bottle last year to use for a Valentine's day note for my wife. What started as a fun idea for Valentine's Day has become one of the most interesting inks I own over the past year. I don't really care for the scented aspect of the ink, but I'm in love with the color.

Before we look at the writing qualities of this ink, let's talk about the special part: the scent. Remember scratch-and-sniff stickers from grade school? This is a more grown-up version of that in a way. The scent of this ink is roses, and from what I can smell, it's dead on. It's not overpowering when writing -- it smells like fresh roses are sitting on the desk next to you. That's about all you get though. Once the ink dries, the scent all but vanishes. That's my major complaint for this ink. The scent just doesn't last once the ink dries.

When writing a letter with this ink, I would expect the scent of roses to greet the reader upon opening the letter. This just isn't the case. Only the writer gets to enjoy the scent.

It's still an interesting concept. Here's how J. Herbin describe the process of infusing scents into ink:

J. Herbin scented inks are made from floral water (hydrosols) of rose, orange, lavender, apple and violets. The hydrosols used by J. Herbin come from Grasse, France, a Provencal town long associated with the perfume industry and famous for its floral scents.

Fancy!

Now, on to the writing qualities of this ink. This is where I'm really happy. I describe the color as a medium red. I can see faint shades of brown in some of the lines, but it looks more like oxblood to me. Mostly, the lines just look like the color of red rose petals. Based on Brad's description of red inks, I'm not sure if I'd call this a dark or bright ink. It seems to possess qualities of both. On one hand, I can detect some oxblood/brown shades, but it also seems to pop off the page. What do you think? Dark or bright?

Opinions on color aside, this is a very well-behaved and enjoyable ink. In my use, it shows some excellent shading qualities, no feathering on nice paper, no bleed through, and it dries relatively quickly. I've tried this ink in a few pens, and I'd say it has average lubrication qualities.

Apart from my complaints about the quickly fading scent, this is a great ink. I'm afraid it's the reason that I might launch into a red ink journey in the near future. It's a few dollars more expensive than the regular J. Herbin inks, and I'm not sure it's worth the extra money. If there's a regular J. Herbin ink or an ink from another brand that has the same qualities as this ink, I'd be very eager to try it.

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

Put your nose close to the screen ...

J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir Ink Review

If Iroshizuku Kon-peki is my favorite blue ink, then J. Herbin Éclat de Saphir is my close second.

Éclat de Saphir is a gorgeous, vibrant blue ink with lots of character and depth. I love how it pops off the page when I’m writing and even after it’s dried. I'm very pleased when inks retain the same level of saturation when they dry as when the ink is wet, and this ink is no exception.

Before I dive into the detailed notes, I do have some general comments about this ink. I love the color and shading qualities of this ink, but you really need to try it in a fine or larger nib (or medium and larger for Japanese nibs) to get the full effect. After playing with this ink for a while, I really want a stub nib. Secondly, many reviews I've seen on this ink praise its fast-drying property, as well as many other J. Herbin inks. This has not been the case for me with this ink. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or if I'm just using wet nibs on heavy paper, but I would not say it's fast to dry. In my tests, it took about 20 seconds to dry to a point where it would not smudge when I brushed my finger across it. With that being said, it's still an excellent ink that I highly recommend.

This is one of the most well-behaved and easy to maintain inks I've tried. I currently only have cartridges, but will buy a bottle very soon so as to use it in even more pens. It's extremely easy to clean out of pens and washes off my fingers easily.

My favorite quality of this ink is the color. It's a medium to dark blue, very similar to what I think of as "royal" blue. It's nice and saturated, which is something I long for in inks. It has good lubrication and excellent flow in the handful of pens I've used so far.

On nice paper, this ink does not feather or show through the page. Sure, it does feather on cheap paper, but what ink doesn't?

The shading properties are fantastic. Again, I see a stub nib in my near future just so I can play with this beautiful ink some more.

Overall, this is one of my favorite inks and I can't wait to introduce it to more of my pens. Aside from my quibble with the drying time, it's close to a perfect ink for me. I'd like to hear from you if you have some information about the drying time or have advice on performing ink drying tests. Next time you're looking for a nice blue ink to try, grab some Éclat de Saphir.

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

J. Herbin Gris Nuage Ink Review

Ink reviews are intimidating to me. I read all of these amazing ink reviews from my pen friends, on FPN, and elsewhere, and my mind is blown. The depth and breadth of knowledge these reviewers have on fountain pen inks is impressive.

One of these days, I hope to get there myself. Like with anything else, getting started is the first step, but repetition is the key. I still think I am at the novice level in my fountain pen knowledge, but I worked on that area a lot in 2012 and believe I made strides. I plan on expanding that knowledge in 2013, not just in the realm of pens but in inks as well. (I have a favor to ask of you - see the bottom of this post)

A bottle of J. Herbin Gris Nuage found its way into my stocking on Christmas. I had been eyeing this particular shade for some time and was eager to get it loaded up. I syringe filled one of my Pilot Namiki ink cartridges, popped it in to my Pilot Prera M nib fountain pen, and got to writing.

The ink went on light and thin - it was fun to see the ink flow through the lines after writing them - but dried darker to the shade you see in the image. If you look closely you will notice a repeatable issue I was having: The tops of my rounded letters were lighter. I chalk this up to the Prera nib and/or my writing stroke, although I don't recall this being a problem in the past with this pen. Maybe I need to pick a better ink reviewing pen?

Regardless, I am happy with this ink. I don't think I will go as far as putting it in the every day rotation but it will see regular use.

2013 is going to be the year of the fountain pen ink, and I am kindly requesting your help.

It is time to start a new list. And this list, it will be an awesome list. For this list will be a shopping list for all of the fountain pen inks that you, my dear readers, have tried and love. Will you help me fill out this list?

Leave a comment, Tweet me, or click the Contact button and let me know what ink I should try. I'll add them to this awesomest of lists and warm up the credit card. There is just one rule: You can only give me one name. I will compile this list and share it with all of you in a week or so.

Thank you!