Jacques Herbin Turquoise de Perse Ink Review

It’s been Jacques Herbin shimmer season here at Pen Addict HQ over the past few months, and why not? Their inks are fantastic.

Back in December, Exaclair, the US distributor for Jacques Herbin, sent over a sample of Opale Nocturne. It immediately caught my attention for its unique Grayish-Blue base color, which the Gold shimmer matched perfectly. This time, I picked up a bottle of Turquoise de Perse from JetPens, primarily to use for a video I still owe from last year’s St. Jude Fundraiser. I’m getting closer to getting that done, I promise!

As the name dictates, this is a Turquoise base ink, with Gold shimmer. And wow, does the Turquoise pop off the page. It’s hard for any ink brand to do this shade poorly, but this is exactly what I want when I think Turquoise.

Sanzen Tomoe River (52gsm) Paper. There is plenty of shimmer in the letters, which doesn’t translate to the image. Still, it’s not an overwhelming shimmer, which is a feature.

From a shimmer perspective, the volume of the sparkly stuff seems lighter than the aforementioned Opale Nocturne, and other shimmer inks I’ve used recently. Even those from Jacques Herbin. I’ve never had a flow problem with any of the Herbin shimmers, but lighter is ok by me. The flow was perfect in my 1.1 mm TWSBI stub nib, never missing a beat. You can see the shimmer in the barrel and on the page, but nowhere is it overwhelming.

The bright Turquoise could be overwhelming for some, but I love it. It shades well, and makes my handwriting pop. Jacques Herbin Shogun still might be my “house” shimmer ink, but it has a competitor in Turquoise de Perse. And this is right after I fawned over Opal Nocturne.

Whatever Jacques Herbin is doing with their shimmer inks, I hope they keep doing it. They come at a premium, ranging from $32-$38 per 50 ml bottle, but I’m not sure I would rate another brand above them for color and performance.

Do you have a shimmer ink you prefer more than I prefer Jacques Herbin? I also enjoy what Diamine and Robert Oster do with shimmer inks - which others do you like? Let me know so I can try them out.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Slightly shimmery.

Jacques Herbin Fuchsia de Magellan Ink Giveaway

Jacques Herbin 1670 shimmer inks are some of the best performing shimmer inks in my experience. Their latest, Fuchsia de Magellan, was released in 2023, and adds to over a decade of awesome shades. I have one bottle to give away this week, so read the rules below and enter away!

Jacques Herbin Fuchsia de Magellan Ink Giveaway

Jacques Herbin Shogun Ink Review

I’ve turned the corner on shimmer inks over the past few years. From tentative, to accepting, to wanting at least one pen inked up at all times with the glittery goodness. It’s a transition I’m happy with, because otherwise, I would be missing out on beautiful inks like Jacques Herbin Shogun, created to honor Japanese fashion designer Kenzo Takada.

As a fan of all things Japanese, and a bit of a fashion-follower, I’d be lying if I said I’ve heard of Mr. Takada prior to this collaboration. Admittedly, he was a bit before my time, but he was an icon in the fragrance industry, and later in life, art, design, and fashion. He passed in 2020, shortly after beginning this collaboration, but had a life well-lived for 81 years.

According to Jacques Herbin, this twilight-colored ink is

"... reminiscent of a beautiful night of stars, is coated with fine red and gold glitter. The resulting hue is reminiscent of certain armours from the Shogun era, for which Kenzo Takada held a fine appreciation."

I have to say it is executed to perfection. The most interesting thing I’m finding in my usage of Shogun is trying to decide what color the base ink is. Is it Black? Brown? Grey? Depending on the light, the answer is yes to each, and, at times, all. It’s fascinating to look at.

That’s before accounting for the shimmer. The red and gold combine to give it a rose gold or copper appearance, which combined with the base color, makes this ink pop off the page. This is an ink rich with color, and emotion.

Rich also describes the performance on the page. In my medium Aurora gold nib, it flows well. It’s wet, which translates into a long dry time. On Rhodia, it was very smudgable after 20 seconds, so don’t expect this ink to dry any time soon, no matter the paper. If you are ok with that, then you will be rewarded with amazing results once dry.

Even though it contains shimmer, I could use Shogun as an all-day writing ink. Ok, maybe not on official paperwork, but at first glance it looks like a nice dark ink. Upon closer inspection, it favors the twilight it was designed to represent, as well as the classic colors of the Shogun era. I can’t help but stare at my lines on the page and try to define it more than that. It’s a feature that I’m not able to.

Jacques Herbin Shogun lands in the premium ink category, at $29.50 for a 50 ml bottle. I think that is a fair price for the quality and character of the ink. This is a category that Jacques Herbin excels in, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this ink, or any Herbin shimmer ink in their Special Collection.

Finally, if you are concerned about using shimmer ink in fountain pens, you should be - to a degree. You need to think about using a wide enough nib to show off the ink properties, and to offer good enough flow to prevent clogging. Also, shimmer inks are made to be used once inked, not sit on your desk or in a pen case. Use it regularly, or clean it out. Shimmer inks aren’t something to be scared of. Just be considerate of what you are using it in, and how you are using it.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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