Ink Review: Jacques Herbin Essentials Inks

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This week we are going to focus on J Herbin (Jacques Herbin) inks. I’ve had these reviews done for quite a while, I just haven’t gotten around to publishing them. We are going to start out with three Jacques Herbin Essentials inks: Rouge d’Orient, Violet Boreal and Vert Amazone. You can purchase these inks at most retailers. My samples came from Vanness Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right: Rouge d’Orient, Violet Boreal and Vert Amazone

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 50 seconds

Water Resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: The three had low shading.

On Walmart Pen + Gear copy paper there was quite a bit of feathering and bleeding in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Rouge d’Orient is similar to a lot of other red inks.

Violet Boreal is closest to Robert Oster Velvet Crush.

Vert Amazone is a little darker than Backpack Dublin Green.

I used a Taroko Enigma notebook. All three inks had average flows.

Overall, I love how well these inks flow. The Essentials inks are my favorites from J Herbin. You can’t go wrong with any of these three inks but Vert Amazone is my favorite out of the three.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links, and is not sponsored in any way.

Ink Review #2743: Taccia Woody Brown

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Let’s take a look at Taccia Woody Brown from the Sketch Ink collection. My sample of ink came from Vanness Pens.

The color:

Woody Brown is a medium warm-toned brown.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some shading.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some bleeding and feathering in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Woody Brown is closest to Robert Oster Aussie Brown. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Lamy Al-star Bronze with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, this is a nice brown, but because it’s a sketch ink I was expecting high water resistance and this ink has low water resistance so I was a bit disappointed. I would use this ink as a general brown but not for any of its other properties.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

Ink Review #2742: Teranishi Guitar Modern Red

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Today’s ink is Teranishi Modern Red from the Guitar Series. You can find this ink for sale at some retailers including Vanness Pens. Thanks to the reader who sent this ink in for review!

The color:

Modern Red is an unsaturated medium red.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has a little bit of shading.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering and bleeding in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Modern Red is less saturated than J Herbin Rouge Great. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Sailor Pro Gear Slim Supernova Red with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, I love this color! This may actually be one of my new favorite red inks. Not only is it a great color but it’s well behaved and has some nice shading.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: This product was provided by a reader for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

Ink Review #2741: Wearingeul A Study in Scarlet

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Today’s ink is Wearingeul A Study In Scarlet from the World Literature Series. You can find this ink for sale at some retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

A Study in Scarlet is a deep red.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has a little bit of shading.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 50 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: There’s some bleeding in the flex nib and swab on Rhodia, but I think that’s due to a flaw in the paper rather than the ink. I’ve had this happen with most inks on this most recent batch of paper.

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering and bleeding in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

A Study in Scarlet is closest to Diamine Noel. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pelikan M205 Star Ruby with a fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, I feel like this ink never fully dries. On the dry time test it took 50 seconds, but in the longer writing sample it seemed to take a lot longer, and it never fully dried in the large swabs on Tomoe River paper. I’m not a fan of inks that take forever to dry, so this ink in a no for me.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

Ink Review #2740: Teranishi Guitar Gentle Green

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Let’s take a look at Teranishi Guitar Gentle Green from the Guitar Series. You can find this ink for sale at some retailers including Vanness Pens. Thanks to the reader who sent this ink in for review!

The color:

Gentle Green is a medium green.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks more blue than it does on the Col-o-ring swab.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: There’s some bleeding in the flex nib and swab on Rhodia, but I think that’s due to a flaw in the paper rather than the ink. I’ve had this happen with most inks on this most recent batch of paper.

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering and bleeding in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Gentle Green’s lighter color is closest to Kobe 76. Click here to see the green inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pilot Ishime Forest Green with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow. The ink goes down more blue but dries green.

Overall, I really love this ink. The color is so interesting and there’s some fun shading and even a little sheen. I love how well it flows and how well it performed in the Pilot Ishime pictured above. I’m adding a full bottle to my wish list!

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: This product was provided by a reader for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

Ink Review #2739: Ferris Wheel Press Book of Botany

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Let’s take a look at Ferris Wheel Press Book of Botany from the Botanical Elegance Series. You can find this ink for sale at some retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Book of Botany is an unsaturated medium green.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has just a little bit of red sheen.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering and bleeding in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Book of Botany is more yellow than Kobe 76 but not as yellow as De Atramentis Rhubarb Green. Click here to see the green inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pilot Custom 74 with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has a dry flow. I really hated this combo to the point that I didn’t finish the entire page.

Overall, I really hate how dry this ink is. The color is lovely but it’s way too dry for me!

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

Ink Review #2738: Ferris Wheel Press Moonbeam Meadows

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Today’s ink is Ferris Wheel Press Moonbeam Meadows from the Bestiary Series. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Moonbeam Meadows is a pale lilac purple.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper it has green and pink shimmer.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: low shading, no sheen, and green and pink shimmer.

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had feathering in all nib sizes and some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Moonbeam Meadows is a little more red than Dream Inks Mermaid. Click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Lamy Safari Pink Cliff with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has a slightly dry flow.

Overall, this ink is a little interesting because it goes down more blue but dries purple. It’s a little drier than I prefer but I didn’t have any clogging issues.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

Ink Review #2737: Ink Institute Affluent Dragon

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Today’s ink is Ink Institute Affluent Dragon from the Spring 2023 collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Affluent Dragon is a bright blue with shimmer.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has a little bit of sheen.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: There’s some bleeding in the flex nib and swab on Rhodia, but I think that’s due to a flaw in the paper rather than the ink. I’ve had this happen with most inks on this most recent batch of paper.

Other properties: medium shading, tiny red sheen, and gold shimmer.

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had feathering in all nib sizes and some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Affluent Dragon is closest to Diamine Arctic Blue. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Kaweco Sport Cyan with a fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, this is a lovely ink. It has some nice shading, even in a fine nib.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

Ink Review #2736: Robert Oster Bless Your Heart

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The color:

Bless Your Heart is a red-violet.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper it has some shading and shimmer.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: medium shading, no sheen, and violet, black and silver shimmer.

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had feathering in all nib sizes and some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Bless Your Heart is a little more red than Diamine Frosted Orchid. Click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pilot Ishime Magenta with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, I really love this color. I would use this ink with or without the shimmer because I love the color so much. It’s a great color for the fall and winter seasons and is well behaved. A full bottle is on my wish list!

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

Ink Review #2735: Octopus Fluids Document Green

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Let’s take a look at Octopus Fluids Document Green from the Document Series. You can find this ink for sale at some retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Document Green is a medium evergreen.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink turns black where it pooled but I wouldn’t call it sheen.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 20 seconds

Water resistance: High

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: There’s some bleeding in the flex nib and swab on Rhodia, but I think that’s due to a flaw in the paper rather than the ink. I’ve had this happen with most inks on this most recent batch of paper.

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering and bleeding in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Document Green is less saturated than Diamine Tropical Green. Click here to see the green inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pelikan M600 Vibrant Green with a fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has a slightly wet flow.

Overall, I love the water resistance and flow this ink has. I really like it when inks are just a little bit wet and hold up well to water.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.