J Herbin Larmes De Cassis [full size photo] – I recently inked up my Parker 51 with some J Herbin Larmes De Cassis, this ink is one that has been growing on me since I initially reviewed it. I first found the ink to be a bit muted, and I do feel that is the way the ink starts off. However, after awhile the ink seems to darken a bit, it is a really smooth looking color.
The ink is not really that wet, and it dries very quickly. It reminded me a lot of a toned down Rose Cyclamen with some grey in it. Aside from the flow being a bit dry, this ink is rather well behaved. It doesn’t show any bleed through or even show through for that matter. The ink didn’t cause any feathering in any of the papers I used to test it on. Shading is ok on this fine/medium nibed Parker 51. You will however see much more shading in a wider nib. (To get a better feel for the shading you can check out the Q-Tip swab test sample.)
This ink will definitely stay in my ink rotation. Some of the people I showed this ink to, did have mixed feelings about the ink. Id say a little more than half of the people liked it – probably around 60%. I have a feeling though, if they had some more time to play with the ink, they would have voted slightly higher – on the plus side.
Thanks goes out to: Exaclair for sending me a bottle of this J Herbin Larmes De Cassis to test. Please note, the fact I received this ink from the distributor doesn’t skew my review in any way at all. I remain impartial and unbiased in all the reviews I do on this site. This review contains my thoughts and how I feel about the product based off the time I spend with the product. Remember as with all reviews – Your Mileage May Very.
Here are some of the other J Herbin Inks I have reviewed.
J Herbin was established in 1670, when Louis XIV, the Sun King, was 32 years old.
M. Herbin was a sailor, and from his many journeys to India he brought back to Paris formulas for manufacturing sealing wax. His special lacquer formula improved the quality of the seals in adhesion and neatness, helping him to become famous throughout the kingdom.
J. Herbin is also the oldest name in ink production in the world.
By 1700, the company was producing “l’Encre de la Tete Noire,” followed by “Perle des Encres,” (The Jewel of Inks) and “l’Encre des Vaisseaux” (The Ink of Ships).
J. Herbin made ink for Louis XIV, and a black ink for the sole use of Victor Hugo, author of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables. These formulas still reside in our company archives in Paris.
Matt is a Systems Development Director for a multinational franchise. Matt has lived and worked in Hawaii, Chicago, South Florida and currently resides outside of Atlanta. He enjoys his hobbies including Technology, Gadgets/EDC, Fountain Pens, Wetshaving, Clocks, Antiques & Coffee. He even roasts his own coffee weekly.
Nice color – may have to add this to my want list.