J. Herbin Rouge Hematite 1670

[mhphoto]

Here's one of my favorite inks in the world. I reviewed it a long time ago, but because I'm arguably better at it now I figured it was time for a new and updated review.

 

I'm not going to put any obligatory sheen pictures in this thread because I've already plastered all the ones I have all over FPN. :roflmho: So here they are:

 

Here, here, and here.

 

And here's my original review.

 

http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q712/FiveCatKnittery/JHerbinRougeHematite1670Medium.jpg

 

http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q712/FiveCatKnittery/JHerbinRougeHematite1670PensUsed.jpg

 

http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q712/FiveCatKnittery/JHerbinRougeHematite1670DipNib.jpg

 

http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q712/FiveCatKnittery/JHerbinRougeHematite1670Observations.jpg

 

http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q712/FiveCatKnittery/JHerbinRougeHematite1670Comparisons.jpg

 

http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q712/FiveCatKnittery/JHerbinRougeHematite1670Shading.jpg

 

And on copy paper:

 

http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q712/FiveCatKnittery/JHerbinCopy.jpg

 

And here's a very diluted sample on some mystery cotton paper:

 

http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q712/FiveCatKnittery/JHerbinSuperDiluted.jpg

 

Enjoy, and thanks for looking!

[ezrashapiro]

Excellent review, as always! Many thanks.

 

I love this ink, because it performs well on both Rhodia and really crappy Office Depot cheap copy paper. There's a bit more spread on the cheapo stuff, partic with a broad nib, but it's not so fuzzy that I can't use it for grading papers (as is the case with Diamine Dragon Red). (Aside: I use a Pelikano Junior for grading, which has a mediumish nib.)

 

However -- and it's a big however -- I let the gold stuff settle to the bottom of the bottle and then pour the remaining liquid through a coffee filter, thereby committing what I guess is serious ink sacrilege.

 

Rouge Hematite is expensive, though. I've been reading reviews here at FPN and looking at the Herbin samples at Goulet, trying to find an equivalent to the filtered ink (without the gold or the price) but I haven't been convinced by anything else.

 

So even the base red, without the sheen, is an interesting and unique color!

 

-ES

[mhphoto]

Thanks! But…

 

I let the gold stuff settle to the bottom of the bottle and then pour the remaining liquid through a coffee filter

 

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/randy25rhoads/30491a49.gif

[ezrashapiro]

Heh. Yeah, I know, but I confessed to sacrilege.

 

Each to his/her own.

 

If you'd like, next time I do a bottle I could send you the gold goo. . . ?

 

-ES

[mhphoto]

Heh. Yeah, I know, but I confessed to sacrilege.

 

Each to his/her own.

 

If you'd like, next time I do a bottle I could send you the gold goo. . . ?

 

-ES

 

Hehe, just joshing you. And I would totally pay shipping costs for that gold!

[inkstainedruth]

This is an ink that I tried mostly just to see what the hype was about. I didn't expect to like the color and saturation as much as I do -- even without getting much in the way of sheen, since I'm using F to M nibs for the most part.

Thanks for the updated review. The dilution samples are interesting to say the least -- especially that last one (pink? whodda thunk...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[RLTodd]

No, pouring ink through a METAL coffee filter to clean it up was one of the late Frank Dubiel's recommendations.

 

Why toss ink if you can make it usable was the rule.

[mhosea]

Heh. Yeah, I know, but I confessed to sacrilege.

 

You're a man after my own heart, I think. I love the red, but I wasn't expecting the gold sheen to be so pronounced. It is not really "sheen" in the sense that any other ink has "sheen", rather Herbin Rouge hematite is really a dual-color ink, a dye based ink with a different color pigment. The ink also has sheen, which confuses the issue. When I saw this picture of red hematite,

 

http://www.lehighminerals.com/images/SHOWS/April09%20Mixed/10c_small.jpg

 

I was not magically more enamored with the dual color of the ink, but I understood what they were going for better, and I was consequently impressed with their accomplishment.

[maryannemoll]

This is one of my favorite inks as well, and I use it everyday in a Lamy Al-Star Ruby Red with a 1.5 italic nib. However, as you may already know, there is a caveat.

 

But I love this ink anyway and the Al-Star is not a very expensive pen and apparently, I can pull the feed out for better cleaning, in case I really need to do it. But I think it would suffice to just flush after every load. We'll see.

[Malice]

 

I was not magically more enamored with the dual color of the ink, but I understood what they were going for better, and I was consequently impressed with their accomplishment.

 

Agreed,

Somehow on the pictures show I like the slightly diluted version best. Is that similar to the colour you get by filtering ?

 

M.

[fourseamer]

The photos/scans have gone missing. I was hoping to see the one of the diluted sample as I'm looking to write some birth announcements (girls!), and I'm looking for a red that dilutes to a nice shade of pink.

[amberleadavis]

Wow, I had never seen Red Hematite. Thank you! This ink is different. I like it, but it's odd.

 

I usually get a green cast rather than a sheen, but it's still interesting.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/INK/attachments/2012_06_21_06_54_57.jpg

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/INK/attachments/2013-03-17_Davis_013_small.jpg

[georges zaslavsky]

nice ink with nice possibilities thanks for sharing

[sitnstew]

Holy (bleep) this ink is awesome! Thanks for the review!

[Cyber6]

I bought a bottle just to find out they re-formulated the ink and now it has no gold.... :bawl: :bawl:

 

 

Where can I find the old formulation ink with the gold specs???.. :bawl: :bawl:

 

 

PLEASE.... Pretty Please.... Anyone??? :crybaby:

[saskia_madding]

Isn't that totally the worst??? I was horrified to learn that on FPN a while ago. All you can do is call up vendors that carry it and ask them to tell you how old the bottle is. They can't even open up the box and check the bottom of the bottle for the gold, because the ink comes shrink wrapped. SO UNCOOL.

 

I just bought the last three from my guy in Texas, and he said they were old bottles, but I'm going to check to make sure the second they get here. I use this ink all the time, especially in mixing - it makes GREAT purples. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/222987-deep-purple-shimmer/

 

http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af97/Saskia_Madding/Mixed%20ink%20reviews/DSC09787.jpg?t=1341431551

[Centopar]

I have a bottle on order at the moment - I'm not hopeful for gold bits. Entirely my own fault: I've been putting it off for ages because I do not NEED any more ink. I have enough to float a (large) boat in as it is.

[nomadhacker]

I bought a bottle just to find out they re-formulated the ink and now it has no gold.... :bawl: :bawl:

 

 

Where can I find the old formulation ink with the gold specs???.. :bawl: :bawl:

 

 

PLEASE.... Pretty Please.... Anyone??? :crybaby:

There is hope on the horizon. I emailed Herbin a few weeks back about the reformulation. The reply I got was that they are looking into re-releasing the original formula with a different label-either as a 'dip pen' ink, or with huge warning labels plastered all over it like cigarette packaging.

Edited October 12, 2013 by nomadhacker

[Cyber6]

There is hope on the horizon. I emailed Herbin a few weeks back about the reformulation. The reply I got was that they are looking into re-releasing the original formula with a different label-either as a 'dip pen' ink, or with huge warning labels plastered all over it like cigarette packaging.

 

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol: :lol:

 

 

Now... let's see if they charge 50% more on a 50% less ink bottle...

[WaskiSquirrel]

The ink is interesting, but I don't get enough daily use out of it. Instead, it ends up crusting around the nib on my pen.

 

I may ink up a pen at Christmas to send out letters. Otherwise, I just don't use it enough. For some reason, I have two bottles. Looks like a lifetime+ supply.