J Herbin Lierre sauvage (Wild Ivy)

[yazeh]

J Herbin Lierre sauvage (Wild Ivy)

This is one of my oldest bottles of ink, it more than 10 years old. I thought I’d review it for fun. 

It’s a flat green, lacking nuance, which is surprising for a Herbin ink.  I neither like, nor dislike it and plan to finish it in a brush pen for artwork. 

 

Ink has  decent water resistance, and with slightly below average lubrication. 

 

The intriguing chroma, doesn't translate in the colour:

 

Writing Samples:

Ink had more character with the vintage flex. 

Quotes are form Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891) French poet from AZquotes.

Photo:

Comparison:

 

Water test: (after 24 hours) Note how the ink blended through Mnemosyne paper after 10 seconds under running water)

 

And finally an art work done with a brush pen, and different from my usual work, entitled Green Meditation:

 

· Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef, Stub, Kaweco Sport (EF/F/M/B), Vintage Conway Stewart 330 flexible oblique nib

· What I liked: Drawing with it. 

· What I did not like: The colour

· What some might not like: It does not like copy paper. 

· Shading: Only with flex.

· Ghosting: Yes, on cheap paper. 

· Bleed through: Same as above with wet pens. 

· Flow Rate: Wet.

· Lubrication: Slightly below average. 

· Nib Dry-out: Not noticed. 

· Start-up: Not noticed.

· Shading Potential: Only with flex pen. 

· Sheen: No. 

· Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Not noticed.

· Nib Creep / “Crud”: No. 

· Staining (pen): No. 

· Clogging: No. 

· Cleaning: Easy

· Water resistance: Surprisingly good. 

· Availability: cartridges, 10 ml, 30 ml.

 

Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier  

 

 

 

 

 

[lapis]

NIce green. Mine is also > 10 years old. Too bright for "normal" writing, but likely best for Christmas cards. Or, for sketches and/or art in general. Nobody can beat your work, but then again, not all artists have a FP or ten to whip out!

[yazeh]

26 minutes ago, lapis said:

NIce green. Mine is also > 10 years old. Too bright for "normal" writing, but likely best for Christmas cards.

That's a good idea. I never thought of that 👍

26 minutes ago, lapis said:

Or, for sketches and/or art in general. Nobody can beat your work, but then again, not all artists have a FP or ten to whip out!

You're too kind😊

[LizEF]

Great review, @yazeh!  Not my green - something missing - though it comes close from that flex nib and the UEF (where it's darker and closer to a planty green.  Regardless, I always appreciate your reviews.  Poor kitty getting rained on.  Kind Mousie offering his friend a gift.  You captured meditation well!

 

Thanks for an interesting review!

[yazeh]

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

Great review, @yazeh!  Not my green - something missing - though it comes close from that flex nib and the UEF (where it's darker and closer to a planty green. 

I do agree. It's plain green
 

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

Regardless, I always appreciate your reviews.

🙏

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

 Poor kitty getting rained on.  Kind Mousie offering his friend a gift.  You captured meditation well!

Thanks 🙏

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

 

Thanks for an interesting review!

Most welcome

 

[amberleadavis]

@yazeh Thank you again for another great review.  This ink was late to my collection.  I ended up buying it after seeing @visvamitra showed it to me. I really like the color. I know it's not an exciting ink, but it is a drama free ink.  Occasionally, I like having a well behaved ink.  I know that given my usual inky tendencies, this love is a shock. 

[yazeh]

43 minutes ago, amberleadavis said:

@yazeh Thank you again for another great review. 

Most welcome 🙏

43 minutes ago, amberleadavis said:

This ink was late to my collection.  I ended up buying it after seeing @visvamitra showed it to me. I really like the color. I know it's not an exciting ink, but it is a drama free ink. 

Low maintenance inks make life much easier

 

43 minutes ago, amberleadavis said:

Occasionally, I like having a well behaved ink.  I know that given my usual inky tendencies, this love is a shock. 

 

[Sailor Kenshin]

Another ink in my possession!  My bottle is pretty old, and darker, and writes dry.  Does not work and play well with others (ie: no mixing!).

 

Since mine is darker I do like the color.  I'll use it in a wet writer every now and then… when I remember!  
 

Kitteh looks unhappy.  Maybe he doesn't like the ink color?  😹 Interesting profile sketch, too.

 

Thanks once again, @yazeh.  So interesting that my bottle of Lierre Sauvage has different characteristics!

[yazeh]

2 hours ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Another ink in my possession!  My bottle is pretty old, and darker, and writes dry.  Does not work and play well with others (ie: no mixing!).

Mine is old too. I mixed it with Perle Noire though in a brush pen

2 hours ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

 

Since mine is darker I do like the color.  I'll use it in a wet writer every now and then… when I remember!  

🙂

2 hours ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Kitteh looks unhappy.  Maybe he doesn't like the ink color?  😹

You got it 👍

2 hours ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Interesting profile sketch, too.

Thanks 🙏

2 hours ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

 

Thanks once again, @yazeh.  So interesting that my bottle of Lierre Sauvage has different characteristics!

Indeed 😀

[InesF]

Thank you, @yazeh, for this ink review, for keeping the cat dry and for keeping the mouse alive!  

I guess, it's Arthur meditating in the greens?

This time I'm fully with you about the appeal of the colour when drawn with a true flex or with your wet UEF nib. The pale line from the usual nibs doesn't excite me.

[yazeh]

14 minutes ago, InesF said:

Thank you, @yazeh, for this ink review, for keeping the cat dry and for keeping the mouse alive!  

 

14 minutes ago, InesF said:

I guess, it's Arthur meditating in the greens?

Arthur/ Guinevere take your pick

 

14 minutes ago, InesF said:

This time I'm fully with you about the appeal of the colour when drawn with a true flex or with your wet UEF nib. The pale line from the usual nibs doesn't excite me.

Me neither! 

[Misfit]

Excellent review. I got this ink for Christmas several years ago. In a nice wide nib, it’s a Christmas green. 

[yazeh]

8 hours ago, Misfit said:

Excellent review.

🙏

8 hours ago, Misfit said:

I got this ink for Christmas several years ago. In a nice wide nib, it’s a Christmas green. 

🎅🎄

[arcfide]

Sometimes straight green is what you want, and I've found that many of the typical green inks that are readily available try to be more "interesting" and in so doing make it harder to actually just find a straight green ink. 🙂 

 

Fortunately, I don't run into this problem often. 

 

Sometimes, to me at least, it feels like Herbin's standard line is more like an artist's line of inks than a penman's line of inks, based on the color range and saturation. 

[yazeh]

4 minutes ago, arcfide said:

Sometimes straight green is what you want, and I've found that many of the typical green inks that are readily available try to be more "interesting" and in so doing make it harder to actually just find a straight green ink. 🙂 

 

4 minutes ago, arcfide said:

 

Fortunately, I don't run into this problem often. 

 

4 minutes ago, arcfide said:

 

Sometimes, to me at least, it feels like Herbin's standard line is more like an artist's line of inks than a penman's line of inks, based on the color range and saturation. 

I never thought of their line as artist inks

 

[arcfide]

2 hours ago, yazeh said:

I never thought of their line as artist inks

 

I don't think they really are, but I think their "French-ness" and their appeal to watercolors in their premium line has made me associate them with artistry. 

[yazeh]

2 hours ago, arcfide said:

 

I don't think they really are, but I think their "French-ness" and their appeal to watercolors in their premium line has made me associate them with artistry. 

It makes sense, somehow like the califolio line.