J Herbin Vert Empire

[yazeh]

J Herbin Vert Empire

I was intrigued by the beautiful green-grey colour of this Herbin ink and I was not disappointed. For me it's an artist ink, mysterious, complex  great for washes and very pleasant for writing.

Ink is wet, with below average lubrication, massive shading that loves water.  

Though, like most Herbin inks, it doesn’t like copy paper.  

 

Let’s start with the complex chroma:

 

Writing samples:

The text is from Pierre Corneille's Le Cid, 1637 tragedy. I've added a link for an English translation for those interested.

 

 

 

It doesn't like copy paper as you can see. 

Photo:

 

Comparison:

 

Water test

 

And finally, an artwork. I’m assuming that Vert Empire is a reference to Napoleon III, hence using his emperorship portrait as a model  

The red ink is Red Koala by Octopus

 

 

· Pens used: Pilot F3 Ef, Kaweco Sport (EF/F/M/B/Stub 1.9), Conway Stewart 330 with a oblique flex nib

· What I liked: Gorgeous color, shading, drawing and doing washes.

· What I did not like: Lack of waterproofness.

· What some might not like: Slight dryness. 

· Shading: Excellent

· Ghosting: Doesn’t like copy paper very much. 

· Bleed through: Same as above

· Flow Rate: Wet

· Lubrication: Slightly below average

· Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. 

· Start-up: Did not notice.

· Saturation: Nope. 

· Shading Potential: Excellent.

· Sheen: No. 

· Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice.

· Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice.

· Staining (pen): Did not notice.

· Clogging: No. 

· Cleaning: Easy

· Water resistance: Measly. 

· Availability: cartridges, 10 ml, 30 ml bottles. 

 

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

 

 

 

[LizEF]

  Thank you, @yazeh , for another great review!  The chroma is intriguing, the color interesting (if not really up my alley) and I just love the uniformed kitty!  Poor mousey, though - he doesn't look terribly comfortable there in the the Emperor's hand...   Le Cid, El Cid, CID, it's all too much for my tired mind!

[yazeh]

 

  On 12/14/2023 at 2:33 AM, LizEF said:

  Thank you, @yazeh , for another great review! 

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🙏

  On 12/14/2023 at 2:33 AM, LizEF said:

 

The chroma is intriguing, the color interesting (if not really up my alley)

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I thought that would be your type of ink

 

  On 12/14/2023 at 2:33 AM, LizEF said:

and I just love the uniformed kitty!  Poor mousey, though - he doesn't look terribly comfortable there in the the Emperor's hand...  

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I'm  sure it's just cosplay

 

  On 12/14/2023 at 2:33 AM, LizEF said:

 

Le Cid, El Cid, CID, it's all too much for my tired mind!

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It's better than Turgenev though and higher stakes, the term Cornelian dilemma, comes from Pierre Corneille's work

[LizEF]

  On 12/14/2023 at 3:15 AM, yazeh said:

I thought that would be your type of ink

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Too grey. I like my murky greens to be brown-murky, not grey murky.

 

  On 12/14/2023 at 3:15 AM, yazeh said:

It's better than Turgenev though and higher stakes

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Good point!

 

  On 12/14/2023 at 3:15 AM, yazeh said:

the term Cornelian dilemma, comes from Pierre Corneille's work

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D'oh!  I should have recognized that!

[Penguincollector]

Thank you for your review! I loved using this ink in my MB144 IB. It was in use all summer. It’s great in this little wet writer. I love your kitty drawings, and how they always show off the ink properties. Here’s how it wrote in that pen on coated card stock:

[lapis]

Thanks again. What I like most about your reviews is that you are subjective enough, yet still objective and nice (if that's all possible). 💚

You do bring out inks' good points even when you're not all that hot about them. I was never hot about these old Herbins... too watery, although some pastell-ness here and there might keep them warm..... I have them all since years and use them the least. I like their namings, however.... 😊

[Lithium466]

Thank you for that review! It reminds me of 2000's Parker Quink black (and to some extent Lamy black from that era), but today I find it weirdly mysterious and appealing!

[yazeh]

  On 12/14/2023 at 3:23 AM, LizEF said:

Too grey. I like my murky greens to be brown-murky, not grey murky.

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Got it!

  On 12/14/2023 at 3:23 AM, LizEF said:

D'oh!  I should have recognized that!

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I believe the 2nd logline I gave you was Cornelian in the sense it was a lose/lose premise... at least for the reader

[yazeh]

  On 12/14/2023 at 3:27 AM, Penguincollector said:

Thank you for your review!

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Most welcome!

  On 12/14/2023 at 3:27 AM, Penguincollector said:

I loved using this ink in my MB144 IB. It was in use all summer. It’s great in this little wet writer.

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Thanks for sharing your elegant handwriting  

 

  On 12/14/2023 at 3:27 AM, Penguincollector said:

 

I love your kitty drawings, and how they always show off the ink properties.

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Thank you. I do my best

 

[PithyProlix]

Thanks for the great look at Vert Empire! This is my favorite Herbin ink, along with Bleu Myosotis and Cacao du Bresil. 

 

Herbin's website refers to Jacques-Louis David's painting Le Sacre de Napoléon and I guess it's the green color there. I understand it was a popular color at the time. 

 

 

[yazeh]

  On 12/14/2023 at 11:10 AM, lapis said:

Thanks again. What I like most about your reviews is that you are subjective enough, yet still objective and nice (if that's all possible). 💚

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It means a lot, thanks! 🙏

  On 12/14/2023 at 11:10 AM, lapis said:

You do bring out inks' good points even when you're not all that hot about them.

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I do my best, though it's not always easy

 

  On 12/14/2023 at 11:10 AM, lapis said:

I was never hot about these old Herbins... too watery, although some pastell-ness here and there might keep them warm.....

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The more I review them, the more I observe a pattern, though I enjoy them for what they are

 

  On 12/14/2023 at 11:10 AM, lapis said:

 

I have them all since years and use them the least. I like their namings, however.... 😊

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Yeah, their very clever with naming, it's like going to a French restaurant

 

[yazeh]

  On 12/14/2023 at 11:42 AM, Lithium466 said:

Thank you for that review!

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🙏

  On 12/14/2023 at 11:42 AM, Lithium466 said:

It reminds me of 2000's Parker Quink black (and to some extent Lamy black from that era), but today I find it weirdly mysterious and appealing!

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🙂

[yazeh]

  On 12/14/2023 at 3:03 PM, PithyProlix said:

Thanks for the great look at Vert Empire!

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👍

  On 12/14/2023 at 3:03 PM, PithyProlix said:

This is my favorite Herbin ink, along with Bleu Myosotis and Cacao du Bresil. 

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Now you made me curious 🙂

  On 12/14/2023 at 3:03 PM, PithyProlix said:

 

Herbin's website refers to Jacques-Louis David's painting Le Sacre de Napoléon and I guess it's the green color there. I understand it was a popular color at the time. 

 

 

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Thanks for pointing that out. I probably mixed up the 1st (Napoleon 1) and 2nd Empires (Napoleon III)😊

[inkstainedruth]

Thanks as usual for the comprehensive review -- and the fabulous artwork.

I think Vert Empire was one of the first green inks I ever bought.  I should probably dig that out again at some point....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[yazeh]

  On 12/14/2023 at 5:35 PM, inkstainedruth said:

Thanks as usual for the comprehensive review -- and the fabulous artwork.

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You're too kind!

  On 12/14/2023 at 5:35 PM, inkstainedruth said:

I think Vert Empire was one of the first green inks I ever bought.  I should probably dig that out again at some point....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

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[namrehsnoom]

Great review @yazeh - I really like the presentation of this ink, and Emperor Cat looks very distinguished. 
Vert Empire is definitely one of my favourites: a pale and grey green, just as I like it.

[yazeh]

  On 12/17/2023 at 12:19 PM, namrehsnoom said:

Great review @yazeh - I really like the presentation of this ink, and Emperor Cat looks very distinguished. 

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🙏 🙏 🙏

  On 12/17/2023 at 12:19 PM, namrehsnoom said:

Vert Empire is definitely one of my favourites: a pale and grey green, just as I like it.

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Me too! It's true one of Herbin's best