J Herbin Rouge Caroubier ink review

Ink

30 July 2016 By ian

I’ve not recommended any inks because, for me at least, colour is the most important thing and that’s very much down to personal preference. However, if you want to be sure of getting an ink that will behave well in your pen then I’d recommend any Pilot, Platinum, Sailor or Waterman ink.

Resources

Goulet Pens and Anderson Pens both have great ink comparison tool and The Writing Desk can help you look at inks arranged by colour.

Pennaquod will let you search pen blogs for reviews of hundreds of inks.

Black

  • Aurora Black ink review
    The primary purpose of a black ink is to be black. Aurora Black ink is very black. It’s also quick drying and well behaved. This is one of my favourite black inks (on account of its blackness). Here I am doodling the Inkling. Thank you to The Writing Desk for sending me this sample. If you would ...
  • De Atramentis Archive Ink review
    This is my first review of a black ink because, let’s face it, black is not all that exciting. (This is coming from someone who not so long ago only wrote in black.) However, what makes De Atramentis Archive Ink special is that it is, in the words of The Writing Desk (who kindly supplied this ...
  • Diamine Night Sky Ink Review
    This is one of Diamine’s shimmery inks and it’s quite a tasteful one (unlike some). The silver sparkles nicely against the black and it really does feel like a crisp winter’s night sky. Here I am doodling the Inkling. You’re not going to get the best out of this ink in anything but the broadest or stubbiest ...
  • Diamine Onyx Black Ink Review
    Diamine Onyx Black is a good dark black ink. It’s the darkest of Diamine’s blacks and is quite a neutral colour, just as a real black should be. It’s a good wet ink but quite slow to dry. There’s some interesting sheen when the ink pools but that isn’t noticeable under normal usage.
  • Kaweco Pearl Black ink review
    This is a good neutral and very dark black. If that’s what you’re after I’d say it’s pretty much on a par with Aurora Black. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Many thanks to Kaweco for sending me this bottle to keep and review. I tried not to let their generosity influence my views in any way.
  • Pilot Iroshizuku Take-Sumi Ink Review
    Pilot Iroshizuku Take-Sumi is a great black, flat and neutral in tone, like a lump of coal. It’s not as black as, say, Aurora Black but it’s not far off. I really like this one. Here I am doodling the Inkling. You can find some more reviews of Pilot Iroshizuku Take-Sumi on Pennaquod. Many thanks to Pure Pens ...
  • Private Reserve Black Cherry ink review
    This is a great reddish purplish black with a little shading and good dry times. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Yet again, I used up all the sample in the pen and so couldn’t do my usual bits and pieces for the review.

Blue

  • Aurora Blue ink review
    Aurora Blue is a nice fairly saturated blue ink. There’s nothing that sets it apart from most other blue inks as far as colour goes but it’s good and wet and stands out well on the page. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Thank you to The Writing Desk for sending me this sample to review. You ...
  • De Atramentis Document Ink Blue ink review
    De Atramentis Document Ink Blue is a good solid blue colour and is also lightfast and waterproof. It’s very wet though and where the ink pooled in this Inkling it absolutely soaked through the paper and not the next sheet. Having said that, there was a lot of ink there and it does dry almost instantly. Here ...
  • De Atramentis Document Ink Dark Blue review
    A good waterproof and permanent ink can come in useful (addressing envelopes, signing things and so on). I think this might be the one for me. It’s a good shade of blue and it dries incredibly quickly. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Here is a water test. Thank you to The Writing Desk for sending me this ...
  • Diamine Aqua Blue ink review
    Diamine Aqua Blue is a bright turquoise-y ink. Not a lot of shading but enough to lift it from the page a little. I found it to be quite wet. Here I am doodling the Inkling. You’ll notice quite a pause (even in this highly speeded up version). I struggled to think of what to draw! ...
  • Diamine Asa Blue ink review
    There is certainly a part of me that wishes Diamine would just make one or two lovely blue inks and call it a day. The part of me that wishes that is the part that is connected to my dwindling bank account. (Actually, dwindled, not dwindling.) The rest of me is very glad of so ...
  • Diamine Beau Blue ink review
    Another lovely shade of blue from Diamine. The colour looks a bit washed out in this photo but that’s actually a fair reflection of this ink. It’s a very pale and delicate colour. Too pale for me for day to day writing because, particularly with medium or fine nibs, it’s hard to read. If you’re ...
  • Diamine China Blue ink review
    Sometimes in late Spring you wake up and step outside and it’s damp underfoot and the air is cool but you can feel on your face that it’s going to be a beautiful warm day. On those days the sky is the same colour as this ink. Writing with this ink is like writing with clear ...
  • Diamine Cult Pens Deep Dark Blue Ink Review
    A lovely dark blue (the clue is in the name) with just a touch of red if it pools. Not a lot of shading but good flow and good dry times. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Thank you very much to Cult Pens for sending me this ink in exchange for an honest review.
  • Diamine Denim ink review
    What’s this? Another dark blue Diamine ink? Why yes it is. And it’s a good one too. Not so much in the way of shading as some others but a good solid blue-black.
  • Diamine Eau de Nil ink review
    Continuing the theme of beautiful must-have inks, here is Diamine’s Eau de Nil. Nile Water. Having looked at a few pictures of the Nile I think it perhaps depends where on the Nile you are. But in this particular part, it’s a very lovely colour indeed. There’s some shading too. And it’s very quick drying. ...
  • Diamine Eclipse Ink Review
    Diamine Eclipse is a great blue black, with the emphasis very much on the black. It flows well and dries quickly. Here I am doodling the Inkling. You can find some more reviews of Diamine Eclipse on Pennaquod.
  • Diamine Imperial Blue Ink Review
    Back to a classic Diamine blue this week. It’s not the most exciting colour but as with just about all Diamine inks it behaves well and dries quickly. If you need a royal blue in your collection then this is a good option. Here I am doodling the Inkling.
  • Diamine Indigo Ink Review
    Another great blue ink from Diamine. They do so many shades of blue I’m certain you can find one you like. This one dries quickly and has some nice shading. Here I am doodling the Inkling.
  • Diamine Kensington Blue ink review
    Continuing in my quest to own and review every blue ink that Diamine do (27, not including the two in the sadly out-of-my-price-range Music Set and not including inks like Teal which are somewhere between blue and green), here is Kensington Blue. Kensington Blue is lovely lovely lovely. It’s a kind of matt blue, I don’t ...
  • Diamine Midnight ink review
    My favourite ink. I love dark blue inks but I don’t like too much black in them. Some people might say that’s typically awkward of me but I would say it shows my sophisticated good taste. Anyway, this ink gets it just right. Also, it is extremely well behaved.
  • Diamine Presidential Blue ink review
    This is a very lovely blue. It feathered ever so slightly on this paper but not so as you’d notice unless you were doing a combined ink and notebook review. Lamy pur 47 with 1.1 italic nib; Monsieur notebook; terrible handwriting
  • Diamine Royal Blue ink review
    Diamine Royal Blue is blue. There isn’t a whole lot more to say about it. It’s rather a pleasant blue. There’s a smidgen of shading but not much. It’s rather on the wet side and slower drying than most other Diamine blues. Here is a little video of me working on the doodle. It features a ...
  • Diamine Steel Blue ink review
    An interesting colour. Not necessarily a colour I could fall in love with but it makes me think fondly of holidays in France, where you see this kind of shade all over the place.
  • Diamine Teal ink review
    This is a lovely and unusually coloured ink. I’m not at all sure it’s actually what I’d consider ‘teal’, it’s much more a dark blue with the barest hint of green (if you squint a bit and look out of the corner of your eye, in the right light). I sometimes wonder about Diamine’s naming. ...
  • Diamine Turquoise Ink Review
    This is a lovely cheery bright turquoise colour. It dries quickly and will behave itself properly in your pen. Here I am doodling the Inkling.
  • Diamine Twilight ink review
    I think it’s hard to instil much character in a dark blue-black ink but Diamine have managed it with Twilight. It’s a beautiful colour with lots of shading. Lamy pur 47, 1.1mm italic nib, Monsieur notebook, terrible handwriting.
  • J. Herbin 1670 Bleu Ocean Ink Review
    This is a pretty boring blue ink until you get the golden shimmer shining through. Then it’s very pretty. It does need a fat wet nib to make the most out of it. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Here’s the pretty shimmer. Thank you to both Pure Pens and Paul Joynes for sending me samples of this ...
  • J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche ink review
    A very bright turquoisey blue. A little shading. A delicate little ink. Lovely bottle. French. Me doing the doodle: Note that I did learn how to spell periwinkle properly between the beginning and the end of writing this review. J. Herbin Black Metal Rollerball on Rhodia Notepad
  • J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor Ink Review
    Oh my goodness gracious me. What colour is this ink? It’s quite blue, with green, a fair amount of red around the edges, and then there’s the gold thrown in. No wonder it’s causing such a sensation. It’s a very special ink indeed. Here I am doodling the Inkling. This sample was sent to me by Pure Pens ...
  • Kaweco Midnight Blue ink review
    This is another great ink from Kaweco. It’s a classic good old-fashioned blue black, with just a little shading and quite a lot of character. All the Kaweco inks I’ve tried so far (which is most of them) have flowed well and dried quickly and this is no exception. Here I am doodling the Inkling. I’ve reviewed ...
  • Kaweco Paradise Blue ink review
    This is a lovely teal blue colour with just enough shading to bring the ink to life on the page. The dry time is pretty good and it flows well. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Thanks to Kaweco for sending me this ink for free. I’ve tried not to let that influence my review at all.
  • Kaweco Royal Blue ink review
    Kaweco Royal Blue is a fairly standard shade and one that reminds me of being at school as a child. This may explain why it’s a colour I’m not especially fond of. However, if you are after a royal blue ink, this is a solid contender. It doesn’t have a lot of character or shading ...
  • Montblanc Honore de Balzac Dandy Turquoise Ink Review
    This is a limited edition ink that’s, sadly, no longer available. It’s a beautiful turquoise shade. If you like turquoise inks and come across a bottle, do snap it up. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Thank you to Chris Stafford for sending me this sample.
  • Montblanc Royal Blue Ink Review
    This is a good royal blue shade – a shade I don’t particular enjoy myself but there are so many versions people must like it. It’s fairly slow to dry but not disastrously so. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Thank you Chris Stafford for sending me this sample!
  • Organics Studio Cobalt Blue ink review
    This is an interesting blue ink. The packaging is nice. A simple cardboard box containing a meaningful plastic bottle, plainly branded. I like it. The ink itself is a good dark blue that I haven’t quite seen anywhere else. It’s a watery ink with some shading. I like it a lot. Here’s a video of me doodling ...
  • Organics Studio Copper Turquoise ink review
    Organics Studio have great branding and make lovely inks. This is a turquoise with character. It’s fairly quick drying, is a great colour and has some decent shading going on too. It’s going to get quite frequent use, I suspect. Monsieur notebook, Rotring Esprit medium nib
  • Organics Studio Nickel Teal ink review
    This is a very subtle and delicate pale turquoise-y ink. It may get lost with a fine nib but it is beautiful with something broader. It has good shading and is very pretty. Here I am doodling the Inkling. I misspelled ‘nickel’ because I am an idiot. Organics Studio inks are lovely inks and good value. Thank you ...
  • Papier Plume Forget-Me-Not Blue Ink Review
    Papier Plume is a shop in New Orleans that produces its own range of inks. I must admit I hadn’t heard of them until Kyle of the wonderful Reverenced Writing sent me a couple of samples. Thank you Kyle (and go check out his site). This ink flows well and has good dry times. It’s a ...
  • Papier Plume Midnight Blue Ink Review
    This is a very nice blue black. There’s no shortage of choice in blue black inks but this is one of the better ones, which the added advantage of drying very quickly. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Thank you very much to Kyle for introducing me to Papier Plume inks.
  • Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite Ink Review
    Pelikan Edelstein inks always seem to come with something a little extra, a little more character. This is a blue-black ink but its fairly subtle shading brings it to life in a lovely way. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Thank you to The Writing Desk for sending me this sample. If you would like to buy ...
  • Pelikan Edelstein Topaz ink review
    This is a beautiful blue ink. It has wonderful shading and dries quickly. This and Kiri-Same are the only inks I always have in use (at the moment). Here I am doodling the Inkling.
  • Pilot Iroshizuku Ama-Iro ink review
    This might well be my new favourite mid-blue ink. It is so bright and lovely and cheerful. It also dries quickly, flows smoothly and has some beautifully subtle shading. (Shhh don’t tell anyone but I like this a lot more than Kon-Peki.) Here I am starting to doodle the Inkling but my camera ran out of memory ...
  • Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-Gao Ink Review
    I’m not a huge fan of royal blue but this ink has something quite lovely about it. A gorgeous deep blue with good shading and quick dry times. Here I am doodling the Inkling. This sample was provided by Pure Pens to promote their ink sample service. If you live in the UK (or nearby!) please do ...
  • Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki ink review
    Kon-Peki is a joyful ink. It’s bright and cheerful and sunny and reminds me of the colour of sea in warm countries. It’s not quite my favourite blue but it’s right up there with the best of them. It also dries very quickly indeed. Here I am doodling the Inkling. You can find some more reviews of ...
  • Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-Kai Ink Review
    Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-Kai (deep sea) is a gorgeous blue-black ink with a touch of red about it. The red really shows up where the ink pools. As with all Iroshizuku inks, it’s quick to dry and flows well. Unfortunately the memory card in my camera failed while I was drawing this so there’s no video this week. Thank ...
  • Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo ink review
    This is an absolutely fantastic dark blue ink. It has some lovely shading, dries fairly quickly and looks beautiful. It’s my favourite dark blue. Here I am starting to doodle the Inkling. The camera ran out of memory and I didn’t notice so it comes to a sudden halt.
  • Platinum Mix-Free Aqua Blue ink review
    Platinum’s Mix-Free range is made so you can mix the different inks together and create your own colours. I haven’t gone down that particular rabbit hole yet but that’s okay because the unmixed colours are bright and interesting in their own right. This particular blue is a good example: bright and vibrant; quick drying; and wet. ...
  • Private Reserve Blue Suede Ink Review
    This is a lovely greenish shade of blue. As is common with most Private Reserve inks it’s very saturated. Dry times aren’t horrific but aren’t exactly lightning fast either. Here I am doodling the Inkling. This sample was sent to me by Paul Joynes – thank you Paul! Paul’s fairly new site, Gorgeous.INK, is fast becoming one ...
  • Private Reserve Tanzanite Ink Review
    A fairly unexciting saturated purplish blue. It dries quickly. You can find some more reviews of Private Reserve Tanzanite on Pennaquod.
  • Rohrer and Klingner Verdigris ink review
    I love this ink. It shades well and it’s an absolutely delicious colour. It’s good value too. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Thank you to The Writing Desk for sending me this sample. If you would like to buy this ink direct from The Writing Desk look here.
  • Waterman Serenity Blue Ink Review
    Waterman Serenity Blue is one of those inks with a reputation. It’s well known for being one of the safest inks there is, recommended for use in the most delicate of vintage pens. As far as its colour goes, it’s a nice royal blue, which isn’t to my taste (reminds me too much of school). Here I ...

Grey

  • J. Herbin 1670 Stormy Grey Ink Review
    J. Herbin are certainly making a scene with their 1670 range of sparkly inks. In a large part this must be because they are so photogenic. In day to day use Stormy Grey hides it’s sparkle and comes across as a fairly average dark grey, maybe with an occasional hint of gold here and there. ...
  • Kaweco Smokey Grey Ink review
    Smokey Grey is one of Kaweco’s newer inks and it’s fantastic. I like it almost as much as Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-Same and it’s a fair bit cheaper, too, at least if you’re paying UK prices. It also comes in short standard sized cartridges. It’s a good neutral grey that’s saturated enough to be legible. Thank you ...
  • Montblanc Albert Einstein ink review
    Montblanc Albert Einstein is a limited edition ink from 2013. It can still be found but at slightly silly prices. Many thanks to Chris Stafford for sending me this sample. Here I am doodling the Inkling. This is a very wet ink but dries quickly. I see a hint of yellow in this, which I actually quite ...
  • Noodler’s Lexington Gray ink review
    This is a great neutral grey/gray. It’s very wet but dries in a reasonable time. This is part of Noodler’s waterproof range. Thank you to Pure Pens for sending me this ink to review and to keep. Pure Pens are Europe’s only supplier of Noodler’s inks. You can buy Lexington Gray direct from Pure Pens here.
  • Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-Same (Autumn Shower) ink review
    Despite Informal Scribble’s praise of Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-Same in his wonderful review, I would not personally have chosen a grey ink. This bottle was a Christmas present. It turns out that Mr Scribble was completely correct and this is a beautiful ink. There’s so much shading, it goes from pale grey to not far off ...

Red

  • Diamine Cult Pens Deep Dark Red Ink
    This is really lovely! A very dark and saturated red ink, almost brown… but not quite. Some inks make you want to pick up a pen, any pen, and write; this is one of them. Have I mentioned it’s lovely? It is! Very lovely. And dark and red. azande asked: How does compare to Diamine Oxblood? Diamine ...
  • Diamine Matador Ink Review
    Here’s another lovely red ink that the Fool With a Pen kindly sent me. It’s bright and cheery without getting silly. There’s a touch of shading to lift it from the page. I like it very much. Here I am doodling the Inkling. You can find some more reviews of Diamine Matador on Pennaquod.
  • Diamine Monaco Red ink review
    My current favourite red. Stuart over at Informal Scribble sent me a sample and I liked it so much I had to buy some. It has quite a brown side to it, this one, as well as a touch of orange from certain angles, if you catch it unawares. It’s a Diamine ink so it behaves ...
  • Diamine Oxblood ink review
    This is a gorgeous red-brown ink. It’s the ink that’s most commonly commented upon by non-pen people. (Yes! Such people exist! I even consent to remain friendly with some of them.) Here I am doodling the Inkling. Thanks to Informal Scribble for sending me the sample. I liked it so much I had to buy a little ...
  • Diamine Passion Red Ink Review
    I bought this ink a long time ago, tried it, and didn’t like it. Just recently I decided to give it another go and now I think it’s lovely. I think, in part, this is because this ink is best in a broader nib and I was mostly using fine nibs when I first bought ...
  • Diamine Red Dragon Ink Review
    Not so long ago I realised, shockingly, that I didn’t have very many red inks. I asked on Twitter for suggestions and the cleverest Fool With a Pen there is very kindly sent me a handful of samples. This is my favourite of the lot, a rich and sophisticated red that I absolutely love. Great name, ...
  • J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor Ink Review
    Oh my goodness gracious me. What colour is this ink? It’s quite blue, with green, a fair amount of red around the edges, and then there’s the gold thrown in. No wonder it’s causing such a sensation. It’s a very special ink indeed. Here I am doodling the Inkling. This sample was sent to me by Pure Pens ...
  • J. Herbin Rouge Caroubier Ink Review
    This is a very red red. By which I mean there isn’t much in the way of purple or green or orange in there. This is good if what you want is a red that’s truly red, not so good if you find that boring. Here I am doodling the Inkling. This isn’t the best video ...
  • J. Herbin Rouge Hematite 1670 Ink Review
    I completely misspelled this in the review! I’m on a roll with my bad spelling at the moment. This is a bright jolly red that dries quickly. With an average kind of nib it’s hard to notice the gold sheen at all but with a big fat wet nib, or a dip pen, or a straw, ...
  • Kaweco Ruby Red ink review
    I rather like this rich fairly dark red from Kaweco. It has some character to it. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Please note I have since learned how to spell propeller. Thank you Kaweco for sending me this ink for free. I did not let their generosity influence my doodling.
  • Montblanc Corn Poppy Red Ink Review
    I find most of Montblanc’s standard range of inks to be quite disappointing but Corn Poppy Red is an exception. I absolutely love this colour. It also dries quickly and has some gorgeous shading. You can find some more reviews of Montblanc Corn Poppy Red on Pennaquod. The Pen Shop sent me a couple of cartridges of ...
  • Montblanc Winter Glow Ink Review
    This ink crept up on me. When I first tried it out I thought it was rather pleasant but after a while I realised it’s a really very unusual and beautiful shade of red. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Many thanks to Chris Stafford for sending me this sample.
  • Noodle’s Antietam Ink Review
    This is a lovely colour, a rich red-brown. The ink flows well and dries reasonably quickly. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Many thanks to Kyle for sending me this sample! You can find some more reviews of Noodler’s Antietam on Pennaquod.
  • Pilot Iroshizuku Momiji Ink Review
    Pilot Iroshizuku Momiji (“Autumn Leaves”) is a gorgeous pinkish cherryish red with not a little gold sheen in it where it pools. It’s fairly quick to dry and flows well. Here I am doodling the Inkling (and in the process spelling Iroshizuku wrong). I received a sample of this from Pure Pens as part of their ink ...
  • Platinum Mix-Free Flame Red ink review
    Another sample from the wonderful Azizah, this time a colour I thought was rather Christmassy. This is a pinky red to my eye. Bright and cheery just like Gourmet Pens! Here I am doodling the Inkling.
  • Private Reserve Black Cherry ink review
    This is a great reddish purplish black with a little shading and good dry times. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Yet again, I used up all the sample in the pen and so couldn’t do my usual bits and pieces for the review.
  • Sailor Jentle Grenade ink review
    A lovely rich dark red. This ink dries reasonably quickly, don’t take any notice of the dry times on the review – the Noodler puts down ink like a firehose. This reminds me of food and drink. As most things do to be honest. Here I am doodling the Inkling. This is a gorgeous ink. I did this ...

Pink

  • Diamine Cerise ink review
    If you want a very bright bubble gum pink then this is the ink for you! Boy, is this ink pink. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Thank you to The Writing Desk for sending me this sample. If you would like to buy this ink direct from The Writing Desk look here.
  • Diamine Coral ink review
    What a lovely happy joyful ink this is! Here I am doodling the Inkling.
  • J. Herbin Rouille d’Ancre Ink Review
    Apparently Rouille d’Ancre means rusty anchor, which is an absolutely lovely name. The ink is a fascinating colour. I think I like it, even though it reminds me a little of mould. It’s certainly different. It writes a little dry and is quite pale so needs a generous nib. Here I am doodling the Inkling.
  • Pilot Iroshizuku Tsutsuji ink review
    Not quite my cup of tea this colour but it’s interesting, you can’t deny that. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Being a bit of a numpty I put all of the sample into the pen which limited what I was able to do for the review.

Yellow

  • Pelikan Edelstein Amber ink review
    This is a lovely ink! How often do I say that? Rather a lot. I do like inks. I mean it every time though. Some inks are just a fundamentally beautiful colour and, to be honest, that’ll do it for me on its own. But others, like Pelikan Edelstein Amber for example, have character, have ...
  • Platinum Mix-Free Sunny Yellow ink review
    Could this be another ink sample from Azizah? Why yes! What a lovely bright and, dare I say it, sunny colour to bring cheer to a winter’s day! Thanks Azizah! Here I am doodling the Inkling.
  • Private Reserve Buttercup Ink Review
    Yellow inks always look so lovely but aren’t usually very practical as they can be hard to read. This is quite a strong yellow so better than most but still a little difficult, particularly in low light. It is a lovely colour. Here I am doodling the Inkling.
  • Rohrer and Klingner Helianthus ink review
    I love this ink so much! I can’t get the photos to show just what a beautiful warm bright yellow this is. It truly is sunshine on a page. This ink makes me happy and that’s what it’s all about, right? It does have one strange property although, to be honest, it could be more a ...

Orange

  • Diamine Autumn Oak Ink Review
    Diamine Autumn Oak is a lovely brown ink that shades beautifully and really does make you think of autumn leaves. I keep getting the name confused with Ancient Copper, as you see. Here I am doodling the Inkling. You can find some more reviews of Diamine Autumn Oak on Pennaquod.
  • Diamine Blaze Orange ink review
    This is a lovely lovely lovely ink. It completely behaves itself, it has beautiful shading and it is the best orange that ever was. Lamy pur 47 with 1.1 italic nib; Monsieur notebook; terrible handwriting
  • Diamine Coral ink review
    What a lovely happy joyful ink this is! Here I am doodling the Inkling.
  • Diamine Cult Pens Deep Dark Orange ink review
    This is a fabulous burnt orange colour with some subtle shading and good dry times. Here I am doodling the Inkling.
  • Diamine Orange Ink Review
    In my quest to find something to replace Sailor Jentle Apricot in the highly unlikely event that I actually finish the bottle I have (having not finished any bottles of any ink yet), I thought I’d go for the obvious and try Diamine Orange. On first write, I thought I might be onto a winner. ...
  • Diamine Peach Haze ink review
    This is a pinky peach slightly pale ink with all the usual good qualities of an ink from Diamine – good flow, good dry times, good value. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Thank you to The Writing Desk for sending me this sample. If you would like to buy this ink direct from The Writing Desk ...
  • Diamine Pumpkin Ink Review
    A beautiful rich reddish orange ink from Diamine. Lots of shading, lots of loveliness. Because it’s very free flowing, a wet nib puts down a lot of ink and so leads to long dry times. It dries quickly under other circumstances. Here I am doodling the Inkling.
  • Diamine Sunset ink review
    This is a very bright rather saturated orange ink. It’s almost tangerine in colour. I haven’t seen many sunsets like this and I can’t say that I’m going to use it all that often. But it’s bright and cheery and that’s always a good thing. Here’s me doing the doodle:
  • J Herbin Ambre de Bermanie ink review
    I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I’m rather partial to orange and orangey browns (and orangey reds and orangey yellows). It’ll come as no surprise to learn, then, that I like this ink really very much. It’s a great colour and has lovely shading. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Many thanks to Paul Joynes for ...
  • Kaweco Sunrise Orange Ink Review
    Kaweco release a range of eight inks a while ago and they were pretty good, with interesting shades of the standard colours, good dry times and some interesting shading. They’ve just released two more shades, one of which is this Sunrise Orange. I absolutely love this colour. Like most of my favourite inks, it reminds ...
  • Lamy Copper Orange Ink Review
    This is Lamy’s limited edition ink to go along with this year’s limited edition AL-Star. As far as I’ve been able to discover it’s only available in cartridges but I did think I saw someone mention getting a bottle of it, somewhere, so if you know if that’s possible please let me know. [EDIT: Daniel ...
  • Noodler’s Apache Sunset ink review
    Oh crumbs and crumble how lovely is this? Thank you to Pure Pens for sending me this ink to review and to keep. Pure Pens are Europe’s only supplier of Noodler’s inks. You can buy Lexington Gray direct from Pure Pens here. You can find some more reviews of Noodler’s Apache Sunset on Pennaquod.
  • Noodler’s Habanero ink review
    This is a beautiful deep orange that reminds me, as all my favourite inks do, of food. In this case of caramelised orange. It has some lovely shading and has become a firm favourite. Here I am doodling the Inkling. You can find some more reviews of Noodler’s Habanero on Pennaquod. Thank you to Pure Pens for sending ...
  • Pelikan Edelstein Amber ink review
    This is a lovely ink! How often do I say that? Rather a lot. I do like inks. I mean it every time though. Some inks are just a fundamentally beautiful colour and, to be honest, that’ll do it for me on its own. But others, like Pelikan Edelstein Amber for example, have character, have ...
  • Pelikan Edelstein Mandarin Ink Review
    This is a well-named ink, being very reminiscent of an actual mandarin. It’s quite a dry flowing ink that is also quick to dry. I found it a little flat in anything but the wettest nibs but with the right pen it’s gorgeous. Here I am doodling the Inkling.
  • Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Gaki ink review
    What an interesting colour this is! Red and orange and peach all going on at once. It’s very lovely and full of character. It also dries quite quickly. Here I am doodling the Inkling. You can find some more in depth reviews of Iroshizuku Fuyu-Gaki on Pennaquod.
  • Pilot Iroshizuku Yu-Yake Ink Review
    Pilot Iroshizuku Yu-Yake (Sunset) is a lovely orange ink with decent dry times, a good flow and some shading. Not as bright and cheery as Sailor Jentle Apricot but a nice happy colour nevertheless. It definitely needs a good wide nib to get the best out of it. Here I am doodling the Inkling. You can find ...
  • Private Reserve Shoreline Gold ink review
    This is an interesting colour with good shading. It was a little runny for my dip pen. Private Reserve inks need a little care with some pens. I do like this colour, though. Here I am doodling the Inkling.
  • Sailor Jentle Apricot ink review
    Oh my goodness I love this ink. How can you be sad with an ink like this? You can’t be sad and that’s a fact. It lifts my soul and fills me with joy. Here I am doodling the Inkling. This ink dries quickly and has wonderful shading. The bottle contains a small reservoir that can help ...

Brown

  • Diamine Ancient Copper ink review
    Diamine Ancient Copper is a very special ink. It shades in the most beautiful way and really does look like ancient copper. In that respect, Diamine picked an excellent name.  If you know your way around a flex or italic nib then you’ll be able to really bring this ink to life. Even if you ...
  • Diamine Autumn Oak Ink Review
    Diamine Autumn Oak is a lovely brown ink that shades beautifully and really does make you think of autumn leaves. I keep getting the name confused with Ancient Copper, as you see. Here I am doodling the Inkling. You can find some more reviews of Diamine Autumn Oak on Pennaquod.
  • Diamine Ochre ink review
    This ink was a wonderful surprise! I wasn’t expecting to like it much but I love it. It’s a rich brown with gorgeous shading. The dry times are better than this review might suggest – the Noodler’s Konrad puts down ink like a hose. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Thank you to The Writing Desk for ...
  • Diamine Oxblood ink review
    This is a gorgeous red-brown ink. It’s the ink that’s most commonly commented upon by non-pen people. (Yes! Such people exist! I even consent to remain friendly with some of them.) Here I am doodling the Inkling. Thanks to Informal Scribble for sending me the sample. I liked it so much I had to buy a little ...
  • J Herbin Ambre de Bermanie ink review
    I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I’m rather partial to orange and orangey browns (and orangey reds and orangey yellows). It’ll come as no surprise to learn, then, that I like this ink really very much. It’s a great colour and has lovely shading. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Many thanks to Paul Joynes for ...
  • J Herbin Lie de The
    This ink really does look like strong black tea that’s been spilled on the page. It’s appropriately named in the exact way Diamine Teal isn’t. J. Herbin inks are always either watery or delicate, depending on whether you like them or not. I do, I think they’re beautiful, and Lie de Thé is no exception. It ...
  • J. Herbin Caroube de Chypre Ink Review
    This year’s sparkly J. Herbin ink is Caroube de Chypre, a chocolatey brown with gold sparkles. It’s too dark for me and the sparkles only really work with a dip pen or a very broad wet nib (or a straw!). I was playing around with a dip pen and doing a very bad job of it ...
  • J. Herbin Rouille d’Ancre Ink Review
    Apparently Rouille d’Ancre means rusty anchor, which is an absolutely lovely name. The ink is a fascinating colour. I think I like it, even though it reminds me a little of mould. It’s certainly different. It writes a little dry and is quite pale so needs a generous nib. Here I am doodling the Inkling.
  • Kaweco Caramel Brown ink review
    This is the last of the eight inks Kaweco sent me to review. It’s the last because I’ve been putting off trying it. A Fool With a Pen described it as hideous and he and I often have very similar tastes, so I wasn’t looking forward to using Caramel Brown at all. Was he right? Yep. I do ...
  • Montblanc Toffee Brown Ink Review
    This is a lot darker than I’d been expecting but it’s a good dark rich colour with just a hint of shading. Reminds me very much of the 70s. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Many thanks to Chris Stafford for sending me this sample.
  • Noodle’s Antietam Ink Review
    This is a lovely colour, a rich red-brown. The ink flows well and dries reasonably quickly. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Many thanks to Kyle for sending me this sample! You can find some more reviews of Noodler’s Antietam on Pennaquod.
  • Pelikan Brown ink review
    Pelikan Brown ink is a beautiful warm brown with good dry times and some shading. Here I am doodling the Inkling.
  • Pilot Iroshizuku Ina-Ho (Rice Ear) ink review
    This ink is sometimes gold, sometimes green, sometimes brown, sometimes beautiful, sometimes rather unpleasant. What it also is, is interesting. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Sometimes they pretty much draw themselves. Irene is my favourite Inkling so far. But who were her visitors??? Would you like your very own Inklings and also support this site? Look here!
  • Pilot Iroshizuku Tsukushi Ink Review
    Tsukushi means horsetail and this ink is indeed very horsey coloured. Not my favourite colour, to be honest, but there’s some hints of sheen to it. It flows well and dries quickly. Here I am doodling the Inkling. You can find some more reviews of Tsukushi on Pennaquod.
  • Private Reserve Ebony Brown Ink Review
    This ink reminds me of old oak furniture in that old country house you got dragged to when you were little, but without the musty smell. Here I am doodling the Inkling.
  • Private Reserve Shoreline Gold ink review
    This is an interesting colour with good shading. It was a little runny for my dip pen. Private Reserve inks need a little care with some pens. I do like this colour, though. Here I am doodling the Inkling.
  • Waterman Absolute Brown ink review
    This is a good dark earthy brown with a little shading and good dry times, from the always reliable Waterman. This colour isn’t quite for me, I prefer richer browns such as Pelikan Brown, but if you like this shade then Waterman Absolute Brown is a good choice. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Thank you to ...

Green

  • Diamine Salamander Ink Review
    Ed Jelley described this ink as kind of like burnt oil, pond scum, spa mud, garbage water and it’s hard to disagree. It’s a mucky kind of green but has a charm all of its own. Here I am doodling the Inkling. You can find some more reviews of Diamine Salamander on Pennaquod.
  • Diamine Steel Blue ink review
    An interesting colour. Not necessarily a colour I could fall in love with but it makes me think fondly of holidays in France, where you see this kind of shade all over the place.
  • Diamine Umber Ink Review
    Diamine Umber is a fairly flat dark green with minimal shading. It’s an example of how my tastes in ink have changed over the last couple of years. It used to be one of my favourite inks but now it just seems a little boring. Here I am doodling the Inkling.
  • Diamine Woodland Green ink review
    This is a nice green that makes you think of Robin Hood and his merry men, lurking in the forest ready to leap on posh people. There isn’t a whole lot of shading going on with this ink but it’s a typically well-behaved Diamine ink that won’t let you down. Here’s a video of me doing ...
  • J Herbin Vert Olive ink review
    J. Herbin’s Vert Olive ink is a beautiful colour. I don’t think you even need to like olives to like this colour but I don’t know because who in their right minds doesn’t like olives? And gin. Olives and gin and good company, preferably sat outside in the evening sun. Does it get much better? ...
  • J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor Ink Review
    Oh my goodness gracious me. What colour is this ink? It’s quite blue, with green, a fair amount of red around the edges, and then there’s the gold thrown in. No wonder it’s causing such a sensation. It’s a very special ink indeed. Here I am doodling the Inkling. This sample was sent to me by Pure Pens ...
  • J. Herbin Vert Empire Ink Review
    I’ve seen some reviews of this ink that have been less than positive but I quite like it. It needs a broader nib to bring out the best of it (as do many J. Herbin inks) but, as its name suggests, this is a very stately green. Here I am doodling the Inkling. You can find some ...
  • J. Herbin Vert Pre Ink Review
    J. Herbin Vert Pre (grass green) is an incredibly joyful and pretty ink. It’s quick to dry and, unusually for J. Herbin, very wet flowing. It’s got some lovely shading going on, too. Here I am doodling the Inkling. This is a beautiful ink.
  • J. Herbin Vert Reseda Ink Review
    J. Herbin’s Vert Reseda is a gorgeous minty green. It flows well and dries quickly. Here I am doodling the Inkling. You can find some more reviews of Vert Reseda on Pennaquod.
  • Kaweco Palm Green ink review
    This is a lovely lush green with delicious shading and excellent dry times. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Many thanks to Kaweco for sending me this ink. I’ve tried not to let their generosity influence my judgement.
  • Montblanc Jonathan Swift Seaweed Green Ink Review
    This is a really lovely dark green that lives up to its name (the seaweed part, at least). It shades well and dries quickly. Here I am doodling the Inkling. (I didn’t have much of the sample left so it was difficult dipping the pen into it to write its name.) Many thanks to Chris Stafford for ...
  • Monteverde Green ink review
    This is a fine green ink. I can’t say it’s spectacular or unusual in any way but it’s an interesting colour and it’s a good reliable ink. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Thank you to The Writing Desk for sending me this sample. If you would like to buy this ink direct from The Writing Desk ...
  • Noodler’s G.I. Green Ink Review
    G.I. Green is part of Noodler’s V-Mail series. This sample was sent to me by Pure Pens who describe this series thus: These are all replica vintage inks that exhibit classic period ink behaviours with mild (when compared to our modern bulletproof and eternal inks) water resistance upon the page (particularly after the passage ...
  • Noodler’s Sequoia Green ink review
    This is a good dark green that’s fairly well behaved on good paper. A slight hint of shading. Here I am doodling the Inkling. You can find some more reviews of Noodler’s Sequoia Green on Pennaquod. What was Sydney celebrating? Let me know in the comments…
  • Pelikan Edelstein Aventurine ink review
    This is a very green green. Made from the purest green, perhaps. It has good dry times and good shading, too. Here I am doodling the Inkling. You can find some more reviews of Edelstein Aventurine on Pennaquod. What did Allan do next? Let me know in the comments…
  • Pilot Iroshizuku Chiku-Rin Ink Review
    This is a beautiful green. The name means Bamboo Forest but for me this colour conjures up freshly cut grass or, because everything reminds me of food, a lovely salad on a hot summer’s day. Here I am doodling the Inkling. I really do love this ink. It dries quickly, has a lot of shading, and is ...
  • Pilot Iroshizuku Ina-Ho (Rice Ear) ink review
    This ink is sometimes gold, sometimes green, sometimes brown, sometimes beautiful, sometimes rather unpleasant. What it also is, is interesting. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Sometimes they pretty much draw themselves. Irene is my favourite Inkling so far. But who were her visitors??? Would you like your very own Inklings and also support this site? Look here!
  • Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-Ryoku Ink Review
    Pilot Iroshikuku Shin-Ryoku (Forest Green) is a lovely dark pine green. It dries quickly, flows well, and has some interesting though subtle shading. This sample was sent to me by Pure Pens to launch their new ink sample service. This is a fantastic way of trying out some of the more expensive inks and is something ...
  • Private Reserve Avocado Ink Review
    A really lovely rich darkish green. I did finally learn how to spell Avocado properly, but not until I’d done all this. Here I am doodling the Inkling. You can find some more reviews of Private Reserve Avocado, and also discover I’m not the only person who has difficulty spelling it, on Pennaquod.
  • Private Reserve Spearmint Ink Review
    Private Reserve Spearmint is a very saturated ink with some nice shading and good dry times (although not everyone has found this to be so). It’s a gorgeous shade of green. Here I am doodling the Inkling. You can find some more reviews of Private Reserve Spearmint on Pennaquod.
  • Sailor Jentle Epinard ink review
    This is a gorgeous rich dark ink with hints of red from certain angles. It’s quick drying, shades well and is beautiful. Here I am doodling the Inkling. Thank you to The Writing Desk for sending me this sample. If you would like to buy this ink direct from The Writing Desk look here.