Ink Review: J Herbin Eclat de saphir (Sapphire Blue)

[Chrissy]

I have decided to review some of my inks. These aren't necessarily in any particular order. This one is J Herbin Eclat de saphir (Sapphire Blue)

J. Herbin is the oldest name in pen inks in the world. M. Herbin created “The Jewel of Inks” in his shop on the Rue des Fosses Saint-Germain in Paris in 1700.

Herbin uses all natural dyes in their fountain pen inks. This natural composition is reflected in the very neutral pH of the inks. Each bottle of 30 ml/1 oz ink is elegantly labeled and has a pen rest. They are known as “D bottle pen inks.” The “D” refers to the old French unit of measure “la Demi Courtine.”

Eclat de saphir (Sapphire blue): sapphire is a gemstone. The terminology probably comes from 2 origins: the Greek with “sappheiros” (a stone of blue color) or from the Hebrew “sappir” (the most beautiful thing).

This color is a reminder of J. Herbin and his work at the most prestigious royal courts of Europe.

• This isn't a waterproof or an archival ink

• Bearing in mind the paper I use is very smooth, this ink took 13-16 secs to dry.

• It flows reasonably wet and lubricates the nib quite well.

• It is currently available in packs of 4 x 10ml small glass bottles and 30ml glass bottles.

• It's available from many B&M shops and online retailers worldwide.

J H Eclat de saphir.jpg

[akapulko2020]

I have decided to review some of my inks. These aren't necessarily in any particular order. This one is J Herbin Eclat de saphir (Sapphire Blue)

J. Herbin is the oldest name in pen inks in the world. M. Herbin created “The Jewel of Inks” in his shop on the Rue des Fosses Saint-Germain in Paris in 1700.

Herbin uses all natural dyes in their fountain pen inks. This natural composition is reflected in the very neutral pH of the inks. Each bottle of 30 ml/1 oz ink is elegantly labeled and has a pen rest. They are known as “D bottle pen inks.” The “D” refers to the old French unit of measure “la Demi Courtine.”

Eclat de saphir (Sapphire blue): sapphire is a gemstone. The terminology probably comes from 2 origins: the Greek with “sappheiros” (a stone of blue color) or from the Hebrew “sappir” (the most beautiful thing).

This color is a reminder of J. Herbin and his work at the most prestigious royal courts of Europe.

• This isn't a waterproof or an archival ink

• Bearing in mind the paper I use is very smooth, this ink took 13-16 secs to dry.

• It flows reasonably wet and lubricates the nib quite well.

• It is currently available in packs of 4 x 10ml small glass bottles and 30ml glass bottles.

• It's available from many B&M shops and online retailers worldwide.

J H Eclat de saphir.jpg

Thank you for another detailed review and another nice color I wasn't familiar with !

BTW "Sappir" in modern day Hebrew refers to the precious blue stone as well

[kaisnowbird]

Great review!

My Eclat de Saphir seems to be a bit more purple than yours. Is it my computer screen?

[Chrissy]

Great review!

My Eclat de Saphir seems to be a bit more purple than yours. Is it my computer screen?

I can't see any more purple on the actual review sheet. Just a bright sapphire blue. This sample is a brand new bottle

[dr.grace]

Surprisingly, it does have a fair amount of water-resistance. Some ink runs off, but a considerable amount remains.

[migo984]

Great review!

My Eclat de Saphir seems to be a bit more purple than yours. Is it my computer screen?

I agree about the hint of purple. Similar to Sailor Ultramarine in tonal balance.

[Chrissy]

From online images I have found, the ink in my bottle doesn't appear to have the same tonal balance as Sailor Ultramarine, as that ink looks more purple than Eclat de saphir. If anything Eclat de saphir may be slightly darker and have a slightly more red tone.

It looks exactly like the swabs on the J.Herbin web-site.

I found this comparison image that shows both inks, but I don't have Sailor Ultramarine so I can't comment about that ink.

Attachment 17834

[Laura N]

FWIW, mine looks like Chrissy's writing sample, and her "1 pass" swab, at least on my monitor. I do think of the ink as a blue with a touch of pink/purple. To my memory, Éclat de Saphir has more purple tint than Quink Washable Blue, for example. But it's less purple and more blue than many blue inks. I like it as a standard blue ink. I should ink it up, thanks for the reminder!

[Chrissy]

I have tried out my sample on my Rhodia Dot Pad, and I can now see a slight hint of purple that I couldn't see on the light cream Conqueror paper that I did the review on:

J H Eclat de saphir2 (2).jpg

[kaisnowbird]

Thank you very much Chrissy.

Perhaps it's just my bottle. Come to think of it, perhaps the reason that I consider Eclat de Saphir slightly purple (like Laura said, more blue less purple) is because I am used to my blue ink to be a lot more blue (Parker Blue, DC Supershow Blue, Waterman Serenite, Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo, etc).

[BCDDiggler]

Thanks for the review!

[Mags]

It is a touch purple or that's my perception of my bottle. I use this exclusively in my Churchill. I am sure it would have driven him a little daft.

[fncll]

Serendipitously, I just purchased some of this but haven't had a chance to use it...this review makes me pre-emptives happy I bought it!

Tangentially, there's a third possibility for the etymology: the Sanskrit word çanipriya ...