Ink Review: J Herbin 1670 Emerald of Chivor

[Chrissy]

I have been fortunate enough to receive a bottle of J Herbin 1670 Emerald of Chivor to review. It's my understanding that it's due to be released in August.

So I'm going to write with it over several days and post my experiences on this thread.

I have filled my Pilot Custom 74 M nib with it so far, so this is the pen I'm using today. However, I can easily change that M nib to a F one from my CH92, so I plan to do that as a comparison. Then I will use a different pen and nib type.

First things first, this ink oozes quality. It feels beautifully smooth and lubricated from the pen. It is very saturated and shows lots of different shading, as well as it's sheen. In my opinion it isn't what I would call an emerald colour, as I think of emerald as a vibrant green. This ink is teal blue-green. When I started writing with it I thought I must compare the colour to that of Sailor Yama-dori, so that's something I will add over the course of the next few days.

The following 2 scans are written on Tomoe River paper out of my journal, and Rhodia dot pad so you can compare these two. It looks much better on TR as the red sheen is really striking on there. Now I have posted the scans, I see that the red shading is less noticeable on there. So I will also add photos to see if they show it up better.

20134

[top pen]

Does it have a similar distribution of gold particles to stormy grey?

[Chrissy]

Does it have a similar distribution of gold particles to stormy grey?

Yes it does. You can see them at the bottom of the bottle like you can with Stormy Grey.

[klpeabody]

Thanks, Chrissy! I'm looking forward to your photos, and comparison with Yama-Dori.

[Laura N]

I look forward to following this review as it progresses. How lovely that J. Herbin sent you this ink, so you could share your impressions with everyone. Your reviews are always so excellent.

Amazing shading! How apparent is the gold?

[Chrissy]

I look forward to following this review as it progresses. How lovely that J. Herbin sent you this ink, so you could share your impressions with everyone. Your reviews are always so excellent.

Amazing shading! How apparent is the gold?

Thank you. The gold seems to be apparent on the very dark strokes and they also have the reddish sheen. I hope photos will show it.

[Cookies]

Gorgeous! Can't wait for the pubic release.

[View from the Loft]

Oh I am so looking forward to buying this ink hen it is released.

Thank you for your review.

[reprieve]

I really like the idea of an organic ink review, where you use the ink over several days and post your comments as you go along, letting the review develop on its own. How cool!

The fact that 1670 Emerald has sheen and sparkles makes it much more interesting to me. It seems more in line with 1670 Rouge Hematite.

[Chrissy]

I have taken several photos, but I don't think I have yet captured the red or gold sheen. Let's just try these.

20189

[Silverbreeze]

I have taken several photos, but I don't think I have yet captured the red or gold sheen. Let's just try these.

20188

20190

20189

Looks blue green to me is that true in person

[Chrissy]

Looks blue green to me is that true in person

Definitely blue-green. I call it teal

[mhosea]

The scans remind me of diluted Noodler's Navy, but Noodler's Navy has no sheen of any kind, and apparently the J. Herbin ink has two kinds of sheen.

[rdcalhoon]

I really appreciate that you take some time with your reviews and use multiple pens to really get to know the ink. The "ooh, pretty" reviews are fun, but you add a lot of value to your reviews.

[Chrissy]

I really appreciate that you take some time with your reviews and use multiple pens to really get to know the ink. The "ooh, pretty" reviews are fun, but you add a lot of value to your reviews.

Thank you. You're very kind :)

[Chrissy]

The scans remind me of diluted Noodler's Navy, but Noodler's Navy has no sheen of any kind, and apparently the J. Herbin ink has two kinds of sheen.
It does, and I wish I could capture it well enough to show up on a scan or a photo

[sgtstretch]

Chrissy, do you have Sailor Yama-Dori that you could compare this to?

[fly_us]

It looks almost like Yama Dori to me, which is my favorite ink, except the gold particles, which are barely see here.

Anyway, it is a must have ink to me/

[Chrissy]

Chrissy, do you have Sailor Yama-Dori that you could compare this to?

Yes I do and that comparison is on my to do list before I lose my scanning software and Photoshop CS5 forever :cry:

[migo984]

Some fantastic photos of the sheen taken by Faisal and posted by Mishka on the thread she started here.
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/292914-j-herbin-1670-anniversary-emerald-of-chivor-ink/

See also post #24 in that thread. It includes a side-by-side with Yama-dori. I agree with her that the closest match actually seems to be Private Reserve Blue Suede (but with the caveat that they had a different formulation at some point

[Empty_of_Clouds]

Sorry if this is really stupid question (you'll get used to it if you talk to me for more than a minute or two), but how long does sheen last? I see ink going on the paper and it looks all shiny and pretty. Then it dries and it's suddenly a whole lot less vibrant. So... ?

[Chrissy]

Sorry if this is really stupid question (you'll get used to it if you talk to me for more than a minute or two), but how long does sheen last? I see ink going on the paper and it looks all shiny and pretty. Then it dries and it's suddenly a whole lot less vibrant. So... ?
The sheen doesn't disappear after it dries and it doesn't become less vibrant. It dries really quickly, quicker than any other inks I have tried recently,

[Chrissy]

I have at last managed to write out a review form and take some more photos showing the sheen. I hope you can see the sheen variation. Sorry for the delay.

2036620367
20368203622036420365

[migo984]

Sorry if this is really stupid question (you'll get used to it if you talk to me for more than a minute or two), but how long does sheen last? I see ink going on the paper and it looks all shiny and pretty. Then it dries and it's suddenly a whole lot less vibrant. So... ?

Yes you're right Cryptos. Some sheen does fade - either immediately on drying, or after a period of time. But not all sheen does. BungBox Sweet Potato Purple actually increases its sheen over time. As is usual with inks, the reaction with the surface of the paper is a significant factor. As is the wetness and gauge of the nib. Some sheeny inks do well on absorbent paper - the ink component that sheens collects around (pools) at the edges of the ink that's put down. With others, the sheen disappears completely on absorbent paper - it 'soaks in', for want of a better expression. On papers that are highly smooth or with a surface coating (e.g Tomoe, Caledonian Smooth, > 65gsm professional tracing paper (like Casson)), the sheen is much longer lasting, as the inks sits on the surface of the paper.

It's not easy to predict which ink will respond in which way. That only comes with actually experiencing the various ink/pen/paper combos . And some people are much better at getting sheen out of an ink than others. Don't know why 😊

The sheen in all the 1670 (reformulated inks), with the added gold sparkles, is supplemented by the reflection of the gold. Stormy Grey sheen gradually fades, but that effect is hidden by the gold. Time will tell re the Emerald. It's probably too soon to judge. HTH.

[Empty_of_Clouds]

Thanks, Migo, that did help... apart from the TLA at the end which I had to go and look up on the Internet of Everything! I'm such a klutz.

[migo984]

Thanks, Migo, that did help... apart from the TLA at the end which I had to go and look up on the Internet of Everything! I'm such a klutz.

I had to look up TLA! :-)

[naimitsu]

Thanks, Migo, that did help... apart from the TLA at the end which I had to go and look up on the Internet of Everything! I'm such a klutz.

I had to look up TLA! :-)

I had to look up both!
Then again, I rarely use acronyms and used to yell at my younger cousins for their pseudo-l33t speak on texts and IMs -.-;

[Laura N]

Chrissy was kind enough to send me a writing sample with this ink, and I have to say my mouth dropped open. This is absolutely the most sheeny, stunning ink. I think the paper is Tomoe River, which likely intensifies the effect, but it is striking. Even when the paper is held flat, you can see the red sheen. And if I hold it on angle at the window I can see the gold very clearly. It has great shading, as well.

I accidentally tested the water resistance, since I happened to have a few drops of water on my fingers and the ink smudged immediately. I think that augurs well for easy cleanup. As Chrissy says, it does stain the fingers a bit.

It's definitely a teal color, but I have to say, I don't really think it looks like Sailor Yama-dori, which I used to own. This ink is in a class of its own, with the shading, the red and the gold. In real life mine looks exactly like it does in Chrissy's post #23 above.

If you are a sheen person, I think you are going to love this ink, and I would seriously pre-order. I have owned all of the J. Herbin 1670s except the newest blue with sparkles, and this one surpasses even the original Rouge for "wow factor." I mean, I am not a sheen person, and my reaction still was OMG.

[Chrissy]

It is fabulous ink, even apart from the fabulous sheen and it's unusual shading, it has a luxurious writing feel to it.

I am advised that J Herbin are already inundated with orders for this ink. They believe it will be a bigger success than Stormy Grey, and that was a huge success!

So if you want a bottle I would recommend you act quickly when it comes out. :)

[Lancaster]

Looks like a great ink! Thanks for your thorough review!

[dannzeman]

This looks absolutely stunning! I'm so glad I'll have a bottle waiting for me at the DC Show.

[Chrissy]

This looks absolutely stunning! I'm so glad I'll have a bottle waiting for me at the DC Show.

I hope you will love it. :)

[Newjelan]

Thanks for the review. I have 2 bottles winging their way around the world to me right now. Can't wait!

[Chrissy]

Thanks for the review. I have 2 bottles winging their way around the world to me right now. Can't wait!

I hope they reach you safely, and that it's exactly what you hope it will be. :)

[Frantik]

Thanks for the review..It looks great.. I joined the massdrop(along with some 400 other people :) ) for this and 2 more bottles of J herbin.. can't wait to try it..

[Chrissy]

Thanks for the review..It looks great.. I joined the massdrop(along with some 400 other people :) ) for this and 2 more bottles of J herbin.. can't wait to try it..

Thanks. I hope you like it.

[Laura N]

Yikes, this is going to sound a little odd, but.... I got an email from an internet seller showing one photograph of the ink that I think could create a little bit of the wrong impression. The photo in the email was a large splat of the ink, photographed up close and at a dramatic angle. It's a cool photo and those choices by the photographer make it look insanely red, gold and green. Like a technicolor bird dropping. :)

I have to be honest, though: it didn't really look like THAT in the writing sample that Chrissy wrote with a normal pen. Don't get me wrong: it was fantastic and the sheeniest ink I've ever seen. It looked like it does in Chrissy's Post No. 23, which is gorgeous. It's just that you're not necessarily going to get the same level of drama with words on paper, written from a normal pen, as you see in photos of eyedropper splats.

[Chrissy]

If you used enough ink you could probably make a bird dropping splat like that, and even photograph it to good effect. I only did my small splats just to try to make sure I could see the gold in at least one photo. However, you're right, it's never going to look like that when you write with it.

The wetter the pen writes, the more effects you will see with this ink.

[Laura N]

Yes, and the photo in the email really was a cool photo. I can see why they used it. It's artistic and it must show the colors that are in the ink. I'm just saying the ink is probably not going to give that same effect if you write with it with a normal pen. But yes that's a good point: with a really wet and wide nib, and maybe you'll get closer.

I remember being a little disappointed myself with the grey one, because the close-up photos made it look very different than how it looked coming out of my pen. And yes I shook the pen. :) It's just that sometimes these really cool photos may create a different impression of what an ink looks like when you write with it in real life. That's why Chrissy's review here is really helpful, because that does use normal pens, and that is what it looked like to me in real life. Which is really great. :)

[Chrissy]

Both of the pens I used are fairly standard. I must admit I shy away from using sparkly inks in my piston fillers and those pens that aren't easy to clean.
Even with the 2 pens I used, the Pilot Custom 74 M nib wrote so much better with E of C than the Kaweco Skyline Sport did, because the former is a much wetter writer. In fact in the Kaweco it looked quite boring by comparison.

[Newjelan]

Mine arrived and I tried it in a Lamy Nexx with a LH nib. It's a lovely, vivid green with noticeable sheen. I use mostly Rhodia Dots & TR (white) paper. The ink looks great on both but against the brilliant white of the dots paper, it looks rich and quite dark. I'm so glad I bought 2 bottles, just a little sorry I didn't buy 3.

[Blackhorse]

Sweetest! Notice of being shipped from Gold Spot came in this morning. It's finally on the way!

[Tiggercat]

Just ordered a bottle after notice that the Goulets had it - woo hoo!

[tandaina]

I ordered a bottle from Goldspot as well. Have the confirmation, but no shipping notice yet!

[Laura N]

I've got a sample in my Pelikan Green o' Green with a broad nib. Loving it.

[Blackhorse]

Wow! It was in...now it's gone! Goulet had it...I ordered another bottle from them...all OK...just yesterday. But as of their e-newsletter received this morning...it's sold out.

Initial run is very soon to become...unobtainium!

[Laura N]

Wow! It was in...now it's gone! Goulet had it...I ordered another bottle from them...all OK...just yesterday. But as of their e-newsletter received this morning...it's sold out.

Initial run is very soon to become...unobtainium!

Look at Jetpens and Pen Boutique, they had it for sure. Also try isellpens. Maybe Fountain Pen Hospital? There are a lot of places to buy this. :)

[Blackhorse]

JetPens does have it...$27...and free shipping!!!


But it's only Wednesday. I'm thinkin' by the weekend the spaces on vendor's shelves where this once stood will house only dust.

DUST I tell you!!! (lol)

[sgtstretch]

My bottle shipped from Goulet this morning. Order was placed yesterday about noonish.

[TSherbs]

The more I thought about it, the more I couldn't justify the price. I took it off my wish list (I know, not a common action around here). I limit my ink expenditures (I already have 15 bottles at least 1/2-filled). That's enough ink for a while.

[Tiggercat]

Received mine. I have it in a medium Pilot 92, and it's a beautiful color, although I'm not seeing any sparkles yet.

[writingrav]

The more I thought about it, the more I couldn't justify the price. I took it off my wish list (I know, not a common action around here). I limit my ink expenditures (I already have 15 bottles at least 1/2-filled). That's enough ink for a while.

I felt the same way until I noticed that Goulet still had samples left. I ordered two. A good compromise to keep abreast of the buzz and neither get stuck with a bottle I don't like or spend a fortune.

[tandaina]

Received mine. I have it in a medium Pilot 92, and it's a beautiful color, although I'm not seeing any sparkles yet.

Make sure you shook that bottle up REALLY well. Should be no sediment on the bottom before you fill.

Mine arrived, put it in a medium italic. Wow. Sheen AND sparkle. The ink itself sheens around the edges. And there's definitely sparkle when viewed at an angle the color is just straight up gorgeous even without sparkle!

[klpeabody]

My pre-ordered bottle from Goldspot arrived last week. I have tested it in both a LAMY Al-Star Broad and Jinhao 450 with medium-ish nib, I see sheen and sparkle from both pens on both Clairfontaine and Stilman and Birn papers. The only difference I notice at this point is that the ink looks more green from a dry writing LAMY B, and more blue from a wet writing Jinhao M. I have drawn a bunch of doodles with the Jinhao M, and I see both sheen and glitter. Also looks great on Clairfontaine. Hey, it's a fun ink. What can I say?

I have not had any issues cleaning the ink from either pen, which is a nice plus. So far so good. No complaints. I think it's pretty cool. YMMV.