J. Herbin 1670 Anniversary Ink (Rouge Hematite)

[pensnpaper]

Hey guys, just thought, as my second official post here, to post my blog review on the J. Herbin 1670 Anniversary Ink, as well as some thoughts I've had since I did the original review on my blog. Hope you enjoy!

 

My Original Review on Pens'n'Paper

 

J. Herbin 1670 Anniversary Ink

(Rouge Hematite)

 

This beautiful bottle of J. Herbin 1670 was an early Christmas present to myself (yeah, at $19.00-25.00 a bottle, no-one was lining up to buy it for me), and I planned on reviewing it sooner, but I decided to use it for a while before passing judgement. So here, almost a month after the purchase from WritersBloc, I decided that I’m finally ready to give my opinion on this ink.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4154/5413460946_1f2b929b6b_m.jpg

CIMG5717 by Pens'n'Paper, on Flickr

In short, I’m bummed… While it is beautiful ink and bottle, it just doesn’t live up to my expectations for the price. Now, don’t get me wrong, this is just my opinion, and you could purchase this ink and experience completely different results, but I’ve decided that it’s just not for me.

 

Firstly, the dry time is ridiculous. On some paper that I used it on, I could run my pinkie over it more than a minute after I had written the words and still smear the lettering as well as leave a residue on my finger. Being left-handed, this is death for a pen/ink for me. If the dry time is more than 15 seconds, I am guaranteed to smear it.

 

Secondly, the 1670 is not waterfast… At all… The instant water hits it, it’s gone. I included a sample from my sermon journal from church (Leuchtturm 1917 Softbound Ruled Journal) where a tear had fallen on the page and you can see where it smeared all over the place. Plus, on that same page, you can see where I smeared it with my hand as well.

 

Thirdly, we have the issue of nib-creep. The 1670 is horrible at nib (and any other part of the pen) creep. If there’s a place that’s accessible to air (as many places are on the Preppys I was using it in), ink is guaranteed to go there, dry, and flake. Plus, on the top of the feed, the ink dries and leaves a golden residue (which doesn’t seem to affect writing any, but does continue to build up over time).

 

Now, this is not to say that I totally hate this ink. In my opinion, it is a very beautiful ink. The red sometimes dries with an orangeish-gold overtone which is beautiful (and extremely obvious in the ink swab). I just hate to say that because of its long dry time and the fact that it’s not waterfast, it’s not very useful to me. Other people have different opinions, so I urge you to check theirs out as well.

 

Click here to see my J. Herbin 1670 Photoset on Flickr or click play on the slideshow below.

 

 

But, don't stop reading yet! I know, I didn't give the 1670 a very good rating in my review, but since then, I have discovered an interesting fact. The cheaper the paper you use this ink on, the more beautiful and amazing it looks... I've been using this ink in a Platinum Preppy 03 with a converter for the past several months to write letters to my girl (who loves receiving hand-written love notes)... I was becoming frustrated that the ink kept smearing on even the most expensive papers (including Clairefontaine and Rhodia), so I almost stopped using it. Then, I bought a couple packs of OfficeMax college ruled notebooks paper for $.10 a pack to fill my college binder with. Lo and behold, I sat down one day to write my sweetheart a note and only had that notebook paper before me. I hesitantly put the pen to paper and discovered... Wow, it dries pretty quickly. Quickly enough that my left-handed writing style didn't smear the lines as I wrote them (a constant problem). Then, as I was folding up the note and getting ready to put it in an envelope, I noticed that the paper seemed to shine. I tilted it this way and that in the light and found that the cheap paper had absorbed a bunch of the red and that the gold pigment was showing through. Maybe the secret is not just in the ink, but in the ink/paper combination? I leave the answer to your own devices...

 

Chris

aka pensnpaper

[gkterry]

Chris:

 

Very nice review and I would concur with your observations entirely. I like the color but . . .

 

I have found that in general bad or more absorbent paper will even improve the water resistance a touch on many inks as well. Unfortunately, I am forced to use paper at work that is a close cousin to tissue paper.

[SlipyNaricis2112]

I wholeheartedly disagree haha. While I grant you the drying times on it are another continent from ideal, I have very rarely ever smudged ink in my life. I'm right handed so that might contribute, but drying times for me I'll say are a non-issue. The only issue to me when I buy an ink is color, and that's precisely what I got here. A beautiful dark red. Under certain lighting conditions, you can make it look orange, but in sunlight, even the sun would be jealous of the color.

[ralfstc]

Thanks for the review. I think it's a really interesting point about cheap paper being better with this ink. I've found that a lot of "workhorse" European (and many vintage) pens and inks are designed for paper that isn't the Rhodia etc. coated type. For example, my M805 was scratchy, dry and not very comfortable on the fancy paper, but on Moleskine or cheap typing paper it just WORKED.

 

No idea what all that means, and why those pen and inks like that paper, but as others have said before, it's definitely important to bear in mind the pen/ink/paper combination.

 

I'm glad you are happy with your choice now :-)

 

Ralf

[SusanS]

(not an official ink review.)I just received a sample of 1670 in the mail yesterday. I inked my orange Pelikano and jotted on all various papers in the kitchen. Receipts, printer paper etc, just to see if I like the color. YES!! And no nib (M) creep with the Pelikano so far. Not sure that I want to spend the $20 on it though before it's gone....

[rogerb]

I love the colour, but not the drying time, or, more importantly, the deposits which grow on nibs, if the pen is left inked for a couple of weeks.

It is worse even than Diamine Orange in this respect.

Edited February 3, 2011 by rogerb

[Ghost Plane]

Rinse, rinse, rinse!

[pelman]

I used this in a Lamy Safari 1.1 for our holiday cards. Beautiful and really no issues with smudging or waterfastness, but I didn't send anybody any real tear jerkers of a card.

[BobR]

Egad! Someone who actually writes billets-doux! And with fountain pens no less. :clap1:

[rogerb]

Rinse, rinse, rinse!

I do, of course, but I don't think I should have to, and sometimes it is just not convenient.

[SamCapote]

Good review and perspective.

 

Using a left ==> right written language, I'm almost certain if I was left handed, I would not use fountain pens. I can't imagine not being able to hold my hand/fingers on the paper as I write. This is a slow drying ink, but there are many inexpensive papers that people can use for various scenarios.

[Ghost Plane]

Definitely not for every pen or occasion.

 

Much depends on how the person holds their pens left handed. Have one friend who has a deep affection for my stubs and IBs as it suits his over-writing style perfectly.

[lapis]

I myself like this ink but my M1000 can't really get into it.

 

Mike

[scribere]

Thanks! This is really helpful, since I'm getting a bottle of 1670 soon. I think I'll keep the ink for my dip pen to avoid any issues with my FPs.

 

I may attempt 1670 on Triomphe paper - we'll see.

[Joe in Seattle]

Very nice review, indeed. Hope to see more from you in the future.

[Andy M-S]

I finally took the plunge on this stuff about a month and a half ago, and I like it. I have it in a Sheaffer 400 with an XF nib, and it flows beautifully. On whatever paper I'm using (in law books, or in Black & Red notebooks) it dries reasonably quickly. It will smear and fade badly if you get water on it (so I don't), and it does leave ugly deposits on the nib (but these wipe off). I do not know how permanent it would be if exposed to sunlight, but since most of what I write resides in closed notebooks, files, and/or file cabinets, no big deal.

 

But the color! It's the reddest red I've ever seen from a fountain pen. Back in college and grad school (and I mean back, like in the '70s and '80s) I tried various brands of red, including Sheaffer, possibly Parker, and Mont Blanc, and was disappointed time and again. They had no "body," and looked pinkish. So I gave up.

 

But after some experience in the last couple of years with J. Herbin inks (pretty much all I use these days), I thought the1670 might be worth a shot, and I have been extremely pleased. Aside from the grungy nibs, I really have had no problems with it at all. If you can get your hands on some, I highly recommend it. Yes, there will be deposits on your lovely pen, but they wipe off with a handkerchief (you do wipe the nib after filling, don't you?) so there's really no problem.

[juliedrinkstea]

I wish I had read your review regarding the nib-creep earlier. I thought perhaps it was my pen that had broken, and I was a little down hearted. One of my friends told me it was the ink (1670 Anniversary ink), and I see that you had the same observation. I'm glad it isn't my pen!

[Lalique]

Hey guys, just thought, as my second official post here, to post my blog review on the J. Herbin 1670 Anniversary Ink, as well as some thoughts I've had since I did the original review on my blog. Hope you enjoy!</br></br>

 

My Original Review on Pens'n'Paper</br></br>

 

J. Herbin 1670 Anniversary Ink</br>

(Rouge Hematite)</br></br>

 

This beautiful bottle of J. Herbin 1670 was an early Christmas present to myself (yeah, at $19.00-25.00 a bottle, no-one was lining up to buy it for me), and I planned on reviewing it sooner, but I decided to use it for a while before passing judgement. So here, almost a month after the purchase from WritersBloc, I decided that I'm finally ready to give my opinion on this ink.</br>

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4154/5413460946_1f2b929b6b_m.jpg</br>

CIMG5717 by Pens'n'Paper, on Flickr

</br>

In short, I'm bummed… While it is beautiful ink and bottle, it just doesn't live up to my expectations for the price. Now, don't get me wrong, this is just my opinion, and you could purchase this ink and experience completely different results, but I've decided that it's just not for me.</br></br>

 

Firstly, the dry time is ridiculous. On some paper that I used it on, I could run my pinkie over it more than a minute after I had written the words and still smear the lettering as well as leave a residue on my finger. Being left-handed, this is death for a pen/ink for me. If the dry time is more than 15 seconds, I am guaranteed to smear it.</br></br>

 

Secondly, the 1670 is not waterfast… At all… The instant water hits it, it's gone. I included a sample from my sermon journal from church (Leuchtturm 1917 Softbound Ruled Journal) where a tear had fallen on the page and you can see where it smeared all over the place. Plus, on that same page, you can see where I smeared it with my hand as well.</br></br>

 

Thirdly, we have the issue of nib-creep. The 1670 is horrible at nib (and any other part of the pen) creep. If there's a place that's accessible to air (as many places are on the Preppys I was using it in), ink is guaranteed to go there, dry, and flake. Plus, on the top of the feed, the ink dries and leaves a golden residue (which doesn't seem to affect writing any, but does continue to build up over time).</br></br>

 

Now, this is not to say that I totally hate this ink. In my opinion, it is a very beautiful ink. The red sometimes dries with an orangeish-gold overtone which is beautiful (and extremely obvious in the ink swab). I just hate to say that because of its long dry time and the fact that it's not waterfast, it's not very useful to me. Other people have different opinions, so I urge you to check theirs out as well.</br></br>

 

Click here to see my J. Herbin 1670 Photoset on Flickr or click play on the slideshow below.</br></br>

 

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But, don't stop reading yet! I know, I didn't give the 1670 a very good rating in my review, but since then, I have discovered an interesting fact. The cheaper the paper you use this ink on, the more beautiful and amazing it looks... I've been using this ink in a Platinum Preppy 03 with a converter for the past several months to write letters to my girl (who loves receiving hand-written love notes)... I was becoming frustrated that the ink kept smearing on even the most expensive papers (including Clairefontaine and Rhodia), so I almost stopped using it. Then, I bought a couple packs of OfficeMax college ruled notebooks paper for $.10 a pack to fill my college binder with. Lo and behold, I sat down one day to write my sweetheart a note and only had that notebook paper before me. I hesitantly put the pen to paper and discovered... Wow, it dries pretty quickly. Quickly enough that my left-handed writing style didn't smear the lines as I wrote them (a constant problem). Then, as I was folding up the note and getting ready to put it in an envelope, I noticed that the paper seemed to shine. I tilted it this way and that in the light and found that the cheap paper had absorbed a bunch of the red and that the gold pigment was showing through. Maybe the secret is not just in the ink, but in the ink/paper combination? I leave the answer to your own devices...</br></br>

 

Chris</br>

aka pensnpaper

 

Aloha:

 

I have three bottles of 1670. A sticker on the outside of the package says, "Caution: Highly Saturated Ink", then, goes on to say, "Clean nib & section w/damp cloth to avoid potential staining", "Don't leave ink in fountain pen reservoir". On the back of the box the 1670 comes in, it says. "Never mix two different inks" and "Before filling ink pen or fountain pen rinse well". 1670 would work well with glass dip pens.

Edited February 2, 2012 by Lalique

[1point1mm]

Aloha:

 

I have three bottles of 1670. A sticker on the outside of the package says, "Caution: Highly Saturated Ink", then, goes on to say, "Clean nib & section w/damp cloth to avoid potential staining", "Don't leave ink in fountain pen reservoir". On the back of the box the 1670 comes in, it says. "Never mix two different inks" and "Before filling ink pen or fountain pen rinse well". 1670 would work well with glass dip pens.

Hmmm. . .I wonder if the cautionary sticker is "new" nowadays? I don't remember or have that on the carton when I got mine. The back of the box does say the latter part though.

 

http://i987.photobucket.com/albums/ae360/chc_hmc/JHerbin1670.jpg

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Also, nice review! I've yet to "break" open the seal on my bottle!

[Lalique]

Aloha:

 

I have three bottles of 1670. A sticker on the outside of the package says, "Caution: Highly Saturated Ink", then, goes on to say, "Clean nib & section w/damp cloth to avoid potential staining", "Don't leave ink in fountain pen reservoir". On the back of the box the 1670 comes in, it says. "Never mix two different inks" and "Before filling ink pen or fountain pen rinse well". 1670 would work well with glass dip pens.

Hmmm. . .I wonder if the cautionary sticker is "new" nowadays? I don't remember or have that on the carton when I got mine. The back of the box does say the latter part though.

 

http://i987.photobucket.com/albums/ae360/chc_hmc/JHerbin1670.jpg

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Also, nice review! I've yet to "break" open the seal on my bottle!

 

A sticker on the outside of the package says, "Caution: Highly Saturated Ink", then, goes on to say, "Clean nib & section w/damp cloth to avoid potential staining", "Don't leave ink in fountain pen reservoir".

 

Hmmm. . .I wonder if the cautionary sticker is "new" nowadays? I don't remember or have that on the carton when I got mine. The back of the box does say the latter part though.

 

Aloha, 1point1mm:

 

I just received my bottles of 1670 in the mail a few days ago. The boxes are wrapped in plastic, and stuck onto the plastic on the back of the plastic wrapped ink box, it says that exactly. I must have the latest cautions on the boxes of 1670 I received, I would guess, due to consumer inquiries and complaints.

 

Happy pen trails to you : ) .