What do people think of Herbin's Perle Noire? It seems to work well with Clairefontaine/Rhodia paper (I use a Carene EF nib), and it dries pretty quickly. But there are many more comments on FPN about Aurora Black and Noodlers. I like the darkness of Aurora, but it dries slowly. Any suggestions for a quick-drying yet rich Black ink?

I like this ink. It was my go-to black for a while before switching to Noodler's. Like you, I've found the Herbin to be quick drying, it behaves well in every pen I've tried it in, and it has good saturation.

I have used Herbin inks for many years because they are pH neutral and made with vegetable dyes so they are safer than many other inks. I use them primarily in my vintage pens and those pens with piston fillers. I do not use black ink often, but when I do I usually reach for Perle Noire.

There's no doubt that Aurora gets more discussion around here, in part because it's a great ink and in part because it's more available than Herbin. I think Aurora is an outstanding ink compared to most blacks out there. But I think that all of the reasons that people like Aurora--its darkness, density, flow, lubricity, consistency, and moderate permanence--are present and even a little better in J. Herbin's Perle Noire. (One drawback is the bottle; it's impossible to drain the last few cc's without sucking them up into a converter instead of a nib.) Noodler's is a different story altogether, because many of the most desirable and also many of the least desirable aspects of several Noodler's inks are not shared by other inks. It's more permanent in more situations than other inks, there are more shades available, and the colors (including blacks) are very saturated; but several people have experienced some unwanted issues, like nib creep and precipitates. (There are at least two pen repair people who will warn against newer, thicker, "different" inks, such as Noodler's, Levenger's, and Private Reserve. It would be an understatement to say that there is controversy around the issue.) All of these inks are worth a try. If you have Herbin's Perle Noire available, try it and report back.

Thanks for the comments! I've been using Perle Noire for a couple of months. I have found it to be a very reliable ink, though it is a little on the grey side. I love the richness of Aurora Black, but have been unhappy with its relatively slow drying time (with Clairefontaine paper). I suppose that there is no perfect ink. Sigh!

Perle Noire. Is that the same as "La Perle des Encres Encre Noire"? I have been using this ink for a few years now with my dip pens. I tested it alongside many other inks and found it to be very fade resistant and very water resistant. I have used it in many of my journals.

Paddler

If it's in the flat-rectangular bottle with the molded-in pen rest, then yes.

Then that is what I tested. It stood up to direct sunlight for months (87 days) with almost no fading. It survived full sun and indirect rain (splatter / full soak) for 52 days with little fading. It was all done on college ruled notebook paper and small legal pad paper -- the cheap stuff.

Good ink. Goooooooood ink!

Paddler

Very nice. My wife uses this ink, preferring its subtle shading characteristics over a supersaturated jet black. I will have to try it when my bottle of PR Velvet Black is gone.

I really like the Herbin inks, I've nearly got their whole line of colors now!!