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Jacques Herbin Rouge Amarante (Red Amaranth) Ink Review # 216 --- 🧾 Description This is one of the 5 new inks by Jacques Herbin presented in the classic J Herbin 10/30 ml bottles. Here are the 5 suspects: Rouge Amarante, (Red Amaranth): Amarante in ancient Greek symbolized the eternal flower of the gods. The sacred Aztec plant with unfading flowers was given this name. Its nutritious grains were used in sacred ceremonies binding the Aztecs to Huitzilopochtli, God of the rising sun, who reincarnated the fallen soldiers as hummingbirds. Because of its similarity to the act of communion, Spanish conquistadors banned its use and tried their best to erase it, like many conquerors do. Ink, depending on nib size, wetness, varies between a home brew wine to a rich burgundy. Ink has slightly below average lubrication with drier pens. The normally scratchy Pilot Kakuno was lovely, Lamy Safari EF/F nibs slightly scratchy. M, B nibs lovely. Ink shines with M to Stub nibs. Shading is well present though disappears with the over wet flex nib. Ink is well-behaved with most nibs on copy paper. Cleaning needs more flushing, it’s a red dye after all. --- 🧪 Chroma --- ✍️ Writing Samples (scan) 1. Voltaire “The amaranth flower grows forever.” 2. Jean-Jacques Rousseau “Amaranth withers only in unworthy hands.” 3. Marcel Proust “The true paradises are the paradises we have lost.” 4. René Char “The essential is constantly threatened by the insignificant.” Rhodia / Iroful Midori /Tomoe River 68gsm Hammermill 20lb 📸 Photo Rhodia/ Iroful Midori / Tomoe River 68 gsm Hammermill 20 lb copy paper 🔍 Comparison Col-O-ring. Scans are approximative. --- 💧 Water Test --- 🎨 Artwork INKTOBER52 PROMPT NO.48 SAGITTARIUS Inspired by a Persian miniature; reinvented with my cat and mouse theme. https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/persian-miniatures-anonymous-19th-cent-sagittarius-5074-c-8474dd68ab Jacques Herbin Rouge Amarante, 1798 Bleu Diamant Shimmer ink, Tintenlabor Basalt iron gall ink, Uniball Signo white pen, Talens MIxed Media Notebook. Dream of the Fallen Warriors Cat dreamt of being reborn as an ocelot, calling all hummingbirds to join him in honouring the fallen ancestors of a conquered & forgotten people, known for "cruel" ceremonies. He later reflected: what is crueler, sacrificing on an altar or being sacrificed and forgotten as a culture? Jacques Herbin Rouge Amarante, Vert Cactus, Bleu Calanque, Noodler's Apache Sunset, Tintenlabor Basalt iron gall, Talens Mixed Media Notebook. --- - Pens Used: Pilot Kakuno EF, Lamy (EF/F/M/B/ Stub 1.1) , Flex. - What I Liked: Colour, writing experience, drawing experience. - What I Did Not Like: Lack of water resistance. - Writing Experience: Lovely. - Pros: Beautiful colour, well-behaved. Darker with wetter pens. Small 10 ml bottles. - Cons: Lack of water resistance. 🧷 Ink Characteristics - Shading: Subtle. - Ghosting: Faint - Bleed Through: Only with wet and wide nibs. - Flow Rate: Wet - Lubrication: Quite good. - Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. - Start-up: Good. - Saturation: Deep with wet pens, mild with dry pens. - Sheen: Did not notice. - Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. - Nib Creep / Crud: Did not notice. - Staining (Pen): I don’t think so. But it might. - Clogging: No. - Cleaning: Needed more flushing than usual. - Water Resistance: It seems that if the ink has cured enough, there might be some water resistance. --- 🛒 Availability - Available in 10/30 ml Herbin ink bottles world-wide. --- 💬 Closing I really enjoyed this ink and was tempted to buy a small bottle. No fountain pens were hurt in preparing this review. Please don’t hesitate to share your experience, writing samples, or any other comments — the more the merrier.