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Jacques Herbin Vert Forêt (Forest Green) Ink Review # 230 --- 🧾 Description This is the last ink in the new Jacques Herbin lineup. Here are the swatches of the whole series: It is a dark teal with F and finer nibs; with M to stub nibs it becomes a brighter teal. The wetter and finer the nib, the darker the ink. It is not suited for copy paper and will ghost, bleed through, feather and have some woolly lines. Shading is subtle and paper dependent; lubrication is below average with the Safari, but surprisingly nice with the Pilot F3A, a 1970s pen with a semi-flex nib. The ink has no water resistance. While I’m not a fan of dark greens, I appreciated using it for ink washes, extracting subtle sea-glass shades from the initial dark base colour. --- 🧪 Chroma --- ✍️ Writing Samples (scan) Quotes: Translations from the original French are done by ChatGPT. 1. Jules Renard (French writer and diarist) “The forest precedes man; the desert follows him.” 2. Gaston Bachelard (French philosopher) “The forest is a place where one learns slowness.” 3. Jean Giono (French novelist) “Trees have a slow, patient life, foreign to our human restlessness.” 4. François-René de Chateaubriand (French writer) “Forests are man’s first temples, and their voices are older than the gods.” 5. Maurice Genevoix (French writer) “The forest teaches man what he has forgotten: duration, humility, and patience.” Rhodia / Iroful JEF corresponds to Japanese EF or EEF if you prefer. Midori /Tomoe River 68gsm Note: Tomoe River used here is 68 gsm, not the thinner 52 gsm version commonly referenced in reviews. Hammermill 20lb 📸 Photo Rhodia/ Iroful Midori / Tomoe River 68 gsm Hammermill 20 lb copy paper Closeup 🔍 Comparison Col-O-ring. Scans are approximative. --- 💧 Water Test --- 🎨 Artwork Cat and Mouse Forest I had fun with some fountain pen ink to draw a forest with my cat & mouse theme. Good luck finding the mouse. Jacques Herbin Vert Forêt, Bleu Diamant, Inkebara Sand, Titnelabor Lärchegold, Uniball Signo White gel, Talens Mixed Media Sketchbook. Iris Cat & mouse testing new inks. Tintenlabor Lärchengold, Jacques Herbin Iris Sagesse, Vert Forêt, Talens Mixed Media Square Notebook. --- - Pens Used: Pilot F3A EF semi flex, Lamy (EF/F/M/B/ Stub 1.1), - What I Liked: Drawing with. Ink washes. - What I Did Not Like: Color, lack of lubrication and water-resistance. - Writing Experience: I’ve had better. 🧷 Ink Characteristics - Shading: Subtle and paper/nib dependant. - Ghosting: Yes, on copy paper. - Bleed Through: Same as above. - Flow Rate: Wet - Lubrication: Depends on pens. - Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. - Start-up: Did not notice. - Saturation: Yes. - Sheen: No. - Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Yes on copy paper. - Nib Creep / Crud: Did not notice. - Staining (Pen): - Clogging: No. - Cleaning: Needs a bit more effort. It’s a saturated green. - Water Resistance: Nope. --- 🛒 Availability - Available in 10/30 ml bottles worldwide. --- 💬 Closing This is my least favorite ink in this series, so I'm biased. I’m neither a fan of the colour nor the lubrication with the Lamy Safari. If I were to choose one green ink from Herbin, it would be Vert Métropolitaine for its lubrication and more vibrant colour. 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.