Four J. Herbin Browns

[jasonchickerson]

 

I thought it would be interesting to compare the four Herbin browns. Top is Rhodia dotpad; bottom is Strathmore watercolor paper.

 

Terre de Feu and Cacao du Bresil are two of the best sketching inks I've found. Lie de Thé is a gorgeous drawing ink that washes into a bold orange and sepia, but I never draw with it because it is such an ugly color to write with. I haven't found much use for Café des Îles. I considered including Ambre de Birmanie (one of my new favorites), but I consider it a yellow.

 

Parker Quink Black (really a dark, dark blue) on the far right was added because Cacao du Bresil reads grey among the other browns.

 

Anyone have a favorite? Hate them all? Prefer something else similar?

Edited January 12, 2015 by jasonchickerson

[visvamitra]

I love Lie de The I dislike Terre de Feu, I don't care for the other two.

 

Nice presentation, thank you.

[jasonchickerson]

I love Lie de The I dislike Terre de Feu, I don't care for the other two.

 

Nice presentation, thank you.

 

What is it about Terre de Feu that you dislike?

[visvamitra]

The color And this you can't help.

[Tas]

More ink tests please !

These are gorgeous to look at . . .

[dan in montreal]

Very nice, thanks for this side by side comparison. I quite disliked Terre de feu when I got it because I first used it in a dry, fine nib and the resulting lines were super faint and bland and (too) light. I then put in a medium Parker Frontier and wow, what a difference!

[inkstainedruth]

I like the color of Café des Îles, but have been concerned about reports of grit in the bottom of the container (oh, well, I guess that's still better than SITB). Couldn't make up my mind about Lie de Thé when I tried it. Didn't like it well enough to merit getting a full bottle. Have not tried the other two. Don't like Terra de Feu on the basis I don't like red-leaning browns. Might try Cacao du Brasil at some point, but it definitely seems to be a very odd color, to say the least.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[jasonchickerson]

I like the color of Café des Îles, but have been concerned about reports of grit in the bottom of the container (oh, well, I guess that's still better than SITB). Couldn't make up my mind about Lie de Thé when I tried it. Didn't like it well enough to merit getting a full bottle. Have not tried the other two. Don't like Terra de Feu on the basis I don't like red-leaning browns. Might try Cacao du Brasil at some point, but it definitely seems to be a very odd color, to say the least.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

 

If you don't like red-leaning browns, you're not likely to enjoy Café des Îles anyway. I had not heard anything about grit. I have a sample only so I can't say.

 

Cacao du Bresil is very strange. It eludes description and looks very different in different settings. It is very similar to Rohrer & Klingner Sepia and Iroshizuku kiri-same, which are two very different inks. I describe it as a very desaturated brown-grey with a whisper of lavender. Possibly it is very similar to actual cuttlefish ink (sepia).

 

I'll try to get a review up for Cacao du Bresil soon.

Edited January 12, 2015 by jasonchickerson

[jasonchickerson]

More ink tests please !

These are gorgeous to look at . . .

 

Very nice, thanks for this side by side comparison. I quite disliked Terre de feu when I got it because I first used it in a dry, fine nib and the resulting lines were super faint and bland and (too) light. I then put in a medium Parker Frontier and wow, what a difference!

 

Thanks to both of you.

 

Yes, I'd rate Terre de Feu a 4/10 in wetness, so it benefits from a slightly wet writer.

[VivienR]

I Have only Terre de Feu, I can confirm, its pretty dry, really need a wet pen, but I kind of like it more and more. Even that I did everything I can to avoid brown inks still not feel any regret for buying it.

[jisip]

Thanks for this comparison! Just last night I was comtemplating how I didn't have enough brown inks and was considering getting another J. Herbin brown. I love Lie de The because of how drastically the colour changes depending on flow (Pilot 78G with a springy F nib). It was the first brown I got because of the four I think it's the one the looks brown. Terre de Feu reminds me more of the red bricks that pave our garage (and Qin Shi Huangdi for some reason). I recently got Cafe des Iles in a raffle and it's ok, but not enough to load in one of my daily writers. I don't see myself getting Cacao du Bresil anytime soon based on your comparison photo. It just looks too dull and pale to interest me.

 

P.S. Your comment on Quink Black being a dark blue reminds me of an argument between my dad and I on whether an unmarked Quink bottle had blue or black ink. I said blue, he said black. Turns out it was black.

[jasonchickerson]

Thanks for this comparison! Just last night I was comtemplating how I didn't have enough brown inks and was considering getting another J. Herbin brown. I love Lie de The because of how drastically the colour changes depending on flow (Pilot 78G with a springy F nib). It was the first brown I got because of the four I think it's the one the looks brown. Terre de Feu reminds me more of the red bricks that pave our garage (and Qin Shi Huangdi for some reason). I recently got Cafe des Iles in a raffle and it's ok, but not enough to load in one of my daily writers. I don't see myself getting Cacao du Bresil anytime soon based on your comparison photo. It just looks too dull and pale to interest me.

 

P.S. Your comment on Quink Black being a dark blue reminds me of an argument between my dad and I on whether an unmarked Quink bottle had blue or black ink. I said blue, he said black. Turns out it was black.

 

I'm glad the comparison helped, even if it was to convince you not to buy.

 

However, get a sample of Cacao du Bresil and see it in person. It is a lovely, complex color that toes the line between brown and grey. Only you can answer if the color is of interest, but Cacao is the single best behaved ink I've tried. I keep it in my pocket pen 90% of the time.

[Cyber6]

Lie de Thé.... FTW!!! http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/MSN_Emoticons/MSN-Emoticon-thums-up-059.gif

 

 

I might need to get a sample of Cacao du Bresil... it might look interesting coming out of a Flex nib...

 

 

 

C.

[jasonchickerson]

Lie de Thé.... FTW!!! http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/MSN_Emoticons/MSN-Emoticon-thums-up-059.gif

 

 

I might need to get a sample of Cacao du Bresil... it might look interesting coming out of a Flex nib...

 

 

 

C.

 

 

C, I'll try to get a Cacao du Bresil review up this coming week (or at least a flexed writing sample).

[jmccarty3]

I have a big bottle of Lie de Thé and like it, but I plan to try Cacao du Bresil--that grayish brown, without any red, is just what I'm looking for in a lighter brown. For a darker brown, Iro Yama-Guri is my favorite.

[jasonchickerson]

I have a big bottle of Lie de Thé and like it, but I plan to try Cacao du Bresil--that grayish brown, without any red, is just what I'm looking for in a lighter brown. For a darker brown, Iro Yama-Guri is my favorite.

 

If it looks interesting to you, I'm sure you will love it. Please post your thoughts here after you give it a try.

[amberleadavis]

I love the comparisons. Thank you.

[Red Dragon]

Beautiful comparison!

I used Lie de The as a background colour in one drawing. Blending it with water gives a lemony bright yellow. It's such a nice gentle brown.

[jasonchickerson]

Beautiful comparison!

I used Lie de The as a background colour in one drawing. Blending it with water gives a lemony bright yellow. It's such a nice gentle brown.

 

Interesting. Put enough ink down and my bottle washes a sunset in orange.

 

Please post your work!

Edited January 19, 2015 by jasonchickerson

[Green Ink]

Thank you so much for the comparisons! Must. Get. Lie. de. The.