Efnir: Herbin Bleu Des Profondeurs

[LizEF]

Extra Fine Nib Ink Review: Herbin Bleu des Profondeurs

 

This is review #9 in my series, with 100+ to go... Here's the YouTube video:

 

And here is a screen of the final result, for those not interested in the video:

Scan of Completed Review:

 

Zoomed in photo:

Absorbent Paper Closeup (top is puzzle paper like thick newsprint, bottom is old 20lb copy paper):

 

Screenshots also available on Instagram: @zilxodarap

 

Previous Review: Diamine Eau de Nil.

 

Want to influence the inky sequence? Take the "next ink" poll.

 

Hope you enjoy. Comments appreciated!

[Sailor Kenshin]

Ooo, nice one! Thanks for the review, as always.

[LizEF]

Ooo, nice one! Thanks for the review, as always.

You're welcome.

 

So far, even including the reviews I haven't posted yet, this ink is my favorite - it feels so nice writing with it.

[dhanks]

You're welcome.

 

So far, even including the reviews I haven't posted yet, this ink is my favorite - it feels so nice writing with it.

 

I have been meaning to get a bottle of it ever since I first saw it. I love the color. Your excellent review will push me over the edge, I think.

 

Rumpole

[LizEF]

 

I have been meaning to get a bottle of it ever since I first saw it. I love the color. Your excellent review will push me over the edge, I think.

 

Rumpole

Well, it's a very enjoyable edge to go over.

[inkstainedruth]

Thanks for the review.
I recently got a bottle of this, but haven't used it much. Good to know that it does well in EF nibs (I think there's a Sheaffer Snorkel with an EF nib that needs to get put back in rotation soon...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[LizEF]

Thanks for the review.

I recently got a bottle of this, but haven't used it much. Good to know that it does well in EF nibs (I think there's a Sheaffer Snorkel with an EF nib that needs to get put back in rotation soon...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

You're most welcome!

 

If your Snorkel is wet, the ink will be very dark. Either way, it'll be a real pleasure to write with.

[yazeh]

Thank you for your all your reviews. I'm glad to see an ink that shows character with an EF nib.

With my very few fine/ef nibs I always find that the dark colors always come out black-ish and often on the scratchy side.

Once I thought I had found the perfect ink, R& K Verdisgris, it made the nail buttery, but the color was, well some sort of dark-ish.....

[LizEF]

Thank you for your all your reviews. I'm glad to see an ink that shows character with an EF nib.

With my very few fine/ef nibs I always find that the dark colors always come out black-ish and often on the scratchy side.

Once I thought I had found the perfect ink, R& K Verdisgris, it made the nail buttery, but the color was, well some sort of dark-ish.....

You're very welcome!

 

Yes, this is often the case with dark inks - they get darker in an EF nib. But every now and then, one gets lighter - it's very annoying!

 

"...scratchy side" - yes, it takes quite the ink to lubricate such fine nibs, and while almost all the ones I've reviewed thus far have done quite well, this one surpasses them all, easily. A real joy.

 

"some sort of dark-ish" - yes, exactly! Some inks, you just can't tell what the color is - like my pictures of the full review page refuse to pick up the color - that's why I started doing the USB microscope pictures, so you could see the color my eyes see. If I ever get a color where my eyes can't tell what color it is, I'll be sure to mention that in the review. Thus far, Yama Dori comes closest to that, but I can still recognize the color, even there.

 

Of course, then there are inks where you can see the color, but don't know what to call it - I'm currently inked with KWZ Brown Pink, and it's not exactly brown, and not really pink, and is kind of dusky purple, but not really... In the end, I use its name because I don't know what else to call it.

[yazeh]

You're very welcome!

 

Yes, this is often the case with dark inks - they get darker in an EF nib. But every now and then, one gets lighter - it's very annoying!

 

"...scratchy side" - yes, it takes quite the ink to lubricate such fine nibs, and while almost all the ones I've reviewed thus far have done quite well, this one surpasses them all, easily. A real joy.

 

"some sort of dark-ish" - yes, exactly! Some inks, you just can't tell what the color is - like my pictures of the full review page refuse to pick up the color - that's why I started doing the USB microscope pictures, so you could see the color my eyes see. If I ever get a color where my eyes can't tell what color it is, I'll be sure to mention that in the review. Thus far, Yama Dori comes closest to that, but I can still recognize the color, even there.

 

Of course, then there are inks where you can see the color, but don't know what to call it - I'm currently inked with KWZ Brown Pink, and it's not exactly brown, and not really pink, and is kind of dusky purple, but not really... In the end, I use its name because I don't know what else to call it.

[TheDutchGuy]

Bleu des Profondeurs is the wettest, most lubricating ink I know. The ink is a gift if you have a really dry pen, such as the cheap, battered ‘80s entry-level Sheaffer that my son adores. For unfathomable reasons, that pen refuses to write with any ink except this one. It’s also the only pen that makes even this ink appear lighter than it normally is. Looks beautiful.

[LizEF]

Bleu des Profondeurs is the wettest, most lubricating ink I know. The ink is a gift if you have a really dry pen, such as the cheap, battered ‘80s entry-level Sheaffer that my son adores. For unfathomable reasons, that pen refuses to write with any ink except this one. It’s also the only pen that makes even this ink appear lighter than it normally is. Looks beautiful.

But the reasons aren't unfathomable - it's because the ink is so lovely and well-lubricated. I imagine such a pen would show off the shading rather nicely as well.

[dhanks]

LizEF, do you have Herbin Vert Empire with which to do a writing sample and review? Just a suggestion, as I love that color, too.

 

Rumpole

[LizEF]

LizEF, do you have Herbin Vert Empire with which to do a writing sample and review? Just a suggestion, as I love that color, too.

 

Rumpole

Nope, sorry, I don't. If you check out the "next ink poll" linked in my first post, that has all my inks listed - alphabetical by maker + ink name.

 

When I've (almost) gotten through all 123 inks I currently have, I'd consider samples of inks I haven't done yet. But that's months away, probably more than a year.

[Misfit]

Hi Liz, I’m enjoying your J Herbin reviews. I haven’t tried the two Herbin inks you’ve reviewed so far, making this a great introduction to them.

[LizEF]

Hi Liz, I’m enjoying your J Herbin reviews. I haven’t tried the two Herbin inks you’ve reviewed so far, making this a great introduction to them.

Thank you! But... I've only reviewed one Herbin ink. I own two others (samples) and plan to order a bottle of another (used up the sample) now that the weather is warm enough - but I haven't inked any of those for this yet.

Edited April 23, 2020 by LizEF

[Misfit]

Oh I see what I did. I mistook the Eau de Nil as (wrongly) J Herbin, but it is Diamine.

[LizEF]

Oh I see what I did. I mistook the Eau de Nil as (wrongly) J Herbin, but it is Diamine.

Ah, yes, French - easy mistake.

 

PS: I just inked another Herbin ink tonight. It'll be at least a few weeks before its review is published, but there is another Herbin on the way.

[LizEF]

Someone over on YouTube asked how this ink performs on copy paper.  Since I did this review before I started tracking performance on absorbent paper, I decided to ink this up in a different Penmanship (still EF, as similar to the nib I've been using as possible) and try it out...  I wrote on 20lb Office Depot copy paper (which is at least 10 years old - don't use it anymore). This ink performed perfectly! No feathering, no bleed, no wool, not even significant spread - just nice crisp lines. Since that paper may not be the worst, I also used it on the puzzle (absorbent) paper that I use in later reviews. On this paper, there was occasional minor (really tiny) feathers or wool. But it was really minor. So, I'd say this ink performs exceptionally on absorbent paper.

[yazeh]

Thanks for the update, Liz. I assume no  )👻 either