J Herbin Diabolo Menthe

[yazeh]

J Herbin Diabolo Menthe

 Ink Review #  193

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🧾 Description

 

Diabolo Menthe is one of the Herbin summery inks. The colour captures the nostalgia of a bygone French era of bistro life. It's a bright turquoise on the green spectrum to my eyes.  

 

You can check what you really see here: https://isyourcolormycolor.com/

 

This ink is drier than Bleu Calanque; the colour is too fluorescent for my taste. One needs a wet pen to saturate the colour.

Fun note on the etymology of diabolo:

 

"The word diabolo was first used in 1906 to describe a juggling toy with a spinning hourglass shape, its name derived from Latin diabolus (“one who throws across”). This playful term was later adopted in the 1920s to name non-alcoholic café drinks made with flavored syrup and lemonade, such as diabolo menthe — often bright green and especially popular among schoolchildren.
The drink later gave its name to the 1977 coming-of-age film Diabolo Menthe by Diane Kurys, a nostalgic portrait of girlhood in 1960s France. The film’s title song, also called Diabolo Menthe (performed by Yves Simon), became a cult classic in its own right.
(Source: CNRTL, entrée “diabolo”)"

 

Ink will dissolve like mint syrup in water, and like most Herbin inks, doesn’t like copy paper. However, one can darken it with a few drops of darker ink.

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  🧪 Chroma

 

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 ✍️ Writing Samples (scan)

Rhodia  / Iroful

Scan captures too much green and eyesearing 😎  Photos are closer. 

 

Midori  /Tomoe River 68gsm

Midori colour is off. 

Hammermill 20lb  

 

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 📸 Photo

Rhodia/ Iroful

 

 

Midori / Tomoe River 68 gsm

 

 

Hammermill 20lb copy paper

 

 

 

 🔍 Comparison

 

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  💧 Water Test

 

 

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 🎨 Artwork

Diabolo Menthe

Inks used: Tintenlabor Gold black iron gall ink, J Herbin Diabolo Menthe, Background; J Herbin Bleu Calanque, Paper Talens Mixed Media

Note how Diabolo Menthe and Bleu Calanque are similar in washes. The umbrella has both colours. 

 

Another take on the ink and its namesake, featuring my cat and mouse theme to capture the nostalgia of a bygone era.

I also used Tintenlabor Gold Black, an iron gall ink that oxidizes to a dark brown or black color, depending on the pen's wetness, and J Herbin Diabolo Menthe in either diluted or multiple layers.

 

The colour seems to capture the idea of vacation behind the drink, rather than the drink itself.

 

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- Pens Used:  Pilot F3A Ef,  Lamy (EF/F/M/B/ Stub 1.1) 

- What I Liked: ·Nostalgia

- What I Did Not Like: Colour.  

- What Some Might Not Like: Light colour. 

- Writing Experience:  The colour is too bright for me. 

- Pros: If you like bright colours. Price, small 10 ml bottles. 

- Cons:  Colour

 

 🧷 Ink Characteristics

 

- Shading: The ink is too bright for me to see. 

- Ghosting:  Yes on copy paper. 

- Bleed Through: Same as above. 

- Flow Rate: Ok. 

- Lubrication:  From below to slightly below average. 

- Nib Dry-out:  Did not notice.

- Start-up: Good. 

- Saturation:  Not saturated. 

- Sheen:  Did not notice. 

- Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line:  Did not notice.

- Nib Creep / Crud: Did not notice.

- Staining (Pen):  No. 

- Clogging:  No.

- Cleaning:  Easy. 

- Water Resistance: Nope.

 

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 🛒 Availability

 

- [ ] Available in 10/30 ml bottles and cartridges. 

 

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 💬 Closing

 

It was hard for me to review this ink, mostly because the colour was too bright and the writing experience unpleasant. 

 

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. :)  

 

 

 

[langere]

Thanks for the great review!  It's another turquoise ink then, right?

 

Now I'm going to look up the movie...

 

Erick

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, yazeh said:

the colour is too fluorescent for my taste

This was always my impression - that one would need sunglasses if using this ink.

 

1 hour ago, yazeh said:

Fun note on the etymology of diabolo

And here I was sure it had something to do with el diablo!

 

1 hour ago, yazeh said:

However, one can darken it with a few drops of darker ink.

Excellent idea!

 

It's a relief that the photos are closer - a person would go cross-eyed trying to read the scans!

 

Nice collection of summer swatches!  And don't drink, er, write with this ink by the pool...

 

Love the drawing - that looks like a very refreshing drink for kitty and mouse to enjoy!

 

Thanks, @yazeh, for a welcome, cool ink review!

[Lithium466]

Thank you for your review!

 

Still, such a disappointing ink, or a non fitting enough colour for the name...the nostalgia of a bygone French era of bistro life, I love how you put that 😊

I would have liked that ink to be greener, highly saturated, a "nuclear" uranium green, like the (artificially coloured) glasses of diabolo menthe on the platters... And the waiters ballet, alternating bright green diabolo menthe glasses that fascinated me as a kid, and bright red glasses of diabolo grenadine I was ordering as I was hating mint, and the tiny and unappealing (in comparison) small white cups of espresso coffee.
Back in the days when AC wasn't really a thing, when the terrasses were shaded by plane trees or linden trees, and when life was slow. That was after Rimbaud, we are much more serious now.

[yazeh]

1 hour ago, langere said:

Thanks for the great review! 

Glad it was useful.

 

 

1 hour ago, langere said:

It's another turquoise ink then, right?

Yes. It's a very bright turquoise. Frankly Bleu Calanque is a much better ink.

 

1 hour ago, langere said:

 

Now I'm going to look up the movie...

 

Erick

 

Enjoy the search.

 

[Sailor Kenshin]

I love this color! It's high summer in a bottle, and makes me think of swimming pools and lazing on the deck, drink in hand.

 

But agree that it does not photograph well. I also have a lot of your comparison colors. Very cute thumbnails and drink artwork.

I traditionally put DM in a Wearever Pennant in the same body color. But today I want it in an italic!

Thanks for the reminder, Yazeh. Now I have to load yet another pen.

[yazeh]

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

This was always my impression - that one would need sunglasses if using this ink.

 It's actually a very bright turquoise. Lovely as tiles or a stone, but as ink, no thanks. 

 

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

 

And here I was sure it had something to do with el diablo! 

I had to really research the etymology of that one. Funny enough how the word devil/ diable can be used also as an endearing term for a child or a naughty Smoke. 😸

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

 

It's a relief that the photos are closer - a person would go cross-eyed trying to read the scans!

The photos are more precise. I did this simultaneously with Bleu Calanque. The whole experience was night and day.

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

 

Nice collection of summer swatches!  And don't drink, er, write with this ink by the pool...

 

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

Love the drawing - that looks like a very refreshing drink for kitty and mouse to enjoy!

They know how to chill. 🕶️

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

Thanks, @yazeh, for a welcome, cool ink review!

A pleasure. 🙏

[yazeh]

1 hour ago, Lithium466 said:

Thank you for your review!

1 hour ago, Lithium466 said:

Still, such a disappointing ink, or a non fitting enough colour for the name...the nostalgia of a bygone French era of bistro life, I love how you put that 😊

Herbin has a way to capture an intangible era in a name. Pity not all inks follow through. 

1 hour ago, Lithium466 said:

I would have liked that ink to be greener, highly saturated, a "nuclear" uranium green, like the (artificially coloured) glasses of diabolo menthe on the platters... And the waiters ballet, alternating bright green diabolo menthe glasses that fascinated me as a kid, and bright red glasses of diabolo grenadine I was ordering as I was hating mint, and the tiny and unappealing (in comparison) small white cups of espresso coffee.
Back in the days when AC wasn't really a thing, when the terrasses were shaded by plane trees or linden trees, and when life was slow. That was after Rimbaud, we are much more serious now.

Ah, you captured that je ne sais quoi feeling, the nostalgia. The name for some reason transports me to Aix and it's fountains. When I was doing my research I confused this one with Le Perroquet, from Pagnol's Marius.

 

[LizEF]

14 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Funny enough how the word devil/ diable can be used also as an endearing term for a child or a naughty Smoke. 😸

Smoke is definitely a little demon!

[yazeh]

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

I love this color! It's high summer in a bottle, and makes me think of swimming pools and lazing on the deck, drink in hand.

What a lovely image to behold: I can here the sound of water and the children screaming with joy. That just redeemed the ink. 😎

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

But agree that it does not photograph well. I also have a lot of your comparison colors. Very cute thumbnails and drink artwork.

Thanks. In my book Calanque is a much better ink.

 

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

I traditionally put DM in a Wearever Pennant in the same body color. But today I want it in an italic!

I think a nice juicy italic will make it look better.

 

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Thanks for the reminder, Yazeh. Now I have to load yet another pen.

Most welcome. Happy italic- ing.

 

[yazeh]

35 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Smoke is definitely a little demon!

🙀

 

[USG]

The green made me think of Absinthe....

[Baggins]

The color is not for me, but thank you so much for your research 🙏👍

[yazeh]

15 hours ago, USG said:

The green made me think of Absinthe....

Lovely and frightening.

[yazeh]

3 hours ago, Baggins said:

The color is not for me, but thank you so much for your research 🙏👍

A pleasure. Good to see you back.

 

[Baggins]

15 hours ago, yazeh said:

A pleasure. Good to see you back.

I usually read all your reviews, I just don’t comment. But be aware that I ALWAYS appreciate your reviews and am ALWAYS thankful 🙏🤩. 

[yazeh]

32 minutes ago, Baggins said:

I usually read all your reviews, I just don’t comment. But be aware that I ALWAYS appreciate your reviews and am ALWAYS thankful 🙏🤩. 

👍 Obrigado!

[Sailor Kenshin]

Thanks to @yazeh, I now loaded this in a Moon Man clicky pen.  Seems very legible, and looks pretty next to entries in pink and orange.

[yazeh]

3 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Thanks to @yazeh, I now loaded this in a Moon Man clicky pen.  Seems very legible, and looks pretty next to entries in pink and orange.

I'm glad you're enjoying it.  Thanks for the update. 🙏

[Black16]

As I decided to give Herbin inks the third chance recently (hence ordered Rouge Grenat) I was thinking to get Diabolo Menthe as a highlighter ink. Actually it looks nice for this purpose, but the fact it is noticeably dry... I mean, I avoid Herbin inks after both ones I tried were too dry and unlubricated so it was unpleasant to write with them even in dip nibs... Tho the colour is still so darn pretty, such a nice cool shade of greenish cyan.

Thanks for this review, just in time!