Jacques Herbin 1670 - Opal Nocturne (Night Opal)

[yazeh]

Jacques Herbin 1670 - Opal Nocturne (Night Opal)

 

Ink Review # 212

 

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🧾 Description

 

One of the newest 1670 inks with gold shimmer, is a blue-green-grey ink, nicely lubricated and excellent on copy paper. Dry time is fast on Rhodia. 

 

Ink colour is very close to Vert de Gris; the only difference is shimmer and lubrication. 

 

1670 inks are gold shimmer inks that celebrate the creation of Herbin company. 

1798 inks are silver shimmer inks that honor the date when they started making inks. 

 

 

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🧪 Chroma

 

 

 

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✍️ Writing Samples (scan)

Rhodia  / Iroful

 

 

 

Midori  /Tomoe River 68gsm

Scan was off. Check photos. 

 

Hammermill 20lb  

 

 

 

 📸 Photo

Rhodia/ Iroful

 

 

 

Midori / Tomoe River 68 gsm

 

 

 

Hammermill 20lb

Note: see how ghosting and bleed-through is minimal. 

 

 

Close-up

 

 

 

 🔍 Comparison

 

 

 

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 💧 Water Test

 

 

 

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 🎨 Artwork

Muse

Mouse missing Kitty carved his likeness into Opal.

 

Jacques Herbin 1670 - Opal Nocturne ink, Uniball white gel pen, Talens Mixed Media Notebook. 

 

 

 

INKTOBER52 PROMPT NO.46 – Sneaker

There are many theories about the word Sneaker. This is one of the lesser-known ones: It is said that when the Portuguese court abandoned Lisboa for Rio during the Napoleonic Wars, the fate of the nation changed when a young orphan sang at the foot of the Belém monastery, where her father had abandoned her on one of the ships of cowardice. In her voice, she captured the intangible golden moment of belonging, saudade. On the other side, behind the thick walls, a young monk felt the sacred for the first time in her voice and abandoned the dusty monastery, to join her, sneaking into the guitarra’s sound hole to be close to ecstasy. When her voice rose above the hollow songs of the monks and the indifferent roar of the ocean, he couldn’t help but pluck the chords and change the history of a nation; it was fate. (fado). 

 

Jacques Herbin 1670 - Opal Nocturne, Diamine Earl Grey, Octopus WD Bunny Orange, Talens Mixed Media Notebook.

Inspired by @catbert's imaginative art, and fado.

 

 

 

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- Pens Used: Pilot Kakuno EF,  Kaweco Sport (EF/F/M/B/BB/Stub 1.9) Noodler’s Nibcreeper fitted with a vintage Waterman flex nib. 

- What I Liked: Colour, lubrication.

- What I Did Not Like: Shimmer, price.  

- Writing Experience: Excellent with most nib. A bit difficult with 1.9 stub, Probably I didn’t have enough ink. 

- Pros: Same as liked.

- Cons: Idem.

 

 🧷 Ink Characteristics

 

- Shading: Subtle. 

- Ghosting: Faint

- Bleed Through: Only with 1.9 and flex. 

- Flow Rate: Good.

- Lubrication: Very good. 

- Nib Dry-out:  Did not notice. 

- Start-up: Did not notice

- Saturation: Soft.

- Sheen: Did not notice

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

- Nib Creep / Crud: Did not notice.

- Staining (Pen): Didn’t keep long enough in pen. 

- Clogging: Didn’t keep long enough in pen.

- Cleaning: I used a pen jacuzzi for the shimmer part. 

- Water Resistance: Decent. 

 

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 🛒 Availability

 

- Available in 50 ml bottle worldwide. 

 

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 💬 Closing

 

I’m not into shimmer inks, so this ink isn't  for me. However, if you like the colour of Vert de Gris and want nice lubrication and shimmer, and the price isn’t an obstacle, go for it. Life is too short.  

 

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.  

 

 

 

[Sailor Kenshin]

Not into shimmer meself. Interesting chroma, through, and wonderful artwork. Seems like it has a bit of water resistance?  Not to mention a cool name.

I have the Noodler's, seldom used, and Les Verts Empire and Verdigris.  I like all three, but have sooo many inks…

As for the quotes, I'm hoping new eyeglasses is all it takes. Thanks, Yazeh, for yet another intriguing review!

 

👏🏻

 

[inkstainedruth]

@yazeh Hmmmm.  I'm not really enamored of shimmer inks at this point, and this one seems awfully pale at times.  But definitely an interesting color (if a bit odd).  And of course the artwork is always fun to see, so thanks for the review.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[lapis]

Nice! What I like = the greyness; good lube is always good. What I don't like = shimmer as always, but I just leave the bottle standing up straight for as long as possible/necessary and then fill with zero shaking. As often moaned here, it's just too bad I don't have my lab with all of its centrifuges anymore....

[LizEF]

What a fantastic review, @yazeh!

 

Thanks for the 1670-1798 distinction.  

 

Very clever of the chroma to create a kitty head!  

 

The green-leaning color of the scans doesn't really appeal to me, but I like the blue-leaning color of the photos...   Good quotes.

 

Fun swatches - and they really make it look like Opal Nocturne is Vert de Gris with shimmer!

 

Your water-test sketch is charming and I love how you've flipped it and Muse! 

 

Meanwhile, "Sneaker" is downright inspired!  Very dreamy / mythological.  Beautiful how kitty-mane flows into water.   Well done!

 

Thanks for sharing your hard work with us!

[yazeh]

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Not into shimmer meself. Interesting chroma, through, and wonderful artwork. Seems like it has a bit of water resistance?  Not to mention a cool name.

I have the Noodler's, seldom used, and Les Verts Empire and Verdigris.  I like all three, but have sooo many inks…

As for the quotes, I'm hoping new eyeglasses is all it takes. Thanks, Yazeh, for yet another intriguing review!

 

👏🏻

 

Thanks for the kind words.🙏 Glad you enjoyed the review and the artwork. 😊 Like you I have too many inks and samples.

 

Here are the quotes in no particular order:  

 

The moon is the dream of the sun.” — Paul Klee

 

“The night illuminates only the watchful hearts.” — Charles Péguy

 

“Every person carries a precious stone within them.” — André Gide

 

“There are nights that magnify our dreams.” — Gérard de Nerval

 

“Stones speak to those who know how to listen.” — Gustave Flaubert

[yazeh]

1 hour ago, inkstainedruth said:

@yazeh Hmmmm.  I'm not really enamored of shimmer inks at this point, and this one seems awfully pale at times.  

Me neither. If you have Very de Gris it's very similar but with better lubrication. 

1 hour ago, inkstainedruth said:

But definitely an interesting color (if a bit odd).  And of course the artwork is always fun to see, so thanks for the review.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Its an interesting colour. It reminds me of the grey side of fall, the grey sky, patina on deck, dried up leaves.

Glad the review and artwork won your seal of approval. ,🙏

[yazeh]

1 hour ago, lapis said:

Nice! What I like = the greyness; good lube is always good.

This is much better than Very de Gris.

 

1 hour ago, lapis said:

What I don't like = shimmer as always, but I just leave the bottle standing up straight for as long as possible/necessary and then fill with zero shaking.

I don't like the shimmer either. But for the sake of the review, I subject the poor Kaweco to it.

 

1 hour ago, lapis said:

As often moaned here, it's just too bad I don't have my lab with all of its centrifuges anymore....

Not shaking and probably cheese cloth will do trick.

 

[yazeh]

1 hour ago, LizEF said:

What a fantastic review, @yazeh!

Awwwww.

1 hour ago, LizEF said:

Thanks for the 1670-1798 distinction.  

I had to figure it out. It was driving me nuts. Glad it helped.

 

1 hour ago, LizEF said:

Very clever of the chroma to create a kitty head!  

I didn't notice it.   I  was in factory mood, scanning 6 chromas at a time. Trying not to mislabel them.

1 hour ago, LizEF said:

The green-leaning color of the scans doesn't really appeal to me, but I like the blue-leaning color of the photos...   Good quotes.

The photos are most accurate.

1 hour ago, LizEF said:

 

Fun swatches - and they really make it look like Opal Nocturne is Vert de Gris with shimmer!

I spend a day or two scanning all my swatches. Then had a program to find similar ones to Nocturne Opal. With Blausee it was confused. . But you're the programmer, and you know how computers, scanners don't align with what we see.

 

1 hour ago, LizEF said:

Your water-test sketch is charming and I love how you've flipped it and Muse! 

That was fun to do. I think with this new batch of a nos I was more inspired.

1 hour ago, LizEF said:

Meanwhile, "Sneaker" is downright inspired!  Very dreamy / mythological.  Beautiful how kitty-mane flows into water.   Well done!

Thanks. I enjoyed doing it.

1 hour ago, LizEF said:

Thanks for sharing your hard work with us!

Most welcome. 🙏🙏🙏

[Sailor Kenshin]

On 11/17/2025 at 1:33 PM, yazeh said:

Thanks for the kind words.🙏 Glad you enjoyed the review and the artwork. 😊 Like you I have too many inks and samples.

 

Here are the quotes in no particular order:  

 

The moon is the dream of the sun.” — Paul Klee

 

“The night illuminates only the watchful hearts.” — Charles Péguy

 

“Every person carries a precious stone within them.” — André Gide

 

“There are nights that magnify our dreams.” — Gérard de Nerval

 

“Stones speak to those who know how to listen.” — Gustave Flaubert

They are awesome. Thanks!

[yazeh]

1 minute ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

They are awesome. Thanks!

Welcome. I'll add them like this in my next review. 😊