Jacques Herbin Rouille d’Ancre

[yazeh]

Jacques Herbin Rouille d’Ancre

 

Ink Review # 245

 

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🧾 Description

 

Ink: Rouille D’ancre (rusty anchor)

Brand: Jacques Herbin 

Country: France

 

Jacques Herbin (formerly J Herbin) Rouille d’ancre is a pleasing salmon colour, wet, with slightly to below average lubrication. The colour, while legible, would best shine with a wet, soft nib. 

 

Ink is not suited for copy paper. It has decent water resistance. Dry times are decent (20s) on Rhodia. 

 

This is a colour that has grown on me. The more I use it, the more I like it. 

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🧪 Chroma

 

 

 

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✍️ Writing Samples (photos LED and daylight)

- Pens Used: Pilot Kakuno EF, Lamy (EF/F/M/B/ stub 1.1), Noodler’s Ahab with a FPR ultra-flex.

 

Translations from language are provided for reference only and may differ from published versions.

 

Rhodia dotpad

Reason is like everything else: if you don’t use it, it rusts. François Cavanna (French writer, journalist, cartoonist, (1923-2014)

 

 

 

Iroful

We both know what memories can bring / They bring diamonds and rust. Joan Baez (American contemporary folk musician (born 1941))

 

 

 

 

Midori MD Codex

It is better to rust out than wear out, Edwin Markham, American poet (1854-1940)

 

 

 

Tomoe River 68gsm (Taroko Design Notebook 2023)

Note: Tomoe River used here is 68 gsm, not the thinner 52 gsm version commonly referenced in reviews.

As rust corrupts iron, so envy corrupts man, Antisthenes Greek philosopher, founder of Cynicism (c.446–c.366 BCE )

 

 

Hammermill 20lb copy paper

“I’ve got an iron will. But you know how it goes—iron rusts.”, Quino (1932–2020), Argentine cartoonist

 

 

 

Closeup

 

 

 

 🔍 Comparison

Col-O-ring swatches. Scans are approximate.

 

 

 

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 💧 Water Test

 

 

 

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 🎨 Artwork

Inktober52, 2026 Prompt 16: Critter 

Miniature: Jacques Herbin Rouille d'ancre, Talens Mixed Media Sketchbook.

 

 

 

You Greasy Cat, you!

Inktober 52, prompt 17: Greasy

Inspired by my grandfather, who used paraffin at night to keep his hair smooth and "greasy" in the morning. This piece is inspired by 1930s movies and animation characters, such as Minnie Mouse and Felix the Cat. The title is an homage to James Cagney and the famous line he never said: "You dirty rat, you!" 

 

Fountain pens used: Pilot Kakuno EF, Hongdian M2 with a fude nib and an Ahab with an FPR flex nib. 

Jacques Herbin Cacao du Brésil for the sketch and Rouille d'Ancre for the background. Paper: Talens Mixed Media. 

 

 

 

Anchor

Noodler’s Ahab, Talens Mixed Media Sketchbook.

 

 

 

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- Writing Experience: Ok. Needs a soft nib. 

- What I Liked: Colour. 

- What I Did Not Like: Legibility. 

🧷 Ink Characteristics

- Shading: Subtle. 

- Ghosting: Yes, on copy paper. 

- Bleed Through: Same as above. 

- Flow Rate: Wet.

- Lubrication: Pen dependent. Not unpleasant, but better with a soft, polished nib. 

- Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. 

- Start-up: No problems. 

- Saturation: No. 

- Sheen: No. 

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

- Nib Creep / Crud: Did not notice.

- Staining (Pen): No. 

- Clogging: No.

- Cleaning: Easy but needs a few flushing. 

- Water Resistance: Decent. 

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🛒 Availability

- Available in 10/30 ml bottles and international short ink cartridges. 

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 💬 Closing

This is a pleasing, soft, salmon pink colour. With the right pen it would sing and with the wrong pen it would crash. 

 

No fountain pens were harmed in preparing this review.

 

Please don’t hesitate to share your experience, writing samples, or any other comments — the more the merrier.  

 

[LizEF]

Interesting chroma. On paper, it's more muted than I expected from the chroma (but appropriate to the name).  Not an exciting color, but shading's OK. I can see how this would grow on you after getting used to it.   Though it's not something I would seek out.

 

The swatch scan definitely changes it - more salmon than rust.  

 

 Love the water-test sketch! Sailor Mouse and Anchor Kitty.

 

And "Critter" is fabulous - better the more I look.  Go, squirrel!

 

Good job bringing out those old movies and cartoons in Greasy - recognized them right away.  

 

Meanwhile, "Anchor" aweigh!   Pretty sure when they catch their shark, they're gonna have to cut that anchor or it'll sink the boat (assuming that shark doesn't do it first! 

 

Thanks for the informative review and wonderful drawings, @yazeh!

[yazeh]

27 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Interesting chroma. On paper, it's more muted than I expected from the chroma (but appropriate to the name).

It's an intriguing colour.

27 minutes ago, LizEF said:

  Not an exciting color, but shading's OK. I can see how this would grow on you after getting used to it.   Though it's not something I would seek out.

Same here. Ironically, this is my 2nd 10 ML bottle. I knew of an artist who collected rusted metals for art. I believe he let them leach onto paper or other surfaces to create tantalizing effects. From then on, I've been fascinated by rust, especially when I came upon 100-year-old pipes when the city was redoing the streets.. I think that's why I like this ink partially, despite it's shortcomings.

27 minutes ago, LizEF said:

The swatch scan definitely changes it - more salmon than rust.  

Rush has orange ion it. Much more like Ancient Copper. 

27 minutes ago, LizEF said:

 Love the water-test sketch! Sailor Mouse and Anchor Kitty.

 

27 minutes ago, LizEF said:

And "Critter" is fabulous - better the more I look.  Go, squirrel!

Miniatures are fun to do.  You don't need to be as precise.

 

27 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Good job bringing out those old movies and cartoons in Greasy - recognized them right away.  

Thanks. I was surprised myself. To think I started this in a busy waiting room at the doctor's. 😊

27 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Meanwhile, "Anchor" aweigh!   Pretty sure when they catch their shark, they're gonna have to cut that anchor or it'll sink the boat (assuming that shark doesn't do it first! 

 

😃

27 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Thanks for the informative review and wonderful drawings, @yazeh!

Thanks for your kind, thoughtful and generous comments. It's much appreciated. 🙏🙏🙏

[Lithium466]

Thank you for your review @yazeh!

[yazeh]

1 hour ago, Lithium466 said:

Thank you for your review @yazeh!

Most welcome. Next week is Taccia.

 

[Sailor Kenshin]

I loved this ink even before your review with its splendid chroma.  Legible enough from a broad nib.  
 

The artwork is wonderful, Cagney (we just watched one of his more unusual films) with Kitteh, the underwater anchor, etc.

 

Thanks, @yazeh.  When you review an ink I have it just tickles me.  😸

[yazeh]

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

I loved this ink even before your review with its splendid chroma.

😊

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

 Legible enough from a broad nib.  

Even with a F nib.

 

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

The artwork is wonderful, Cagney (we just watched one of his more unusual films) with Kitteh, the underwater anchor, etc.

Thank you so much. 🙏

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

 

Thanks, @yazeh.  When you review an ink I have it just tickles me.  😸

[USG]

On 5/14/2026 at 1:57 PM, Lithium466 said:

Thank you for your review @yazeh!

 

+1     👍😀

[yazeh]

5 minutes ago, USG said:

 

+1     👍😀

[Black16]

Thank you for this review!
I was hesitating to buy this ink but prolly if I see some on sale I might look into it. On your photos looks very similar to Copper Brown by De Atramentis which I love for the colour but hate for the nib crud - it is plain tiresome to clean the pen almost every time before writing. This one might look even better and fit perfectly in my CS wet nib, the pen that finally made me love Herbin’s Ambre de Birmanie. 

also the chroma made me want to recreate it just for fun, but I don’t posses this kind of red dye currently, might attempt with other dyes though, I recon some of my old experiments featured salmon-y colour, though more of a roasted one  

[yazeh]

4 hours ago, Black16 said:

Thank you for this review!

Welcome.

4 hours ago, Black16 said:

I was hesitating to buy this ink but prolly if I see some on sale I might look into it.

It comes in 10 ml bottles.

4 hours ago, Black16 said:

On your photos looks very similar to Copper Brown by De Atramentis which I love for the colour but hate for the nib crud - it is plain tiresome to clean the pen almost every time before writing.

I didn't notice in crud with this one. This is pinkish ink, but doesn't have any orange. 

4 hours ago, Black16 said:

This one might look even better and fit perfectly in my CS wet nib, the pen that finally made me love Herbin’s Ambre de Birmanie. 

I recall I had some issues with Ambre de Birmanie. This one needs also the right pen. Its wet yet it lacks lubrication. So it can be unpleasant with modern flex bibs for example. 

4 hours ago, Black16 said:

also the chroma made me want to recreate it just for fun, but I don’t posses this kind of red dye currently, might attempt with other dyes though, I recon some of my old experiments featured salmon-y colour, though more of a roasted one  

Good luck. 👍

[Black16]

On 5/18/2026 at 1:21 AM, yazeh said:

It comes in 10 ml bottles.

i might look into those, certainly. just deciding if in my case the cartridges gonna be a better option, i need to check if my c/c pen with flex nib uses international standard or those huger Chinese ones. just recently learnt it gets along with Herbin as well as my vintage ones do.

 

On 5/18/2026 at 1:21 AM, yazeh said:

didn't notice in crud with this one. This is pinkish ink, but doesn't have any orange. 

this is very promising, thanks!

 

On 5/18/2026 at 1:21 AM, yazeh said:

I recall I had some issues with Ambre de Birmanie. This one needs also the right pen. Its wet yet it lacks lubrication. So it can be unpleasant with modern flex bibs for example.

i still with my opinion that Herbin should lubricate their inks more  i can tolerate them only in my wet vintage nibs or in my weirdo Caran d'Ache who has a wet noodle for some reason. well recently Stilo e Stile's flex nib (made by Jowo) appeared to handle some of them well too. in regulat pens - a total nope, only with my own chemical tweakings 

On 5/18/2026 at 1:21 AM, yazeh said:

Good luck. 👍

thanks!

[yazeh]

Herbin Bleu des profondeurs, bleu calanque and some of their new series inks (Paris) and the five new inks have beautiful lubrication.