review: j. herbin vert empire

Hey, hello, one of my favorite inks! Let's go ahead and take a look at it.

J. Herbin inks come in three sizes: a tiny sample bottle that has 10ml, the normal size with 30ml, and a super-size 100ml plastic bottle. The 100ml bottle only comes in a few colors. I have the sample bottle: it's glass with a metal lid. It's a nice size to give an ink a try.

Vert Empire is a dusty green with a bit of olive.

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This ink has a surprising amount of water resistance. It clings on to the page pretty well!

It took a relatively long amount of time to dry, smudging quite easily to the touch at the 15 second mark. It was completely dry by the 30 second mark though.

It has a little shading in broader nibs, especially the music one I used here.

It looks fantastic on Tomoe River paper though. I also enjoy it on cream-colored paper.

Vert Empire is one of those colors where you think there must be something similar in your collection, and there really isn't. Lennon Toolbar Sky gets close, but it's more blue. The other inks here are more saturated and darker.

I have this ink in my Nagasawa Kobe Proske with a music nib. It's a wonderful combination: Vert Empire shows much more shading in wide nibs, and I really like how it looks.

I probably showed my hand at the beginning of the post, but I'm a big fan of Vert Empire. I really like it, even though it's not a particularly interesting or special ink; I just like the color! I've already purchased a 30ml bottle!

Where to buy

I purchased this ink with my own funds.

• The Goulet Pen Company: bottle / sample
• JetPens: bottle (10 ml, 30 ml)
• Pen Chalet: bottle (10 ml, 30 ml)
• Wonder Pens: bottle + sample

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This post was updated on 4/12/20 to match my current review methodology.