J. Herbin Vert Réséda — Ink Review #177

 J Herbin Vert Réséda

Ink Review # 177

Originally posted on FPN: Mar 23, 2025

Ink: J Herbin Vert Réséda
Brand: J Herbin
Country: France
Availability: 10 ml and 30 ml bottles, cartridges.
Pens Used: Pilot F3A soft EF, Lamy Safari (EF / F / M / B / stub 1.1).

🧾 Description

From the Herbin website:

“Vert Réséda (Green reseda or Green mignonette): réséda is a plant famous for its delightful fragrance.”

I honestly don't get the name of this one. I checked some of the photos online and couldn't see the relevance (Reseda odorata).

This is a cheery neon green, somewhere between Bleu Calanque and Diabolo Menthe. It’s a greenish turquoise / malachite.

The ink is wet, with below-average lubrication. There’s some shading with a B nib. Ink has little to no water resistance.

While the colour might look bright and lovely at a Caribbean resort, I found it too harsh on paper. However, it’s fun for doing ink washes.

Dry time was confusing. I wonder if my pen was primed in the beginning to get such inconsistent results. Cleaning was easy.

Colour is impossible to scan or photograph.

🧪 Chroma

Chroma

✍️ Writing Samples (scan)

JEF stands for Japanese EF nib.

Colour is somewhere between these different scans.

Rhodia

Iroful

Midori

Tomoe River 68 gsm

Hammermill 20 lb

📸 Photo

Midori

I tried to colour-correct this one. It is quite close.

🔍 Comparison

The scanner could not capture any of the colours right. You can check these three on the Herbin website to get a close idea.

https://www.jherbin.com/fountain_pen_inks.html

Comparison

💧 Water Test

Left side: 10 seconds under running water. After 24 hours.

🎨 Artwork

Hiding from Love

Miniature. The colour is quite close here. 

De Atramentis Document Brown. Paper is Talens mixed media square Skerchbook.

A Star is Born

You can see the nuance between Vert Réséda and Bleu Calanque. Note the green colour has darkened because the grey mixed with it.

J Herbin Vert Réséda (dress), J Herbin Bleu Calanque (background), KWZ Orange, Kala Moonlight Tide (grey).

·       What I Liked: I’m thinking about it… washes.
·       What I Did Not Like: Doesn’t have nuance.
·       What Some Might Not Like: Low lubrication.
·       Writing Experience: Wet, bright, and a bit harsh for long writing sessions.
·       Pros: Fun for washes, cheerful colour, very easy cleaning.
·       Cons: Little water resistance and the colour is difficult to capture.

🧷 Ink Characteristics

·       Shading: With a B nib. The ink is too harsh to discern shading.
·       Ghosting: Yes, on cheap paper.
·       Bleed Through: A bit, but not much.
·       Flow Rate: Wet.
·       Lubrication: Below average but acceptable.
·       Nib Dry-out: Did not notice.
·       Start-up: Okay.
·       Saturation: Nope.
·       Shading Potential: Good luck with that.
·       Sheen: No.
·       Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: I didn’t look for it, but there might be if you look under a magnifying glass.
·       Nib Creep / Crud: Did not notice.
·       Staining (Pen): No.
·       Clogging: Did not notice.
·       Cleaning: Very easy.
·       Water Resistance: Nope.

💬 Closing

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. 😊