Customer Reviews

This is a gorgeous, deep blue with a teeny hint of indigo in it. Very saturated, very wet. It does NOT have a sheen like the Rouge Hematite but it still quite lovely - I don't regret getting a bottle at all :)

A very smooth, fluid ink with very little shading, leaning a bit towards purple tones. Not a highly saturated ink, and is easy to clean out of pens. This is a very pleasing blue, and the packaging is lovely.

I own about 15 different shade of red ink from different company such as pilot, pilot iroshizuku, herbin, diamine, but there are only 2 different ink that I keep on coming back using them. This J Herbin Aniversary ink is one of them (the other one is iroshizuku momiji). This is a special ink, red blood color with a shade of gold. If you use a fine nib fountain pen, you won't notice the gold shade that much, but try to fill in your broad fountain pen or sometimes I use this ink on my pilot parallel 3.8mm ... the gold shade are amazing and the color are very astonishing. Not too bright but bright enough to catch your attention.
The only complain I have is the wax on the cap crack easily no matter how gentle you open the cap.
Anyway If you love red ink, you will like this ink. I know I am.

I love this ink. I have been using it for a while and continue to be fascinated with the shading. It goes on red then has shades of brown and gold. I have written many pages in my my Rhodia "Webbie" journal and it is a beautiful look. I think this ink is worth every penny for the shading alone. I am buying a second bottle right now just to make sure I never run out.

I just ordered my second bottle of this extraordinary ink. It is, indeed, expensive, but, for me, it is worth it. Rouge Hematite is a luminous, warm, golden red like no other red ink. I have been journaling with a Pilot Custom Heritage 91 broad nibbed pen filled with this wonderful J. Herbin ink. I think that the luminescence and shading are pronounced when a broad nib is used. The words glow on the page and they produce an ethereal, ambient music in my heart. Although the ink and bottle are beautiful, the only very minor deficit is the wax covered cap. The wax flakes can be bothersome so try to remove all the wax before opening the cap. I highly recommend that you try this J. Herbin "Edition Anniversaire" before it is no more.

This is the most incredible red ink I've ever seen. I believe that the pigment is partly derived from the actual hematite stone. People have said in other reviews that there seems to maybe be some gold in the ink but I believe, after having seen the examples of hematite, that it is hematite dust. And like Platinum's Carbon Black this adds a density and beauty that other inks don't have. I understand that it may only work in certain pens (like carbon black) but it is worth finding one of those pens. I use only Platinum Pens, especially the "Music" pen and have no problems. And the contrast between the 2 inks is extremely dramatic on the same page. I like to switch from one to the other while taking my notes simply because it creates such a beautiful effect. But I can see how some might be put off by the color since it is extremely "bloody". I am going to have to get some more before too long to make sure I don't run out as this is the anniversary edition and that seems to insinuate that it is a temporary thing. 50 mls is a lot of ink but I write a lot of notes and I don't think I will ever grow tired of it.

I particulary like to use Pilot Iroshizuko Yama Budo ink in my Sailor fountain pen, using a cartridge. Recently, with the cartridge half empty, I topped it off with the 1670 Anniversary ink and, to my eyes, 50:50 Yama Budo and 1670, the result was good. Correct me if I'm incorrect, but the J. Herbin 340th Anniversay Ink appears to have gold flakes in it which are noticeable when the ink bottle is agitated by turning upside down a few times. For a one-off Anniversay ink, I think the purchase for the bottle alone is worth it.

Best,
Andy

Although I love the color of this ink, I do not recommend it for fine or extra fine point nibs. I tried using it in my Pilot Prera with a Fine nib and I found the ink flow to be kind of clogged up by the gold minerals in the ink. The line would break unless I pressed down with more pressure on the nib. Only then could I see the color variation, which was actually very beautiful to look at. After inspection, I could see the mixture gunking up the gills of the pen. I really want to try this ink with a broader nib, maybe even a Pilot Parallel. But for now, I really don't recommend this ink for fine writing nibs.

This is my favorite red ink.

Bright and bold.

This is my first (and long-awaited) bottle of Rouge Hematite and it's fun stuff! Finer strokes are vivid red. Medium and broader lines add a beautiful darker component which people describe as green or brown or gold, depending. The result is a very dignified red as long as the nib is well-supplied with ink. The new bottle caps are covered in a supple wax that doesn't crumble like the old wax apparently did. The box carries a label advising "Don't leave ink in fountain pen reservoir." I intend following that advice so I don't experience any crusting or clogging. It means using this ink from the bottle with a dip pen only, but that suits me. The ink will simply last longer and I won't have any trouble cleaning it from my fountain pens. Thank you again JetPens for a nice product at an attractive price with lightning speed.

An absolutely gorgeous red, and the gold particles are the icing on the cake. Very pigmented, so be careful not to leave it in any of your prized pens - it can be a pain to wash out. Be sure to shake well before filling your pen - a lot of the gold particles and pigment seperate and fall to the bottom of the bottle. A bit expensive, but I think this one lives up to the cost. Also the bottle is very sophisticated and pleasing to look at.

I must admit I was really disappointed to see absolutely no shading of brown, or gold in the ink. I've tried 6 different types of paper, and nibs ranging from fine point to a calligraphy C-4 dip nib. I must have held the paper in every light condition imaginable... nothing, try as I might.
Having said that, I must say this is an absolutely beautiful "blood" red color. In my experience, the ink shades nicely from red to dark red in color. The red is not too bright like some red colors, and is not a red you see everyday. I have this ink loaded up in a couple of fountain pens, but really enjoy how it handles so smoothly with my dip nibs. The fact that the bottle is so nice to look at is a plus.
Soooooo, would I buy this ink again....? If I had some extra money to spend on ink then sure, but without the brown and gold shading I'd probably explore other brands first. Then again, maybe I just got a bad batch.

This instantly became my favorite ink color. It's not too bright, not too dark. It is the quality that I expect from J Herbin, and this color cannot be beat.

I love red ink and use it frequently. However, I've tried this ink in 3 different pens and with none of them coes the ink look red to me - it seems more brown than anything. I like J. Herbin inks but I don't see me using this ink much at all.

Beautiful ink...deep and rich. More of a brownish red than a red-red but I'm using it with a rather fine point dip pen. I tested it with a broader nib and it seemed more red but I didn't notice any of the gold flakes the other reviewers were talking about. The bottle is gorgeous!

I really like the color of this red. When it's first applied to the page it's the color of blood and as it dries it gets a few shades darker and in certain lights, the edges of the writing are gold. This effect is best shown off in a broad wet writing pen or a calligraphy pen. I currently have it in my Pelikan GO! pen. I've also used it to great effect with a watercolor brush.

The bottle is decorative enough to leave on a desk top.

This is a great ink color that I thoroughly enjoy both writing and drawing with.