I LOVE THIS INK.
The wonderful Karen at Quo Vadis sent me some J. Herbin inks to review. The first one is Vert Olive. I had read BiffyBeans‘ review of the ink and it’s color immediately intrigued me. I had high expectations for loving Vert Olive and I am not disappointed.
The Bottle: The J. Herbin bottles are cute and small. You can also rest your pen in the depression in the glass!
The Color: I had a hard time getting the color of the ink to show up correctly through my scanner and camera. However, I also took photos of the box and the ink is almost exactly like the square on the box lid. It reminds me of the color of grass stains and green olives.
On Paper: The ink’s color varied in intensity depending on what paper I used. On some cheaper/fibrous/off-white paper, the ink was very light and hard to read. Conversely, it showed up very well on white printer paper. I also used it to take some marginal notes in a textbook, which had the shiny, semi-glossy paper typical of textbooks. The ink was bright and brilliant on that paper. In short, you may have to experiment on different kinds of paper, but I have found it shows up best on bright white paper.
Consistency: Vert Olive is clear and solid. It is not watery, even though it seems like a thinner ink. I did not notice any feathering.
Other considerations: Vert Olive is a very gentle ink. I got it on my hands, it only lightly stained my fingertips and completely washed off by the next day. The drops I spilled in my sink and on my counter top were easily cleaned by wiping with a tissue.
Be aware that this ink is not waterproof. I spilled a drop of water on something I had just written, and the ink almost disappeared!
In conclusion, I refer you back to my first sentence — I love this ink. I will be using it often.
very nice! I like this ink as well, but wish it was a tiny bit darker.
Love your review. So far I have enjoyed Vert Olive the most in a wide italic nib. It’s a great way to intensify the color. Makes me think of new plants in the spring whenever I use it.