thINKthursday – Herbin Cacao du Bresil

thINKthursday
Herbin Cacao du Brésil

Crack open the sweet and sultry Herbin Cacao du Bresil.

thINKthursday Herbin Cacao du Bresil

thINKthursday Herbin Cacao du Bresil

thINKthursday Herbin Cacao du Bresil

While Cacao du Brésil is a difficult color to define, I call it a heather charcoal. The ink was one of the first I ever tried and is one to which I often return. Cacao du Brésil comes in  Herbin’s 30ml glass bottle. The bottle isn’t the most practical for filling, but it looks great on your desk (there’s even an indent on the top of the bottle to rest your pen). This review was done with a Pilot Custom 74 F, Lamy Safari B and on Rhodia blank No.18 paper.

thINKthursday Herbin Cacao du Bresil

thINKthursday Herbin Cacao du Bresil

For all intents and purposes, Cacao du Brésil could be considered a grey ink – but there’s a lot more going on than watered-down black. In a fine nib the ink is a fairly uniform light grey that is still easily legible. A broad nib brings in darker hues and also a bit of pewter violet. The best way to see these purple notes is if you compare the ink to more traditional greys like Kaweco Smoky Grey and Faber-Castell Stone Grey.

thINKthursday Herbin Cacao du Bresil

thINKthursday Herbin Cacao du Bresil

Cacao du Brésil, like most other Herbin inks, is on the drier side but still has good flow. There is no feathering or bleedthrough on Rhodia paper. Its dry times are good at 20-25 seconds. Surprisingly, the ink has fairly good water resistance, with text being easy to read after the water test.

thINKthursday Herbin Cacao du Bresil

thINKthursday Herbin Cacao du Bresil

thINKthursday Herbin Cacao du Bresil

thINKthursday Herbin Cacao du Bresil

thINKthursday Herbin Cacao du Bresil

If you’re looking for a flashy ink, then Cacao du Brésil is not for you. If you’re looking for an ink with rich subtleties that’s fun to use in the office, then Cacao du Brésil is a must-try.

thINKthursday Herbin Cacao du BresilthINKthursday Herbin Cacao du Bresil

As with any ink review, the pen, paper, and person doing the writing will influence the way the ink looks. If you’re not sure about a color, try a sample to see if it’s the one for you.

Ink it Up!
Chris

New to thINKthursday?  No problem – I explain the formatting of my reviews here.