thINKthursday
J. Herbin 1670 Caroube de Chypre
This year’s J. Herbin 1670 Anniversary fountain pen ink – Caroube de Chypre – won’t be available until mid July, but we were lucky enough to get a bottle to review. And, we have to say, it’s pretty cool!!
J Herbin Caroube de Chypre 1670 Anniversary Ink
The ink is named after the carob tree, which has a long agricultural and cultural history on the island of Cyprus. The fruit of the tree is a long, brown pod that is a versatile and nutritious food source.
This review was done with a Sailor Pro Gear Earth MF and a Lamy Safari 1.1 stub on Rhodia Blank No. 18 paper.
Caroube de Chypre fountain pen ink comes in the same beautiful 50ml bottle as the other 1670 inks. The box has various nautical themed illustrations that pay homage to the namesake of the company, and a pair of carob pods adorn the box lid. The only problem I have with the presentation of the ink is the small neck of the bottle. Others have complained that it is a very narrow opening for filling, and I agree that this aspect of the bottle could be improved upon.
The ink is a warm red/brown with golden flecks suspended in it. The base color is very similar to J Herbin Terre de Feu, although Caroube de Chypre has stronger brown tones that make the ink darker and richer.
Like the other 1670 inks, the golden particles distribute evenly after a little gentle agitation and produce a beautiful sparkle or shimmer when viewed from the correct angle.
Caroube de Chypre has excellent flow that allows the particles to travel safely through the feed of your fountain pen. J. Herbin was the first to pioneer sparkling inks and I have yet to have an issue cleaning the 1670 inks from my pens.
There was moderate shading with a finer nib, but the ink had a stronger monotone appearance with the Lamy 1.1 stub nib. Feathering and bleedthrough were not an issue on Rhodia paper, and the dry time was a little longer at 20-30 seconds. While the ink isn’t waterproof, I was impressed that the text was still legible after the drip test.
The J. Herbin 1670 inks always cause excitement among fountain pen enthusiasts, and Caroube de Chypre is a beautiful addition to the lineup. The ink is well suited for everyday writing and is a pleasure to use.
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 be sure it’s the color for you.
Ink it up!
Chris
Fun Fact! The term carat likely has its origins from the Carob, the seeds of which are extremely consistent in size and weight.
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