J. Herbin has gone all-in on their "1670 Anniversary" line of inks, releasing their fifth ink in this line, Caroube de Chypre (Carob of Cyprus, or Cypriot Carob). The color is a nice reddish brown, and yes, the ink does contain the signature gold flakes. If, like me, you need a pronunciation lesson, check out this short video.
Even after shaking the bottle and filling, the gold sheen was less pronounced in my bottle of Caroube de Chypre than in my bottle of Emerald of Chivor, though this probably has something to do with the fine italic nib that I used. You can see the distribution of gold flecks in this Macro Shot.
The red in Caroube de Chypre really emerges when used in a finer nib. The pen I've used for this review is my Scriptorium Balladeer, outfitted with a Franklin-Christoph 14k fine cursive italic nib that I picked up at this year's D.C. Pen Show. I'm sure this ink would look even more interesting in a broad, wet stub (and probably would show off the gold sheen better), but I don't really have many broad nibs since they don't fit my handwriting and generally aren't practical for my day-to-day needs.
In terms of how it behaves (bleed/dry time, etc.), Caroube de Chypre is comparable to Emerald of Chivor, which I've reviewed here on the blog. I do think that Caroube de Chypre dries slightly quicker, because I've had fewer issues with smearing. Perhaps because of the reddish tint to the ink, the gold-flecks are a touch more understated and only really emerge when light hits the ink directly.
A writing sample of J. Herbin Caroube de Chypre in my Hobonichi Techo.
Regardless of whether you can or want to take full advantage of the gold dust sheen, Caroube de Chypre is a nice reddish brown ink that is easy on the eyes. I've enjoyed the last two J. Herbin Anniversary inks (this one and the Emerald of Chivor), and even though I like to poke fun at the "glitter ink" phenomenon from time to time, the effect is subtle enough in these past two inks that I've occasionally been able to use these inks at work (in a very staid environment) without comment. As I've said before, the Herbin 1670 inks aren't inks that I use everyday, but I enjoy having them as options because they bring something different to the table. They're also festive, so as we head into the fall (and eventually, the holiday season), they'll get more use.
Where to Buy
Pen Chalet currently has J. Herbin Caroube de Chypre in stock, priced at the standard rate for J. Herbin 1670 Anniversary Ink ($24). Pen Chalet also offers the full range of other Herbin 1670 inks, including Rouge Hematite, Ocean Blue, Stormy Grey, and Emerald of Chivor.
Further Reading
The be-all, end-all review of Caroube de Chypre (at least in my mind) is Ed Jelley's video review of this ink that he did with a folded nib. Ed really captures the ink's special properties.
Disclaimer: Pen Chalet sent me this bottle of ink at no charge for review purposes. This post also contains affiliate links.