Ink Review: J. Herbin 1798 Kyanite du Nepal

It’s that time of year again! Herbin has recently released their latest entry in the 1798 lineup, Kyanite du Nepal: a bright blue, not quite turquoise, with silver shimmer. Iroshizuku Kon-Peki and Robert Oster Blue Moon Shimmer might be comparable, though the Kyanite du Nepal runs slightly darker.

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Herbin’s description states that Kyanite is “one of the two minerals on the planet that neither accumulates nor retains negative energy” and “is believed to promote positive communication and encourage self-expression,” (if you’re into that whole healing-crystal thing). I will say that this is a very bright and happy color, and one that I’d actually consider using regularly. It also dries relatively quickly, and I didn’t experience any smearing after the ink had dried, something that had caused trouble with other Herbin shimmer inks, particularly the 1670 lineup.

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Side note: Did I mention how much I love these little glass Herbin sample bottles? They hold about 10ml of ink, and you can actually purchase their standard ink line in this size. Perfect for testing colors! I have a handful that I’ve picked up from Vanness over the last couple of years.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Though they may not make their way into my regular rotation, I’ve always had a soft spot for Herbin’s shimmer inks. Kyanite du Nepal, in my opinion, is one of the best-looking to come out in recent years, and I find inks with silver shimmer, as opposed to gold, easier to use on an everyday basis since the effect is more subtle. Navigating these inks can be somewhat confusing - the 1670 inks are the original shimmer inks released by Herbin, and have gold shimmer; the 1798 inks are a more recent addition and have the silver shimmer pictured here.

As with the other Herbin 1670 and 1798 inks, you should be able to purchase Kyanite du Nepal from most mainstream pen retailers, though if the ink gets popular I have no idea how much Herbin plans to ship and how regularly the distributors will be able to replenish stock. Pen Chalet and Vanness Pens both currently have this ink available for pre-order. Although there have been availability issues with Herbin inks in the past, the introduction of new lines of shimmer inks from Robert Oster, Diamine, and others will likely cut down on the ink hoarding, so if you want a bottle, I’d be surprised if you couldn’t get one at the time of release.

If the look of this ink interests you, check out my past reviews of other inks in the 1798 and 1670 series, including 1670 Emerald of Chivor, 1670 Caroube de Chypre, 1798 Amethyse de L’Oural, and 1798 Cornaline d’Egypte.

Disclaimer: Exaclair, Herbin’s U.S. distributor, sent me a sample of this ink free of charge, for review purposes. I was not otherwise compensated for this review. This post contains affiliate links.

Ink Review: J. Herbin 1798 Cornaline D'Egypte

The 1798 Collection of inks from J. Herbin is built around the theme of gemstones. The last ink to be released was Amethyste de l'Oural, followed by the ink featured here, Cornaline d'Egypte.  (For those of you who don't speak French or know your gemstones, that's Amethyst and Carnelian, respectively.) 

A shot of the silver shimmer coming off the Cornaline d'Egypte. 

Cornaline d'Egypte is a cool reddish-orange with some brown tones to it. I'd characterize it as a "pumpkin" hue. In addition to the silver shimmer, the ink shades fairly well and dries relatively quickly compared to other Herbin shimmer inks that I've used. 

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The Herbin shimmer inks always look amazing in clear pens, but it can also serve as a reminder to clean your pens well before swapping in a new ink, and not to let them sit too long! 

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

With very limited exceptions, shimmer inks aren't something I can use on a regular basis, but they're fun to play around with, especially if you load them into a transparent demonstrator or eyedropper pen where you can watch the different components of the ink swirl around. As with all shimmer inks, be sure to exercise good pen hygiene, since the shimmer particles can clog if you let the pen sit for too long or don't flush the pen properly before changing inks. 

You can purchase Cornaline d'Egypte, along with the other J. Herbin inks, from site sponsor Vanness Pens. Since these inks are Herbin's speciality line, they're a bit pricier than the standard bottle, at $26 for 50ml. Many thanks to Exaclair, Herbin's U.S. Distributor, for providing this bottle for review! 

Further Reading  

If the J. Herbin shimmer inks appeal to you, check out the 1670 series as well. I've previously reviewed several colors in that range, including Emerald of Chivor and Caroube de Chypre.  

Disclaimer: J. Herbin's U.S. Distributor, Exaclair, provided me with this bottle of ink for review purposes, free of charge. 

Introducing Amethyste de l'Oural, the First Ink in the Jacques Herbin 1798 Collection

Herbin has just announced Amethyst de l'Oural ("Amethyst of the Ural Mountains"), billed as the first ink in the new "Jacques Herbin 1798 Collection." Herbin fans will notice that both the packaging and the ink itself appear similar to the inks in the 1670 Anniversary collection, only this time the ink contains flecks of silver instead of gold! The end result is striking.

Herbin has widened the mouth of the bottle a bit, but otherwise the packaging will look familiar to those of you who enjoyed the Herbin 1670 Anniversary Inks. 

Overall, Amethyste de l'Oural is a nice deep purple color, and the silver flecks complement the ink better than gold would have. Herbin has also widened the mouth of the ink bottle, making it MUCH easier to fill larger-diameter pens without having to decant the ink into another bottle or fill with a syringe. While I personally may not use these sparkly inks in my daily writing, I can't deny that they're gorgeous to look at, especially when used for folded nib lettering. 

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A shot of the silver sparkles and a bit of sheen

A couple of new interesting bits: Per Herbin, the date, 1798, marks the ascent of Napoleon and the end of the French Revolution, and also the time in which steel nib dip pens began to replace the traditional writing quill.  You may also notice that J. Herbin has rebranded itself as "Herbin," the original name used by the company at the time of its founding in 1670. 

Where to Buy

Amethyste de l'Oural is being shipped to retailers this month. It should be available for sale to the public by the end of September at any Herbin retailer, including our site sponsor Vanness Pens, which carries the line of standard Herbin inks, as well as the 1670 Anniversary inks.   

Further Reading

I've previously reviewed Herbin inks from the 1670 collection, including Emerald of Chivor and Caroube de Chypre. Check them out if these kinds of inks interest you. 

Disclaimer: Exaclair, Herbin's U.S. Distributor, provided me with this bottle of ink free of charge, for review purposes. This post also contains affiliate links.