Ink review - J. Herbin Rouge Hematite

Rouge Hematite is a bit of a legendary ink - as far as I know, it was the first to have those pesky little metallic particles in suspension so that we can have sheen any time we want.  It's also a bit legendary for having a super inconvenient bottle to fill out of, but that's a whole other story - I find that the most practical bottles are often not the best looking and the Rough Hematite bottle is definitely a looker.

 

For me, this ink is a bit meh.  My bottle was received as a Christmas gift last year, so as of right now it's the latest formulation (there have been a few versions).  I think that there is less gold particulate this time around, and I have not noticed the layer of gold along the bottom of the bottle that I saw with Stormy Grey.  To me, that layer of gold is a sign that the solution has been over saturated and that's never a good thing.

Overall, I don't love this ink.  It's a nice red, but the gold sheen doesn't come out on every paper.  On Tomoe River paper, this ink is gorgeous.  On regular copy paper or even the 24 lb paper that I used for this review, the ink soaks in a bit too much and it loses what makes it special.

On the other hand, this is a pleasant ink to write with.  It has good flow and I've never had any problems with pen clog-age.  Still, this is sort of a pigmented ink, so you need to exercise really vigilant pen hygiene here.  Don't leave this ink in a pen that you plan to use infrequently - in that case, ink up with just what you need, use it, clean it, and repeat as needed.  And if you are going to be using an entire fill of this ink, probably best to use a pen that can be disassembled so you can really scrub the feed clean.

It annoys me that the ink is not very water resistant.  Especially if you are using it on paper that really shows off the sheen, it will disappear when hit with moisture.  True story, I have a page in an old journal where I wrote a quote in this ink and then left it sitting a bit too close to my kitchen sink.  Let's just say that it's not quite as pretty anymore...

Overall, I think this is an ink that would be best experienced via a sample.  Then you get a chance to get the special experience without spending the money and space on a full bottle.  But hey, I could be wrong!  Let me know if you use this ink a lot, and if so, how do you use it?

Here's a scan of the full review sheet:

This ink was given to me as a gift and I am not being compensated for this review in any way.  All opinions above are my own and you are free to disagree with me if you like.

Pen Review: Pilot Custom Heritage 92

(PSST!  If you would rather watch this review than read it, you can find the video version here.)

This is another pen where I have mixed feelings about it.  Full disclosure, this pen is on loan to me from a friend (you should click on that link and check out his blog!) for this review, and the fact that I did not buy the pen myself factors into my overall feelings later on.  But for now, let’s break it down a bit:

Physical presence
As is my custom, I won’t list any hard numbers here because there are plenty places that you can find that information online.  Rather, let’s talk about some things that are less tangible, because those are what makes all the difference.

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There’s no denying that the 92 is a real looker.  I would describe the aesthetic of the pen as “modern but classy” and I think all the parts really fit together well, from a design standpoint.  If you aren’t a fan of demonstrators then this is probably not for you, but I am.  I especially like the black plastic used at the top of the cap (finial?  I’m never exactly sure what part of the pen that is) and on the piston knob.  These parts seem minor but to me they give a sense of the boundaries of the pen. I also appreciate the silver colored hardware, since I find gold hardware on pens to be a bit stodgy. 

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One of the first things I noticed about this pen was how light it is.  The pen is (obviously) plastic, so it would unreasonable to expect it to be very heavy.  Still, I think I subconsciously equate weight with quality and that is simply not the case most of the time with fountain pens.  This is also the first pen with a premium price tag I have used made out of plastic and so I was surprised when I held it and it felt just like a Lamy Vista.  I would assume that the quality of the materials that go into the 92 is higher than a $30 fountain pen meant for children, but I don’t know anything for sure about that.

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Another thing that contributes to the light weight of the 92 is the fact that it is a relatively small pen.  It’s both slightly shorter and slimmer than a Safari, especially when uncapped.  It can be posted, but I find it comfortable enough to use unposted.  The weight when posted is slightly shifted toward the back, but still comfortable.

 

Writing experience
The nib on this particular pen was a F and boy is it fine!  Below you can see the line width compared to some other writing instruments I had on hand:

Though the nib lays down a quite thin line, I did not find it to be unreasonably scratchy.  I also have experience with a F from a Pilot VP and I found the performance to be similar.  In my limited experience (5 pens) with Pilot’s nibs I have never been disappointed and I would expect that to be the case most of the time.  Though this is a gold nib, I didn’t find it to be at all flexible or springy, and especially with how fine it is I would suggest making an effort to keep a light writing pressure.

Of course, the writing experience is not just about the nib.  You can have a great nib on top of a poor section and the result is a pen that doesn’t get used.  The section on this pen is short but there is nearly no step between the section and barrel so you can hold the pen as far back as necessary.  The threads are fairly shallow and I do not find them uncomfortable to hold at all.  The nib end of the section flares out just slightly and prevents fingers from slipping down to far onto the nib.

 

Filling system
As far as I know, this pen is Pilot’s only piston-filler, at least in the American market.  I found the piston on this pen to be very smooth to operate and the knob at the end of the pen is large enough to turn easily without needing lilliputian fingers.  While I, again, do not have an exact number for the ink capacity of the pen, it seems like it would be fairly large, definitely over 1 mL.

Otherwise, the filling system is not all that noteworthy.  That may sound like a bad thing, but I prefer a filling system that doesn’t require much thought beyond filling and cleaning because in between those times I would rather think about writing!

One thing I noticed while using this pen was that there seemed to be a bit of ink seeping past the piston seal.  I’m hoping that the previous pictures show this, but without a dedicated macro lens it’s a bit difficult to photograph.  I’m confused as to how this happened, since the pen never left a safe spot on a flat surface in my apartment.  It certainly isn’t enough of a problem to cause concern, except that the pen seems to be unable to be taken apart.  As far as I can tell the body and section are all one piece, which means that it is tough to take the pen apart to dry after cleaning.  I found a hint that the piston can be removed using the same wrench that comes with TWSBI pens, and it certainly looks like this could be the case.  However, given the cost of this pen and the fact that it’s a loaner, I don’t want to start disassembling the pen.

Closing thoughts

If I did not know the cost of this pen, I would be all over it like a monkey on a cupcake.  It writes well, looks snazzy, and has a high capacity filling system.  But, the fact is that price is a factor for those of us trying to live within our means, and that’s where I find the problem with this pen.  As of the writing of this post (spring 2015), you can find the 92 for ~$130 on eBay and Jetpens, and $220 on Goulet Pens (and others, I don't want to paint GPC as the bad guys here!).  

Facing a price tag greater than $200 seems ridiculous for this pen, especially since the materials it is made from are not all that special.  You are either paying an extra $60 for a piston (92 vs CH 74) or an extra $150 for a gold nib (92 vs TWSBI 580, though I do know that this is roughly the cost of a gold nib).

The $130 price seems a bit more reasonable, but for that price I would rather have a Vanishing Point.  The VP is built like a tank and I never worry about tossing it in my bag and taking it with me anywhere.  The 92, being made out of plastic, feels a bit more fragile and I would feel the need to always keep it in a pen case, which is slightly inconvenient.  And, the fact that it has a screw top makes it far less useful to me than a click pen.

Overall, I think this a great pen with a high price.  I think that if you want this pen you should definitely hunt for a way to get it under $150, even though that might mean ordering it from a seller in Japan.  Or as for it as a gift from a rich relative, either way…