on saleJacques Herbin Cacao du Bresil - Ink Sample

Nice mid-tone grey. But despite the name, it's not brown... it's grey. In ink splats, you can see the dark brown tone, but with regular writing with broad to F nibs, it comes out grey. It doesn't write well with my extra fine nib. It reads well on the page. I love it but wanted to warn those looking for a brown.

Tried in a Jinhao 159 with a Nemosine F nib. Great flow, slightest bit of shading to keep it interesting, almost looks silvery on good quality paper (though this is not a shimmer/sheen ink). On a bright white page, I find it easy to read. If you're looking for a well-behaved, soft and neutral, vintage-y ink color, try Cacao du Br�sil. I know I'm getting more when my supply runs out.

I am surprised this ink has gotten 15 reviews to date (2-05-13). It is such an understated ink, like many J. Herbins, that I thought it would be over-looked. But no! Is it brown? Is gray? Only the Pimpernel knows! It's a rather dry ink in my Duke pen with a medium nib. Other inks flow very heavily in this nib but not Cacao du Bresil. The name means Chocolate of Brazil in English, since chocolate comes from the Cacao tree. But not the chocolate candy, the fruits of the tree which are all kinds of colors. Some maybe like this taupe. I have to write slowly with this one so that my pen's feed can keep up and put down some saturation. I give it an average rating because it is neither fish, nor fowl, nor good red herring.

I find myself surprised that I liked this color so much. It's not a true brown, falls somewhere between brown and gray.

This is more of a gray sort of brown, cool rather than warm. Very neutral and nice.