This ink really blurs the line between pink and purple. Larmes De Cassis is from Herbin’s (formerly J. Herbin) La Perle des Encres line, which is their most affordable line of inks. You can find it in cartridges, and both 10 ml, and 30 ml bottles.

I’d call this a berry purple, but it’s equally accurate to describe it as a dusty rose. The name translates as “Blackcurrant Tears”, which is both poetic and appropriate. It truly does match the color of blackcurrant juice. As a purple, it leans towards pinks and reds. On uncoated papers, it has a powdery softness that is gentle and comforting. It’s slightly darker on coated papers, but no less attractive. The image comparing Cosmo Air Light and Tomoe River papers shows the variety of colors you can find.

There’s nice variation in shading from light to dark. On many coated papers, you’ll find strong, dark profile edging. They help show off the color and definition of strokes.

Like most of the inks in this line from Herbin, this a wet ink in flow. I didn’t find feathering on any of the six papers used for testing. Strokes were sharp and clean. Drying times were a bit longer than average on coated papers, but not to an annoying level. This is a very nice writing ink.

I recommend Larmes De Cassis. It’s a color that I think will appeal to many. I went with the 30 ml bottle, but the 10 ml bottle is a great option in this line, too. They are both fairly inexpensive, but the 10 ml option lets you choose several without much worry or risk. Of the seven or eight colors that I’ve tried from the line, this might be the most interesting. Enjoy!