Compiled from 8 sources; we haven't tested this product ourselves yet. How we research
Quick answer
J. Herbin Perle Noire (Black Pearl) is a black, water-based dye fountain pen ink that Herbin says is made in France. Herbin lists 10, 30 and 100 ml bottles and a 6-cartridge box. One UK shop claims about 30 seconds dry time on good paper and faster on copy paper; we found no measured test.
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Notes on these facts
Made by J. Herbin (Jacques Herbin), Exacompta Clairefontaine group, France. Made in France: Jacques Herbin's French and English product pages (read in full on October 30, 2026) both say 'Fabrication française' / 'Made in France' for the Perle noire page and the writing-ink range it belongs to. The page covers all four formats, so it doesn't single out the 30 ml bottle. Source. Price: example listing.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.
Key takeaways
Herbin's French and English pages list four formats: 10 ml (ref. 11509T), 30 ml, 100 ml and a 6-cartridge box (ref. 20109T).
Herbin says it is made in France ('Fabrication française') and finely filtered so it won't clog pens.
Yoseka lists the 10 ml bottle as dye-based; Goulet's 30 ml bottle is glass with an integrated pen rest.
Pure Pens claims about 30 seconds dry time on quality paper and faster on copy paper, without saying how it tested.
We found no measured feathering, bleed-through or water-resistance result for Perle Noire.
What is J. Herbin Perle Noire?
It is a black, water-based dye ink from the French house of J. Herbin, sold in four formats. The name means Black Pearl, and Herbin’s English page uses that name too. The maker’s site is jacquesherbin.com; herbin.com redirected us to a “/lander” page with no product information.
Herbin puts Perle noire in its writing-ink family, La Perle des encres, which it describes as finely filtered so it won’t clog fountain pens, rollerballs or glass nibs. Herbin says the dyes were chosen for the richest range of colors on the market and that the ink is made in France.
Perle Noire specs
Spec
Value
Maker
J. Herbin (Jacques Herbin), Exacompta Clairefontaine group
About 30 s on quality paper, claimed by Pure Pens; not tested by us
Water resistance
Not stated by Herbin; no measured result found
Price band
$$ ($5–20) for the 10 and 30 ml bottles; $$$ ($20–75) for the 100 ml
Herbin’s page gives the sizes and references but no dimensions, so our cover is drawn by eye rather than to scale.
Fills per bottle (bottle volume ÷ filler capacity, rounded down):
Filler
Holds
Fills per 100 ml bottle
Fills per 30 ml bottle
Pilot CON-40 converter
0.4 ml
about 250
about 75
LAMY Z28 converter
0.8 ml
about 125
about 37
TWSBI ECO piston
1.76 ml
about 56
about 17
Is Perle Noire the black in Herbin’s current bottles and cartridges?
Yes, on Herbin’s own site: the Perle noire page lists the 10, 30 and 100 ml bottles and a 6-cartridge box. It is not the only Herbin black. Herbin also sells Noir abyssal in its 50 ml Prestige line and as a 15 ml bottle in its Essentials range.
Goulet lists the 30 ml and 100 ml bottles and a 2 ml sample, but its Herbin cartridges that we found were other colors. Yoseka lists the 10 ml. Herbin’s page doesn’t say which cartridge standard the box uses, so check the fit before you buy.
How does Perle Noire behave on ordinary paper?
The only claim we found is a shop’s, not a measurement: Pure Pens says it dries in about 30 seconds on quality paper and faster on copy paper. The same article calls it a deep, rich black with pleasant shading and minimal feathering, but doesn’t say which pen, nib or paper it used.
We found no review that measured feathering, bleed-through or show-through for Perle Noire. A 2013 Fountain Pen Network thread on fast-drying black ink for office paper has one member who had good luck with it and another who disliked its brownish cast. Those are opinions, and a decade old.
Until then, for rough paper such as copy paper, use a fine nib and write a short test line before filling a whole pen. Our ink properties guide explains why dry time shifts with nib and paper.
Is Perle Noire waterproof?
Herbin doesn’t say, and we found no measured result. Pen Chalet and Goulet describe it as water-based, and Yoseka calls it dye-based, which usually means a wet page will blur it. If a signature or address must survive water, Noodler’s Black is the documented choice, and our waterproof inks roundup lists others.
Which pens and fillers suit it?
Any fountain pen with a converter, piston or the bottle itself; it is sold as ordinary pen ink. Goulet says Herbin ink is pH neutral and non-toxic, which is a retailer’s statement we haven’t checked.
At 0.8 ml a fill, a 30 ml bottle is about 37 fills of a LAMY Z28 converter, and a 100 ml bottle about 125. For a first bottle the 10 ml size lets you try it cheaply.
How does Perle Noire compare with other Herbin inks?
It is Herbin’s plain, everyday black, where the 1670 inks are wax-sealed specials.Rouge Hématite and Emerald of Chivor come in 50 ml bottles with gold shimmer and a hand-dipped wax cap, and a slow dry time in reviewers’ tests. Perle Noire has no shimmer, which is why a shop recommends it for quick-drying work.
What does it cost?
On October 30, 2026, Goulet listed the 30 ml bottle in our $$ band and the 100 ml in our $$$ band, and Yoseka listed the 10 ml in our $$ band. Prices move, so check the shop. We left out The Journal Shop’s pound price; its copy dates the ink to 1700, which conflicts with the 1670 that Goulet and Yoseka give and which we could not verify.
Yes. Herbin's English page names the same product 'Black pearl', and Goulet translates Perle noire as Black Pearl.
What sizes does Perle Noire come in?
Herbin lists a 10 ml bottle, a 30 ml bottle, a 100 ml bottle and a box of 6 cartridges. Goulet sells the 30 ml and 100 ml bottles and a 2 ml sample.
Is Perle Noire a dye ink or a pigment ink?
Dye. Yoseka's listing says dye-based, and Goulet and Pen Chalet call it a water-based ink with natural dyes. Herbin's page says the dyes were chosen for the richest color range.
Does Perle Noire feather on copy paper?
Pure Pens says it has minimal feathering and dries faster on copy paper than on quality paper, but gives no test details. We found no measured result, so try your own nib on your paper.
How long does Perle Noire take to dry?
Pure Pens says about 30 seconds on quality paper. That is a shop's claim, not a stopwatch test we could check, and nib width changes it a lot.
Will Perle Noire survive a spill?
Herbin doesn't say, and we found no measured water-resistance result. It is a water-based dye ink, so don't count on it surviving a spill; for that use a bulletproof black.
Where is Perle Noire made?
In France, according to Herbin's own product page, which says 'Fabrication française'.
Does Perle Noire have a pen rest?
The 30 ml glass bottle does, according to Goulet and Pen Chalet. We couldn't confirm it for the 10 ml or the 100 ml bottle.
