Jacques Herbin "The Colours of Paris" Writing Ink | Moulin Rouge, 30ml
Some colours resist simple description. Moulin Rouge, from Jacques Herbin's Colours of Paris collection, is one of them. It sits somewhere between red and orange, with a whisper of warmth that shifts with your paper, your nib, and the light falling across the page.
It was designed to evoke the cabaret of the same name - that enduring emblem of Parisian celebration and French savoir-faire since 1889 - and it does so without resorting to a flat, obvious red. This is a colour with character.
A house with 350 years behind it
Jacques Herbin was founded in Paris in 1670, making it the oldest ink manufacturer in the world. Originally a supplier to the court of Louis XIV, the house has spent more than three and a half centuries refining what it knows best: ink. The Colours of Paris collection is a direct expression of that heritage - five inks, each inspired by a landmark or spirit of the French capital, formulated in Paris and finished to a standard the house has maintained across centuries.
Colour and behaviour
Moulin Rouge is a dye-based ink with good luminosity and a certain expressive quality on the right paper. It shades noticeably on absorbent or textured stocks, with the most pronounced variation appearing through medium to broad nibs. On smoother papers such as Rhodia, the shading is more restrained. Dry times are on the longer side on coated papers, so it rewards a degree of patience - or a slightly thirstier paper stock.
It is not the most water-resistant ink in the world. Like most dye-based fountain pen inks, a soaking will disperse the colour. For correspondence, journalling, and daily writing, this is rarely a concern. For documents requiring permanence, it is worth bearing in mind.
The colour's most interesting quality is its ambiguity. Depending on the pen, nib width, and paper, it can read as a warm red, a soft orange-red, or something with a faint blush quality. It suits illustrative work and mixed-ink exploration particularly well, holding its character when blended with complementary shades from the same collection.
Compatibility and formulation
The ink is vegan and water-based, with no added shellac or iron gall content. It is compatible with all standard fountain pens, converter rollerballs, and glass pens. The formulation is designed for a smooth, consistent flow with a reasonable dry time on most writing papers.
The bottle
The 30ml bottle is the standard Jacques Herbin presentation - a squat, stable glass form with a wide mouth that makes filling any nib size straightforward. The cap seals well for long-term storage. The bottle sits comfortably on a desk without risk of tipping, which is exactly what you want when you are mid-fill.
Specifications
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$420.00
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