Jacques Herbin "Colours of Paris" Writing Ink | Rue de la Verrerie, 30 ml
There is a particular blue in Paris that belongs nowhere else. It lives in the enamel street signs fixed to Haussmann stone, in the stained glass of Notre-Dame, in the light that falls on the city's oldest laneways. Rue de la Verrerie is that blue - a saturated, luminous royal blue with a quiet depth that reveals itself differently depending on the pen, the nib, and the paper you bring to it.
The name is not arbitrary. Rue de la Verrerie is one of the oldest streets in Paris, with origins in the 12th century when glass-makers (verreries) worked its length. More pointedly, it was the address of the Jacques Herbin house in 1810. This ink is, in a small way, a homecoming.
The Colour
On most papers, Rue de la Verrerie reads as a rich, wet royal blue. On Japanese papers with a drier pen, it opens into something more complex - shading from a bright, almost periwinkle-tinged blue through to deep navy, with moments of what ink enthusiasts sometimes call "blurple." It is a dye-based formulation, which means the colour stays clear and vivid rather than flat. There is no shimmer, no sheen - just pure, honest colour that earns its place on the page.
The Ink
Jacques Herbin has been formulating ink in Paris since 1670, making the house the oldest ink manufacturer in the world. That provenance carries practical meaning: these inks are made with care for the pens that use them.
Rue de la Verrerie is compatible with all fountain pens, converter rollerball pens, and glass pens. It flows readily, dries quickly, and causes no issues with converter or piston mechanisms used as directed.
The formulation is vegan, with no animal-derived components. It is water-based and intended for writing instruments rather than archival or waterproof applications.
The Bottle
The ink arrives in the classic Jacques Herbin glass bottle, holding 30 ml. The bottle is well-weighted and sits securely on a desk. The wide base makes it easier to load converters and eyedroppers without angling awkwardly - a practical detail that daily fountain pen users will appreciate.
Best Used With
Rue de la Verrerie performs well across a broad range of fountain pens and nibs. Its character comes through most clearly on quality paper - Clairefontaine, Rhodia, Tomoe River, and similar smooth or coated stocks let the colour develop fully. It is an equally capable choice for correspondence, journaling, note-taking, and drawing.
Specifications
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Soft armchair
$420.00
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