J. Herbin Bleu Nuit - Review, Thoughts, And Questions

[accceleration]

Hi all,

 

I'm a relative newbie in the world of fountain pens, but have decided to do a "pseudo-review" since I have some questions about it. Here's a written sample noting the basic characteristics of the ink, just to give a general impression, not intended to be too detailed since there are tons more comprehensive reviews of this ink on FPN.

 

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o55/baskraze/InkReview-JHerbinBleuNuit.png

 

Anyway, this is my second ink. My first one was Lamy blue (T10) and it was horrible, as it faded too quickly, and the inconsistent shading made my writing look fickle/whimsical. It also reminded me of regrettable experiences using Pilot Varsity pens, which ink faded extremely quickly too. I wanted something darker and with a stronger consistency, so after reading overwhelmingly positive reviews of J. Herbin Bleu Nuit on FPN, I decided to try it out.

 

An interesting quality that I noted, but probably not emphasized enough in other reviews, is how it "transits" from the wet to dry phases. There is a purplish sheen to it when it is freshly out of the nib, but as it dries, a more bluish hue sets in. This quality gives the ink a unique individuality of its own, which I find to be utterly mesmerizing. Just watching the colour "mature" on the paper gives me great joy.

 

However, this may be the only thing I like about this ink. At first, I had hoped for a very dark, saturated blackish blue, but somehow Bleu Nuit strikes me as a rather "dusty, dusky" colour - blue grey instead of blue black. To draw a parallel, Blue Nuit is like a cloudy night sky over a city - a backdrop of dark, greyish blue, with a very slight purplish tinge contributed by faint city lights. This hint of purple doesn't show in the above scanned picture or in reviews I've seen, but it's there. Now I'm looking for an ink that would show a clear night sky with no purple at all.

 

I've checked out a thread that seeks for dark blue ink, and all those names that other people recommended wafted over me - there are so many, so would like to ask if there are more specific suggestions fitting these categories - 1. purely blue black with no purple at all; 2. relatively quick drying time (about 10s); 3. Not Iroshizuku, because they are too expensive.

 

Diamine Majestic and Noodlers' 54th Massachusetts are very tempting considerations, but I've heard that they smear considerably. I've got some inks currently on my list: Diamine Sargasso Sea, Denim, Midnight, and Noodlers' Bad Blue Heron, but don't know which to choose, so could anyone help? Other recommendations would be great too!

 

Thanks very much!

Edited February 13, 2013 by accceleration

[The Good Captain]

I like this ink, particularly for some of the reasons you mention. To me, once it's dry it retains the colour of fresh Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black, which I always think ages towards just a bit too much grey. I like that quality and Bleu Nuit is a nice subtle darkish blue.

For something darker, have you considered the recently reformulated Diamine Blue Black, often referred to as R2 on here? Or the Denim? Nice inks, both.

[lapis]

I use this ink quite often due to its sublety in regard to the actual colour itself. Is it a blue-grey, or a grey-blue? Apart from that, it has all of the Herbin maintenance-free qualities.

 

Mike

[ttakacs]

[snip]

 

I've checked out a thread that seeks for dark blue ink, and all those names that other people recommended wafted over me - there are so many, so would like to ask if there are more specific suggestions fitting these categories - 1. purely blue black with no purple at all; 2. relatively quick drying time (about 10s); 3. Not Iroshizuku, because they are too expensive.

 

Diamine Majestic and Noodlers' 54th Massachusetts are very tempting considerations, but I've heard that they smear considerably. I've got some inks currently on my list: Diamine Sargasso Sea, Denim, Midnight, and Noodlers' Bad Blue Heron, but don't know which to choose, so could anyone help? Other recommendations would be great too!

 

Thanks very much!

 

Diamine Midnight Blue is a good choice; see maschuu's review here. The comparison of Majestic Blue and Midnight Blue is accurate: the latter ink lacks the sheen of Majestic Blue, but it dries quickly and does not smear.

 

You might also look at Platinum Blue Black. It's not quite as dark blue as DMB. It dries quickly too and draws a high quality line. It's a dry ink, suitable for wet writers.

[wastelanded]

+1 for Diamine Midnight, give a sample of that a try.

[icevic]

I am using Bleu Nuit today in my Lamy 2000 and it is a favourite ink.

 

The best Herbin inks have that muted, washed character with subtle colour variations, as you described. For a more saturated, linear blue-black you could try Diamine Eclipse (more like a midnight blue or dark navy) or Noodler's Blue-Black (less dark than Eclipse, more on the blue side of blue-black). Both dry very fast.

[anaximander]

Lots of good suggestions here. I'd cast yet another vote for Diamine Midnight. Noodler's 54th Massachusetts is also very nice ink and its smearing can be decreased or eliminated through dilution. Still, it has a greyish, vintage look that might not appeal to you if you're not fond of Bleu Nuit.

[nb1700]

I also think Diamine Midnight could be what you're looking for. Are you in Hong Kong? I can send you a sample if you like.

Edited March 7, 2013 by nb1700

[brattpitt]

I like to use dark blues/blue-blacks as well. I tend to focus on waterproof inks as I want to make sure my notes stay around for a long time.

the blues I recommend for use are

 

Noodler's:

Bad Belted Kingfisher (semi waterproof pure dark blue)

Midnight blue (not waterproof but I love the color)

Starry Night Blue (semi waterproof. I just love how dark it is)

Liberty's Elysium (semi waterproof blue that shines)

 

R&K Salix. (its a lighter shade of blue that darkens to a blue-black over time. Its an IG ink so I use it on cheap papers)

Pelikan 4001 blue-black (blue that darkens to a blue-black over time. also IG. not sure how easily you can get it at your area though)

 

I have a lot more blues/Blue-Blacks but these are my favorites. I love pure blues/blue-blacks without shades of other colors, i.e. green/purple.

[El Monstro]

One of my first J. Herbin inks and still one of my all-time favorites. I'm using it in my Faber-Castell Ondoro with a M Nib and it's magnificent and true dark blue still captures the eye

[Joane]

Nice review. I enjoyed the choice of text.

 

One ink I found to be "a very dark, saturated blackish blue," to my eye, a little more blackish than the blue, is Sailor Jentle Blue-Black. It has very good flow and lots of intensity.

 

I have used J. Herbin Bleu Nuit and wanted to love it because I love the name and the concept but never found it quite satisfying, on two counts, texture and colour. In texture, it writes a bit dry for my taste. Colourwise, I can see where its nebulous quality could be appealing but I grew up with darker blue-blacks of days gone by and the Sailor is closer to that effect. I did previously like Omas Blue-Black very much but it has been discontinued. It was dark like the Sailor, but perhaps with more blue shading.

Edited April 12, 2013 by Joane

[mikehodgman]

Try Diamine Majestic Blue. It's a really nice, saturated dark blue that flows well. Plus, it has got this crazy sheen that gives off a reddish color. One of my favorite inks.

[nomadhacker]

Obviously the forum is a good source for reviews, so you've got a great start. And people have made some good recommendations above. One thing I'll add is before you invest in a whole new bottle, try buying a few samples of your top contenders. There are a few retailers like isellpens.com and gouletpens.com that sell small vials of ink to try out just about any colors they sell. They only cost about a dollar or two each so it's a great way to investigate several inks you're interested in.

[amberleadavis]

Though, like Lapis, I like the maintenance free aspects of JH inks --- I wish it were more fade resistant. Thank you for the review and happy inking.