Jacques Herbin Bleu Azur — Ink Review #234

 

Jacques Herbin Bleu Azur

 

Ink Review # 234

 

Originally posted on FPN: March 18, 2026

 

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🧾 Description

 

Ink: Bleu Azur

Brand: Jacques Herbin

Country: France

Available: 10/30 ml bottles, and cartridges.

Pens Used: Pilot F3A EF, Lamy (EF/F/M/B/ stub 1.1), Kanwrite Desire

As of this date, all J Herbin inks are marketed as Jacques Herbin. 

 

Bleu Azur is a light, bright turquoise. It has decent lubrication and was pleasant with most nibs. I preferred it with F, M, and B. 

 

It would not be legible with Japanese and Western EF nibs, as it’s pale and harsh under some lights (normally, with finer nibs, lines are darker, but not in this case).

 

It needs a wet pen, soft, wide nib, and white paper to shine.

 

It was most pleasant on white paper, especially Iroful and Tomoe River 68gsm. 

 

It has no water resistance and is awful on copy paper. 

 

If I were to choose one turquoise from Herbin, it would be Bleu Calanque. 

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🧪 Chroma

 


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✍️ Writing Samples (photos only)

 

 

I took only LED and daylight photos. 

English translations provided by ChatGPT; they may differ from published translations.

Rhodia 

“Light illuminates things, but it is shadow that gives them depth.” — Paul Cézanne, French painter

 


Iroful

“One must imagine the sky as a promise that begins again each morning.” — Albert Camus, French writer and philosopher

 

 

Midori 

“In the blue of the sky there is a gentleness nothing can disturb.” — Victor Hugo, French writer and poet

 


Tomoe River 

Note: This is the 68 gsm paper, not the thinner 52 gsm version commonly referenced in reviews.

“Each dawn is a birth, each blue sky a recovered innocence.” — Romain Rolland, French writer and Nobel laureate

 


 

Hammermill 20 lb copy paper

“The sky, always the sky, reminds us that all things pass and all things begin again.” — André Gide, French writer and Nobel laureate

 

 Closeup

 

🔍 Comparison

 

Col-O-ring. Scans are approximative. 

 


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 💧 Water Test

 


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 🎨 Artwork

 

In my previous reviews there were several artworks (either skies or balloons with this ink). Here is one final art work with this ink. 

 

La Madrague

Inspired by photographs of Brigitte Bardot at La Madrague on the Mediterranean coast, and moments with Roger Vadim.

 

Jacques Herbin, Bleu Azur, Bouquet d'Antan, Kitty InkPot, Unstoppable Snake. Talens Mixed Media Sketchbook. 

 


 

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- What I Liked: Descent lubrication, small bottles, easy to clean. Price availability. 

- What I Did Not Like: Paleness, fluorescent quality. 

- Writing Experience: Decent.

 

 🧷 Ink Characteristics

 

- Shading: Yes. 

- Ghosting: Yes.

- Bleed Through: Yes.

- Flow Rate: Wet

- Lubrication: Decent.

- Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. 

- Start-up: No problems. 

- Saturation: Not saturated. 

- Sheen: None. 

- Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice.

- Nib Creep / Crud: Did not notice.

- Staining (Pen): No. 

- Clogging: No.

- Cleaning: Very easy

- Water Resistance: None.  

 

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 💬 Closing

 

Jacques Herbin has managed to capture the brightness of a summer vacation at the Mediterranean with this bright turquoise, which is perfect for those who like punchy colours.

 

No fountain pens were harmed in preparing this review. ;)

 

Please don’t hesitate to share your experience, writing samples, or any other comments — the more the merrier. :) 

 

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