Herbin Bleu des Profondeurs Ink Bottle

A Tale of Two Colors

When I first tried this ink with a Japanese fine (Sailor) nib, I was somewhat disappointed, because the color appeared more slate blue than "ocean depths blue" (as the French name is usually translated). But, when I tried it in a German fine (Lamy) nib, the color was so much darker that it seemed to be a different ink, one that could indeed be aptly described as "ocean depths blue." (With the broader nib it is almost as dark as Diamine's "Oxford blue.") The ink's saturation and consistency are what one would expect from Herbin, and the only reason I don't rate it five stars is that it's considerably more expensive than some other manufacturers' inks of comparable quality.