J. Herbin Fountain Pen Ink - 30 ml Bottle - Bleu Nuit (Midnight Purple)

This may be translated as 'midnight PURPLE', but I wouldn't describe it as purple at all - there's nowhere near enough red tones for that. After going through a couple of bottles of this, I would describe it as closer to a blue black than to anything else; I believe translating it as Midnight BLUE would make more sense (a more literal but awkward translation of the french would be 'night-time blue' - IOW this is basically meant to be the color of a night sky). So if you're looking for a purple ink, this isn't it - try violette pensee for a classic violet ink (like that used for years by french school children).

That said, if you're after a great looking ink, do give this one a chance :-) Particularly if you're one to appreciate the subtle charms of blue black ink ;-) I've tried a lot of ink over the years, including some pretty hoity-toity brands, but this niche brand is by far my favorite. I have about a dozen colors (maybe more) and not one of them has been a disappointment - vivid but not loud, and all of them really distinctive.

The real strength in this one is the way it falls right in between blue and black. A lot of blue-black colors are really just black softened with a little blue (which basically ends up looking like a dark grey) or they are a basic washable blue with a hint of black added - think the way it looks when you have just switched from one to the other without first rinsing out your pen lol).

Not this one, which falls right in the middle. The benefit of this is that it's a great color for notetaking, particularly stuff you need to memorize or review a lot: it's dark enough to provide enough contrast with the page, but not harsh like pure black inks which, when it's 2am and you're staring at a page full of scribbling in pitch black, it ends up looking like chicken scratch :P

I really like this ink. I can't wait to ink up my rotring and pelikan with it. Currently I have it in a cheap FP and it makes it write like a dream. Smooth and easy writing in a lovely deep blue color. It's fantastic. I notice that when I use my highlighter over the top it doesn't smear. Awesome.

A great dark blue that reminds me of denim. Nice flow, like other Herbin ink, less saturated than some and color can depend on the pen being used. Good shading and color. Mixing in some Perle Noir made this into a top notch blue-black.