J. Herbin Bleu Azur. This aptly named ink is a very light blue, and such a clear, pure color that it reminds me of the spring sky.
I am a huge blue ink fan. But honestly I had never used Bleu Azur because I remember reading so many negative comments about it. Which once again teaches me to ignore that kind of thing. Bleu Azur does not work in every pen, but if you pick the right pen, it’s lovely, and legible.
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My friend just gave me a sample of this lovely ink, J. Herbin Bleu Azur.
I have a strange fondness for inks that are nearly invisible. One favorite is Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-same, a delicate, pencil-like gray ink. I also like very light greens, like J. Herbin Vert Pré and Lamy’s recent Charged Green. I don’t know if this stems from my childhood love of spy stories, or just an interest in things that are different. An ink you can’t easily read? How different. I like that!
I loaded Bleu Azur into a Kaweco Classic Sport because that’s a wet pen, and I can interchange the nibs. The above photo shows it with a double-broad nib. Bleu Azur is pretty legible with a wide nib and good ink flow.
I do like the color of Bleu Azur. It’s like another sky, which is from a beautiful poem Emily Dickinson wrote to her brother:
There is another sky,
Ever serene and fair,
And there is another sunshine,
Though it be darkness there;
Never mind faded forests, Austin,
Never mind silent fields –
Here is a little forest,
Whose leaf is ever green;
Here is a brighter garden,
Where not a frost has been;
In its unfading flowers
I hear the bright bee hum:
Prithee, my brother,
Into my garden come!
Being an unreconstructed fan of the Broadway musical — aka a total nerd — I really wanted to title this, “How do you solve a problem like the Lamy Charged Green Al-Star?” But, yeah, few will know what I’m talking about. And those who do will shake their heads.
So, here’s the issue. As our commentator Elizabeth noted, Lamy’s Charged Green ink isn’t perhaps the greatest match for the new Charged Green Al-Star. It’s a little light in color and it’s a little too green. Though as an ink I like it, personally. I’m totally into light green ink. I grabbed a few for this post.
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I asked my friend Chris what inks she had purchased in 2015. I was tickled, and relieved, that not only did she buy the same number of inks as I did, but she enjoyed some of the same brands. Here is her report.
I decided I had plenty of ink when 2015 began. Enough ink to last me another two lifetimes. I made a resolution that I wouldn’t buy more ink until I emptied at least one bottle. That resolution was never going to work. I’ve never completely emptied a bottle of ink in forty years, so why would I think I might do that now?
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On the third day of Holiday Ink, I am bringing out the green. This is a cheerful green, J. Herbin Lierre Sauvage, for the kid in all of us.
Lamy 2000 with fine nib. You know how sometimes you have a pen that just fits you perfectly? You might overlook it for flashier pens, but whenever you use it, you think, I could have this as my only pen. The Lamy 2000 with fine nib is that pen for me, combining gorgeous modern style with a nib I love to use.
And I don’t know if this ever happens to anyone else, but I found such a perfect-for-me ink match that more than half the time I use this pen with one particular ink — J. Herbin Vert Empire.
Vert Empire is my favorite green ink, and since I just got a new bottle yesterday, I pulled out the Lamy 2000. Vert Empire shades beautifully. The gray-green color is soft and sophisticated, but still easy to read. It is a special ink. I am so happy to have it back, and back in this pen.
These sunny October days and cool nights have put me in the mood for my first fall ink colors.
To my new favorite orange, Caran d’Ache Electric Orange, I’m adding two longtime favorites. These are Stipula Verde Muschiato, a muddy green that I adore, and J. Herbin Ambre de Birmanie, which brings the warmth in a wider nib.
Two newer inks round out the selection: Diamine Carnival, which struck me as my most autumnal red, and Stipula Sepia, a warm brown ink.
All of the pens are old favorites: two Pelikans, two Lamys and a custom Edison.
I liked this ink so much, I ended up buying a full bottle. But until recently I couldn’t really test how it cleaned up from a pen — I was too happy using it to empty the pen.
On August 24, I filled my Pelikan M600 with Emerald of Chivor. By the night of September 5, it was time to clean out the pen. It had been left filled for 12 days, which is a fairly long time for me. There are a few conventional inks I wouldn’t keep in a pen that long.
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Fountain Pen Follies 