J. Herbin
Established 1670Founded in 1670, J. Herbin was specialized in manufacturing sealing wax. From his many journeys to India, Herbin brought back a special lacquer formula which improved the quality of the seals in adhesion and neatness. J. Herbin is also the oldest name in ink production in the world: the production commenced in 1700. J. Herbin made ink for Louis XIV, and a black ink for the sole use of Victor Hugo, author of ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ and ‘Les Miserables’. These formulas still reside in the company headquarters in Paris.
The first Herbin ink was ‘La Perle des Encres’ (the jewel of inks), and was soon followed by ‘L’Encre Des Vaisseaux’ (the ink of ships). This traditional French violet has been used by most students in France. Both inks are still available today. The most classic bottle is the ‘D-bottle’, the ‘D’ standing for a French unit of measure, ‘la Demi Courtine’ (somewhere in between 30-40 ml). Herbin inks come in 17 different colors and use only natural dyes – which means they have a neutral pH.
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