[Ansteorra] Powdered Ink?

[Ian Dun Gillan]

Greetings
I do not know about a powder but there are a few different options for
period inks.

1. Oak-Gall Ink
2. Iron-Gall Ink
3. Lampblacks or Smudge inks

The first is made from boiling oak galls which are swollen pod like grows
caused by the sting of a certain wasp. When boiled the tannins in the oak
galls are released. The concoction can be reduced making it stronger and
then thickened by adding powered gum Arabic. Still a thin ink that goes on
slightly brownish but dries a nice dark gray or black. 

The second is a metal-gall ink, usually iron gall, made by mixing a solution
of tannic acids with ferrous sulphate (copperas); it too requires added gum,
as a thickener. Beware and take proper precautions as the crafting of this
ink involves a toxic process. The easiest way to make it is finely ground up
iron rust added with copperas and mixed together with gum Arabic and mineral
spirits.

Both of these kinds of ink are very common in medieval manuscripts. In
actual examples of medieval text that I have handled the letting has a
texture to it because the ink eventually flakes away but the acid burn in it
makes in vellum or parchment is much like a laser printer.

The last are the cheap inks that do not last as well are thin and gray and
do over time smudge a bit. Lampblack is the soot that collects in oil laps
and from burning tallow candles when added with egg-whites it makes a very
gray thin and cheap ink.

If you are going to experiment with these period pigments I would recommend
going the distance and actually using cut quills from the primary feathers
of geese or chicken to use as pens. Also go ahead if you can afford it and
get some goat or sheep skin parchment so that you can get the full effect.
If you do this you will want to prepare the parchment with a smoothing stone
and some pounce. It is not at all like writing on paper and should be
practiced many times before any serious work is attempted.

Kindly
Ian Dun Gillan
Some time Cartographer






-----Original Message-----
From: ansteorra-bounces+ian1550=sbcglobal.net at lists.ansteorra.org
[mailto:ansteorra-bounces+ian1550=sbcglobal.net at lists.ansteorra.org] On
Behalf Of Baronman at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2010 5:47 PM
To: ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] Powdered Ink?

lamp black mixed with whale oil????   Guess it's not  politically correct 
anymore
Bors
 
 
In a message dated 4/20/2010 10:24:32 A.M. Central Daylight Time,  
cle0patra.29.85 at googlemail.com writes:

I was  just wondering if anyone might know of a good place to buy powdered
black  calligraphy ink. I am looking for somthing that could be mixed up  a
nd
poured in an ink well not an ink stone. I would also be appriciative if  
some
one had an easy recipe for ink.
Pax,
Pippa of  Bonwicke
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