# Historical Inks and Drawing implements
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-inks-and-drawing-implements/815312
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [June 2, 2018, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-inks-and-drawing-implements/815312 "2018-06-02T04:49:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2018, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-inks-and-drawing-implements/815312/1 "2018-06-02T04:49:16Z")
This may sound weird, but I dabbled in calligraphy back in the days of tied-dyed T shirts and macrame, and now I want to find an ink “pen” just like the old folks did pre-whatever, dipping it ink (which is a whole new subject that I would love to discuss), then writing/drawing. Mostly drawing.
I want historical, if one can understand my quest.
ETA: Where I live is a small town so online purchase is almost required. Ballpoint pens and associated inks (many) aren’t making it to my satisfaction. I have a few feather quills which are not making the roster, the paper is home-grown (upon which that whole process is almost magical), and the powder colors acquired over the years from various sources, nothing special.
Color me clueless about Google.
Just seeking some advice and encouragement.
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### Author:  [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2018, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-inks-and-drawing-implements/815312/2 "2018-06-02T05:49:21Z")
For drawing in ink, you can easily and inexpensively get a plastic or wood pen shaft, a selection of metal nibs of varying fineness and flexibility, and there are various kinds of ink. “India ink” (a dark black pigment-based ink) is the classic for pen-and-ink drawing.
Online art supply stores are the place to look. They will also sell paper of course, if your handmade paper is in short supply or expensive.
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2018, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-inks-and-drawing-implements/815312/3 "2018-06-02T05:54:37Z")
Go to ‘Pearl [River.com](http://River.com)’ they have an online catalogue. They sell all kinda cool stuff. They have ink and pens and brushes for calligraphy. Origami paper and cool journals. I love that place.
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### Author:  [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2018, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-inks-and-drawing-implements/815312/4 "2018-06-02T05:55:04Z")
You can find out all you need plus a ton more, at [http://fountainpennetwork.com](http://fountainpennetwork.com)
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### Author:  [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2018, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-inks-and-drawing-implements/815312/5 "2018-06-02T06:23:41Z")
Check some of the re-enactor/historical supply places like
> **[Reenactment Clothing | Reenactment Supplies | Reenactors Camp Gear](https://www.smoke-fire.com/)**
>
> Smoke & Fire is a leading provider of reenactment clothing, reenactment supplies of the Colonial period and War of 1812.
[https://www.smoke-fire.com/writing-implements-1.asp](https://www.smoke-fire.com/writing-implements-1.asp)
I could Google some more links but I am suffering from a case of 2am. PM me if you need other names to try.
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### Author:  [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2018, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-inks-and-drawing-implements/815312/6 "2018-06-02T07:30:40Z")
The historical re-enactor link there has some unnecessarily expensive stuff. All that dip pens are, is a holder (a comfortable, pen-shaped stick, made of wood - or plastic if you want to go as cheap as possible) and whatever kind of metal nib you like to use. (Nibs are not expensive either, a few dollars will get you a very nice example, you may want several). There’s no need to spend money on luxury cases and accessories - unless those are why you like this stuff in the first place. 🙂 Keeping your pens clean and safe is pretty simple - don’t bend the metal, don’t break the holder, you’re good to go. 🙂
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### Author:  [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2018, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-inks-and-drawing-implements/815312/7 "2018-06-02T08:24:13Z")
Dip pens are great for drawing because they are cheap, flexible, and you can use inks like India ink or iron-gall ink that cannot be use in eg a fountain pen. Disadvantages are that they can be messy and inconvenient, which is why nobody uses them anymore for mundane writing tasks.
Get nibs and holders from an art supply store.
Ps they are not necessarily that “historical”, maybe 18-19th century?
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### Author:  [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2018, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-inks-and-drawing-implements/815312/8 "2018-06-03T01:47:25Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#):
>
> The historical re-enactor link there has some unnecessarily expensive stuff.
That was just the first link that popped in my brain; Smokey Fire (as I love to call it) is owned by an old friend and I know they carry a little bit of everything. If you check around other places you can find something as simple as a metal-nibbed wooden or quill pen to some writing kits that make that one look basic.
> [@Cabin\_Fever](#):
>
> I want historical, if one can understand my quest.
I sort of keyed on that line. The places I “do my thing”, from Old Fort Niagara to Colonial Williamsburg get real serious about what is and isn’t historical. Just ask the “Tourons” who visit us. 😉
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### Author:  [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2018, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-inks-and-drawing-implements/815312/9 "2018-06-03T02:08:36Z")
Making your own iron-gall ink is apparently not super difficult, if you want to really “go for it”. 🙂
I’ve never done it myself though.
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### Author:  [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2018, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-inks-and-drawing-implements/815312/10 "2018-06-03T03:37:29Z")
The one time I bought iron gall ink from an art supply store, the bottle was tiny and it cost a fortune. Maybe one could do better ordering a big bottle online? Nice ink, though, and if it was good enough for Leonardo da Vinci…
If you visit a chemical retailer and pick up a few things (like iron sulphate and gallic/tannic acid), and you know what you are doing, you can cheaply make iron gall ink until you drown in it. Watch out for excess acid 🙂
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### Author:  [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2018, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-inks-and-drawing-implements/815312/11 "2018-06-03T05:13:31Z")
AFAIK, Mont Blanc still sells iron gall ink - it’s their “blue-black” colour, or at least was. Expensive yes. Maybe Lamy blue-black is “the real deal” as well? I’m not sure anymore.
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### Author:  [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2018, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-inks-and-drawing-implements/815312/12 "2018-06-03T05:15:51Z")
> [@DPRK](#):
>
> If you visit a chemical retailer and pick up a few things (like iron sulphate and gallic/tannic acid), and you know what you are doing, you can cheaply make iron gall ink until you drown in it. Watch out for excess acid 🙂
I’d be happy to use homemade ink with a dip pen that I rinse clean afterwards, but I wouldn’t trust homemade in a fountain pen.
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### Author:  [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2018, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-inks-and-drawing-implements/815312/13 "2018-06-03T06:38:38Z")
Iron gall ink is a historical ink that long predates fountain pens or steel pens; it was never designed to be compatible with the delicate capillary mechanism of a fountain pen or not to corrode them with acid. I used it to draw with a steel nib on paper. It is kind of interesting in that the fresh ink is nearly transparent and colorless, but darkens due to a chemical reaction.
I did read that you can buy fountain pen ink containing a small amount of gallotannic acid (less than in normal iron gall ink), so presumably it is possible, but, practically speaking, you can buy waterproof, lightproof, acid-free fountain-pen ink in a dazzling variety of colors so there is not really any need to risk filling up an expensive fountain pen with iron gall ink.
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### Author:  [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2018, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-inks-and-drawing-implements/815312/14 "2018-06-03T06:59:14Z")
FYI, I see these Mont Blanc-type fountain-pen inks are being sold for something like $20 per 100 ml or at even more ludicrous prices. If you mix it up yourself, you could probably make, at a guess, at least 20-30 liters for that amount of money; in fact, you might have trouble buying chemicals in small quantities since you cannot possibly need that much ink! Just don’t use it in a fountain pen.
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### Author:  [@buckgully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buckgully)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2018, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-inks-and-drawing-implements/815312/15 "2018-06-03T19:26:35Z")
A few years ago I decided that my terrible handwriting needed an upgrade. In classic nerd style, I went from doing some traditional handwriting drills to researching all the different handwriting methodologies & schools there have been, to taking calligraphy classes. Because if something’s worth doing, it’s worth massively over-doing.
My handwriting did get a lot better (I can read what I wrote!) but I still really suck at calligraphy.
Anyway, these are my two favorite sources for pen & ink supplies:
> **[Paper and Ink Arts | Calligraphy Lettering Art Supplies](https://www.paperinkarts.com/)**
>
> An excellent source of hard-to-find supplies for calligraphers, traditional and non-traditional artists. We are a small business dedicated to providing excellent service and quality products.
> **[John Neal Books | Home](https://www.johnnealbooks.com/)**
>
> International supplier of books, tools and supplies for calligraphy, illumination, and bookbinding.
Iron gall ink is cool, but it’s kind of a pain in the ass to keep around. It gets moldy and tends to clump up after a while. For just screwing around and inking drawings I like Higgins Eternal - it’s a carbon black ink that goes on heavy and dries pretty quickly. I also have a container of walnut ink crystals, which when mixed with water makes a nice sepia walnut ink that gives a good effect.
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### Author:  [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2018, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-inks-and-drawing-implements/815312/16 "2018-06-03T19:55:28Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#):
>
> You can find out all you need plus a ton more, at [http://fountainpennetwork.com](http://fountainpennetwork.com)
Yes, that’s the place for intense nerdliness about pens and writing and inks. I lost some years of my life there. It’s great!
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### Author:  [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2018, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-inks-and-drawing-implements/815312/17 "2018-06-04T04:21:34Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#):
>
> Making your own iron-gall ink is apparently not super difficult, if you want to really “go for it”. 🙂
>
> I’ve never done it myself though.
If you have a source for the galls, a small chunk of wrought iron scrap and the time, easy peasy, check on [Florilegium.com](http://Florilegium.com), it is searchable. We luckily found the galls on our farm when I did it mid 90s.
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### Author:  [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2018, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-inks-and-drawing-implements/815312/18 "2018-06-04T15:40:49Z")
Note that you don’t _have to_ use oak galls - any source of gallotannate will do in a pinch. Including pomegranate rinds, eucalyptus bark, sumac or rhus leaves, etc. Galls just have by far the highest concentrations of gallotannate, so will make the blackest, most fast ink.