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India ink
- Thread starter david50
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Cannon
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No Staples, office supply, craft store or University/college bookstore anywhere close? Try a fabric store in the craft department or maybe Walmart-type store.
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David, I see that you work at Wally World!...Our Wal-Marts carries it in the stationary department and the Crafts departments!
Mail order contact www.dickblick.com
Mail order contact www.dickblick.com
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50cal.cliff
58 Cal.
Hobby Lobby carries it around here as well as some other crafts places.
GreyWhiskers
69 Cal.
Is "India Ink" the same as black fountain pen or stamp pad ink? I looked high and low last month for india ink and finally used stamp pad ink on my horn. Seemed to work. GW
Robert Egler
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I do some calligraphy here and there, and I get India ink at a stationary store. I have also used black fountain pen ink, which doesn't seem to me to be quite the same, but works just as well for calligraphy with quill pens or pens with nibs. But you can’t use real India ink in fountain pens, it will clog up too much
Curtis Makamson
40 Cal.
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Being one of the new guys on this forum there is hesitancy to post about anything dealing with muzzle loading. It is readily apparent I am a neophyte among experts. However, being a retired public school art teacher I might possibly offer a tad of information about ink.
One of the primary characteristics of ink is whether or not it is waterproof. Waterproof mean that after the ink dries water will not effect it in any way. If waterproof ink is used on standard wood pulp paper, that inked paper submerged in water, that waterproof ink will remain legible until the paper begins to be overcome by the water. Ink that is not waterproof will smear if it get wet after initial drying. What you are going to use this ink for will determine if it needs to be waterproof. Some of the modern day inks use the word “indelible” instead of waterproof.
Typically, most fountain pen type inks will not be waterproof. At one time, when fountain pens were more popular than they are now days, it was possible to get waterproof fountain pen ink.
When the word “permanent” is attached to ink that means once dry it is “light fast.” In other words, it will not fade. If ink is used for scrimshaw it would be preferable if the ink were waterproof as well as permanent.
Ink that is waterproof and permanent may be thinned with water and will still retain its waterproof and permanent qualities.
If for any reason you are using colored ink you will want to see the word “opaque.” If colored ink is not opaque the color of whatever the ink is placed on will be seen through the ink, meaning it is transparent. Colored inks may be mixed if you are mixing the same brand names.
“John Neal Bookseller” has a wide variety of ink. It comes in the traditional bottles, plus in stick form, as well as powdered.
http://www.johnnealbooks.com/prod_detail_list/9
If you are into calligraphy, illumination, Spencerian , or other kinds of fancy writing you will need an ink that nicely flows through your point, nib, quill, or brush. Many of these kinds of inks will perhaps be waterproof, but not permanent, or vice versa. It is quite possible to get one, but not the other, in your ink.
Sumi is an Oriental form of brush calligraphy. Sumi ink is normally designed to be applied with a brush.
The purists, who insists on non-deviating authenticity, may want to take a look at McCaffery’s Pensman’s Ink. This is an oak gall ink. McCaffery’s is a replica antique ink. Oak gall ink was common in the 1800’s. I don’t know about prior to that. When it is first exposed to air it comes off the nib (or whatever you are using) brown. Once it has fully dried it turns black. If the bottle sits open long enough it will lose the brownish tinge.
A little bit of ink goes a long way. Some of the really black inks use the word “dense” in their descriptions. Dense ink is sho nuff black.
If ink become contaminated it will sour. Smell of it. If it stinks it is contaminated.
Do not shake ink, stir it. If you shake it you will put bubbles in the bottle. Shaking doesn’t hurt the ink. Just remember those are ink bubbles and when they burst tiny ink droplets will result. These bursting ink bubbles could put ink where you don’t want it. That, plus it gets ink on the bottle top and when opened the ink can get in the bottle top threads and soon down the outside of the bottle. That is not so much a caution about keeping fingers clean but a warning that some ink is pretty slick stuff.
If an open bottle of ink is exposed to the air for long period of time a quantity of the moisture content will evaporate. Discard any ink that begins to gel. As ink begins to thicken it will sink to the bottom of the bottle.
Art teachers used to tell students that wet ink was glossy. Some of the modern day inks are glossy after they have dried. Read the label.
Hopefully, this helps a bit.
One last remark: You guys keep on posting. I read every word that is written.
One of the primary characteristics of ink is whether or not it is waterproof. Waterproof mean that after the ink dries water will not effect it in any way. If waterproof ink is used on standard wood pulp paper, that inked paper submerged in water, that waterproof ink will remain legible until the paper begins to be overcome by the water. Ink that is not waterproof will smear if it get wet after initial drying. What you are going to use this ink for will determine if it needs to be waterproof. Some of the modern day inks use the word “indelible” instead of waterproof.
Typically, most fountain pen type inks will not be waterproof. At one time, when fountain pens were more popular than they are now days, it was possible to get waterproof fountain pen ink.
When the word “permanent” is attached to ink that means once dry it is “light fast.” In other words, it will not fade. If ink is used for scrimshaw it would be preferable if the ink were waterproof as well as permanent.
Ink that is waterproof and permanent may be thinned with water and will still retain its waterproof and permanent qualities.
If for any reason you are using colored ink you will want to see the word “opaque.” If colored ink is not opaque the color of whatever the ink is placed on will be seen through the ink, meaning it is transparent. Colored inks may be mixed if you are mixing the same brand names.
“John Neal Bookseller” has a wide variety of ink. It comes in the traditional bottles, plus in stick form, as well as powdered.
http://www.johnnealbooks.com/prod_detail_list/9
If you are into calligraphy, illumination, Spencerian , or other kinds of fancy writing you will need an ink that nicely flows through your point, nib, quill, or brush. Many of these kinds of inks will perhaps be waterproof, but not permanent, or vice versa. It is quite possible to get one, but not the other, in your ink.
Sumi is an Oriental form of brush calligraphy. Sumi ink is normally designed to be applied with a brush.
The purists, who insists on non-deviating authenticity, may want to take a look at McCaffery’s Pensman’s Ink. This is an oak gall ink. McCaffery’s is a replica antique ink. Oak gall ink was common in the 1800’s. I don’t know about prior to that. When it is first exposed to air it comes off the nib (or whatever you are using) brown. Once it has fully dried it turns black. If the bottle sits open long enough it will lose the brownish tinge.
A little bit of ink goes a long way. Some of the really black inks use the word “dense” in their descriptions. Dense ink is sho nuff black.
If ink become contaminated it will sour. Smell of it. If it stinks it is contaminated.
Do not shake ink, stir it. If you shake it you will put bubbles in the bottle. Shaking doesn’t hurt the ink. Just remember those are ink bubbles and when they burst tiny ink droplets will result. These bursting ink bubbles could put ink where you don’t want it. That, plus it gets ink on the bottle top and when opened the ink can get in the bottle top threads and soon down the outside of the bottle. That is not so much a caution about keeping fingers clean but a warning that some ink is pretty slick stuff.
If an open bottle of ink is exposed to the air for long period of time a quantity of the moisture content will evaporate. Discard any ink that begins to gel. As ink begins to thicken it will sink to the bottom of the bottle.
Art teachers used to tell students that wet ink was glossy. Some of the modern day inks are glossy after they have dried. Read the label.
Hopefully, this helps a bit.
One last remark: You guys keep on posting. I read every word that is written.
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And I read every word of your post.
I'm with Nifeman :thumbsup:
Ogre
I'm with Nifeman :thumbsup:
Ogre
Stevenjohnson9851
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I did not realise there was so much variation in ink. 
