My wife found a fantastic source of soot--simply over-bake bread. And I mean REALLY over-bake it--to the point where it becomes surprisingly light. This was accomplished by forgetting some rolls in the oven for four hours. I never thought about it before, but I can easily imagine a Medieval monk using any ruined (or just old) bread that way. In a society where you're living that close to the land "waste not, want not" seems to be a very real survival rule.
Similar recipe to gouache paint in the early days and still used by some today. Short shelf live. A drop of clover essential oil helps to prevent mold and keeps bugs off your dried ink. Great fun to watch…thanks for sharing.
Very interesting! I have not experimented with ink like this, but I've explored making other kinds of paint and art materials, and I suspect you'd have much better luck using a mortar and pestle, or (as used with paints) a ground glass plate and a glass muller. These glass things are like a flat mortar and pestle. You could add a bit of the pigment (soot) and a bit of the medium (eggwhite) and grind them together to form a thick paste. you will not have so much trouble trying to combine the two. You can then dilute the thick paste to your desired consistency to flow from your pen. (Trivia-- when egg white is used as a paint medium it's called Glair).
I love these segments. In college, I took a "Stone Age Survival Skills" course while also studying anthropology. I thoroughly loved making the connection by molding our environment in the same way as our ancestors. Please, while I don't expect flint-napping or Clovis spear points, continue making Experimental Soup.
Perhaps it might have been RAW honey that was being used then? This is a fun experiment. More of a recipe for a usable art product, really. Might be easier to think of mixing the egg white into the soot rather than the other way round. In other words, to treat it almost as one might treat the mixing of corn starch as a thickener. It's always best to mix small amounts of liquid materials into dry, powdery materials. This is true when making homemade paints as well. Start with the powder pigment, add liquids to it bit by bit, blending as you go, is how it tends to work better. And it also could be that honey might have been used first, although I doubt it. All the same, another fun ride through the past!Thanks!
Crr: The top of the feather has to be cut in an angle and when you use it, the pointing tip has to held upward between your fingers, and the open side which is the part that catches the ink - has to be downward - of course...
I found charcoal in my back yard from my old fire pit because I knew it would be there and its been rained on many times but still works so I use that to make ink.
I keep wanting to say, add water! The honey being crystalline is obviously dehydrated. It only takes a few drops of water (literally a solvent) to liquefy the mixture to the proper consistency, breaking down both the proteins in the egg white and dissolving (rehydrating) the sugars in the honey.
@VarnaVix I am on holiday and cannot respond directly via phone 3G. However, there is certainly reference to Oak Gall ink in the Saxon Book of Exeter. This is one of the recipes I hope to tackle in the future. Thanks for watching!
I didn't mean to say that it had a metal nib, only that it looks as if it has nibs cut into it at both ends. I can't think of anything else besides 'nib' to describe the business end of a pen. Perhaps if you started with a small amount of egg white and used a pestle to grind the soot into the mixture instead of a whisk which puts air into it you might have more success. This would also seem more likely to produce a paste. Thanks for making the video even if the results were a bit faint.
I grew up on a farm ,and my uncle was a bee keeper -I learned that you can warm the honey up in a bowl of warm water and it will get rid of the crystallization you were talking about. I hope this help you if you are going to do this test again any time soon. :)
I would love to make my own ink. I like calligraphy, but have a need to make my ink as needed, rather than ready made. I have several ideas, but some of the items need to be harvested when in season, or I need to buy my material in dry form and mix it as needed. None-the-less, your video provides some excellent pointers. Thank you very much. I'm using a stick that I have carved into a spoon to measure and mix the ingredients with. The spoon is made from pecan wood which grows in my back yard. Although I can get eggs easily, I had rather eat them than use them to make ink with. I may try that at some point, but I don't wish to clog my pens with something I know will harden over time unless I can make more pens if one should become clogged.
you don't want to use soot you use the substance called lamp black, the same black build up on metal if held over an open flame, its finer and mix it with honey and egg yolk. You add water when you want to use it.
Yes! I think he overlooked this. I was also thinking perhaps drying out the egg white and powdering it. The honey would bind them together and remoisten the albumin. Curious what your thoughts on drying out the egg white first is
I don't know but it looks similar to preparing egg tempera so you have to grind your pigment (soot) with a little of water and a glass muller first and then mix it with the egg white and the honey ... maybe it works better.
Mrs Soup is long suffering, haha. Re: the nib, there were no metallic nibs on quills in the C8th (as far as we're aware). Also, when using standard ink, those home-made quills work very well. I think it's today's mixture which was at fault :( I'll have to try and come up with definitive ratios! Thanks for commenting!
@@speaklifegardenhomesteadpe8783 You're very welcome, though it was just honey. We don't put corn syrup in honey in the UK. Could be an issue of freshness though! I'll keep experimenting :)
Have any of you tried making oak gall ink? It was used in the medieval period, but have any older writings been analyzed and found to contain it? I can look through the literature, but I thought one of you might know off the top of head.
I really like watching you Make a feather pen for ink and I'm just a little girl That wants to be a creative girl.and + you should cut the thing on the bottom of the feather as a angle
You didn't use soot. You used either ashes or charcoal. If it was soot then there would have been nothing to grind. Soot is the volatile stuff that precipitates out inside the chimney as it cools, not the ashes that remain in the fireplace.
And how, pray tell, did Mrs Soup react to your getting soot all over her lovely, embroidered table cloth? I think I'll stick with Bic. I would remark that the quill shown in the Lindisfarne Gospels appears to have a nib at both ends, which seems to me to be a much more useful tool than the one you're using.
to get the Honey back to the way it's supposed to be, just heat it up for a little bit, not to much , for that much honey a minute or less in the microwave oven should be good.
I would try burnt cork for the pigment with a bit of surfactant, a few drops of water or alcohol, then some albumen. Honey would be last and not an insignificant ingredient, it and the surfactant, be it soap or alcohol, go a long way in making it a homogenous mixture. An eye dropper is a must when attempting such wizardry as well.
You're not only trying to make ink based on a recipe from a society that really had very poor knowledge of ink, but you're not even using an actual recipe, and it IS and exact science. The problem is many things like this were not spelled out in books because everyone who could read was able to find the exact amount of this and that to use easily. Medieval authors sometimes did not yet have how-to books down to a science, and at other times the omissions were intentional. You aren't even making one of the best inks used during the medieval period, There are numerous better inks you could make. Really, even "soot" doesn't mean you could just burn anything you like and get good ink from it. Too, you might try asking one of the many, many, many experimenters who DO have making such ink down to a science. You might also ask yourself if your ink could actually be used in the same way, and leave the same lasting words as what you found in that book. The answer is no. Why not try a simple and better medieval ink? Or try a far, far, far, far better, and eons older ink from China or Egypt? You may even learn where to get proper soot from, and there are really only two sources for high grade soot. Or there were in the distant past. Even today it's very tough to find a source for soot that's as good as what was used thousands of years ago.
The egg white should be whisked into foam, then let to settle into liquid. This way it becomes thinner and uniform, mixes with pigment much better.
Also, the honey becomes liquid if heated.
Glair?
My wife found a fantastic source of soot--simply over-bake bread. And I mean REALLY over-bake it--to the point where it becomes surprisingly light. This was accomplished by forgetting some rolls in the oven for four hours. I never thought about it before, but I can easily imagine a Medieval monk using any ruined (or just old) bread that way. In a society where you're living that close to the land "waste not, want not" seems to be a very real survival rule.
Or you could just burn toast!
They used hard wood according to ancient recipes, but I like your idea.
All soot is not created equal.Some works extremely well, some works okay, and some pretty much doesn't work at all.
The feather should be cut in an angle... and the soot powder has to be soaked in warm water for at least 8 hours and then add some egg-white and honey
Similar recipe to gouache paint in the early days and still used by some today. Short shelf live. A drop of clover essential oil helps to prevent mold and keeps bugs off your dried ink. Great fun to watch…thanks for sharing.
Very interesting! I have not experimented with ink like this, but I've explored making other kinds of paint and art materials, and I suspect you'd have much better luck using a mortar and pestle, or (as used with paints) a ground glass plate and a glass muller. These glass things are like a flat mortar and pestle. You could add a bit of the pigment (soot) and a bit of the medium (eggwhite) and grind them together to form a thick paste. you will not have so much trouble trying to combine the two. You can then dilute the thick paste to your desired consistency to flow from your pen. (Trivia-- when egg white is used as a paint medium it's called Glair).
What a good idea!
I love these segments. In college, I took a "Stone Age Survival Skills" course while also studying anthropology. I thoroughly loved making the connection by molding our environment in the same way as our ancestors. Please, while I don't expect flint-napping or Clovis spear points, continue making Experimental Soup.
I've heard that some people would cut a little slit at the tip of the feather to allow the ink to be "picked up" instead of rubbed onto the feather.
Perhaps it might have been RAW honey that was being used then? This is a fun experiment. More of a recipe for a usable art product, really. Might be easier to think of mixing the egg white into the soot rather than the other way round. In other words, to treat it almost as one might treat the mixing of corn starch as a thickener. It's always best to mix small amounts of liquid materials into dry, powdery materials. This is true when making homemade paints as well. Start with the powder pigment, add liquids to it bit by bit, blending as you go, is how it tends to work better.
And it also could be that honey might have been used first, although I doubt it.
All the same, another fun ride through the past!Thanks!
Crr: The top of the feather has to be cut in an angle and when you use it, the pointing tip has to held upward between your fingers, and the open side which is the part that catches the ink - has to be downward - of course...
I found charcoal in my back yard from my old fire pit because I knew it would be there and its been rained on many times but still works so I use that to make ink.
I keep wanting to say, add water! The honey being crystalline is obviously dehydrated. It only takes a few drops of water (literally a solvent) to liquefy the mixture to the proper consistency, breaking down both the proteins in the egg white and dissolving (rehydrating) the sugars in the honey.
@VarnaVix I am on holiday and cannot respond directly via phone 3G. However, there is certainly reference to Oak Gall ink in the Saxon Book of Exeter. This is one of the recipes I hope to tackle in the future. Thanks for watching!
I didn't mean to say that it had a metal nib, only that it looks as if it has nibs cut into it at both ends. I can't think of anything else besides 'nib' to describe the business end of a pen.
Perhaps if you started with a small amount of egg white and used a pestle to grind the soot into the mixture instead of a whisk which puts air into it you might have more success. This would also seem more likely to produce a paste.
Thanks for making the video even if the results were a bit faint.
I grew up on a farm ,and my uncle was a bee keeper -I learned that you can warm the honey up in a bowl of warm water and it will get rid of the crystallization you were talking about. I hope this help you if you are going to do this test again any time soon. :)
I think it says this on many commercial brands of honey.
I would love to make my own ink. I like calligraphy, but have a need to make my ink as needed, rather than ready made. I have several ideas, but some of the items need to be harvested when in season, or I need to buy my material in dry form and mix it as needed. None-the-less, your video provides some excellent pointers. Thank you very much.
I'm using a stick that I have carved into a spoon to measure and mix the ingredients with. The spoon is made from pecan wood which grows in my back yard. Although I can get eggs easily, I had rather eat them than use them to make ink with. I may try that at some point, but I don't wish to clog my pens with something I know will harden over time unless I can make more pens if one should become clogged.
you don't want to use soot you use the substance called lamp black, the same black build up on metal if held over an open flame, its finer and mix it with honey and egg yolk. You add water when you want to use it.
Yes! I think he overlooked this.
I was also thinking perhaps drying out the egg white and powdering it.
The honey would bind them together and remoisten the albumin.
Curious what your thoughts on drying out the egg white first is
Egg yolk spoils easily, so drying and powdering it sounds like way better idea.
I don't know but it looks similar to preparing egg tempera so you have to grind your pigment (soot) with a little of water and a glass muller first and then mix it with the egg white and the honey ... maybe it works better.
Mrs Soup is long suffering, haha. Re: the nib, there were no metallic nibs on quills in the C8th (as far as we're aware). Also, when using standard ink, those home-made quills work very well. I think it's today's mixture which was at fault :(
I'll have to try and come up with definitive ratios!
Thanks for commenting!
Might be the honey was mostly corn syrup. Try local real honey??? 🍯😊👍💯Thanks for your video!!
@@speaklifegardenhomesteadpe8783 You're very welcome, though it was just honey. We don't put corn syrup in honey in the UK. Could be an issue of freshness though! I'll keep experimenting :)
Do you think the crushed up burnt bread crumbs might work rather than sot or maybe the burnt wick of a candle
Heat it up without the egg first??
Could you share the source for the recipe? Thanks.
Would household oil work as well as whites and honey?
Have any of you tried making oak gall ink? It was used in the medieval period, but have any older writings been analyzed and found to contain it? I can look through the literature, but I thought one of you might know off the top of head.
is there any basic recipe for making printing ink, ie pigments any help will do, great videos
Well we have quite allot of coal in the house. I am assuming the ask from burned paper and so on will work just as well?
can you show for children?
very interesting video.
how do you actually get soot?
I am so glad I came upon your video , I do not think I will be using this recipe for my ink . good video though
Could you use charcoal as an alternative to soot?
how long does it take to mix it?
I also like berry ink 😊
Best: Check out the ink of Torah scribes. I should think it is older than GB's Warmly, a new viewer.
True but then it wouldn't be 'early medieval' :) Thanks for watching
That's a really good suggestion!
What if the ingredients were mixed over heat?
No the egg white will get cooked
I really like watching you
Make a feather pen for ink and I'm just a little girl
That wants to be a creative girl.and + you should cut the thing on the bottom of the feather as a angle
I think I will leave it to you .
(No friends with soot .)
I really liked watching you try ;)
That ink would have gone off very quickly.
How long will this take to wash of my hands ?
Oh. Forgot. Sorry. Egg tempera pants and watercolors made using honey may be of use to anybody who's interested in ancient art supplies like ink.
You didn't use soot. You used either ashes or charcoal. If it was soot then there would have been nothing to grind. Soot is the volatile stuff that precipitates out inside the chimney as it cools, not the ashes that remain in the fireplace.
You need to put the book on an angle
And how, pray tell, did Mrs Soup react to your getting soot all over her lovely, embroidered table cloth?
I think I'll stick with Bic.
I would remark that the quill shown in the Lindisfarne Gospels appears to have a nib at both ends, which seems to me to be a much more useful tool than the one you're using.
Rosanne's wrong! They don't torture baby squids at all! She's so silly! lmfao
to get the Honey back to the way it's supposed to be, just heat it up for a little bit, not to much , for that much honey a minute or less in the microwave oven should be good.
I would try burnt cork for the pigment with a bit of surfactant, a few drops of water or alcohol, then some albumen. Honey would be last and not an insignificant ingredient, it and the surfactant, be it soap or alcohol, go a long way in making it a homogenous mixture. An eye dropper is a must when attempting such wizardry as well.
Not enough pigment
This isn’t ink but Egg Tempar
Not going to work. Too coarse lampblack
Always use the FINEST possible soot!
You're not only trying to make ink based on a recipe from a society that really had very poor knowledge of ink, but you're not even using an actual recipe, and it IS and exact science. The problem is many things like this were not spelled out in books because everyone who could read was able to find the exact amount of this and that to use easily. Medieval authors sometimes did not yet have how-to books down to a science, and at other times the omissions were intentional.
You aren't even making one of the best inks used during the medieval period, There are numerous better inks you could make. Really, even "soot" doesn't mean you could just burn anything you like and get good ink from it.
Too, you might try asking one of the many, many, many experimenters who DO have making such ink down to a science. You might also ask yourself if your ink could actually be used in the same way, and leave the same lasting words as what you found in that book. The answer is no.
Why not try a simple and better medieval ink? Or try a far, far, far, far better, and eons older ink from China or Egypt? You may even learn where to get proper soot from, and there are really only two sources for high grade soot. Or there were in the distant past. Even today it's very tough to find a source for soot that's as good as what was used thousands of years ago.
He's a nerd get over it