How to Make Erasable Ink

A polymer additive keeps modern erasable ink from soaking into the paper.

Ink originated with the Egyptians who used oak galls and iron sulfate to create indelible ink for writing on papyrus rolls. The use of inks eventually spread to all parts of the Middle East and Orient. Scribes studying the Quran and the Talmud used erasable ink to remove incorrect characters. This special type of ink that sits on top of the paper fibers instead of soaking into the paper like permanent inks can still be made today.

Things You'll Need

• Cotton wick
• Metal lamp
• Olive oil
• Lighter
• Mortar and pestle
• Water
• Wooden skewer
• Hot plate
• Beeswax
• Heat-resistant bowl
• Honey
• Quill or wooden stylus
• Penknife (optional)

Instructions

1. Place a 6-inch twisted cotton wick against the interior edge of a metal lamp. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and trail one end of the wick in the oil. Light the wick and let it burn until the wick and oil are consumed.

2. Grind the soot into a fine powder with a mortar and pestle. Add three drops of water to the powder and stir it with a wooden skewer, creating a thick paste.

3. Melt 1/8 teaspoon of pure beeswax in a small heat-resistant bowl on a hot plate. Add the soot paste when the wax is completely melted. Stir gently with the skewer, blending the wax and the paste together into a thick liquid.

4. Add 1 teaspoon of honey and continue to stir until the honey is dissolved into the liquid. Allow the ink to cool.

5. Roll the cooling ink into a ball with a depression in the middle. Use a damp quill or a wooden stylus to write with the ink. If you make a mistake, erase the error by gently scraping the dry ink off the paper with either your fingernail or a small penknife.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use this ink in a fountain pen. It doesn't flow like modern inks and, because of the wax content, will quickly stop up your pen.

References

• Journal of Islamic Manuscripts: Inks in the Islamic Manuscripts of Northern Nigeria
• Penpoints: Black Ink for Islamic Calligraphy
• The Book of Knowledge: Volume V: Holland Thompson and Arthur Mee
• The Book of Knowledge: Volume X: Holland Thompson and Arthur Mee
• The Book of Knowledge: Volume XII: Holland Thompson and Arthur Mee
• docstoc: Erasable Ink Composition Containing a Polymer-encapsulated Colorant