11/20/2023 0 Comments White ink blotter paper![]() ![]() Which brings us to now and some happy news for the ink blotter. This fine powder was still in use during medieval times when monks were copying manuscripts and even in the 18 th century as a more economical alternative to sprinkling salt on drying ink, a new, more expensive practice of the bourgeoisie. In fact, pounce, made from the bones of cuttlefish has a long history of use for preparing paper prior to writing and also setting paper afterwards. ink made from hide glue, carbon or bone pigment, ground into a paste and then dried in ceramic bowls, was being sprinkled with pounce to avoid smudging on papyrus. If we go back to 400,000 B.C., pigment was already being made in Africa and mixing tools suggest that sand and clay, combined with the sun were being used to dry and fix the ink. The history of the ink blotter is as long as writing with ink itself. ![]() Blotting paper is a textured, thick paper specifically made to quickly absorb excess ink. Before blotters were invented, the preferred method was sprinkling salt over fresh written text to speed the drying process. The term ink blotter refers either to a handheld rocking device or simple blotting paper, both used to absorb excess ink when writing with fountain pens. Sadly for me, long gone are the days when having a proper desk set was a symbol of wealth, professionalism or fashion, but one of the tools of the desk set has survived fads and trends to remain: the ink blotter. With my love of fashion, some would say that my past centuries’ sensibilities have to do with the clothing, but those of you who have read my previous articles are probably clued into the thing that most draws me to palaces, country estates and manors: t he desk set. Countless hours spent watching Merchant Ivory movies, every version of Little Women over and over and just about every episode of Masterpiece Theatre have reaffirmed this. The pink ones are available in a pack of 10 pre-cut sheets to fit the Herbin rocking blotter (the same thing that comes already on the blotter), they're more expensive this way, but convenient.I’ve often thought that I was born in the wrong century. These sheets can be cut down into 4 strips to fit the Herbin Rocking Blotter, giving you 40 sheets for your blotter. Both colors are available in full sheets (7.5"x4.75") in packs of 10. It comes in both pink and white sheets, but there's no difference between the two other than color. I've heard of people getting some from their local printers (if there is one local to you), but the Herbin stuff is made and distributed specifically for fountain pen use. I have to be honest and say I'm not 100% sure what is the difference between one blotting paper over another. Herbin blotting paper is good stuff, but there's other blotting paper out there. One thing I like to do is cut it to fit a small carry-around notebook I use, and when I'm writing something in the notebooks, I can just shut it and know that the ink won't go over to the other page. You don't have to use blotting paper in a rocker blotter, there are other uses for it. But if you're writing something thoughtful and you don't want to break the flow of your writing, a blotter can help you to stay 'in the zone' and keep you going without having to wait for your ink to dry. Just allow some extra time for your ink to dry on the page and you'll be all set. If you don't have a blotter, no big deal. But in today's world where most hand writing is done with ballpoint and rollerball pens, the concept of waiting for liquid ink to dry on a page is a foreign concept to new fountain pen users. ![]() Blotters are something that have been around for a really long time, and were a common tool for anyone writing, say, 150 years ago.
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