Cornelissen Historical Ink Range

Shellac based. Water resistant when dry. Not suitable for fountain pens. Learn More

Cornelissen Gift Set, Drawing, Ink Cornelissen Drawing Gift Set contains : Green Sketchbook 25.5 x 19.5 cm Cornelissen Bundle of 8 Pencils. 4H, 2H, HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 6B Cornelissen Set of 3 Historical Inks, Brazilwood, Jane Austen Iron Oak Gall and Green Hawthorn Wooden Nib Holder 4 Nibs: Leonardt Nib Fine Drawing 700, William Mithcell Round Hand 1 ½, Brause Cito Fine, Leonardt 40 Gift wrapped in a box with Cornelissen wrapping paper. Learn More

Prepared exclusively for Cornelissen following a Medieval English recipe, This handmade ink is produced in Cambridgeshire, from soot harvested from a working 19th-century forge, powered by charcoal and wood. Small batches of ink are blended to give the required consistency and strength. Forge Lamp Black is a thick, smooth non-waterproof ink that has good permanence. It can be watered down, and should always be shaken well before use. As with all handmade products derived from natural ingredients, there may be slight variations in the colour and consistency. Ingredients: Soot, gum Arabic, and clove oil.

Not suitable for fountain pens. Learn More

The highest quality ink found on illuminated manuscripts in medieval Britain, this ink is an intense crimson red, made by simmering brazilwood chunks in vinegar. Add a tiny drop of Oak Gall Ink to produce wonderfully bright violets. 

Not suitable for fountain pens. Learn More

A luscious sunshine yellow that can be layered to produce deeper shades. As a blend of organic dyes derived from saffron and turmeric, this ink is not fully lightfast. Unlike other inks in this range, it has a granulating texture that displays the individual colour particles. 

Learn More

Our oldest recipe, this high-quality Oak Gall Ink was used by monasteries and the Crown in medieval Britain. Initially a medium blue-grey, it darkens to a rich, matte black, slightly warmer in tone than our other Oak Gall Inks. When diluted, beautiful warm red undertones are revealed due to the presence of wine within the mixture.

Not suitable for fountain pens.

Learn More

This turquoise ink is a beautiful, transparent, deep blue-green. It can be layered for deeper shades; when used at full opacity it is a deep viridian green, and when diluted with water it reveals a marked blue undertone. Made from a blend of botanical dyes, this ink is not fully lightfast.

Not suitable for fountain pens. Learn More

Purple Carmine is a beautiful, transparent, blue-purple ink, which can be layered up for deeper shades. This colour can create some interesting effects; when diluted, the purple splits into two colours, a red and blue. Due to the use of cochineal in our formula, this ink is not fully lightfast or vegan.

Not suitable for fountain pens. Learn More

Made from organic hawthorn berries collected from Cambridgeshire, this bright, warm yellow ink can be layered in order to produce deeper shades. It is not fully lightfast or waterproof due to the presence of organic materials.

Not suitable for fountain pens. Learn More

A rich, soft green, this ink is made from organic Hawthorn berries, collected in Cambridgeshire, following a medieval English formula. The ink is not fully lightfast, due to the presence of organic ingredients.

Not suitable for fountain pens. Learn More

Formulated from the same dye that was used to colour blue and white china, this ink is a deep, rich blue. Used at full opacity, it is a blue-black, and dilutes down to wonderful cold blue washes. As it is dye-based, it is not fully lightfast. 

Learn More

Formulated to the exact recipe used by Isaac Newton, this ink is completely permanant, as his surving writings attest. Although composed of very similar ingredients to our Jane Austen Ink, we consider Newton's recipe to be superior, as Austen's has browned slightly over time. Initially a medium blue-grey, it darkens to a rich, matte back, which is slightly warmer in tone than our regular Oak Gall Ink. It is made in small batches and blended to give the required consistency and strength, and is fully waterproof in 5-7 days. Permanent and lightfast, it has been steeped for several weeks and left to ‘mature’ for several more in the bottle. When used on animal skins such as vellum, the acids in the Oak Gall Ink react with collagen, effectively ‘etching’ itself into the surface, hence its permanence. 

Not suitable for fountain pens. Learn More

This ink is made to the recipe that Jane Austen used to draft her novels. Austen's maid took this formula from Martha Lloyd's book, ‘The House Keeper’. She used good-quality English oak galls, but poorer quality beer than Isaac Newton, and added a little sugar. Her recipe is less stable and turns ‘antique brown’ over a long period of time, while Sir Isaac Newton's remains black. Initially a medium blue-grey, it darkens to a rich matte back, slightly warmer in tone than our regular Oak Gall Ink. It is made in small batches and blended to give the required consistency and strength, and is fully waterproof in 5-7 days. Permanent and lightfast, it has been steeped for several weeks and left to ‘mature’ for several more in the bottle. When used on animal skins such as vellum, the acids in the Oak Gall Ink react with collagen, effectively ‘etching’ itself into the surface, hence its permanence. 

 

Not suitable for fountain pens. Learn More

Made from organic walnut husks collected in Cambridgeshire, this deep brown walnut ink is made to an 18th-century formula. Small batches of the ink are blended to give the required consistency and strength. It has good permanence, but will eventually fade if left in direct sunlight for sustained periods of time, and is not wholly waterproof, but has some staying power, especially on sized watercolour papers. As with all handmade products derived from natural ingredients, there may be slight variations in the colour and consistency as a result of seasonal changes.

Not Suitable for fountain pens. Learn More

Exclusive to Cornelissen, our intense black Iron Oak Gall Ink is made to a medieval recipe using oak galls collected in Cambridgeshire. The small, handmade batches are blended to give the required consistency and strength, and are steeped for several weeks and left to ‘mature’ for several more. Lightfast and fully waterproof 5-7 days after application, Oak Gall Ink has been used for centuries by calligraphers and scribes to create illuminated manuscripts and legal documents. When used on animal skins such as vellum, the acids in the Oak Gall Ink react with collagen, effectively ‘etching’ itself into the surface, hence its permanence. As with all products derived from natural ingredients, there may be slight variations in the colour and consistency of the ink due to seasonal changes. Not Suitable for fountain pens.

 

Learn More