Authentic Pine Soot Inkstick with Ink Stone

Traditional Chinese ink for Quill Pens and Calligraphy brushes!

Pine Soot Inkstick: SIZE 9.5cm X 2.2cm X 1.1cm
Color: Black (with a very subtle cold blue tint)
A round-shaped inkstone made from charcoal color natural stone, with lid

Ink and inkstone are two of the four precious things in a traditional Chinese scholar's study. The other two are brush and paper.

Chinese ink was traditionally made into solid inksticks for easy to carry and storage. The ink was then ground on an inkstone to mix with water for use. The main ingredients of this ink stick are pine soot, scents, and binding agent.

The pine soot is made from the burnt pinewood. It does not fade to the extent that western ink does when exposed to light and ancient pictures and calligraphy still retain their resilience after centuries of display. Comparing to bottled Japanese blue ink, it has less blue tint but gives a thicker body as hand-ground ink.

Here is a tip for you: you may use this ink stick to grind the bottled ink on ink stone to make it into a heavier paste. That is, instead of using pure water you can pull some liquid ink from bottle into the ink stone and add just a little bit water, then grind it with the ink stick. By so doing you will get the quality of traditional ground ink and the convenience of bottled ink.

This good inkstick can last for a long time for moderate uses. Inkstones are an acquired taste like several other facets of Chinese culture. They are generally black or dark in color and do not draw the attention of the eye. Their beauty oftentimes is not so much in how they look but in how they work, which is literally a stone mortar for the grinding and containment of ink. It comes with a lid to keep ink from drying too fast.

Using instructions: Sprinkle some water on the ink stone and grind the inkstick in a circular motion until the desired thickness ink is made. Add more water if the ink seems too thick.

Don't leave the moisture on inkstick and wipe it dry after each use. Don't store it in humid and direct sunlight conditions.

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