Based on the number of recipes out there, it seems like any ol' method will do when it comes to making iron gall ink; however, my first attempt was terrible. In reading the conservation research, these are the most important factors for getting black ink. * Hot water extraction works

My thanks to Ibby Lanfear for these up-to-date articles on iron gall ink. * Iron-gall inks: a review of their degradation mechanisms and conservation treatments * Non-destructive analyses of iron-polyphenolic complexes for reconstructing iron-gall inks historical recipes * Exploring the properties and degradation of iron gall inks and logwood ink and their mixtures

Iron gall ink is a black ink made from oak galls, iron salts, and gum Arabic. Iron gall ink has been in use for thousands of years. It is considered permanent, and has been used for legal documents until recently. Oak galls are wasp incubation pods found on oak trees.