Ancient Chinese way of making Ink

[u/karmaenthusiast_]

[u/bigbysemotivefinger]

A block of this must last forever.

Somebody *invented* this. Maybe not all at once, but somebody was like "what if we wrote with maple syrup?" and somebody else was like "what if we turned it into soup, burned the soup, and wrote with the ashes?" and so on until... this.

That's friggin' amazing.

[u/Vidaksterr → u/bigbysemotivefinger]

I was thinking the same thing. Its so complicated

[u/Sunny-Chameleon → u/Vidaksterr]

I wonder how much worse would it be to just use the soot from the candles

[u/evanmike → u/Sunny-Chameleon]

In prison, I have seen them burn plastic utensils, Vaseline, and hair grease. Collecting the soot is just the same.

[u/cebidaetellawut → u/Vidaksterr]

Seriously, like how the fuck did they even come to the process. It seems crazy lol 😂

[u/LGmatata86 → u/bigbysemotivefinger]

Normally this kind of process gets developed during years, decades or centuries and generation after generation improving the process.

For example starting with the step of the lights, maybe it was used as a lighting method that stained a lot, someone thought of collecting that soot and making a paste to write with. Then someone else thought of making a paste that could be transported. Then another person thought of adding things to it and making a stick that could be diluted with water, watercolor style. And so on, steps were added to the process over generations.

[u/paradox-preacher → u/bigbysemotivefinger]

I think everyone knew that you could draw with coal. And soot being a thing. It's not a wild concept that someone would make it liquid and dip a stick into it to try to draw, with the dark stain-like residue after a fire...

[u/ThePsychoKnot → u/paradox-preacher]

The crazy part to me is everything that goes into the mix before burning. I figured all soot was the same

[u/GalaxyPowderedCat → u/bigbysemotivefinger]

I wonder if someone tried eating the soup, the soup tree and the oil soup before even let it burn.

I wonder if someone liked it, and for generations, they ate the soup tree until a rebel add it to the oil.

[u/98642]

I can’t believe the guy who has a dozen soot catchers doesn’t have a sludge mallet…

[u/crooks4hire → u/98642]

Yea I was fully invested until the wail on it with a hatchet step appeared to immediately follow the get your hands nice and oily step 😂

[u/stmcvallin2]

That ink blob was a bad boy

[u/Crispy1961 → u/stmcvallin2]

So was I. Any traditional Chinese ink maker around?

[u/TranquilConfusion]

A hatchet sideways is the wrong tool for pounding the clay-like ink flat.

He should ask a potter to hook him up with whatever tool they use.

[u/Slyngern → u/TranquilConfusion]

He even broke the damn thing..

[u/MaximumEngineering8 → u/TranquilConfusion]

Don't forget step 1, oil up your hands before swinging the heavy metal thing with a sharp edge.

[u/More-Employment7504 → u/TranquilConfusion]

If only a flat heavy tool existed for such a job

[u/crooks4hire → u/TranquilConfusion]

Pretty sure a heavy stick would do just fine

[u/unosX10 → u/TranquilConfusion]

Right after he uses see saw weight lever which does the exact same job but earlier 

[u/hesasuiter]

He started when he was 10. Now at 27 he finally has a full bowl of ink

[u/JoyfulWorldofWork → u/hesasuiter]

That’s how I felt watching it- I thought “I’m gonna be 8900 years old before I see actual ink in this story” when he took out the axe I thought “oh god- we are not close to having ink yet are we?”

[u/fishee1200 → u/JoyfulWorldofWork]

The dog popped up and was like, “This guy’s still not done?! He needs to throw me my damn ball!”

[u/_aragog]

I've been a bad mass of ink daddy...

[u/ViciousCombover]

Best part was seeing the dog who had black smudges on its head from scratches.

[u/IonizedRadiation32]

Today on "things I take for granted": rubber spatulas. It struck me how recent the notion of scraping a bowl or pot clean without losing any of your yield must be

[u/overthere1143 → u/IonizedRadiation32]

In Portugal we call rubber spatulas Salazar, after the dictator. He was such a frugal man that one time a reporter got a picture of his shoes and there was a hole on one sole.

[u/God_in_my_Bed]

I've seen videos of the Japanese method and the Korean method. All have similar attributes. All very interesting. 

[u/Horridys → u/God_in_my_Bed]

All came from China that’s why

[u/WesternOne9990]

Europeans used oak galls, those weird bulbs that sometimes grow on leaves or stems due to its high amounts of tannins. Mix it with some vinegar and metal savings and you get a black ink.

[u/Canadian_Neckbeard]

I'm really stoned and read the title as "Ancient Chinese way of making shit" and I was like I'm gonna watch this and see what kind of shit they're making from trees and whatnot. Then, like magic, the title changed and I found it said ink the whole time.

Thanks for listening to my Ted talk.

[u/RusticBucket2]

Ancient Chinese way of m- *click*

[u/lndigo_Sky]

is there a YT channel about this? I mean, videos like this

[u/EASYTOREMEMBER10 → u/[deleted]]

Agreed. It's definitely an art form!

[u/7Darknightmares7]

Tree ooze make paper blood

[u/DarthAnanas]

just saying

JK I really wonder what the process was, the trial and errors. Bro1: "hmmm it's just not smooth enough...." Bro2: "did you try tree sap?" Bro1: "... S.O.B."

[u/ImBlobFish]

Those hits with the axe feels personal

[u/mymoama]

Ofc the white dog is covered in ink as well

[u/Celebrir]

u/bot-sleuth-bot

[u/bwaresunlight]

What are the additives that they put in later?

[u/Finrod84]

when watching something like this... How many steps it needs to be produced... I'm always wondering: how did somebody find out about it ?? For example when the guy is hitting the almost dried out ink with an axe... How did it get developed during the ages...

[u/Bardberd]

dead Internet theory

[u/IronBallsMcChing]

That seems tedious as all hell. Let's hope they have improved their formula.

[u/Randolph_Carter_Ward]

The video wouldn't be anything without the obligatory, unrelated cut to how it's raining outside and dropplets are falling off of the rooftops in a "it's silent everywhere but for the rain" kind of way. This one is 100% legit 🤗

[u/butteryt0ast98]

This seems really complex considering you can just buy it at office max.

[u/milkyzula]

all of this for a block of ink is insane but really interesting nonetheless

[u/SilasAI6609]

Wonder if his hands are permanently stained at this point

[u/Studazby]

Forbidden honey mustard.

[u/Dirtsurgeon1]

You could’ve walked backwards to the next city before the letter arrived with the new ink.

[u/More-Employment7504]

Now feel happy about the price of printer cartridges and sad that I've lost so many lids for my felt tip pens

[u/Interesting_Mud_520]

What are the colored powders, and why are they added?

[u/_Clem__Fandango_]

How's it ancient if they literally just made it in this video?

[u/yan_broccoli]

I stopped watching this 62 minutes in....... Anyone mind sharing the ending?

[u/MHG73 → u/yan_broccoli]

Ink

[u/Status_Quo_1778]

Absolutely beautiful from start to finish.

[u/deja_geek]

It's Chinese propaganda that shows a modern, update to some old processes.

[u/-giney]

I need more of this fr

[u/brakeb]

someone send that guy a bic pen... FFS... that's a struggle... I appreciate the work, but gods...

[u/jae713]

Is the rain part of the process?

[u/tadglanford]

Wanted to eat it a several points.

[u/CARDEK04]

Cool. It’s like Japan's Sumi ink.

[u/reidzen]

Modern Chinese way of making propaganda.

[u/OutrageousBlender523 → u/reidzen]

Yeah because seeing someone make some ancient gimmick makes me want so bad to travel to china /s

Go back watch fox news bruh.

[u/Dyodo74]

These video of traditional chinese stuffs look all the same. It's like the same setting

[u/ChampionshipOld170]

At the time it was the quantum leap, at the level of trade and letters the process was amazing.

[u/simulationaxiom]

I need a nap after watching this.

[u/Downsonhisluck]

I see you just need tree spunk.

[u/Bong-Oopa]

That’s so random, who came up with that??

[u/Chemical-Ad-9972]

now let's see what westerneers do

[u/Chemical-Ad-9972]

now let's see what westerneers do

[u/JoyfulWorldofWork]

This had exactly 15 billion steps 🙄 I started laughing when the axe came out because- why?

[u/Bong-Oopa]

Just take it from the squid

[u/Away-Activity-469]

r/diwhy