The first “permanent” ink. We could talk endlessly about what makes an ink “permanent”. Modern fountain pen ink is made mostly of water, and when writing something, I often think “how long will these words remain on this page?” The original Declaration of Independence is fading; ancient manuscripts are often in better condition. Paper, ink composition (older inks used iron gall and were far more permanent). Today’s archival and permanent inks often resort to these ancient ink recipes. 33 species of New World Quail as well.