The ink used in STAM must be black, made from at least two components and can not include any ingredients derived from a non-kosher animal. There are several different ink recipes that have been used historically for STAM, but the most common ink used today is “iron gall ink” – an ancient recipe that was the most popular ink in the Western world before the modern era. Iron gall ink is made by boiling a solution of crushed gall-nuts, iron sulfate and gum arabic. The resulting ink is thick and black, but environmental factors can cause it to change color over time. If the ink fades noticeably to another color (most commonly reddish-brown) the STAM is pasul.
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STAM 101 introduction & index