Carbon-320: The Archival Mineral Standard

Carbon-320 is a surgical structural additive engineered for the artisanal press. By harvesting virgin shale before it enters the industrial supply chain, we preserve a prehistoric carbon-to-clay ratio that provides three definitive advantages for small-batch papermakers and letterpress printers:

• Archival Opacity: Provides a dense, structural foundation for handmade papers, allowing for professional-grade opacity in high-end stationery.

• Pigment-Free Toning: Delivers a permanent, archival-neutral (pH 7.0} smokey-grey tone that will never "bleed," fade, or react with acidic environments.

• Tactile "Tooth": Adds a microscopic, stone-ground texture that enhances the "bite" of high-pressure letterpress impressions and the "grip" of fine art papers.

The Prehistoric Source

The journey begins in the Mississippian System of the Lake Mountains, Utah. Here, 320 million years of geological pressure have "captured" prehistoric carbon within a unique illite-kaolinite shale deposit. Unlike industrial clays that are chemically bleached or blended for uniformity, our raw shale is selected for its inherent Carbon-320 signature—a deep, carbonaceous grey untouched by modern environmental exposure.

Precision Sourcing

We trade industrial volume for surgical access. Using our KLR 650 Scout Unit, we bypass valley floors to access high-altitude Virgin Strata. Each shard is hand-selected and carried in from the ridge. This ensures every gram of Carbon-320 is free from the heavy-machinery contamination and possible chemical runoff found in standard commercial mineral sources.

The Refinement Protocol

Our refinement ensures curatorial precision without the use of chemical additives:

• Material Hydration: Raw shale is submerged in distilled water, allowing the stone to collapse naturally into a refined slurry.

• Controlled Levigation: A timed sedimentation process separates desert grit and limestone from the fine clay.

• Screen Filtration: The suspension is passed through a 200-mesh screen to ensure a consistent particle size of less than 75 microns.

• Thermal Stabilization: The mineral is dried on a low-profile hearth. By never exceeding 450F, we lock the ancient carbon in place, preserving the "Smokey Joe" grey that high-heat industrial kilns would destroy.

The Drifter’s List: Join the Waitlist

We curate by the crate and fill by the jar. We never mix strata, and we never mass-produce. Batch 2026-004 is currently in the refinement pipeline.  We also never send marketing emails without permission.

Join the Waitlist for Batch 004