18th Century Quill Pen

Before steel pen nibs were introduced in the 19th century, quill pens were the primary writing instruments. Constructed from large flight feathers from either goose or swans and treated so that they can be used for writing purposes – quill pens were attractive yet effective writing instruments that provided users with an engaging writing tool.

The Quill

Quill pens were once the primary writing instrument, made from bird feathers such as goose or turkey feathers. For best writing results, living birds’ primary flight feathers should be extracted at the time of new growth after moulting to ensure optimal writing performance.

A hollow feather is hollowed out and given a slit in order for ink to flow through it, before being stored within its hollow shaft (known as the calamus) for distribution by capillary action to its tip.

Point or nibs are cut on the underside of feathers with a pen knife and must then be hardened so as to remain flexible enough and last as long as possible. This process may involve leaving them out in the sun for long enough, burying it in hot sand, or baking them in an oven; Thomas Jefferson even kept geese at Monticello so he would have access to writing quills he used when writing important documents such as Declaration of Independence!

The Point

Quill pens feature sharp points at one end with an ink-filled capillary tube running along its length to release ink through capillary action and produce capillary action to flow ink from. When properly prepared, this pen point can produce fine line scratches without widening with wetting and drying or becoming unruly as modern steel pen points do.

Prior to 1800, quill pens were the primary writing implement used for medieval manuscripts and professional scribes like Thomas Jefferson at Monticello (who even kept geese at Monticello to supply their immense need for quills!). They became obsolete with steel pens becoming popular.

In the 18th century, hardening quills was a standard practice to make their point or nib rigid enough for writing. This could be achieved through either submersion in water or submerging them in hot sand; scraping was also recommended as an additional measure to remove small “shavings” of membrane from its surface.

The Slit

As its name implies, a quill pen possesses a sharp point called the calamus which connects to a shaft with a narrow slit (known as the nib). Careful preparation of this narrow slit prevents it from widening when wet with ink and allows its tip to create finer lines without just mopping up an unintentional broad stroke.

Prep the slit by scraping with the back of your knife blade until a very smooth, plastic-like surface is achieved, avoiding small bits of membrane from appearing at its edge and thus hindering formation of a good point.

A properly prepared slit will not widen over repeated wetting and drying cycles, and can be used until only small portions of quill remain. Slits typically come from primary flight feathers discarded during annual moult, although other feather sources like those from owl, hawk and turkey could also be utilized.

The Inkwell

An inkwell is a container used to store ink used for writing. A writer uses brushes, quill pens or dip pens to access this ink source before writing. Most inkwells feature lids to prevent contamination, evaporation and accidental spillage of its contents.

Pens and inkwells were popular symbols of social status in the 18th century. Victorians preferred classic gilt or crystal inkwells featuring floral, scenic or figural designs while novelty inkwells like those shaped like cavalry helmets or featuring taxidermy horse-hoof prints were equally sought-after.

Resourceful travelers would bring along travel-size inkwells in their luggage along with quill pens and notepaper for use while away. At home, scribes kept their tools organized on elegant wood or cast brass lap desks with built-in inkwells; Thomas Jefferson even kept geese at his estate to provide enough quill pens to fuel his extensive scholarly research work. African Americans even enjoyed having their own beach, known as The Inkwell in Santa Monica where they socialized without facing discrimination from anyone.