Quill Pen Price

Quill pens were once popular until metal pens took over as they provided finer writing on vellum documents such as Magna Carta and Declaration of Independence.

Pens were typically constructed using goose or swan wings with their outer feathers cut away, and then shaped into nibs with small slots to hold ink. Thomas Jefferson kept geese at Monticello specifically to produce him with these writing implements.

History

Quill pens date back to medieval era Europe when they became the primary writing tools. People prior to using quill pens wrote with styluses or reed pens on clay tablets and papyrus; quill pens proved superior because they worked so well on parchment and vellum paper made from animal skin; quills could even be used to draw images on manuscripts!

The most widely used quill pen were typically constructed from goose, turkey or crow feathers and required trimming to create long enough feathers to write with, while its point was cut with a sharp knife. While writing, quill pens must often be dipped into an inkwell while writing; additionally scribes had to regularly use a pen wiper to maintain a clean writing experience.

Quill pens fell out of favour around the mid 19th century with the rise of metal nibs for writing implements; today however, some calligraphers and scribes continue using quill pens for their craft.

Materials

Quill pens were first invented around the 6th century and quickly gained in popularity during the Middle Ages. Used to sign important documents such as Magna Carta and Declaration of Independence, quill pens proved more suitable than their reed and bamboo counterparts in maintaining sharp points on papyrus surfaces.

Goose feathers were traditionally the go-to choice, while swan feathers are said to be stronger and better for creating fine lines. Crow feathers have also been utilized; outer feathers cut to shape are fitted with small slits at their ends which control ink flow; these narrow slots can then be dipped into an inkwell to fill up reservoir.

Quill pens utilize capillary action, in which ink rises through the thin tube of their nib. Therefore, it is crucial that its condition remain in good order and that you press down lightly when writing with quills. After every use, rinse with water in order to keep ink from drying and clogging the slit in your quill pen’s nib.

Nibs

Quill pens feature nibs, or points or edges that come into contact with paper to deposit ink, made from wood, bamboo, feathers or metal. Most nibs have a slit cut through their center in order to channel ink from its sac into its point by capillary action.

Historically, quill pen nibs have traditionally been constructed from goose feathers; however, other feather types such as those of swans, turkeys, crows or hawks have also been employed. Stronger and larger feathers tend to be easier for carving into fine points.

In the 19th century, metal pens began replacing quills as writing implements. Although metal pens require frequent inking sessions with an inkwell, their life span far outstripped that of quills. Furthermore, they produce different strokes depending on pressure applied and wear less rapidly compared to their sharp points – these nibs were commonly known as “dip pens” or fountain pens and came in various sizes.

Design

As you’d expect, quill pens aren’t like any other writing instruments you might use every day. Each quill pen begins as an 18-inch long goose feather which is cut down into nib shape before being further refined for precise writing. Once formed, its tip can either be pointed for finer lines or formed into a broad calligraphic stroke for calligraphic strokes. Once made into an actual quill pen, its tip can then be used with ink from an ink bottle (though you must remember not to exert too much pressure as this could damage its capillary action functionality!).