Writing With a Quill Pen
Writing with a quill pen is an ancient tradition that provides both beauty and functionality for its user. A quill is treated and shaped so it holds ink, which flows from its shaft through a slit into its tip through capillary action to reach its point.
Quill pens emerged during the 6th century CE as an alternative to reed pens on parchment, replacing their predecessors made of large goose, swan, turkey and even crow, owl, and hawk feathers. They became increasingly popular as more people adopted quills as writing instruments.
Ink
No matter if it’s used for writing or drawing, ink is an integral tool of expression and communication. A mixture of dyes and pigments are blended with solvents, lubricants, carbon black particles, carbonaceous particles, carbon black particles, carbon nanotubes, alcohol resins and various other ingredients to form this versatile medium.
Ink comes in many colors and can be used for writing, stamping, stamping and printing purposes. Thicker inks known as lithographic and gravure inks are typically reserved for printing on paper or other materials.
Quill pen are typically filled with ink made from goose or swan feathers (although other materials such as turkey feathers and even crow feathers are sometimes used), cut to fit the shape of traditional pen nibs with an adjustable slit at their ends allowing users to control ink flow from within their hollow center (called the “calamus”).
Ink has undergone significant evolution throughout its long history. Early forms were made from soot, glue and water; later Johannes Gutenberg developed printing press inks using lamp-black, turpentine and walnut oil as ingredients.
Nib
A nib is the point of a quill pen, dip pen, or fountain pens that has its origin in 16th-century terms for bird beaks; today however, this word also describes metal tips on ballpoint pens.
A pointed calligraphy nib is equipped with a capillary action hole at its core that delivers ink directly onto its tines via capillary action, creating more range of motion for writing with it. Light pressure should be used when using such a nib for upstroke and downstroke strokes respectively.
Nibs should be cleaned on a regular basis in order to prevent ink drying out and clogging it, and this is easily achieved through soak and wipe methods. Using quill pens for calligraphy or art writing provides greater control over line thickness – something regular pens cannot offer!
Shaft
The shaft is the long thin piece of the pen that houses its nib, often made out of primary flight feather cut to mimic traditional pen nib with a slit at one end to hold ink. Wood or reed may also be used.
The slit on the shaft enables a quill to write using capillary action, drawing ink from its reservoir at the base of its feather. It also serves to guide it onto paper while writing, and prevent spillage or clogging up of its nib.
Quill pens were first invented during the 6th century and became a leading writing instrument until the 19th century, being used to sign crucial documents such as Magna Carta and Declaration of Independence. Today, calligraphy quills remain popular writing tools used for producing elegant calligraphic lettering for invitations, certificates, or personalized artworks; technical draftsmen use quills due to the fine and precise lines they produce.
Paper
Writing with a quill pen differs considerably from writing with any other pen; its pressure sensitivity requires you to be extremely mindful when pressing down too hard on it, while regular dips into your ink supply must also be planned for in order to write effectively. Therefore, having an easy and large source of ink available to work from is key when using one of these pens.
Calligraphy quills are ideal for elegant and artistic lettering on invitations, certificates, or personalized artwork. Drawing quills offer fine line sketching capabilities which makes them particularly useful in technical drawings or illustrations.
While goose feathers are the traditional choice for writing manuscripts, other birds’ feathers have also been utilized; turkey and crow feathers can sometimes be substituted due to being stronger and larger. Also popular during medieval manuscript writing periods was quill pen; their popularity continued up until metal pens became mainstream during the 19th century, though quill pens remain widely used among professional scribes and calligraphers today.
