Quill Pen For Sale – Feather Quills, Calligraphy and More!

Feather quills, calligraphy dip pens, writing inks and parchment paper: everything you need to write like a Renaissance scribe!

Before quill pens became the primary writing instrument, reed pens or bamboo were widely used as writing tools. Quill pens have many advantages over their predecessors such as holding their point longer and being pressure-sensitive. Their unique ability to respond to your hand gives it its own distinct character.

HISTORY

Quill pens were once the world’s preferred writing instruments. Made from goose feathers that had been cut thin with a small slit at one end, quill pens allowed ink to flow from their hollow shaft, known as the calamus, into their pen tip through capillary action allowing writers to compose manuscripts or letters while also signing documents such as Magna Carta or Declarations of Independence with them.

These pens were far from inexpensive; Van Cleef & Arpels created one which cost over 1.7 Million Dollars!

People signed important documents until the 19th century with quill pens; it remains popular today among professional scribes and calligraphers. Quill pens can also be found symbolizing radical and socialist ideologies; for instance when used with hammers symbolizing workers. You might also find them on flags from Montenegro and Serbia.

ANatomy

Quill pens consist of two essential parts, the feather and nib. The nib is responsible for writing itself and comes in different shapes to accommodate various handwriting styles or personalized artwork. In general, primary flight feathers from large birds such as geese, swans, turkeys and crows are used to craft quill pens.

Quill pens feature hollow shafts (known as “calamuss”) which serve as an ink reservoir, while their nibs control ink flow via capillary action. Furthermore, this type of pen features an adjustable calamus with an slit for producing different writing styles.

Quill pens were once widely used by scribes to write on papyrus scrolls and animal skins like parchment and vellum. As paper became more accessible, reed pens faded in favor of quill pens; nowadays however, calligraphers still take pleasure in creating and using these elegant old-fashioned crafts.

Nibs

Nibs are the part of a dip pen, fountain pens or ball points that come into direct contact with writing surfaces to deposit ink. Nibs come in various shapes, sizes and materials tailored specifically for different tasks and purposes.

Before the quill pen was developed, reed and bamboo pens were the primary writing instruments. Unfortunately, these were difficult to use effectively due to not keeping their points for very long and required great skill to use properly. With its improved ability to keep its point longer and easier sharpening process, the quill pen offered many advantages.

Quill nibs can be crafted from various types of feathers, most frequently goose and swan. Crow, turkey and hawk feathers have also been utilized. Nibs are typically trimmed into traditional shapes with small slits to regulate ink flow; pressure sensitive nibs perform best with quality paper that doesn’t tear or pill when using these pressure sensitive instruments.

Ink

Quill pens require some practice and a learning curve, but are an amazing tool for both drawing and writing. Their capillary action draws liquid through narrow tubes automatically allowing capillary action to pull fluid along them and writes reliably on high quality papers such as high grade cotton paper compared to ballpoint or felt tip pens; though cheap or untreated paper may cause bleeding due to increased pressure sensitivity; avoid such papers to keep writing crisply!

Quill pen sets provide an exciting introduction to this fascinating tool, including feather, wooden pen with nibs, storage box and storage feather. Goose or swan feathers have traditionally been the choice; however, other feather types such as turkeys’, crows’ and hawks’ have also been utilized – Thomas Jefferson even kept a flock of geese at Monticello specifically for this purpose! For an affordable alternative try purchasing reed or bamboo dip pens instead.