An Old Quill Pen

A quill pen is an ancient writing tool, composed of a feather carefully cut to a point with an ink reservoir attached.

From classical antiquity through the 19th century, it was used extensively for writing manuscripts – leaving an indelible mark in literary history.

Origin

Quill pens first became fashionable around the sixth century, and continued as one of the leading writing tools until around 19th century. Used extensively in writing important documents like Magna Carta.

Prior to quill pens being available, people used styluses on clay tablets and wax or reed pens with ink as writing instruments. While they did work, this method wasn’t conducive to beautiful or legible writing.

Quill pens were traditionally constructed using large feathers from geese or swans (although crow, owl, and turkey feathers have also been used) which had been treated to harden their shafts. Each feather features a natural slit which could be expanded using a knife into an ink-regulating nib on a pen nib. This allowed ink flow regulation.

Characteristics

A quill pen was an ancient writing instrument which has been in use from antiquity through to the 19th century. Made from large bird feathers sourced from geese, swans, or turkeys (because these feathers tend to be thicker and stronger), its construction dates back millennia.

Metal pens were once very popular writing instruments due to their finer lines; until that point they became the writing instrument of choice among professional scribes and calligraphers.

Quill pens feature an end with a natural slit that can be expanded using a knife to form the nib. Depending on your desired style, this may feature thin or broad tips depending on capillary action that allows ink to flow down towards its point through gravity and capillary action.

Uses

Quill pens are versatile writing instruments, capable of handling most types of bottled ink and responding to both paper surfaces and your writing or drawing style. Their pressure sensitive tip responds both to surface differences as well as your writing or drawing style, making quills an effective writing and drawing solution.

Steel nibs were first used around the sixth century and became one of the primary writing tools until their use was replaced by quill pens during the 19th century. Quills are made from the outer feathers of bird wings trimmed to a point and hollowed to store ink when submerged into an inkwell, typically goose and swan feathers being preferred; some preferring crow feathers for fine line drawing instead.

After carving the point with a sharp knife, a slit must be cut on the top of the feather to allow ink to flow via capillary action and flow into it.

Materials

Quill pens were used to write most medieval manuscripts and sign important documents like Magna Carta and Declarations of Independence. Scribes and calligraphers employed these tools exclusively.

Quills were traditionally crafted from goose feathers; however, swan, turkey, and even crow feathers could also be used. For maximum strength, quills from living birds during their new growth period in spring were pulled directly. Thomas Jefferson kept a supply of goose eggs at Monticello to provide himself with writing implements.

One end of a feather is cut off at an oblique angle to create a nib, similar to what would be found on modern ballpoint pens, while the remaining feather is hand-shaped into an ink-regulating slit-shaped form for proper ink flow regulation.

Disadvantages

Quill pens were an exquisite old-fashioned art form, providing “much handsomer chirography than is achievable with steel pens.”

Quill pen usage required careful thought and consideration, making the work tedious yet rewarding for writers who took great pride in it. Writers had to take frequent stops in order to sharpen and reshape the quill point, with overuse often rendering its quill soft enough for replacement after extended writing sessions requiring them to go purchase another pen and resume writing sessions.

Families faced an important challenge in keeping ink flowing smoothly. Dipping and wiping was often messy and inconvenient; this may lead to leakage, smearing or splashing as well as creating blotches or streaks of ink on surfaces.