Calligraphy Quill Pen

Calligraphy quill pens are valued professional tools used for artistic writing that require skill and practice to use effectively. While some may view quill pens as expensive hobbies, many find the experience relaxing and fulfilling.

Quill pens are constructed using primary flight feathers from large birds such as geese and swans, though turkeys and crows have also been utilized. Their capillary action means frequent dips into an inkwell for refills.

The Quill

Quill pens, composed of bird feathers, are writing instruments used in calligraphy and other styles of handwriting. Prior to metal pen being invented during the 1800s, quill pens were primary tools used by Western scribes and allowed for extremely fine delineation of images and decorations in manuscripts.

There are various methods for creating quills for use, but most involve heating the shaft of a feather until it becomes flexible before cutting to shape and creating a nib. Most commonly goose, swan or turkey feathers are used, though crow, hawk and owl feathers may also be employed as source material for quills.

Monitoring ink build-up on the metal nib of a metal quill pen and regularly blotting should be an integral part of its maintenance. Unattended dried ink will corrode away at its base and hinder writing, while using sand on paper may help absorb extra ink without disrupting or ruining any works in progress.

The Nib

A nib is the pointed end of a calligraphy pen. When subject to slight pressure, its tines unfold into what we refer to as tines which allow ink to flow from it onto paper creating strokes of calligraphy.

Nibs come in various degrees of flexibility and sharpness; sharper nibs provide thicker downstrokes but may require greater pressure for writing with. Softer nibs enable thin upstrokes but may be inconsistent and need to be used with greater patience and care.

The Zebra G is an invaluable member of our studio due to its smooth performance and fine point. Responsive to pressure and featuring a balanced combination of resistance and flex, it makes this pen ideal for Copperplate, Spencerian and modern calligraphy styles alike. Plus it comes equipped with a vent hole to regulate how much ink flows onto paper – no one likes blobs!

The Ink

Calligraphers use ink as one of their key calligraphic tools, alongside pen and support (paper). However, ink selection is highly subjective: what works well for one may prove disastrous for others.

Fountain pen inks and dye-based calligraphy inks typically consist of pigments suspended in liquid carriers with adhesive binders to help adhere them to paper, making your selection of an ink essential in terms of how well it flows from your nib and what colors may be available to you.

Some inks are also more opaque than others. A few types of ink have unique compositions, including lamp black, iron gall and bistre. These historically significant inks have been used by scribes since antiquity; lamp black is composed of carbon soot that darkens over time while iron gall ink contains tannins from oak galls and contains oxidizing agents which produce richer tones over time. Both were traditionally applied using quill pens.

The Paper

As with any art or skill, calligraphy requires specific kinds of paper in order to produce its best results. Thickened papers that can withstand pen and ink are essential.

Use of inappropriate paper can result in several issues, including feathering and bleed-through. Luckily, there are specific calligraphy papers designed to avoid these complications.

These specialty papers, often composed of cotton or linen fibres (called “rag” fibres) sourced from “rag”, are typically designed to control ink absorption and prevent feathering, with smooth surfaces for no nib catching during delicate strokes and adding character with texture added for extra friction between nib and pen nib to minimize skipped ink spots.