Goose Quill Pen

Quill pens were used for writing the vast majority of medieval manuscripts and the Declaration of Independence, including Thomas Jefferson who kept geese at Monticello to provide his quill pen requirements.

Each quill is meticulously hand-cut and then most of its barbs trimmed off for use as writing nibs – this is how serious modern scribes prepare their feathers.

Feathers

Quill pens were once used exclusively by professional scribes and calligraphers before mass produced steel nibs became widespread during the 19th century. While quill pens can be beautiful writing tools, using one requires skillful practice in order to become adept.

Quill pens are traditionally created using the outer left wing feathers from geese or swans, although other birds such as turkeys, ducks, crows and owls have also been utilized to craft quill pens. Once harvested, each feather is cut to a point with an ink reservoir on either end known as the “calamus,” providing an efficient ink delivery system when immersed into an ink container.

The tip of a feather is then trimmed down to a point and shaped into a nib. Capillary action allows ink from the calamus plant to travel through it up through its feather, creating capillary action pens which work by drawing up ink through the feather to be collected by capillary action ink reservoir. Over time, this slit can be narrowed or broadened depending on ink flow preference.

Nibs

The nib is the portion of a quill pen, fountain pen or ball point pen that makes contact with paper to deposit ink onto it. Usually flexible and coming to a point at its tip, some nibs also feature wider edges to produce thicker strokes.

Ink was channeled from the barrel into the nib via capillary action, acting like a funnel for ink to flow freely into it. A slit at the end of the barrel served as a capillary that expanded under pressure allowing nib tines to bend freely for producing thick or thin lines.

Wood barrels typically featured a hole cut into their sides to accommodate a pen point. An ink well and pen wipe were essential accessories of quill pens; even young ladies should know how to assemble or repair one themselves according to an 1836 article in Godey’s Lady’s Book that advised this capability for quill pens before steel models became widely popular.

Ink

Quill pens use ink stored within their feather’s hollow center (known as a calamus) to write. Their tips have been cut to mimic traditional nibs while featuring a small slit to control ink flow from their respective calamuss and prevent spillage when held upside down.

Pens work through capillary action and are sensitive to pressure, so it’s essential not to press too hard when writing with one. Furthermore, using quality paper that doesn’t exceed 100gsm may prevent bleeding of ink through or clogging of nibs.

Quill pens were the primary writing instrument of medieval manuscripts and continued their dominance up until the 19th century, when steel nibs eventually replaced them as primary writing implements. Quills were even used for signing historical documents like Magna Carta and Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson who kept geese at Monticello specifically to meet his demand for quills.

Paper

Quill pens were an early 19th Century innovation used for writing and drawing on paper until mass-produced steel pen nibs took over, being preferred by writers, artists and scribes such as Charles Dickens who used one every day in his daily writing habits.

Before the introduction of quill pens, reed and bamboo pens were commonly used for writing on papyrus; these devices would often keep their points for only short periods and needed frequent sharpening; when used with water-based inks they often became unusable due to clogging up.

To prepare a goose feather for writing or drawing you will first need to strip off most of its outer covering before splitting with a pen knife and scraping away at any remaining teeth – this may take some time! Once this process has been completed the goose feather can then be loaded with ink for use for writing or drawing purposes.