How to Make Ink For Your Quill Pen

Sage is here to show us how to create ink for quill pens, an ancient form of writing instrument which became increasingly popular until steel nibs came on the scene in the nineteenth century.

Quill pens work using capillary action; ink rises from an inked feather cut at around 70-degree angles through its slit to form the pen tip. There are various methods for prepping feathers for use as quill pens.

Feather

Traditional quill pens were traditionally constructed using goose or swan feathers; however, other large bird feathers such as those from crows, turkeys, and hawks have also been utilized. For optimal quill pen use, feathers that had recently grown were from living birds during molting processes.

First, cut across the bottom of the quill at an acute angle at a shallow angle; simply look for where its point touches paper to identify which side is the bottom. A second cut is then made along the same angle in order to create a nib that can either be trimmed into a fine point for writing or blunted to form broad calligraphic strokes.

Reed pens were once used as the primary writing instrument before quill pens became more widespread, but they weren’t as reliable at keeping their point sharp and were difficult to clean or sharpen regularly. Quill pens soon replaced these tools as the preferred method, used extensively for medieval manuscripts as well as important documents like Magna Carta and Declarations of Independence.

Nib

The nib is the writing surface of a quill pen that deposits ink onto paper. Nibs may be composed of different materials such as wood, metal and even horn; an ideal nib will offer smooth ink flow while remaining resilient enough to withstand pressure, as well as being capable of holding lots of it.

Medieval quill pens were highly prized during medieval times for their fine writing on parchment and vellum, in comparison to their older reed pen counterparts. Attaching these fine instruments could also make writing more visually striking as they could be displayed with holders made of wood or metal decorated with artistic motifs.

Quill pens work through capillary action, wherein ink rises up the hollow shaft of a feather (called a calamus ) until it reaches the nib. This mechanism prevents ink from pouring out when held upside down and requires only feather, nib and an inkwell for storage of ink.

Ink

Writing with a quill pen requires practice, but the reward can be tremendously fulfilling and satisfying once you master it. We recommend calligraphy inks which are thicker than fountain pen inks and designed specifically to stay on nibs without pooling onto paper (provided you don’t over-dip).

Or you could use a quality sketchbook or drawing paper, instead of cheaper printer paper that may bleed ink from its nib. Cheap printer paper tends to bleed more when used by those with heavy hands than quality drawing or sketchbooks do.

Lexington Grey is our go-to calligraphy ink of choice; its classic staple gray shade makes it suitable for Old English and Copperplate scripts while providing some shading. If you want something darker, add some bluing for added contrast; just keep in mind that dark ink won’t last as long and could potentially corrode pen parts over time.

Paper

Quill pens first became widely used around the 6th century and were quickly adopted as writing instruments by European literature throughout most of European literature until 19th Century. Reed pens were previously popular, yet often lost their point rapidly requiring regular sharpening; quill pens differed in that their capillary action stored the ink, enabling scribes to write small scripts with precise strokes & microscript.

The quill pen was widely used for creating important documents, including the Magna Carta and Declaration of Independence, by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. Making your own quill pen at home is both fun and straightforward – perfect for family fun – plus makes an impressive-looking journaling tool! Give it a try now; you won’t regret it!