Metal Pen Holders and Quill Pens
Professional scribes and calligraphers use quill pens for writing. Constructed of primary flight feather calamus cut into fine point for use with pen holders, quill pens provide smooth pen strokes when writing.
This set comes complete with a pen holder and bottle of calligraphy ink, offering decent value for the price point; however, I would prefer better nibs and ink that will work on different kinds of papers.
What is a quill?
The quill pen was an early writing instrument used from around the sixth century until roughly 1800s. Constructed of long, hollow feather shafts with points at either end and featuring an ink reservoir slit (known as a “slit”) at its tip for ink absorption by capillary action, its purpose was writing with ink on paper documents.
Goose, swan, or turkey feathers were ideal for making quills due to their length. After moulting, living birds’ new growth feathers would be removed during this period and removed from left wings as these tend to curve away from a right-handed writer’s sight line.
Quill pens remain widely used by professional scribes and calligraphers today, serving as symbols of education and literature. The transition from quills to modern writing instruments was an important milestone in human history that raised literacy rates while enabling knowledge preservation.
Origins
From the 6th century until 19th century, quill pens were the standard writing tool. Used for great works of literature, daily ship logs and correspondence; and historic documents like Magna Carta.
Quill pens were traditionally composed of goose feathers and required multiple of them in order to complete even one page of writing. The feathers used for quills came from geese or swans that had been slaughtered or collected from migration or molting seasons; harvesting would require multiple visits per page written.
These pens required regular dipping into ink that was often iron gall ink (composed of iron galls, shavings and honey) or water-based or pigmented ink. As time progressed, dip pens with replaceable metal nibs became the preferred method. Quill and Reed pens eventually gave way to dip pens with replaceable metal nibs in some locations.
Functions
Add a pen holder to your desk to give writing tools a permanent place, reduce visual clutter, and show professionalism by respecting and paying attention to every detail in your work. Clutter distracts us, making it harder for us to think clearly and stay focused; while an attractive quality pen holder keeps everything tidy. It makes an attractive focal point on any desktop.
Quills can be used for an assortment of tasks, from calligraphy (to create elegant and artistic lettering suitable for invitations and certificates) to sketching and technical drawing with precise lines.
Materials
Metal pen holders provide durability and a premium appearance that plastic holders cannot match, as well as resist rusting for long-term desk and workstation use. [Benefits of using metal pen holders]
Nib holders can be found at most craft stores and online retailers, and come in various sizes to accommodate various types of nibs. Oblique nib holders have flanges which support certain forms of calligraphy; comic and manga artists who wish to create line variation or expressive movement in their artwork often opt for this form of calligraphy [benefits of using oblique nib holders]. You can even make your own using toilet roll tubes glued securely using hot glue or crazy glue (or both!). For DIY pen holders you can even make these out of toilet roll tubes by simply hot gluing or crazy glueing the tubes securely together!
