Quill Pen and Ink Set

Quill pen and ink sets allow you to practice calligraphy, an ancient form of human art that dates back millennia. Though learning how to write with quill takes practice and dedication, its rewards make the effort well worthwhile.

Prepare the feather by removing its barbs and cutting it to six or seven inches in length. Drain any soapy water that accumulates and clean your nails thoroughly.

Design

Quill pens consist of feathers with narrow slits through which ink flows by capillary action, usually slightly wider at its end to form a point. Feathers can be obtained by harvesting primary flight feathers from geese or turkeys that moult annually at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello; Thomas needed large quantities for writing Magna Carta and Declaration of Independence documents.

Bortoletti art masters have designed an exquisite selection of historically-inspired quill pens suitable for anyone interested in calligraphy. A high quality calligraphy ink bottle completes this package.

Material

Feather quill pens are popular writing or calligraphy tools. This kit includes a large feather pen with black ink wells and various calligraphy nibs to enable writing or calligraphy with dry or wet ink, increasing water amounts for lighter thinner lines or decreasing it for thicker bolder ones. Plus it comes complete with its own gift box making it the ideal antique desk decor piece!

Quills are most frequently made from the primary flight feathers of corvid birds. Traditionally, this process involved cutting off a piece of bird wing’s calamus as the barrel for writing instruments such as quill pens. Wood or plastic pieces may also be used instead for this purpose. Plectra for psalteries and lutes were crafted using feathers from primary flight feathers rather than just its calamus for body making purposes.

Packaging

This quill pen comes equipped with a small packet of dry ink for you to practice calligraphy – one of the oldest forms of art! In order to prepare the ink, empty out soapy water from its bowl and replace it with white vinegar instead.

A quill should be cut to six or seven inches long. Traditionally, feathers were not sold as left- or right-handed; their curvature naturally curves away from the sight line over the hand. A slit in one end of each feather serves as an ink reservoir that feeds capillary action back up to the tip for easy inking. Thomas Jefferson even raised geese at Monticello so as to meet his quill requirements!