What Are the Parts of a Quill Pen?
Quill pens were the primary writing implement from the Dark Ages up until 1820 when metal pens became the standard writing instrument. Constructed of feathers from birds such as geese, swans, or turkeys with an inherent slit for writing nibs to expand and shape into writing nibs if desired, quill pens were generally considered inferior writing tools during that era.
Strong quills come from primary flight feathers shed by birds during their annual moulting cycle, making for stronger quills than ever.
The Quill
Quill pens are dip pens that utilize feather quills to deposit ink onto paper. A feather quill can be manipulated to produce various styles of writing from broad downstrokes to fine side strokes.
Feather quill pens were traditionally employed by scribes to write texts like the Magna Carta and Declaration of Independence, though Renaissance artists also utilized them when creating drawings with brush and watercolour techniques.
To create a quill pen, a bird feather must first be washed, cut and then cured (often using hot water or sand) before it is then slit by hand at its point using a special knife known as a “pen knife,” creating an ink conduit between shaft and tip by capillary action. Goose and swan feathers were often chosen for this task before metal pens became popular writing tools in Western world markets.
The Nib
Quill pens feature two essential elements, the feather and nib. The nib is responsible for actually writing, and comes in various shapes and sizes to meet different writing styles and personalized artwork needs.
Quill pens require primary flight feathers from large birds such as geese, swans and turkeys – typically goose, swan or turkey feathers due to their strength, flexibility and size. Other birds – such as crows or eagles – were sometimes used instead, though goose feathers provided the optimal combination of quality and availability.
Pen Knives were small knives used for carving nibs with ink-absorbing tips. This process produced fine point writing pens but could also be adjusted to make wider or narrower tips suitable for drawing purposes. When finished, these nibs would then be placed into their holders.
The Slit
Quill pens use feather’s hollow shaft (known as the calamus) as an ink reservoir, while an adjustable nib controls ink flow through capillary action.
Once your nib has been tailored to the style you prefer, it’s time to begin writing! A quality nib should produce legible thin lines when dipped into ink, with its slit able to accommodate different styles – for example a broad nib will produce wider downstrokes while narrow ones produce thinner side strokes.
Although a quill pen may seem delicate, they were used to sign many of the most significant documents from medieval Europe. Thomas Jefferson raised geese specifically to supply him with quill pens! These pens also hold their shape better than their reed counterparts and need less frequent sharpening; today they remain popular with professional writers and calligraphers who use them. Quill pens can be tricky to use at first, so practice first on paper first!
The Barrel
Quill pens were the preferred writing instrument during medieval Europe, since their shape could be maintained better and required less sharpening than reed pens. Furthermore, quills could adapt more readily to different handwriting and drawing styles than its counterpart.
Step one in creating a quill pen involves finding an appropriate feather. This may involve visiting your local wildlife park or zoo where birds are kept, and then prepping it properly by soaking it in water to dissolve its internal membrane and cutting its calamus at just the right angle so it functions as a nib.
Next, use a knife known as a ‘pen knife’ to trim off the tip of the feather using delicate and precise movements with this instrument. Narrow or widen to change nib width; once narrowed or wideened shape to desired curve and point for inking up.
