Quill Pen and Ink
Much of the west's literature and history has been written with quill pens. In the seventh century, feathers replaced reed pens as Europe's primary writing instrument. The finest specimens of quill pen were made from the flight feathers of geese. The tapered end of the feather was trimmed to the shape of a nib. The nib was dipped in ink, and thoughts and dreams were preserved for posterity. The quill pen reigned supreme until the latter part of the 19th century.
Selecting and Preparing the Quill
The best quill pens are made from feathers selected for length and structural integrity. The tube underneath the quills must be straight and unbroken. Feathers should be approximately 1 foot long, and tubes from 3/16 to ¼ of an inch thick. Tubes should also run most of the way up through the feather. This gives pens strength and stability. Though not an essential step, pens may be tempered to further increase resilience and durability. Stick the quill into a can of sand that has been heated for 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Simply leave the quill until the sand gets cold. The naturally transparent tube will turn opaque.
Strip the quill to remove excess feathers. Hold the quill in your hand as if preparing to write. Completely remove all feathers that come in contact with your hand. Use a sharp knife to scrape that portion of the quill until it is smooth. Flaring feathers further up on the quill may be removed with scissors. Cut from the top of the quill down toward the base.
Cutting the Nib
Hold the quill so that the tip points downward. The inner side of the curve is the back of the pen. Make a ¼ inch cut along the back of the pen near the base, cutting away from yourself at an angle of slightly less than 45 degrees. Cut a ½ inch line on the front of the pen centered with the cut on the back. Next, make a very small slit in the middle of the back of the pen, right near the tip. Slowly extend this slit upward, pulling apart the two sides and opening up the tube. The cutting and pulling should result in the removal of the back half of the tube in the area near the base of the quill. The base of the quill should be in the form of a rough point with a narrow slit at the tip.
Trim the point of the nib by scraping the knife along the sides of the opened tube. Work from the top downward, gradually bringing the nib to a point. If the back of the nib is too rounded, carefully scrape it out to flatten it. "Nib" the tip of the pen by gently scraping the very tip of the nib at a shallow angle until it assumes a tapered appearance distinct from the rest of the tube. To remove any excess, make short vertical cuts after scraping.
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