history of feather quill pens, powdered ink

�The writing Quill pen came into use as early as the seventh century after the Reed pen, and remained the preeminent writing instrument for most of the Western World for over a thousand years. Early scribes wrote and decorated the pages of their manuscripts, including the Bible, with the Quill Pen, while others were penning the Magna Carta.. This instrument was used to create great works of literature, books, daily correspondence, and historical documents that changed the world, such as the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution. Wars were started, won and lost, and some were even averted by the stroke of the quill pen. After the invention of the metal nib, Quills were still habitually being used as a matter of choice for many because of its flexibility and writing excellence.

The best pens were made from the flight feathers of geese. The word pen comes from the Latin word "Penna" which means feather. After plucking the wing feathers, the barrel or shaft needed to be carved. To cut the quill a sharp knife was needed, hence the word "penknife". Scribes and Stationers carved, sharpened and slit the point (nib) for writing, hence the word "stationery". No two quills write the same because of the development of the wing shaft and the carving of the quill maker. Therefore, each pen is as unique as the writer. It was and is today a tedious art to select, clean, trim and carve each writing quill.

Why the Goose Quill Pen writes so well

When the quill maker hand crafts quills, not all flight nor wing feathers can be used. Sometimes only two or three feathers can be utilized from a goose. For normal writing the nib must be carved to a very fine point. A slit is then put in the base of the shaft for the ink to travel to the tip. (The goose shaft has the unique characteristic to hold the ink until light pressure is applied, allowing the ink to flow.) When using the quill pen, you should always clean the ink off the nib after use. (Dip in clean water and gently wipe dry.) When writing with a quill you should use a light touch and a slanted hand. Regular use and practice will help the quill to write its best. The entire pen is completely washable. You may submerse the whole pen in warm soapy water, rinse and when it is dry it will return to its natural shape. Each feather has millions of interlocking barbs with a light sheen of oil that causes the feather to return to its original shape.

A Word About Ink

The use of colored fluids for drawing characters on parchment, hide, or cloth was common in ancient Eqypt and China at least as early as 2000 B.C. Ancient writings that are still preserved often used inks based on lampblack (carbon black), a finely ground pigment dispersed in water or oil, and sometimes stabilized with a vegetable gum or glue. It was allowed to dry and then mixed with water to form ink. Carbon black provides excellent opacity and is not affected by moisture or light. Other inks were made with indigo from the galls of oak and nut trees, from berries, and from the ink fluids secreted by octopus, cuttlefish and squid. One method in Colonial America was to use soot that came from burnt lamp oil. It was mixed with a solution of gum or glue and molded into sticks, allowed to dry and before use, mixed with water to form ink for their quills.

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