Quill

A quill is a writing tool made from a moulted flight feather (preferably a primary wing-feather) of a large bird. Quills were used for writing with ink before the invention of the dip pen/steel-nibbed pen, the fountain pen, and, eventually, the ballpoint pen.

Like the earlier reed pen, a quill does not hold ink inside and must be dipped into an inkwell often while writing. Though most modern calligraphers use other tools, some special writers still use quills. They say quills give the sharpest lines and let them write in many different ways, making each line look special.

Description

A quill is a writing tool made from a bird's feather. The feather's long, hollow shaft makes it perfect for turning into a pen. To make a quill, the feather is dried or treated with hot sand or ashes to harden it. Then, the tip is shaped into a writing point using a sharp tool.

The hollow part of the feather acts like a small ink holder. Ink moves to the tip through a tiny cut in the feather by a natural process, so the writer only needs to dip the pen into ink now and then. When made properly, the quill keeps its shape well and doesn’t need much sharpening.