Feather Quill Pens

[Venividivici]

Has anyone here ever used a "real" feather quill pen like this one: http://www.goldspot.com/Coles_of_London_pe.../CL-7301RD.html ?

 

I used to be kind of decent at calligraphy (when I was 12) and have since ceased ownership of any calligraphy pens I owned. So, I've been thinking about trying it out again, and this site, GoldSpot.com (n/a) has some nice starter sets from Coles of London and Sheaffer. They also have these quill pens. I'm thinking about getting one, but I don't know that I'd ever use it. Just like how it looks. Hahaha!

 

So, if you've used one, how are they? Are they enjoyable to use or just a novelty?

 

Also, if I were to try my hand at some calligraphy again, does anyone have some good suggestions on calligraphy pens?

[Rob G]

It may be my old, tired eyes, but - that does not look like a real quill. Some folks put a steel pen nib on a goose-feather shaft and call it a "quill". This one looks all metal.

 

Look here for something more akin to the real thing:

http://www.johnnealbooks.com/prod_detail_list/s

 

I've used quills as part of Civil War living history demonstrations. Luckily, in the mid-19th century, steel pens had pretty much taken over. Quills wear out pretty quickly.

 

Making a quill is a pain. I've done it, but my real motivation was that I could say I did it.

[Paddler]

There was a thread about those pens here a month or two ago IIRC. It is a pewter nib holder with a feather stuck in the back. The nibs appear to be an assortment of standard dip pen nibs. If the nibs are appropriate for the style of calligraphy you want to do, I am sure the pen would be functional. Using the pen holder on the side of the ink bottle would be dangerous.

 

Paddler

[eilu]

I've made and used a real quill (it was for a school project; a friend provided a macaw's feather), they wear down quite fast and are a bit scratchy.

[lapis]

Yes, I used to use them, but a "real" FP is more practical and more fun.

 

Mike

[Ink Stained Wretch]

Has anyone here ever used a "real" feather quill pen like this one: http://www.goldspot.com/Coles_of_London_pe.../CL-7301RD.html ?

As others have pointed out, that's not a true quill. A real quill pen uses just the feather, and a sharp knife is used to cut the tip off at an angle and make a slit. This practice is from the days when bird's pin feathers were a common thing for people to come across.

 

So, if you've used one, how are they? Are they enjoyable to use or just a novelty?

I've made a real quill pen out of a bird's feather a couple of times. It wasn't so successful. After a bit of writing you need to cut it some more. For me it was just a novelty. There was a reason why the steel pens killed the quill pen business early in the 19^th Century.

 

Also, if I were to try my hand at some calligraphy again, does anyone have some good suggestions on calligraphy pens?

I don't do calligraphy, but I'd say you should try real, modern calligraphy pens. Sheaffer and another company have calligraphy kits. They may be good for getting started. They're all c/c fountain pens wth various widths of italic nibs. There are also calligraphy fountain pens made that have a sort of up-sloping nib that you use to vary the width of the line by changing the angle at which you hold the fountain pen.

 

There's more on quill pens and steel pens here.

[Chris]

I've never tried using a quill - it is why proper pens were invented - but I did read that a plastic drinking straw was a cheap substitute for newcomers to practice cutting nibs and scratching away with.

 

Maybe if nice clean standard-sized straws had existed first, no one would have thought to write with dirty old feathers.

 

 

Chris

[Fernan]

Yes, I have bought real ones.

 

As others said, your reference was not that of a real quill, but rather a metal pen.

 

I have used them to get the feel for them. My guess is that it would take time to get used to it. You will need to develop skills to sharpen them regularly, and it would probably be preferable to get somebody knowledgeable to show you how to do so.

 

The little practice that I had with them gave me an appreciation for what our predecessors did, writing complete and voluminous works with these writing tools, up to and including all literature in the Western world -- novels, poetry, essays, scientific and travel journals -- up to and including most of the XIXth century. No copy/pasting from other sources for them.

 

 

Fernan

[jd50ae]

This has been kind of talked about a number of times and rather then trying to copy over I thought I would just paste some of the links.

I hope it helps some and doesn't confuse the issue.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...st&p=722239

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...st&p=735035

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...st&p=174781

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...st&p=781254

[Venividivici]

Thanks for all the input!!

 

Maybe I'll get one. If nothing else, it will make me seem more self-important sitting on my desk.

[wykpenguin]

There is a reason why a small folding knife is called a penknife. Quills need constant reshaping and they are scratchy.

 

I am sure there are a few websites teaching people how to prepare and cut a feather for making quills. I cut my first quill after reading those sites some years ago. You do need to find a big (at least 3mm wide) feather to make a usable quill though.

[Scrybe]

For a calligraphy set, I'm rather taken with the Lamy Joy boxed set available at The Writing Desk - I believe the nibs also fit Lamy Safari FPs, so (if you wanted to) you could get some Safaris also, making it (a) easier to transport them (shorter barrel), and ( possible to have all the nibs ready for action simultaneously.

 

Parker do a calligraphy set, but I wasn't impressed with it for the price - the manual they give you contains less info you could find within ten minutes of reading the Penmanship section of the site, and the rest of the kit didn't look too impressive either (only a few cartridges, one converter but it didn't look like it would hold much ink, and you'll use more ink with bigger nibs like the italics - my current Lamy Studio has a bigger converter than the Parker set, so I suspect the Lamy Joy set will have a decently-sized converter).

 

The alternative is to just get some dip pen nibs and holders and get your guides free from internet-searching, or buy a suitable book. Since you can get two dip pen holders, and a box of nibs quite easily (and start of with regular FP bottled ink), this is also an attractive option.

 

HTH

[Ink Stained Wretch]

I've never tried using a quill - it is why proper pens were invented - but I did read that a plastic drinking straw was a cheap substitute for newcomers to practice cutting nibs and scratching away with.

Yeah, I use a sliced drinking straw for testing inks, putting small samples on paper for future reference. This technique has the added advantage of allowing me to snip off the part I've just used for testing one ink so that I'm using a new plastic "nib" for the next ink. No danger of contamination. I also wash the ink off the straw before snipping and testing the next ink, of course.

[katim]

I was taught at a callligraphy class how to cut a goose quill pen and I have to say that, although they require careful maintenance, quills do provide a delightful writing experience. The lightness and flexibility of this natural material are features you would find hard to match with any modern pen, including dip pens. I was intrigued to find that many of those using them in the past actually removed all the feathery bits, leaving just the central core of the feather - nothing like as attractive as the whole feather, of course!

 

Goose feathers may not be easy to get hold of, depending where you live, but I'd recommend a project of learning how to cut one and then using it, if only to see what you're missing! That said, I have to admit that I haven't used mine for many years: I'd have to start from the beginning if I wanted to use one now.

 

For an example of a quill, you might like to look at my first post on FPN, which is at: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...mp;#entry806937

 

I'm almost certain I wrote this with a quill - it's about 20 years since I did it! - because it's reminiscent of other quill-written pieces I did at the time.

Edited December 17, 2008 by katim

[richardandtracy]

I have used a quill a couple of times - I was given a Seagull feather by a colleague.

 

Quite frankly, I prefer fp's. I couldn't cut the nib nicely, and it was soft & scratchy. I could write, but it wasn't a pleasant experience.

 

Regards

 

Richard.

 

[Mangrove]

Quite frankly, I prefer fp's. I couldn't cut the nib nicely, and it was soft & scratchy. I could write, but it wasn't a pleasant experience.

 

Did you cure the quill before use? I have cured and cut nearly twenty quills this year alone and can't get enough of it!

 

[richardandtracy]

Quite frankly, I prefer fp's. I couldn't cut the nib nicely, and it was soft & scratchy. I could write, but it wasn't a pleasant experience.

 

Did you cure the quill before use? I have cured and cut nearly twenty quills this year alone and can't get enough of it!

No, I didn't know it was possible until a couple of years later. However the experience was so unpleasant I didn't bother to repeat it.

 

Regards

 

Richard

[wednesday_mac]

You can get turkey feathers in various colors (packet of three or four, I think it is) at Michaels if you want to experiment with making your own quill pens.

 

There's also a ten-pound sack of sand in my garage if anyone wants to use it for curing.

 

Good luck.

Edited December 17, 2008 by wednesday_mac