The writing equipment that dominated the past for many years is the quill. Its usage began in 700 AD and was still used subsequent to the discovery of the fountain pen. The quill pens are prepared from the bird feathers so they tend to be light in weight, however they surely show a reading on some scales including the digital scale. When we talk about writing, the quills that prove to be the toughest are the ones drawn from living birds. For best results, the plume is drawn during spring from the five external left-wing feathers. A right-handed writer would like to own such a quill that is drawn from the left plume as they are curved outwards and further from the writer. Depending upon the type of writing you do, there is a range of various kinds of plumes that are drawn from birds.
For example, goose feathers were most commonly used whereas the premium quality swan feathers were uncommon and more costly. As for the crow feathers, they were thought to be the perfect ones for making fine lines. Other species of birds whose feathers were employed for making quills, include eagles, owls, turkeys and hawks.
You can’t begin writing with a plume soon after drawing it, it needs to be cut to turn it into a quill. The people of older times used to carve the barrel or shaft of the plume that they needed a sharp knife which was known as the pen knife. The writers and stationers of that time used to file and slit the point region to create a nib for writing. It’s just amazing to see how the writing of every quill varies. This difference results from the development of the wing shaft and the cutting of the quill maker. So each quill is unique just as the writer or the maker of that quill. The choice, trimming, carving of a quill is much tedious, but is even an art at the same time.
The individuals of previous times used to believe that feathers belonging to a goose were ideal for making quills. Sometimes, only two or three feathers are the right ones from the whole lot. For nice writing, the point has to be shaped to a very fine point. A slit is then made at the base of the shaft. This slit permits the smooth movement of ink. Only the goose plume’s shaft has this feature to hold the ink until when light force is applied. The force makes the ink to reach to the nib in the desired amount.
Quills have a huge contribution to the initial scribes who used to write and adorn their manuscripts using these instruments. This is why the old manuscripts of the Bible and the Magna Carta were penned by quills. Moreover, this tool was used to create masterpieces of literature, books and other historical documents that left a great influence on this world. Conversely, quills have left a great impact on history throughout their period of domination.