The earliest reference to quill pens was made by the Spanish theologian St. Isidore of Seville in the 6^th century. After this the more flexible quill almost entirely replaced pens cut from reeds as the writing tool of choice for the next 1300 years (Encarta). Made from one of the first five flight feathers of any large bird such as a Goose, Swan or even a Peacock, the word pen even derives from the Latin for feather "penna". (Brown, 97)

As with many medieval scribal tools the quill was both a blessing and a bother. The flexibility of the quill made writing easier however a scribe had to re-cut the quill frequently to maintain its edge. Often a quill would need to be cut more than once per page of script, and hundreds of quills would be needed to complete an entire manuscript. Although the Romans may have known pens of bronze, the earliest mention of "brazen pens" was in 1465. The 16th-century Spanish calligrapher Juan de Yciar mentions brass pens for very large writing in his 1548 writing manual, but the use of metal pens did not become widespread until the early part of the 19th century. (Encarta)

To cut a quill pen, a sharp 'pen-'knife and much patient and practice are needed. Interestingly enough, feathers from the left wing fit the right hand best, and vice versa. Once selected, soaking the feather in water and then plunging the end into hot sand first hardens the quill so that it may then be cut with a knife to form the nib.(Brown,97)

First shorten the plume to a length you are comfortable with, and then strip away the barb. Next cut away the tip of the barrel at a steep angle, and remove the membrane from inside the feather.

Make a slit in the top center of the barrel. The best way to do this is to place the point of the knife inside the barrel, and lever the knife blade gently upwards, releasing pressure as soon as a crack occurs.

Slice a scoop from the underside of the pen, to about half its diameter, and centered on the slit.

Shape the nib on one side of the slit, then Shape the nib on the opposite side, making sure the two halves match. If the underside of the nib is too concave, scrape it flat with a clean scooping cut, removing as little quill as possible.

To "nib" the pen, rest the underside of the point on a smooth, hard surface. Thin the tip from the top side by 'scraping' the blade forward at a shallow angle; then make a vertical cut, either at right angles to the slit or obliquely. On a very strong feather the last cut can be repeated to remove a very fine sliver, avoiding a rough underside on the tip of the nib. (Leofwine)

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