quill pen

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quill pen

writing implement

Also known as: quill

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Last updated

June 25, 2026

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A quill pen is a writing implement made from the hollow shaft of a bird's feather, primarily used from the 6th century until the mid-19th century. Goose feathers were the most common source, though swan and crow feathers were also used for their specific qualities. The strongest quills came from new spring growth, with the outer wing feathers being preferred. These pens allowed for a degree of writing ease and control that was unprecedented at the time. They were eventually replaced by steel pen points, which were first mass-produced in 1828.12

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drawing
Pens
…of sorts, that of the quill pen opens up a far wider range of possibilities. Ever since the rise of drawing in Western art—that is, since the late Middle Ages—the quill has been the most frequently used instrument for applying liquid mediums to the drawing surface. The importance accorded to…
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…of sorts, that of the quill pen opens up a far wider range of possibilities. Ever since the rise of drawing in Western art—that is, since the late Middle Ages—the quill has been the most frequently used instrument for applying liquid mediums to the drawing surface. The importance accorded to…
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cursive
…a flexible nib of a quill pen. Round hand was used by scribes and writing masters and taught to literate members of the public via copy books, which were “how-to” guides with detailed instructions on standards and technique. Round hand made its way to the British colonies, including those that…
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…a flexible nib of a quill pen. Round hand was used by scribes and writing masters and taught to literate members of the public via copy books, which were “how-to” guides with detailed instructions on standards and technique. Round hand made its way to the British colonies, including those that…
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pen drawing
…most Western master draftsmen used quill pens. During the Middle Ages the quill pen was used for the fine delineations of images in manuscripts; its nibs, which can be sharpened to extreme fineness, permit the craftsman to create small linear figures or ornamental decorations on the pages or along the…
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…most Western master draftsmen used quill pens. During the Middle Ages the quill pen was used for the fine delineations of images in manuscripts; its nibs, which can be sharpened to extreme fineness, permit the craftsman to create small linear figures or ornamental decorations on the pages or along the…
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pen
A specific allusion to the quill pen occurs in the 7th-century writings of St. Isidore of Sevilla, but such pens made of bird feathers were probably in use at an even earlier date. They provided a degree of writing ease and control never realized before and were used in Europe…
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A specific allusion to the quill pen occurs in the 7th-century writings of St. Isidore of Sevilla, but such pens made of bird feathers were probably in use at an even earlier date. They provided a degree of writing ease and control never realized before and were used in Europe…
Read More

quill
…feather, used as the principal writing instrument from the 6th century until the mid-19th century, when steel pen points were introduced. The strongest quills were obtained from living birds in their new growth period in the spring. Only the five outer wing feathers (follicles) were considered suitable for writing; the…
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…feather, used as the principal writing instrument from the 6th century until the mid-19th century, when steel pen points were introduced. The strongest quills were obtained from living birds in their new growth period in the spring. Only the five outer wing feathers (follicles) were considered suitable for writing; the…
Read More