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5 Facts About the Feather Quill
For many of us in the HubPages community, the keyboard—whether wired to a desktop computer, built into a laptop, or magnetically attached to a tablet—is the go-to choice when it comes to writing. Things, of course, were not always this way.
Before laptop and desktop keyboards, before typewriter keys, and before pens and pencils as we know them, many writers had to create their own instruments of composition. The feather quill was one of them. Here are a few quill facts to ruffle your feathers:
- From the dark ages until the mid 19th century, the quill was the primary writing instrument used in most areas in Europe.
- Penna, the Latin word from which pen is derived, means "feather."
- Quills were most often created using feathers from common and easy-to-find birds. Quills created using feathers from geese were the most ubiquitous, but crow and swan-feather quills were also popular.
- Sometimes, the tubular portions of feather quills were dipped in acids or heat-treated to increase their hardness and durability.
- Most quill tips were shaped using penknives.
Image Credit: Pierre Bamin via Unsplash; Canva
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