Who Invented the First Quill Pen?

It is not known who invented the first quill pen anymore than it is known who invented the first knife or clay pot. Things invented in antiquity are difficult to attach to any one individual, particularly things which have been commonly used by many people for centuries

History

Most scholars agree that quill pens came into use in Western Europe by the end of the sixth century AD, and were primarily used for writing church documents on parchment.

What Quills Are

The modern English word "pen" is derived from a Latin word which means feather. Quill feathers were taken from several varieties of birds, such as crows, owls, swans, turkeys and geese.

How Quills Are Chosen

For writing, a quill is chosen by the type of fowl it comes from, its relative length and size, and the curvature around the hand when held like a proper pen.

How Quills Are Prepared

The writer would use a pen knife to cut the tip to the desired sharpness; the hollowness of the quill would serve as a natural ink well.

Modern Descendants

The quill pen eventually gave way to the invention of metal-tipped, fountain and ball point pens; these modern instruments often operate on the same principles as ancient ones.