How to Make a Quill Pen
Does it feel like something is missing as you write your Elizabethan sonnets on a laptop computer? Impress all the other poets at the coffee shop by writing them with a quill pen. First you'll need to make one, but mastering the art of the pen is not difficult after a little practice.
Instructions
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Preparing the Quills
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1
Buy quills. Usually either turkey or goose feathers can be bought at craft shops or online.
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2
Place a can of sand in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the sand is hot.
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3
Remove the can of sand from the oven and place the quills point down in the sand.
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4
Leave the quills in the sand until it cools.
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5
Strip some of the feathers off the quills to clear a space for your hand.
Cutting the Quill Pen
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6
Measure how you'd like to hold the quill pen. The quills tend to be curved so decide which quill fits your hand the most comfortably.
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7
Cut the end of the quill off with a sharp knife. The cut should be diagonal, down and away from the top.
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8
Use the knife to make a slit in the top of the pen at the tip. This slit should run the vertical length of the tip.
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9
Slice a scoop from the underside of the pen. It should be about half the pen's diameter, centered under the slit.
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10
Carve out slivers on both sides of the slit at the tip of the quill to make the point. It should look like the tip of a fountain pen.
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11
Dip the quill tip in ink and start writing.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Buy more than one quill since the first few you make may be less than perfect.
The process with the sand is called tempering, and it makes the quills harder and easier to work with.
Keep the knife handy because you'll need to resharpen the pen every few pages.
It will likely take some practice and fiddling around with the tip before your pens write very well.
Writing with a quill pen is a slow process, but it will give you time to think.
Use dark, thin ink and paper that isn't too heavy. Thick ink or paper can cause blobs.
Use caution when handling the hot can of sand.
