Writing with Quill Pens
For thousands of years, writing was a real chore. Ancient Babylonians used pointy sticks to make marks on clay tablets, which then had to be baked to be durable. Sometimes they broke! Ancient Greeks and Romans chiseled their words into marble. Boy, was that heavy and slow!
Ancient Egyptians had a better idea by using reeds filled with ink to write on papyrus, but reed pens were stiff and wore out quickly. Somebody back in the 2nd century BC wrote part of the Dead Sea Scrolls with a quill pen – a big improvement and a genius invention!
Quill pens are the long flight feathers of big birds, like geese, swans, and turkeys. The hollow quill holds the ink and the pointed tip is carved into a suitable nib for writing. The quills were carved with small knives, known as pen knives. Hardly anyone carves their own quill pens anymore, but we still have those little knives.
Although the quill had to be refilled with ink every five or six words, quill pens were used to create and sign important documents – like the Magna Carta and the Declaration of Independence – years before the invention of metal-tipped fountain pens and, eventually, ball point pens.
Fun fact! Quill pens have not gone completely out of style. Twenty goose-quill pens, neatly crossed, are placed at the four counsel tables at the U.S. Supreme Court each day the Court is in session. Since most lawyers appear before the Court only once, they gladly take the quills home as souvenirs.
Modern Pens at Postal Connections
The popularity of quill pens endured until metal pens began to be mass produced in the nineteenth century. Nowadays, most folks want pens that are ready to use and easy to find. You can find all your favorite pens, inks, and markers easily at Postal Connections.
Come on in to the store nearest you. Postal Connections has every type of modern pen imaginable.
You can feel confident about visiting Postal Connections because…
- Our staff is following health advisory recommendations: wearing protective face masks, washing hands, social distancing, and avoidance of handshaking and other cultural greetings.
- We have advised our staff to stay home if they show any symptoms or have come in contact with those who have symptoms.
- To protect our staff and customers, we require protective facemask or face covering to be worn while in the store.
We will continue to monitor the situation going forward to ensure customer safety. These measures will remain in place at Postal Connections® until further notice.
Find the Postal Connections store nearest you for pens of every kind!