How to make a feather quill pen

[@tainicon4639]

The feather needs to be heat treated in hot sand to harden the feather to preserve the tip. The nib will ware down over time and require more trimming and thus not last as long, probably not important unless you plan on using it for a lot of writing. Also your holding the nib upside-down which will make the pen much harder to use, plus there is way to much ink on the pen that will make rather rounded letters instead of the fine intricate writing normally done with a heat treated and precisely sharpened properly inked nib.

[@laurachamberlain9579]

Was just going to make those points.

[@tainicon4639]

Dinesh Kumar what? Why would you comment just that?

[@RVsoloman5000]

Elaborate more on the heat treating please. I have a crow feather I want to make into a quil pen.

[@suhasop4919]

@@RVsoloman5000 same

[@sreejagopalakrishnan96]

Hh

[@dobbitsmkgee833]

Helpful and easy. I love how you just cut to the chase and don't dilly dally.

[@unhooked25]

Dobbits Mkgee: That's right, cut to the chase. Oh and follow the van and don't dilly dally on the way.

[@nilambarisingh9908]

Ij8jyhhhl@@unhooked25 0aa

[@nilambarisingh9908]

@@unhooked25 Ys798[8

[@nilambarisingh9908]

U7/

[@bigbiemacaw]

Dobbits Mkgee I live how everyone trying to say love online spells...LIVE...lol....

[@WigWagWorkshop]

Awesome Project! My Dad and I made some of these when I was about 5, such a great memory. I actually got the idea from a book, that I had checked out from the public library, wish I could remember the name of it. Thanks for bringing back a wonderful memory!

[@NotButAsh]

Might've been Harry Potter

[@bri5033]

Just an extra tip, apparently the very end of the feather isn't as strong as further up on it, just under where the actual feathery bits start. So, person reading this, if you're looking to make a stronger quill pen the you should probably start a bit further up. I reccomend Bernadette Banner's video on quill-making. Also, the thicker the tip of the quill/pen thing is, the thicker the writing seems to be, so if you want a thin pen, just make the tip thinner.

[@55zodiac55]

for all those who are trying. it needs to be sharper and smaller.

[@pretzelschannel6595]

Thanks

[@sreejagopalakrishnan96]

Gbyg

[@aeriona626]

I was able to make this from a cockatoo feather I found outside. It works great, thank you!

[@teaschtuff596]

Me and my uncle just went goose hunting and I took the feathers so I'm going to do this Thanks for the great idea You just got a subscriber!

[@annwong5425]

Thank you! Really liked the instructions drawn out before you started actually cutting the quill. Going to give it a try write now. Subscribed!

[@dickon728]

Yes, it's a good idea.

[@CousinJennie]

You're using it upside down!!! 😂

[@brianworden7022]

Nice catch! I had to go back to see that. I have never used a feather for a pen, just fine tip metal nibs from sketching.

[@rashidablackfeather4110]

Lol! I noticed that too! XD

[@GanonGhidorah]

I actually just made mine following this guy's instructions, and what I found is that while one side runs out of ink, the other side still has some to retain; so all you have to do is rotate the feather in order to keep writing before having to dip.

[@VanNguyen-eh3ym]

Jennie Towan it doesn't matter cause it still works.

[@bulletstothebeat1768]

An upsideown writing is a trick to make the flow controllable to make it abit thiner for some bad quality paper

[@theswordofheros5857]

I made one but have not tried it yet. All of your videos I have watched so far are great!!!!!!

[@jopvandijk1397]

Really, really amazing video. Incorporating the finished pen into the video like that, inspiring! And of course to make a quill pen now

[@tannermulford2033]

Thank you it really means a lot to me to learn our history and having links to it from people like you that are willing to take the time to teach me. I'm off to write some poetry and song lyrics. Thank you

[@Rosie-fe4zh]

I think a tame ducks feather would work too! I live on a farm (well, of birds lol) and we collect the eggs. On a side note, duck eggs are really good for baking! Back to the point. All ducks drop feathers that are small and downy, but occasionally they will drop a wing feather of sorts. They are also good, but the turkey feathers are also sturdier (in my opinion) and not as rare. Don't know why I typed this much, but okay! XD

[@Rosie-fe4zh]

+epicfantasy I'm pretty sure I will! This video was really fun to watch, and I can't wait to try it out! Also, how much money would ink like that cost at a store do you think.... I know you made yours out of berries, but just curious. :3

[@anselmgolden8286]

😊💗✨

[@thegreatchaos13]

If you have geese or turkey I would recommend using that instead because they are stronger than the usual pigeon or magpie feather.

[@alib1149]

That is so easy! Why did I not try this years ago?! I had to try twice but it was really simple and works brilliantly. :D

[@thebishop1095]

I made my first quill pen when I was 10 and nobody showed me how to do it. I just copied the fountain pen I was using. It worked great. Made my own ink, too by boiling oak galls when my granny told me that's how the people in the mountains, you would call them "hillbillies" probably, did it.

[@mycrazyfamilyid]

Thanks for sharing! My son just collected a bunch of goose feathers. Now I know what to do with them! :)

[@achanwahn]

Soak it and then do it in hot sand to harden the feather. Also, the first few flight feathers are the best

[@epicfantasy]

Great comment. Great suggestions. Thanks!

[@selenselen5401]

I like this channel ,there is no unnecessary music

[@ItsOwenTime1000]

I found a crow feather in my yard. will that work?

[@epicfantasy]

Maybe, give it a try!

[@ItsOwenTime1000]

epicfantasy Ok, thanks!

[@Nomercy721]

Did you try it? I'm curious to know if it works.

[@ItsOwenTime1000]

Nope! It doesnt... I found feather buy just now, though, and I wanna get some pheasant feathers

[@ItsOwenTime1000]

I mean goose

[@rosetyler8666]

This was really easy to understand, thanks for the tutorial! Can't wait to make my own

[@FieryPheanix]

Am I the only person that came here to make a quill too match the one's in Harry Potter?

[@Andymae824]

No I did too

[@sharikakhanPotter_head]

Pratyush Srivastava me too!

[@kellyoneal7005]

As well as I

[@gottabweird]

Oh that's an amazing idea.

[@sarahswanson3995]

I'm here for the same reason!!

[@funghoul2199]

finally someone else who is left handed!!

[@Dragon1813]

I read that you use warm soapy water to soak the feather before cutting and using a toothpick to clean out the shaft before fashioning the tip.

[@Daeven1]

Came here because my daughter found some big seagull feathers at the beach and wants to make a feather pen. Next will be the berry ink tutorial! Thanks, Will!

[@epicfantasy]

You are very welcome! Have fun! And thanks for watching!!

[@joehumpston7937]

There’s always something special about writing like it’s the 15th century!

[@isabellehawman4848]

My dad showed me how to make quills a couple of years ago so I am glad someone else makes them the same way I do.(note I am 13).

[@isabellehawman4848]

But most of the time I'm lazy so I do a more basic quill

[@ssam269]

The best easier tutorial ever!

[@SuperHorselover91]

loved the tutorial, and followed along. you should go into how to make ink next.

[@tr423]

thank you, great video! I made a few quills and they work well, although I do have to have them at odd angles/upside down since the feathers are so stiff, and instead of writing properly they start making double lines or bouncing and splashing ink everywhere... Maybe it just takes practise, but anyways.. AWESOME VIDEO!!!

[@amytremback3908]

I make all your projects and I love the stuff you make (:

[@jay-6546]

I love your intro. 😂 I subscribing just to hear that every day.

[@missyrabbit5250]

the sketches were a big help. going outside to grab up some feathers!

[@epicfantasy]

Have fun! Good coincidence here. Right now I am making paper!

[@Bellescc]

I have some really beautiful peacock feathers that im going to cut into a pen now! They are really lovely flight feathers, black with a shine of greenish blue. Cant wait!

[@vashonjohnson4060]

Come on sarah do you havr kids????

[@Bellescc]

Vashon Johnson uh, extremely personal question. I prefer to keep that to myself. Why is this being asked might I say?

[@vashonjohnson4060]

All have to say as a man of God is know your bible and there is know problem with this ! Who we are in Christ is all that matters!!!

[@Bellescc]

Vashon Johnson I do not believe in god. Im sorry if that offends you in any way, but I would rather not believe in something there isn't uch proof towards.

[@vashonjohnson4060]

Who you think created that beautful you believe in and behold and you ! Think about it text me later

[@jkrupp]

I use vulture's feather: it's free and easy to collect in Chile. Obviously, it works fantastic and I can write with thin lines (the trick is carve a line along the tip, don't cut it along)

[@PaulVanchugov]

I made some ink with coffee. It was pretty thick and worked really well.

[@epicfantasy]

That's pretty cool. I never thought to try coffee.

[@evelyne7071]

Thank you for the tutorial on making a feather ink pen. Also helpful is that you illustrated how to hold it to write. In my naive previous attempts to create a feather pen, when I went to write with it, I erroneously held the open end down; obvious failure. Thanks again.

[@sfuikm]

open end down is the right way to use it. He writes with it upside down

[@duduthehardworker]

Thank you so much for your tutorial! 😊👍🏻

[@pasquino0733]

Question: Are feather quill pens mass produced anywhere? I've never come across them and I've always wondered why, given there's so many metal nibs that attempt to be derivative.

[@ThatGuyWithNoLife]

They probably are not produced because they are out dated and replaced by modern day fountain pens.

[@pasquino0733]

@@ThatGuyWithNoLife There's a different and quite beautiful quality, when you draw with a pen with limited ink capacity. i.e. a fountain pen can never produce a pen and ink drawing with the aesthetic refinement of a Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael or Rembrandt.

[@Wetknees]

I'm currently trying to make something like this out of the long skinny handle of one of those combs. I never understood why a hair comb comes with a long, skinny, sharp hand, unless you can get these in prison, and it just cuts down on labor.😂 Speaking of prison, the only tools I'm using are razor blade, a fixed, blade, knife for prying, and a flat pair of semi needle nose pliers for pulling😂 You could give me whatever they use to write signatures 10 billion years in the future, and it would still look like somebody trimmed a willow tree and threw all the sticks into a giant pile. Think of literally any heavy metal bands logo😂 I can't tell you how good I did or how well the project turned out but I can tell you without a doubt whatever it is that makes a person a good teacher. You definitely got it my dude!!!! Exceptional and the diagrams were... well it's obvious why that was the most replayed portion😂 And the archaic and simplistic style, surprisingly made it so much more easy to understand!!!❤

[@epicfantasy]

Thank you for your kind words. And, you clearly can think, and craft. Keep making things! The world has a need for creative thinkers.

[@dawnmason9558]

Conditioning the feather makes the quill last longer & the nib not curl.

[@umguistein]

did this with a large ostrich feather... oh.. my arm just got soo tired! it was FUN though :D thanks for the tutorial, i put too much effort into mine, this is much easier and more stable of a technique.

[@Im_slycooper4656b]

I am building one right now! We have turkeys so i can make jow many i want!

[@epicfantasy]

Excellent. Probably big feathers too!

[@vinsanitybeatbox210]

I’m gonna start taking notes in math class with this. thank you

[@Matthewsaaan]

I've been thinking of making an authentic medieval cook book to use at 15th century re-enacting and you keep coming out with all these really useful videos about paper making and now this! Have you thought of doing on on book binding Will?

[@Rynax-]

epicfantasy Would be awesome to see all those tutorials coming together, using them all to make a medieval style book, all from scratch!

[@Indigonac]

I would love to see that!

[@SarahM-lw2gd]

That's awesome!

[@jennyk7135]

Interesting that at the start of the video he was left handed and then at the end he was right handed. Thanks for the tutorial, this one made the most sense!

[@MatthewWdeathxd]

You use a flat tip nib for calligraphy and a pointed tip nib for normal cursive writing

[@tainicon4639]

Matthew.W/death999xd 836 The flat tip(called a stub) is used for italic scripts and gothic or more modern fraktur. The pointed tip is used for flexed cursive scripts like Spencerian or copperplate(many more exist) Either can be used for normal writing, my everyday pen is a stub nib fountain pen.

[@kruppratte218]

that's pretty cool, I found a hawk feather in the woods and I was thinking of turning it into a feather Quill Pen, I was going to make some ink to write with using 2 cycle mix oil, that was too thin, so I was going to mix it with corn syrup to make it a little thicker, so that it wasn't like writing with water, it's still not working, I must not be doing something right to get it to the proper thickness, so I decided to go another route and started watching this video and the video of you making the ink, a hawk feather would make a beautiful pen, I think.

[@morganbundy4822]

I just emptied the INK from a pen and it works great! (I was too lazy to make my own)

[@rgangi9102]

Peacock feathers work very well for this

[@BeatriceTanLim]

Oh MY GOSH!! You're left handed!! I was just going to ask if this also works for lefties but my question was answered first thing in your video!!! I'm so overjoyed!! :D

[@calvinandhobbes730]

he wasn't writing with his left hand though. at least not that I saw

[@LokiNegus]

Slim Skaven Gaming Can be both handed, like me:)

[@BeatriceTanLim]

TrueArceism cool XD

[@isaacelizarraraz4570]

You guys are not alone

[@nregames8447]

Liked for the intro!

[@epicfantasy]

Thanks! I Love that intro :)

[@SleepParty30]

I'm gonna try this. There's this eagle who always comes around the house at dusk when the sun is setting behind the mountains. It soars overhead, it spirals down, and it always lands on the electric post outside my house. Every now and then, it drops a feather or two straight down as it sits there, and next time a feather rains from above, I'ma turn it into a quill. Thanks for the video, my dude.

[@machfiver753]

oh and great tip for the metal nibbed crow pens use a match or lighter to blacken the nib with soot and you won't have to dip more than once per line of words. it is amazing how much a little soot can do am assuming that thisis what the sand is meant to achieve

[@RizkhyDestatama]

try, writing using this at school or office!

[@NorimichiTeves]

Doesn't sound like a good Idea😂, but as an activity it sounds good

[@yourrobloxqueen7196]

TOTALLY WORKS THX BEACH AND EPICFANTASY !!!!! 👍🏿 👍🏿

[@oreokookie1000]

Most excellent mee lad!!.....by the way, i made one out of a seagull feather, I live by long island sound in connecticut- works great.

[@danhill710]

Medievally quills were not split down the centre. There is no need to make the slit with once living material as it wicks the ink naturally. Try it out.

[@glenncaseley5310]

This is awsome keep up the good work will :)

[@epicfantasy]

Thanks Glenn :)

[@glenncaseley5310]

epicfantasy whats your next video will...

[@epicfantasy]

Hmmm... I have a choice. Probably going to be a big foamboard two handed sword from Elder scrolls.

[@glenncaseley5310]

epicfantasy YESSS!. and how do i give you a pic of my assassins creed hidden blade?

[@glenncaseley5310]

epicfantasy and it is so so cool that you rad all comments most people don't even touch the comments you are awesome.....

[@isaiah_cuberrr]

Thank you for the tutorial

[@tannermckee2968]

Made the quill and it is awesome

[@machfiver753]

i used a female peacock feather. dull brown though very stiff. I tried nibs made at the end of the feather in the hollow area and got nibs tat laddered easily from the split end. my best nib was made in the middle of the feather where there is that foam like material not the crispy plastic stuff and no split and left quite a bit of the foam on the nibs inner and found that it acted like a sponge for ink and i could write a lot more letters between dips than with a split

[@cowboycody8094]

The conditioning of the featheris a process to "age" the feather so you can work with it with out breaking it. If you are able to get an old feather that has naturally been aged then you can skip conditioning.

[@madcat_4523]

good to know

[@WigWagWorkshop]

I also forgot to add, for Christmas that year I got a Calligraphy kit. Even though it was the cartridge type, I remember making a big mess with the ink at first,, but I actually got pretty good at it. I would practice the letters that were in the included book, and went through many cartridges.

[@chloehammond2836]

Such a great video thank you! 🪶

[@c11935]

Very clear and succinct. Thanks.

[@ruskodudesko9679]

just found a nice hawk feather (our hawks are huge) and it fits nicely in my hand - I think a metal tip is best though

[@dinoilcagnolino3213]

I think you need to learn what to do with the quill pen. Some calligraphy lessons perhaps

[@jocelynrivera6410]

I need those too...

[@crici.k]

Yeah, ikr

[@slick9519]

you can find em on youtube.

[@AxialTangent]

cool! always would try to make these as a kid... one time i just shoved the filament from a normal pen up inside a feather and glued it because i wanted one so bad... haha. thanks, will! i'm left handed also, lol lefties unite!

[@jeffgrier8488]

Your version seems a lot less complicated than others i have seen, i might have to try this!

[@epicfantasy]

Give it a try!

[@cklim7410]

It is super easy

[@museyaj334]

the reason they put it in heated sand is because it hardens the stem and nib and makes it more flexible at the tip

[@codergang5110]

I made one with peacock feather it is so beautiful

[@caydenwood3944]

A good friend of mine made some black walnut ink and mailed it to me. Im gonna make one of these quills and send her a letter with her own ink!

[@JustintheRedneckDruid]

On the topic of feathers it would be awesome if you did a video on fletching arrows

[@epicfantasy]

This is a good idea. Been thinking about it and might do it. Thanks

[@minecraftinalabama]

epicfantasy where do youy buy clean turkey feathers?

[@epicfantasy]

amazon

[@minecraftinalabama]

thanks

[@Sko86tr]

Thank you. Helped a lot.

[@jacobkudrowich2947]

Oh this is really cool

[@epicfantasy]

Thanks :)

[@brianworden7022]

I just buy fine point metal nibs for sketching from an art store but I might go to the park and pick up a random goose feather and try this out.

[@av8ordavvee]

Do you just rinse it in water after you are done writing with it??? Nice video!!

[@rajabhushanamkarra2138]

Legendary tip Write with your own pen 😂🤣

[@absolutezero7174]

Absolutely awesome thank you sir

[@TwinsofDestruction]

Were could i get some ink to wright with and maybe an ink well too?

[@gsp0113]

It looks to me that you are writing with the quill upside down (see, for example, 4:21). Shouldn't the long portion of the quill's nib--the side with the slit--be held so it's on the top?

[@dbpatel1399]

We use any birds feather ?

[@xhkmt2314]

I can write with my finger like that, 😀

[@golden_opal6050]

These are about to be all I write with, i just need an inkpot

[@yasminmelias3967]

Thank you. 🌉🌻

[@megablater1036]

Dang, that thick base makes me wonder how a feather like that would just pop off.

[@cocoa8573]

Listen, I'm a young teen, but I have always had a strange sort of gravitation to old stuff like this? especially around 1700s stuff right now, I'm ordering a nice quill pen I found online and it's just I don't understand why I like it so much, I just do

[@criscapilayan5798]

so awesome! I like it

[@williamaleman5906]

could i use one of thes for taking notes at school i think it would e cool to have a quill like harry potter

[@aidantroya3727]

I love it I am doing it right now!

[@jacobpeterson5390]

It works better if you wash the quil pen with warm water after each use

[@loorlegend]

Hi there! Thanks for the video. I have an antique journal i would like to make a quill. I found some bird feathers although i don't think any are turkey. Do you think they would work the same way?

[@epicfantasy]

Not sure,. GIve em a try!

[@D_M_U]

Fellow left hander!

[@jennandstar]

really cool great love old things

[@dr_bhavs]

I have a Quill with a beautiful white feather. But there's a slight yellowish discoloration on the edges of the feather. I'd really like it to be perfectly white. Any ideas on how I could acheive that?

[@Indigonac]

How do these all natural quills 'hold'? for example if i would not use it for a month (after it's been used), would it still work? And once the tip has worn off, can i just cut a new one a bit higher above the first cutting?

[@epicfantasy]

Great questions. I returned to these after a couple of months and they needed some tweaking because of all the dried ink. One needed to be recut. Yes cut a new one a bit higher works if needed. Clean them well after use and they will require nothing.

[@Indigonac]

epicfantasy Thank you very much for the clear awnser. I'll definitely give it a go!

[@TitaniumTronic]

I just bought a feather pen set with notebook and all that stuff for my sister I hope she doesn't like it so I can have it myself XD

[@AnnPattan]

My son and I made a quill and ink. Can I send you a video of it? We had a lot of fun.

[@Tguin]

How many grits do you use for the sandpaper?

[@benjaminfranklin6513]

There's tons of bird feathers that fly down into my yard so I can make any, anytime. I should get them now though because they only come in migrating seasons 😂😂😂

[@dragonfeesh8358]

so useful thank you !