The Craft of Quill Pens

When the reed pen died out, the quill pen was invented around the 6th century in Seville, Spain.
Writing with a quill pen is a fascinating art that requires more than just plucking a feather and dipping it in ink. The process is intricate and demands careful attention to detail. First and foremost, selecting the appropriate feather is crucial. Different birds yield feathers with varying qualities, such as flexibility and durability. For instance, swan feathers are often preferred due to their strong and flexible nature.
Preparing the feather for writing is a meticulous task. The feather needs to be cleaned, trimmed, and boiled to remove any residual oils and make it more pliable. After boiling, it is dried in hot sand to maintain its shape and prevent it from curling or splitting during use.
One of the most intricate steps involves carving the nib, which determines the thickness and flow of the ink. The nib's tip needs to be delicately shaped and slit to ensure smooth ink flow and precise strokes. It demands skilled craftsmanship and practice to master this art.
In conclusion, writing with a quill pen involves a comprehensive process beyond the initial perception. From selecting the right feather to meticulously preparing it and carving the nib, this ancient practice demands a deep understanding of materials and craftsmanship. It is a testament to the patience and skill required to produce beautiful, intricate script with such a traditional writing instrument.

[@PoppingCake]

Just earned a new respect for writers and quill makers from the 1700s

[@solomonwiggins8815]

Im one from the 2000s. Were still here lol

[@rickcoona8368]

that is where the term "Pen Knife" came from it didn't mean "Pocket Knife" as it does today

[@florangelmartinez5297]

@@solomonwiggins8815 lol your smart

[@obscure.reference]

@@solomonwiggins8815you make quills?

[@solomonwiggins8815]

@@obscure.reference absolutely, I make them and then use them. One time I sold about 37 quills to a history teacher at my old school so they could have there students use them. It was cool.

[@spgamingskullpros7198]

finally understand why i couldn't write with the crow feather i found on the road

[@Zaarck0]

😂😂

[@n0vanox]

Why did I read this as cow feather

[@jyjaeskz]

​@@n0vanoxwondering the same thing

[@nacchan7227]

​@@n0vanox same lol

[@cailin5301]

As a kid I tried to turn random feathers into quill pens. I knew I needed a slit and angle to a point, but that was all I knew. I never could figure out why they wouldn't work 😅

[@kenkirkpatrick731]

I never realized the angle of the paper mattered or that writing upward isn’t feasible. Very interesting and I’m glad pens and pencils exist.

[@sarahanonymous1036]

Same, i always thought writing w/ quills just sucked lol.

[@spiritus1512]

It’s a thing in most broad and pointed calligraphy as well! Except y self and most of my fellow calligraphers just use 🦐 posture instead

[@Blndi3]

Yeah now I understand why a lot of old calligraphy used more angular scripts instead of some of the loopy/bubblier handwriting people sometimes have today

[@sureindubitably3771]

​@@Blndi3I never understood why writing in cursive is so important lol

[@hershekissed]

How would you realize this in the 21st century?😂

[@Steven_McCrae]

_THIS_ is the kinda stuff what KZbin shorts was made for…interesting and informative, loved it !! ❤

[@jn797]

Exactly! KZbin Shorts is the G.O.A.T when it comes to social media. Insta Reels etc could never compete!!! ❤

[@NarutoChakraborty134]

Wasn't it supposed to be a dating app..🤔

[@Kalakastik3]

KZbin, yes. Shorts, no ​@@NarutoChakraborty134

[@PCWarriorTV]

these are the only shorts i watch informative and brainfood videos. if its not i just skip it i recommend Vsause

[@atomlightstone]

I remember trying to write with a random feather I found when I was young, not even using ink just straight up feather

[@Queer_Nerd_For_Human_Justice]

I love that

[@FluffyEclairs]

😂

[@fernozzle]

Bro is a genius

[@aditidhaka]

​@@fernozzlebro is next Albert Einstein 😂

[@youngpark4555]

Took me a sec to realize kid you was just scratching a dry loose feather on a piece of paper 😂

[@Vitartial]

You know what, a moment of respect and appreciation for the man who invented the ballpoint pen

[@prestonowens4594]

I believe that was a man named Lazlo Biro or something like that.

[@Amida-rn3ie]

​@@Raymationseven those are complicated and expensive

[@anonymouspersonthefake]

@@Amida-rn3ie nowhere near as diffuclt as a quill

[@Gg_premium]

W for László Bíró and John J. Loud

[@sniedendepoes]

Invented by Anne Frank

[@silverblue73]

He was trying to explain how quills work but ended up explaining why we have pens

[@florkgagga]

Underrated! 😉

[@timothyadrianutama3861]

😂

[@RigoVids]

I feel like both of those are tangential topics, and he was more focused on describing the difficulties with creating feathered pens but ok

[@colbyboucher6391]

Right? You're essentially manually creating a fountain pen. Ain't nobody got time for that.

[@prolucario_9076]

​@@RigoVidsits a joke

[@Angled]

I remember trying to write with a random feather I found when I was young, not even using ink just straight up feather

[@TadashiYasahiro]

😂😂 yeahhhh, I couldn’t find ink so just wrote in the sand

[@Annii_Oakley_]

This is so incredibly cute. The sand writing too…

[@PsyFyFungi]

Bot, copies comment

[@notusneo]

Bless the man who invented pen

[@xano2921]

you mean style pen or ball-point pen?

[@willbill7250]

quill, thrill, drill

[@vitormelomedeiros]

​@@xano2921 both are great inventions but I do believe the ballpoint pen is one of the greatest inventions of humankind, up there with the car, the vaccine, concrete, antibiotics, the lightbulb, etc.

[@yeahyeah-ds3kv]

You can’t have any of those without pen

[@placeholder3863]

@@vitormelomedeiros I prefer pencils

[@alejrandom6592]

Holy shit writing was a skill back then

[@99temporal]

It still is, just different

[@MyTimelord11]

Yeah fr. I used to use a dip pen that is very much like the quil he is describing only made of metal. I had to teach myself a totally new way to draw but the control I got with my strokes made it so fun and worthwhile :) but this is another level. You would have to have the exact right tool, environment, skills, and knowledge to write back when feather quils were state of the art I imagine

[@khanhnguyen-tt3ff]

you wonder why back then only monk an noble was able to write stuff.( noble just hired people to do it)

[@NickBurns-ey6od]

Harry Potter was doing it from 91-96

[@TheMannis.]

​@@NickBurns-ey6od😂

[@Spoder_Man420]

Authors back in the day would wrestle with giant birds just so they can write their books thats why old books are expensive.

[@winxclubflora8446]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@joshuabarnhill1265]

More likely they hunted them and made them dinner and took the feathers or made an industry out of hunting birds to sell quills to everyone

[@hellefur7861]

Well, they normally used Goose feathers, and there was plenty of gees around.

[@Spoder_Man420]

Imagine living in the 1700's and seeing someone wrestling a fucking adult ostrich just to write a book 😂😂😂😂

[@dp_hridayan]

​@@joshuabarnhill1265yeah and nowadays people just eat meat and waste the feathers😢😑

[@KelvieCarlile-cf8em]

The fact that someone came up with this is still crazy to me. I know people used everything they could from everything they had but must have been an artist to first express such ingenuity.

[@vaishnavimaroju8382]

I now understand why people sell quills in the wizarding world and not just pluck them off of some random bird.😂

[@artbymoni5187]

Yeah I've wondered that since I was 8

[@onesimus8184]

Witchcraft is demonic. Be careful.

[@husaynbootwala1729]

They should really start using pens

[@jefflibby5474]

​@@husaynbootwala1729seriously... Only electronics would go haywire around Hogwarts... So why so difficult 🤷‍♂️

[@abstract3517]

they got all those damn spells and not one to dribble a little ink from their wand smh.

[@TintagelEmrys]

Don't forget that you have to sharpen your quill about as often as a pencil. This is why small pocket knives are pen knives, they are for sharpening quills

[@sohailsalikram4122]

Oooooh my goodness 🙆🏽‍♂️

[@horsejackmanbo7292]

And 'pens' are female swans, which provide the best feathers for quills.

[@kevinbernard5182]

mind blown

[@spiritus1512]

Most calligraphers in illuminated manuscripts are also pictured with a trusty knife! Very handy for scoring in guidelines, holding the page, or trimming your quill

[@Romanticoutlaw]

🤯

[@renos_]

Someone get this guy a pen

[@Randomchannel770]

Lol

[@j2burk]

140 likes and one comment? Let me fix that

[@with_palo]

315 like and 2 comments? Lemme fix that...

[@renos_]

316 likes and 3 comments? Lemme fix that real quick

[@Whose_penelope123.]

530 likes and 4 comments? Let me fix that

[@Wulf_ix]

We had a History teacher, witch prepared the Feathers for us. It were the best time in school i had.

[@kevinb7551]

You're English teacher wasn't half as good 😅 what a train wreck 🎉

[@Ashaliyeva]

@@kevinb7551has it occurred to you that English might not be this person’s primary language?

[@NoriMori1992]

I think you mean "which". Or better yet, "who".

[@NoriMori1992]

@@kevinb7551 *Your

[@laurieb3703]

​@@kevinb7551your* 😂

[@Finraen]

Similar video in 200 years: “Typing on a keyboard might be more complicated than you think...”

[@criscrosxxx]

Never

[@sadfaceemojioxlong8593]

You need to actually use your brain to send impulses to your fingers,and then you need to plan a message that can be interpreted by others out of the context of the shared hive mind

[@NOWABOmusic]

And you actually have to be able to spell the words that you want to type with no AI assistance!

[@Henry-kz4gn]

You have to build the keyboard yourself.

[@Piano_Board]

💀💀

[@normaswann8992]

No wonder most their handwriting was beautiful, they weren't writing, they drew every letter.

[@v1ncemouth192]

That was beautiful.

[@benjamincartwright2923]

Underrated comment

[@PraiseTheLordyourGodJesus]

Ephesians‬ ‭6:10‭-‬18‬ ‭Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. The bible is no old book. You have to really let Christ open your eyes; to see the world in shambles. Many people say it's a religion to lock up people in chains, and say it's a rule book.. why? Because people hate hearing the truth, it hurts their flesh, it's hurts their pride, it's exposes on what things have they done..people love this world so much, s*x, money, power, women, supercars.. things of this world. Still trying to find something that can fill that emptiness in your heart. You can't find that in this world.. only in Christ, the bible is no chains, it's a chainbreaker. Breaking your sins into pieces... Repent now, and turn back to the true Lord only.. God bless.

[@traiforse5777]

*Cough* Calligraphy

[@Maskit4life]

I remember back in 3rd grade, my school had a whole history event. All the teachers were dressed from the 1700’s, and the whole school was decorated. It was so awesome, and they taught us how to make butter FROM SCRATCH. They also taught us all how to write with a feather (better known as a quill). It was so fun. Best school day ever, honestly.

[@RuthlessBoot3455]

So jealous right now wish I had that at 3rd grade

[@Maskit4life]

@@RuthlessBoot3455 it was so awesome💔

[@chrisdanks741]

Probably due to living in Philly but I thought this was like something every child did. I guess living in the birthplace of America it’s kind of a thing the city education system does, they’d bring in the churns and shit and teach us the quills and make us sign our own class declarations lol.

[@peshka96024]

​@@chrisdanks741nah, it probably just in 1 world countries, in my country there was nothing honestly

[@chrisdanks741]

@@peshka96024 I’m sure there’s plenty of schools in America that did the absolute bare minimum.

[@Corrinecreates]

This is one of the few moments I can say, human beings are so amazing.

[@totallynameless8861]

Worst part of Hogwarts.

[@Mindstormer]

😂

[@SATsolver]

U can buy it too...

[@Dualbladedscorpion7737]

But hey there's magic

[@alpacaofthemountain8760]

Just get pencils

[@musilovesbooks]

LMAO

[@elyseishere8714]

This explains why writing was a skill not everyone had or could do

[@alfa_kenny_body]

As well as why everyone's handwriting was so immaculate

[@theoriginalmonstermaker]

Well yeah, that and the fact that it takes the privilege of having years of practice and materials to learn with. The major limitation isn't really just "a feather ".

[@Gir-Riff-raffe]

Yeah but why are we still running on bicameral legislation?

[@Gir-Riff-raffe]

@enriqueamaya3883Jesus gunna strike you blind for spelling his name wrong

[@doubleicecream1302]

@@theoriginalmonstermakercrying bruh i cant tell if the original comment is a joke or not but it’s so funny either way

[@bluexwings]

My grandmother always used quills to write letters in her younger days. She took great pride in her calligraphy. The paper she preferred was very expensive, even for the 50s-60s, according to my mom.

[@Uttersteilk]

666 likes

[@Ava-wu4qp]

Never tried quills myself but in the fountain pen world, Tomoe River paper is one of the more highly regarded papers that is produced on a large scale. It's roughly $0.20 per loose A4 page.

[@daisyk271]

0lpp0q

[@Thawhid]

​@@Uttersteilkok?

[@Nathaliya-g8s]

Wow

[@dadtype2339]

Been doing calligraphy pretty much my whole life, and I specialize in Long stroke for my handwriting, when I write out letters and thank you cards to church or other folk, my Mother or my Wife are often complimented by how beautiful the handwriting is, and are shocked when they learn it's a man's handwriting. One super important thing you missed and this goes for the same with quills or nibs on fountain pens, never ever ever ever ever ever ever let anyone else use your quill or fountain pen, they use a different pressure to write their letters than you do and therefore can form or bend the nibs in a way to where when you use it they will not work properly for you any longer.❤

[@-inFinity05-]

I broke the system when I made a feather pen at 12. I just took the inside of a normal pen, shoved it up in there, add a bit of white duct tape and boom! Feather pen that I used at school for like a whole year.

[@braincells1785]

bro really wanna be shakespear

[@TamWam_]

i want to do this

[@warriorson7979]

Not all heroes wear capes.😏

[@dylanm.3692]

I did the same thing with a goose feather recently. Works great.

[@ashleydavis2355]

I did the same thing with a peacock feather (the buzzy feathers not the pretty ones) and i thought i was a bad ass😂

[@lukewilliams8548]

When we were kids, my brother found a feather at the park. He used a pocket knife and his best guess to make the point. With mom's permission we juiced a bag of cherries and got a few table spoons of juice. He tried writing with it and it crudely worked. It didn't really glide and you had to dip it often, but it made legible letters on paper. While we went to show our parents, our younger brother, being very young at the time, saw juice and drank it. We only got to use a fraction of the ink we made.

[@omariomariomario1194]

Very nice story

[@steele_heart77]

Your younger brother really be the type of mf to remind the teacher to hand out homework

[@ElpSmith]

That’s really cool. What is your genius brother doing now?

[@WanderingWolfe]

Little man saw an opportunity and took it.

[@lukewilliams8548]

@@ElpSmith The brother that made the quill is almost done with a degree in chemical engineering at a prestigious college.

[@jlw7771]

I had to learn this when I was taking graphic design classes in college. Once you learn how to do it though, it's really fun.

[@PotatoesAreNeat]

As someone who discovered a flight feather in the desert and intends to make a quill from it, I find this extremely helpful. Edit - discovering that it’s illegal to obtain a FALLEN feather is absolutely mind blowing to me. I could literally prove that it’s fallen before processing it. I currently wear the feather (and others) in my hat ILLEGALLY and I don’t care. That’s a law I’m willing to break lmao. Edit 2 - The law was put in place over 100 years ago to prevent poaching (and lying poachers) and protect the birds of several countries. I’m all for the law because it’s a loose law. No officer is going to pull my feathers from my brim and ask me if they were ethically sourced. He may however do that to a person with a suspicious amount of hunting trophies. And even if for whatever crazy reason I did “get in trouble” simple communication could alleviate the issue. I do actually collect my feathers for religious reasons, not collecting in mass or for personal gain. As long as your intentions are good, you’ll find a lot of laws that exist may not actually really apply to you. Final edit - I’m Romuva (Baltic Pagan). I’m not gonna answer this again lol.

[@Jacob-yg7lz]

Just make sure not to be too showy with it you can break federal bird law

[@violetopal6264]

Townsend has a video on making quill pens

[@Lailas776]

“As someone” 😂

[@Lailas776]

@Syllashathe lawyer nobody asked for 😅

[@timetravelingpenguin]

​@🌺 Alyssa 📛 thats very interesting, could you explain why that's the case?

[@Gerrosimo1]

A lot of people don't understand how much of an art writing used to be.

[@DhoklaAboveVadapav]

ancient worthless skill

[@alexnather7614]

​If u think calligraphy is useless then art is useless​@@DhoklaAboveVadapav

[@Scottf573]

@@DhoklaAboveVadapavyou’re worthless

[@marchdarkenotp3346]

​@@DhoklaAboveVadapav careful with that edge, kid

[@ARG0T]

​@@DhoklaAboveVadapav Worthless comment

[@Daragausthedragon]

That makes so much sense. In the 4th grade our teachers had us try using feather pens and they all came out awful. We didn’t have the right strokes or the right surface

[@krankarvolund7771]

When I was in middle and hischool some student still used feather-pens for some writing, I think I used it once or twice it was fun ^^

[@MeanBeanComedy]

Elementary school teachers are dunces.

[@red.maned.unicorn]

Also, you were kids - at that age, chances are you were still developing the fine motor skills to write neatly with any instrument!

[@kugelblitz1557]

It's a lot like writing with a fountain pen except it's less forgiving if you fuck up.

[@andylutz3505]

​@@red.maned.unicornmy handwriting hasn't changed since fourth grade, and I graduated a few years ago 😹

[@gardnerhill9073]

I have a clay inkpot and a goose-feather quill my parents got me from a trip to Williamsburg. Every time I'm freaking out about having trouble writing on my laptop, I look at the quill and inkpot and remember that that was what Shakespeare wrote with.

[@hamyongk2240]

I once wrote an Arabic letter with a feather my teacher gave me, it was already prepared so I just used it. It feels amazing, and everyone should try

[@aprettydumbperson]

misread feather as father and man the thought of a teacher just mailing a father is pretty crazy

[@Zulkak1357]

Which letter?

[@ayaya173]

I once wrote a number with a feather and it didn’t feel good. Do not recommend.

[@MargotRenoir]

I’m learning arabic and writing has been so challenging with a regular pen. When I saw this video my first thought was, “this would be so great for writing arabic”

[@DelusionalMan2]

​@@MargotRenoir if you need help with the language i might help. I'm not a professional with it but a native speaker.

[@dursty3226]

how on earth did humans figure out all of this? like what made someone think of plucking a specific feather from a bird, soaking it, drying it specifically in hot sand, and whittling it into a very specific shape?

[@hellothere9167]

Some guy said I had enough of writing in stone shit and did his best to replace it

[@humanwithaplaylist]

Idk. Leave somone alone to play with what resources they have around them and eventually they'll make something that works

[@Laflamme78]

Trial and error.

[@JustAnotherPerc]

You have to remember that this is how they wrote for centuries, so what we are watching is the end product, but the first quills were definitely not this good.

[@tonydai782]

The same way we’ve accomplished many things. Trial and error over hundreds of years.

[@temp3608]

I used to wonder why not everyone knew how to read and write in the medieval times because it seemed so easy aside from spelling being a pain sometimes. Other than ofc, being broke and not being able to afford lessons. Now I know one of many reasons why.

[@wardogs667]

At the very least a LOT of people knew how to read. Not knowing is actually a myth, though i can see why writing could have been difficult. Remember, Dante Algheri got in trouble not because of his divine comedy, but that he wrote it in italian not latin. So the common folk could read it.

[@rruthlessly]

​@@wardogs667Most people did not encounter anything written in their daily life so not being able to read was normal. Books were as expensive as cars are now and not as useful. People who do not read or write typically have much better memories so it wasn't a big deal.

[@jgw5491]

@@rruthlessly Writing would also be prohibitively expensive in Europe until they started more commonly making and using rag paper in the 13th cent. Before that people who wrote manuscripts had to use vellum or parchment, both made from highly treated animal skins and membranes. Labor intensive and therefore pricy!

[@TheGarchompxd]

if youre into anime this is basically what ascendence of a bookworm is about

[@merelha5930]

This really depends on the time period and place (and there is a pretty big chance information about it have been lost). Not every place used quills, even for languages with the Latin alphabet. We still have the big fancy manuscripts, because they've been carefully kept and are usually made with pretty durable materials. Most people wouldn't have used those. Hell, the only reason we know about the shitty copper of one specific guy from 1750 BC is because his house burned down or something There was a whole period in either Iceland or Greenland where pretty much everyone could read. They had a surplus on leather/hide to make books and a lot of time on their hands because of the long winters and would spend a big part of that reading. There are a lot of other examples, like little monster drawings and notes from boys learning how to write, letters, poems etc. Especially in different parts of the world. You just have to dig a bit deeper because they're not as well known. I even read somewhere that most people knew how to read/write/etc but didn't do it/said they couldn't to avoid taxes.

[@rohanthakur4285]

Let's thank the person who invented Pencil. Even though it's not used as much now, It was what allowed education to be possible for masses for the first time. ❤ ✌️

[@rustyking8783]

And the creator of paper.

[@sidthevar2679]

I understand now why homeworks are such a drag in the Harry Potter universe.....

[@clint4527]

Always wonder, why Hermione and Harry didn't bring things like pen and computer with them.

[@jeohranalfhir8366]

​@@clint4527"Have you, like, _never_ read the History of Hogwarts? Electronics don't work in Hogwarts because the magical vibrations from the school's protections deactivate them." (or something similar, I haven't read the books in English) - Hermione Pens though... For real

[@honestsimp1171]

Exactly what I was thinking

[@gnomeconspiracy2122]

When I interned at a historical museum, part of my job was working at the family activity center where my primary responsibility was teaching kids how to write with feathers. Every morning I'd show up an hour before the center opened so that I could sharpen and test the feathers that would be used by the kids. I still make quills for my friends if they find the proper feather, and have a small collection of feather quills I've made on my own.

[@anonelle28]

That is so cool!

[@chronjuanjm]

Niiice

[@aapp776]

Okay I've decided. I want to be your friend.

[@aapp776]

Okay I've decided. I want to be your friend.

[@KyloRen-2010]

Cool!!!

[@fcoxavier]

oh wow, things I never realized about my own handwriting Thank you Sir, you are a true servant

[@YeezNutz]

Gentleman and scholar*

[@Deathworm-eg5lt]

Servant? Wth

[@ayushiabedin4530]

@@Deathworm-eg5lt yeah what the hell SERVANT? Bro if I was in his place and some random guy calls me servant I would seriously report him!🤬

[@Deathworm-eg5lt]

@@ayushiabedin4530 exactly, disrespectful and demeaning

[@MrElliottm]

​@ayushiabedin4530 a servant can just be someone who serves a purpose

[@NightfallShadow]

Thank god for science inventing the ball point.

[@Mandassina]

This is why I love the internet. Just killing time, a few minutes while waiting for my tea to steep, and I learn something totally cool that I never would have even thought to ask about. I knew quill pens required a certain amount of shaping and maintenance, but the amount of detail you crammed into this short clip was amazing. Thanks for sharing!

[@cryonim]

Careful though because it's a sinkhole, and if you don't strictly bound yourself, it will drain your focus. Thank the companies who have optimized the algorithm to such extent this short/reel/etc. feedback loop is as bad for health as fast food.

[@ruthmaryrose]

@@cryonim Sure there’s plenty of junk on the Internet, but knowledge of the truth expands your imagination and your mind and is good for your soul. This is good knowledge.

[@cryonim]

@@ruthmaryrose A younger me would agree, but you slowly realize we just can't remember these things, the keyword is associativity. And even if we make a point to atleast have a clue, later this turns out to be a bit disappointing when we can't find the source. For ex.: You see a cool video on how to tie your shoe in a unique way, it's good but since it isn't associated with any other action, your brain will discard in a few weeks if not days, but say you like it and want to remember it so you associate it with something like say trying it out in real, then it will gradually go out of your memory unless you use it a lot more. But you know the quantity of these useful things is so much you won't associate, or would just think it's good then move about your day and even if you remember the existence of a unique shoelace method, you would have to dig through piles of stuff to find it again. If we are meant to forget things anyway, why not forget the most profound things ? The shorts are not that, unfortunately. Good for passing time though.

[@Mandassina]

@@cryonim I can agree with this, and there have been times when I have found myself on the fringes of the internet in the wee hours of the morning, feeling as if I've just emerged from a blackout drunk wondering how I got here and where the heck is 'here' anyway. But you never know what's going to stick until you see it, and the more knowledge you're exposed to, the more there is likely to stick.

[@peytonhorn2833]

What is steep tea?

[@emccormack4209]

Is this the reason that handwriting is taught in such a specific way? It shouldn’t really matter where you start writing a letter if using a pencil, so long as the end product is legible, but kindergarten teachers still teach the letter formation in a very specific top down way.

[@_magnify]

Good point. Are you a teacher yourself? I think I should investigate this a bit, it would be super interesting to know how writing is taught in 2023.

[@emccormack4209]

@@_magnify Just starting school for it, but not sure if we will cover handwriting instruction.

[@colbyboucher6391]

More or less. The downstroke thing still applies to fountain pens, which is what pretty much all "writing systems" were developed for. People got real stubborn about it because if you're *good* with a fountain pen and at writing "proper" cursive, sure, you can write pretty quickly and write for a long time without your hand getting sore. But that's what keyboards are for. In fact the way writing is usually taught straight-up sucks with ballpoint pens and to a lesser extent pencils because you need to put much more pressure on the paper.

[@annasolovyeva1013]

It indeed is. Try with a steel dip pen.

[@spiritus1512]

It may also be because it’s easier to make a neat line pulling the pen towards you rather than pushing away.

[@skelly1004]

Man, how the fuck did anyone invent writing with a feather? Who killed a bird, plucked out its feathers, and was just like “hmm… I bet I could fill these with ink!”

[@Nerobyrne]

I think they actually used other materials first, but they were either not as easy to get or they didn't perform as well. But that might explain how they knew the exact properties the feather had to be in.

[@tallulahraccoon3832]

I'd rather know how they found out how to cure it to make it more resistent yet flexible.

[@_magnify]

Well, it's interesting that they were modifying feathers for thousands of years before that as fletching for arrows. My theory is when they were looking for a material that was more durable than the reed pen, the hollow tube reminded them of feathers.

[@denisemcdougal6445]

😮😮😮😂😂😂😂

[@MatthRrrr]

Before that, people wrote on clay tablets.

[@GTFOTR_Imschizophrenic]

My friend literally did this at school and we were so proud

[@GTFOTR_Imschizophrenic]

It was insane af

[@lyllydd]

You forgot stripping the barbs off of the feather for balance., as well as cleaning the pith out of the shaft and possibly adding a small sliver of metal or wood to serve as an ink reservoir.

[@Baruch-Hashem]

Hmmm, perhaps that is 102 and this is 101. I do not have the time for such activities, but it looks very interesting.

[@1mariomaniac]

Im not very well taught on this subject, but isnt the "ink reservoir" just a bottle of ink you dip the quill tip into?

[@NikkyTikkiTavi]

​@@1mariomaniac That's the ink well, the reservoir holds the ink you're writing with on the nib itself. When you dip the pen into the well you are refilling the reservoir.

[@1mariomaniac]

@@NikkyTikkiTavi ah, ok, neat! 😊

[@Dosbomber]

@Syllasha Which you used to have to do... thus the "pen knife".

[@JoeyDragonWhisperer]

Wait- THAT’S why I was taught to only write in downstrokes in kindergarten??

[@smithworks23]

what century? lol

[@super12rider]

​@@smithworks23 all centuries. Schools (at least american ones) teach that you write letters from top to bottom. It was weird and a lot of kids just ignored it but it was still a "rule".

[@NONO-oy1cu]

Keeping the tradition alive I suppose

[@carsonianthegreat4672]

@@smithworks2321st century. 2000s kid.

[@spiritus1512]

That, and assuming you’re “finger writing” as most people do instinctively it is easier to pull a pen neatly than it is to push it

[@mamiavodah1012]

As a kid in the 80s I was lucky enough to have a short class thing where we all made quill pens! (Only at the end after testing our pens with paint we got to put ball point ink tubes inside them to take home)

[@teresaellis7062]

So cool! I had no idea how involved making a single quill pen was! It also explains why I read somewhere that there were never enough of the correct kind of feathers. When I read it, I thought, "But a goose is covered in feathers!" I will appreciate my metal quill pen much more now.

[@gokulg9474]

Aahhh memories... I used to collect feathers of local birds when i was little, whenever i acquired an extra, large feather (usually from Stroks, Herons, Crows an Doves) i would try to make pens out of it by cutting cross sectionally near the tip just so that a gel pen's nib would fit perfectly and fill inside the feather with ink, i felt like a wizard writing with that XD

[@arushrusia805]

I actually have a kite feather that i made into a pen with a refill of another pen and also hollowed it out

[@tallulahraccoon3832]

We made something similar out of bamboo wood in art class one time. Also had to carve the tip like that. Took me several sticks before I got it right. That was almost 20 years ago and that thing still works just fine for the occasional DIY birthday card. Calligraphy rules ❤

[@_magnify]

Oh no way! I am surprised bamboo lasted that long!

[@SimonsAstronomy]

Writing in medieval times must have been really hard Imagine copying a bible with this

[@aeydra]

Learning calligraphy and writing with a quill was on my list but now crossing it out with a ballpoint pen. 😂 Thank you for the video, made me appreciate writers of the past even more ❤

[@Chesemiser]

I have done it before and I will tell you it is easier than he made it out to be.

[@orivalx]

It also makes your handwriting beautiful once you get gud

[@joshuabarnhill1265]

They do have metal blade pens with feathers on them youd still have to buy specific ink ballpoint ink will just make a mess you need thick ink that will stay on the blade

[@wkhdt]

fun fact: both of the words "pen" and "feather" are "pluma" in some dialects in spanish. in others, pen is "boligrafo"

[@Chillaxin1844]

Bolígrafo 🖊️ is ballpoint … like the bola ⚾️,

[@lordofonions8224]

you can find pluma used in filipino too.

[@Chillaxin1844]

@@lordofonions8224 you can find that Filipinos speak Spanish …. “The where part of the empire”

[@wkhdt]

@@Chillaxin1844 yeah, and "grafo" means write. also, a baseball is more of a pelota than a "bola"

[@Chillaxin1844]

@@wkhdt google it

[@jimmytrex0920]

6 year old me with the ballpoint pen with a feather attached to the end I got from the book fair: *”I don’t have such weaknesses”*

[@muhammadhamzamir7340]

Fun fact: In islam Idris (Arabic: إدريس, romanized: ʾIdrīs) is an ancient prophet mentioned in the Qur'an, who Muslims believe was the third prophet after Seth. He is the third prophet mentioned in the Quran. Islamic tradition has unanimously identified Idris with the biblical Enoch. Many Muslim scholars of the classical and medieval periods held that Idris and Hermes Trismegistus were the same person Prophet Idrees عليه السلام was the first person who started writing with a pen. He also sewed clothes and wore them. Earlier, people covered their private body parts with leaves

[@victorquesada7530]

There are a lot of naysayers in the comments, and a lot of those boil down to something reasonable. It's not super difficult to make marks on paper using random feathers, reads, and other materials that are hollow. I think the main point to take away from it is that writing at that point in history wasn't art form, not just a utilitarian exercise. The cost of paper, the smudging of ink, all of the issues that we don't even consider today would have been very front of mind for an ancient scribe or even an early modern one. There's a reason why small pocket knives are sometimes called pen knives. To get things to work really well consistently over a long period of time, you would take the time to set things up right for the state of comfort, legibility, and consistency.

[@johnnyearp52]

I think writing was an art form back then. At least for important documents and Bibles.

[@geofff.3343]

Get a fountain pen, you get all the joy and good feel in the hand of trying to use a quill, it's better at pushing, and they make them take cartridges now.

[@myfaceismyshield5963]

That's not the point here at all.

[@_magnify]

They are really cool. I am more of a pencil fellow myself.

[@yoyojoseph]

Pilot V5 master race 🫡

[@spiritus1512]

Totally different ballgame. The other seldom mentioned difference is that while you can find metal nibs cut into “stubs” (that are still tipped), there exists no such a nib that is also flexible like a quill.

[@kenenigans]

in primary school we had to go through all states of writing utensils. Including writing with feathers, it was very fun. We also did like nails in clay tablets, forgot what that was called. Eventually we got to modern pens of course.

[@hotaru8309]

Cuneiform

[@xyreniaofcthrayn1195]

styling when working with clay or stone it's styling because you use a stylus the mother of all writing implements.

[@spamtownhamilton6200]

That sounds like a great hands on learning exercise! Thanks for sharing :)

[@madhujadas2427]

Those wizards must be really skilled to write with quills.

[@Secretgeek2012]

"Might be ..." Proceeds to describe a more complicated process than I could possibly imagine. Yep.

[@theplaylab9336]

I mean...I knew most of the content of this video already because I'm interested in calligraphy. He's very smart to not use absolute terms!

[@potato_451]

My respect for the dudes who make the quills in harry potter 📈📈📈📈

[@thegamingreality1794]

💀💀

[@TheFundraiser.-.]

They use a different type of quill more likely than not. It’s likely they use a more modern one, like the ones I have. Where there’s metal tips. (So there’s none of these extra steps)

[@_zenith_139]

Can't they just magic the way out of their problems?

[@TheFundraiser.-.]

@@_zenith_139 he’s talking about for what they have to write. They use quills in Harry Potter. (To write with, and no you cannot technically ‘magic’ your way out of all your problems)

[@TheFundraiser.-.]

@@ImAmirus ?

[@carsonianthegreat4672]

Now I know why my kindergarten teacher was so insistent that you had to start each strike at the top of the line.

[@valblazeyt]

Exactly what I was thinking

[@Sirisma]

I write in a way that reduces strokes and travel time between strokes. I frequently start in the bottom left corner and end in the bottom right sorta like cursive just without all the loopy horseshit. I absolutely hated learning how to write in cursive

[@caomouse8829]

Let me grab my duck really quick "FLY feather" Oh ...

[@nir5178]

Meanwhile minecraft steve casually writing a 3000 word essay while climbing a mountain

[@mango3steen]

lmao

[@brrrrrr]

Or compressing 9 pieces of diamonds into one big piece

[@ForFucsSakeWhyDidYTchangmyName]

​@@brrrrrrand then de compressing it back to normal to make a hoe out of two diamonds and two sticks

[@justinm16]

haha I thought I was the only one thinking about book and quills from minecraft

[@PalimpsestProd]

now write the entire works of Shakespeare with it.

[@_magnify]

haha a reason why scribe used to be a real profession.

[@denisemcdougal6445]

😂😂😂

[@sapphirII]

I remember having a metal quill when I was a kind. I tried once working with it, but unless I missed something, I found it hard.

[@SovietReunionYT]

This makes carving stone tablets sound more efficient. And that's before we even get to clay and wax tablets. Why did people start writing with ink before pencils and pens, anyway? You not only need a complicated writing tool that can easily mess things up and a perfectly practiced set of strokes for each letter, but also a very expensive and difficult to produce material to write on. Sounds like a great topic for a future short.

[@triple6keyz497]

thanks BIC. you guys made my school life bearable, and i wish the founding fathers had one of your pens.

[@orang1921]

wood pencils solo your favorite writing tool verse

[@dastanbaken6864]

​@@orang1921grow up

[@ilhanthediamondcrafter9767]

Well this is interesting to know. I've always wondered how using a feather to writes feels like

[@placeholder3863]

You should try a fountain pen, it should be pretty similar and way more accessible

[@spiritus1512]

@placeholder3863 definitely not. Fountain pens, aside from generally being inflexible in nib design, include a ball of tipping at the end of the nib that makes writing smoother and upstrokes possible. Feathers will catch the page if you attempt the same motion, and are by nature flexible. Very different experiences, but enjoyable in their own ways

[@xiqueira]

hence where the direction of strokes in cursive come from?🤔

[@link7417]

Pretty much yea, not only feathers ofcourse but the early pens worked whit the same principles that the iconic feather quill does

[@toadstoolmushroom]

My friends and I would find a large feather, cut the tip off with scissors and stick the ink thingy from a pen into the hollow centre and that’s how we made feather pens back in my day The thing is you have to get a large feather that’s perfectly the right size, which was hard, so we only could make a few

[@fburnsDubstepEnderFox]

Back in those days if you were left handed, you was getting beat. 😂

[@einar2963]

Beat until you learned to write with your right hand

[@99temporal]

person: **writes with left hand** church: Begone demon!!

[@holdingpattern245]

@@einar2963 which most lefties can do, to this very day

[@fburnsDubstepEnderFox]

I'm glad I'm a lefty in this current age. 👍🙏

[@guccilatae]

tbh even till now I get a lot of comments from my relatives about me being a lefty cause it's quite "different" and by different they mean I am a wierd being or something just because of my dominant hand😑

[@splnter648]

Honestly this looks cool, I’d put some effort to make a writing station and a proper quill. This seems fun

[@diamondflaw]

The Townsends channel has an incredible series of videos about historical writing including a step by step on preparing and using quill pens.

[@splnter648]

@@diamondflaw ok I’ll check that out pretty soon. I remember wanting to write with quills ever since I was a child, so it’d be a dream come true

[@CarthagoMike]

Amazing that this was the way we wrote in Europe for centuries.

[@AureliumGraves-tv3zo]

Orrr just have a big enough feather, and hollow it out so you can shove the ink cartridge from a pen into it, and carefully glue it into place. This does in fact work, I have one.

[@JackalXander]

Fascinating.

[@davergent1521]

Writing was an actual skill back then. Now, people can barely write - they type.

[@MegaGrip13]

and now typing is a skill.

[@Katwind]

As a very slow typper, I'd say that typing is also a skill.

[@Grouncher]

And even that most can barely do accurately.

[@quiet2697]

Just as they wrote on stone, then transitioned to paper, times change as new technology rises. You know anyone who writes on stone? The ineffective method slowly fades, but I suspect hand writing won't totally go away for the physical touch and accessibility of it.

[@eyeknow8009]

typing isn't a skill at all

[@joshuapatrickvidal4954]

Also, a not so well known fact but the soft feathery parts of the feather actually rub against your hand which is not pleasant. So, quill pens are usually just the spine of the feather, despite what we usually see in films

[@tozzasque]

If I remember correctly, in Shakespeare in Love, he writes with only the spine. Just to say how much this detail is rare to find that it stuck in my mind for several years.

[@_magnify]

Interesting, I wondered why the videos of calligraphers I saw just were using the quill and the shaft.

[@joshuapatrickvidal4954]

​@@_magnify Sometimes the fluffy parts are still kept on the pen but it has to be kept on only one side, the side that faces away from your hand

[@spiritus1512]

Thanks for pointing this out! If you look at illuminations of scribes in old manuscripts you’ll also notice that they’re only using the spine. I always appreciate when movies include this detail .

[@vincentnightray750]

I was wondering how quill worked LITERALLY YESTERDAY- Should i be scared

[@scarofherobrine]

Thank you SO much for this! I’ve never known how people actually write with quills, and this breaks it down beautifully. I can add this into my books, now!

[@10omhz72]

The more I learn about how complicated old things were the more respect I have for the intelligence and problem solving skills of ancient people

[@Johnson_2022]

Likely the reason dip sticks with metal nibs were developed. Feather quills were also encredably fragile and not very ware resistant so would have to be replaced often.

[@PackiamS-b6j]

My sis once made something similar to this but with a crow's feather..it actually worked really well...and it looked absolutely stunning...

[@tPlayerioT]

sorry i will stick with a pen.

[@kittyfoxcat7802]

That is a pen

[@vinaldfrancis2405]

Glad I found this account which is a perfect match for my specific brand of nerdiness. Thanks

[@andreasunshine8002]

Same here 😂

[@rainghostly]

jup!

[@pnwlady]

Cutting so it holds the ink is the hardest part. I use any decent fallen feather.

[@PotatoRed148]

Why are they doing all this shit? Can't they use an ink brush like normal people, the Chinese have had it since 300 B.C.

[@bug3518]

quills are also the reason we have pen knives hence the name, they were often carried along with writing utensils incase you split your quill and need to shape it up or need to cut a new quill altogether

[@cremebrulee4759]

Thanks!

[@BitchyBubblez]

This is why you are thankful to the makers of pens. Idc what kind of pen you use, thank them in your head!

[@notnemeziz]

Pencil is ez and better and coal has also existed forever...i wonder why they used a feather instead of coal

[@keannoxyrenceesquivel2349]

​@@notnemeziz yeah but a pen can look more professional for me. Overall both are great.

[@Mrgold-ic6ds]

thank you pen and pencil makers 😊

[@sicapanjesis3987]

You can say that about everything you use from dresses to foods, electricity, network--everything!

[@BitchyBubblez]

@@notnemeziz coal was used in some places, but coals main use has always been for burning for energy or cooking. For why we use feathers, well, we used to use bamboo or cane stalks but the tip wore away too fast. Was also an elegance thing.

[@ReikiArtLove]

I absolutely needed all of this crucial information. 😌✨

[@Tom_McMurtry]

The letters look beautiful though. I imagine this would make one feel very accomplished just getting to the stage of writing.

[@lifefindsaway7875]

I wish I knew this when I was first taught calligraphy. It’s more interesting when you know WHY every letter had to be broken down into multiple downward strokes

[@annnee6818]

Thanks I'll stick to my biro

[@FirestormDDash]

This is why I struggled outsmarting Divinci when i went back in my time mobile

[@johnnyearp52]

Davinci was hardcore. He wrote with blood when he ran out of ink.

[@EmMiller-wu3dy]

I find quill writing gorgeous. As a little girl looking at the Declaration of Independence and signatures, I thought it was the prettiest thing I had ever seen.

[@WIImotionmasher]

i didnt even realize feathers needed so much preparation to be used for ink. Surely this can be made more easily with some sort of common plant stalk instead of trying to find a bird within reach? Ive never heard of that though.

[@Lolibeth]

you get the feathers from the domesticated geese that you kept around for eggs and meat

[@asherthedisaster4724]

The trade off was control you can use reeds for example but you can only get a specific line weight wich could become a problem if you can limited space

[@spiritus1512]

At larger sizes their performance is comparable, but many books demanded small handwriting that could only be done well with a quill. I’ll add that quills are more durable, and the last thing you want to be spending time on when copying a whole book is re-cutting a reed.

[@Supernova2464]

The Univeral S is back!!!!

[@ljpwr3368]

Its impressive that someone figured this out in the first place

[@Robadobo]

Well they had millennia to come up with it

[@zakirehman9023]

Not to mention dipping it again and again in the inkpot which, as an exam-giver who hardly has time to breathe while writing, sounds like a nightmare.

[@Larszyński]

I actually did write with a quill before. I found the angling of the paper not too necessary. I was still able to write a pretty letter with cursive words.

[@gagagacha]

Yeah no,, i think ill just stick to dip pens