Why Did Quill Pens Go Out Of Fashion?

Like most things that disappear with barely a trace, e.g. BetaMax videos and eight track cassette players, the quill pen fell victim to the onward march of technology and progress. Much in the same way as the quill and parchment supplanted the stylus and clay block and the brush and the papyrus.

The death of the quill pen was in a way to be lamented. For in its heyday, the quill pen was responsible for the artistry that went into Medieval European writing. Monks of that pre-printing press era were the main scribes of society, literacy being a preserve of the learned and rich. Quill pens were the tools of the trade for monk, cloistered away painstakingly copying books, mainly the Bible, by hand.

Ironically, and no doubt pleasingly symmetrical for the monks who wielded them, is the fact that the quill pen is a feather and the word 'pen' derives from the Latin, penna, meaning feather.

Quill and dip pens have not quite died the death some people wish to give them! It is easy enough to make your own quill pen, with the right feather and a sharp knife.

Dip pens, the technology which replaced the quill, can still be purchased in many major towns and cities. They are predominantly used for art work and for fine calligraphy. There are various nibs still available as well as high quality inks.

The Chinese still use calligraphy brushes, which can also be bought in major cities. They are an experience in themselves.