This week Roy decided it was time to fulfill one of his friends requests. Roy loves being asked by his friends how to do things and when his friends became interested in making quills he was thrilled to be able to share the instructions. Harry Potter remains very popular with the children and they were interested to find out what the quills he writes with were like. So this week Roy Creates An Old Fashioned Quill Pen.
You Will Need:
- A large feather. Roy has used Cockatoo feathers in the past but one of his friends was able to supply him with some goose feathers which are very traditional. The feather needs to be very hard and you may need to cut more than one quill before you find one which writes well
- A sharp craft knife
- Paper and ink to use your quill (you could use very watery, runny paint if you didn't have any ink)
Method:
Note: making a quill will require parental assistance. Make sure to have an adult helping you!
- Start by stripping the lower feathers away from the quill. Use the knife to cut them carefully off, making sure not to damage the quill in the centre.
- Now you need to decide which way you want your quill to be held (how it sits comfortably). Roy likes the feather to sweep back over his hand. Turn the quill up the opposite way when you cut the nib.
- Next, make the first cut. You need to lay the knife almost flat against the quill and cut diagonally down to the end to reveal the inside of the feather.
- This should have revealed the inner workings of the feather and there will probably be a fluffy substance inside. Use the tip of the knife to scrape all of this away. You need the inside of the quill to be clean.
- Now, make the second cut. To do this, hold the knife at about a 45 degree angle and cut diagonally down the quill. This should leave you with a reasonable tip area.
- Next, make a small slit in the quill. You want to have a short cut which splits the nib area of the quill and allows the ink to run down smoothly.
- If you like, shape the nib. Roy wanted a sharp point, but you can shape it so that it is a flat, wider nib for calligraphy if you prefer.
- Now, dip your quill in the ink and try writing with it. If all has gone well it will write smoothly and for about half a sentence.
- When the quill goes blunt, you will need to recut it or start again with a new feather