Quill pen
device · 600 · Middle Ages
A pen made from a bird’s flight feather.
What it is made of
- Quill nib — has part. A sharpened split tip.
- Hollow quill barrel — has part. A hollow shaft holds the ink.
Principles and materials it uses
- Ink — uses. It writes with ink.
- Capillary action — uses. Ink is held in the shaft by capillary action.
History: what it evolved from and what it influenced
- Steel nib — evolved into. The metal nib replaced the quill.