The first specific reference to a quill pen is found in the writings of St. Isidore of Seville around 580, although pens made of bird feathers are likely to have been used even earlier. The q-uill pen was the main writing tool in the Western world until the invention of the fountain pen in the nineteenth century. The quill's development was assisted by the rise of Christianity because its fine script was suitable for the promulgation of religion, as well as lending itself to other documents in increasingly dense text.
Although the outer wing feathers of many birds could be used, those of the goose and crow were preferred. A slit would be made in the base of the quill to allow ink to flow to the nib, with goose quills especially adept at holding the ink. The composition and size of goose quills also allowed the nib to be sliced to a broad edge, and then sharpened to an extremely fine point. Quill pens quickly became blunt, and needed to be recut frequently in order to maintain their edge. The feathers were taken only from live birds—those taken from the left wing best suited the right-handed scribe because they curved outward to the right side. Each bird could supply around ten good quills. The quill was of such importance that goose farms were prevalent across Europe.
The United States Supreme Court began a tradition of using quill pens in 1801, and its Chief Justices continued to write with them until well into the 1920s. Today white quills are still placed on attorneys' tables when the court is in session. By 1850, quill pen usage was starting to decline as the quality of steel nibs improved.
