Quill Pen

Goose feathers are traditional but you can use what you find locally as long as the nib end is strong enough and comfortable in your hand.

What you have: one goose feather

What you’ll need: one sharp pen knife or X-acto knife

Process: First find a comfortable position to hold your pen with the arc like a rainbow. First, cut a little of the very tip off. Next, make an acute angled cut about an inch from the tip, cut halfway through, then cut parallel along the quill to the tip. (Remove the filament from inside of the quill.) Then shape the sides of the nib with curved cuts, about ¼ of an inch long, to form a sharp point or a chiseled calligraphy point. Next, cut a slit in the end of the nib, about ⅛ of an inch. Your pen will likely need to be fine-tuned after a few tests, and occasionally sharpened.