Dear Eleanor
I think you may be asking the wrong question, here. As far as I know (and I confess that I am not an expert on the history of writing instruments) quill pens were not things you bought as finished articles. Each writer made their own from quills (usually goose?) which they obtained by whatever means. The quill was shaped with a knife (hence penknife for a small, folding pocket knife). So the business of making a workable pen was part and parcel of the art of writing.
Why not get your students to make their own pens from quills supplied, or at any rate learn the skill of making quill pens yourself to demonstrate? The process was, by all accounts pretty quick, as quills had to be recut on the fly when they wore out. I suspect that its one of these skills which needs a certain amount of practise to perfect, but learning it should be well worth the effort.
I suspect that there's a website or several which give instructions on how to make quill pens. You ought to be able to get goose quills through a good butcher or poulterer.
But, if this is out of the question for whatever reason it should, I think, be authentic to use steel nibbed pens in a Napoleonic context. I'm pretty sure these were quite widely available by the year 1800 - I think Matthew Boulton, for one, was making them in Birmingham as part of his 'steel toys' business before he went into partnership with James Watt in the 1780s.
Hope this helps
Cheers, and Happy New Year
Richard Ellam
L M Interactive
Science Shows and Hands-On Stuff
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On 2 Jan 2008, at 16:54, Lanyon ,Eleanor wrote:
Dear all,
Can anyone suggest a supplier of 'authentic' quill pens for students to use ? We'd like them to get a feel for writing during the Napoleonic era but I can't find any quill pens that don't have metal nibs or ballpoints in them !
All suggestions gratefully received.
Many thanks !
Eleanor
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