Quill Makers In Britain

[PatrickGray]

Do you know of any small makers of quills and reed-pens in Britain? I'm a complete beginner, so I will start with flat metal nibs, but Johnson, the original gentleman who came up with Foundational Hand, recommends a reed-pen followed by a quill. I imagine you would need to be a master to notice the difference but I thought it might be interesting to try.

 

There is an American gentleman (Dennis Ruud -- http://dennisruud.com/about-me/) whom I would write to if I needed to but shipping from the 'States is not cheap, though with such a light package I suspect it would not matter.

 

They are not especially expensive if the American gent's price (four pounds per quill) is representative. More than a dip nib, but if you're buying three or four with some extra money as a small treat it should be all right.

 

Many grateful thanks

 

God bless you,

Patrick Joseph Gray

 

P.S. I could not pay anyone 'til next week. They will sit in a drawer or pot for a while but will get plenty of use once I've learnt foundational hand.

Edited September 5, 2015 by PatrickGray

[Randal6393]

Hmmm ... Don't know where in Great Britain you are, but I find it hard to believe you don't have a pond with reeds or a loose goose quill laying around on the ground. Sure you have access to Johnston's Writing and Illuminating and Lettering. Good descriptions of how to cut a quill or reed into a pen, make a spring reservoir, along with various other wonders of the penman's art. In fact, that's how I started in calligraphy, after learning italic.

 

Have fun,

[PatrickGray]

Yes, I do have access to Johnson and to plenty of reeds. Secondly, I would like to apologise for my idle request -- I can be a lazy brute! Would a modern surgeon's scalpel do for a pen-knife?

 

Thank you very much.

 

God bless you,

Patrick Gray

Edited September 7, 2015 by PatrickGray

[Randal6393]

Certainly would, Patrick. Welcome to FPN, by the bye.

 

I had a lot of fun, making broad-edged pens. Hope you enjoy the trip as much as I did. The end of the journey is never as important as the steps along the way.

 

Have fun,

[PatrickGray]

Hello,

If this isn't premature, I wanted to thank you.

 

I went on a ramble in the afternoon and cut about a dozen reeds. Then I made up a crude pen with an X-Acto knife and tried it out. It's wonderful -- very smooth, actually. Better to my feeling than the nibs I've used.

 

You've indirectly bilked William Mitchell and Sons of ten pounds as I am not going to buy a set of round-hand nibs, but press on with reeds -- partially the excitement that anyone, however bungling, gets in making something useful, partly, for me, the historical interest of doing things as the monks did.

 

Thank you very much -- as you say, a long journey ahead of me. I shall enjoy it, I hope.

God bless you,

Patrick Gray

Edited September 7, 2015 by PatrickGray

[sidthecat]

One shouldn’t interfere with a man holding a scalpel.