VMs: Re: John M. Manly's 1922 Harpers article...

[Nick Pelling <incoming@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Hmmm... does anyone know roughly how many pages of text a typical quill 
> pen would last?

To answer my own question, plus a few others I didn't think of as well:-

http://www.pensdirect.co.uk/acatalog/history.htm

        The writing instrument that was predominant for the longest
        period in history (over one thousand years) was the quill
        pen introduced around 700 A.D. The quill is a pen made
        from a bird feather. The strongest quills were those taken
        from living birds in the spring from the five outer left-wing
        feathers. The left wing was favored because the feathers
        curved outward and away when used by a right-handed
        writer.

        Goose feathers were used most, swan feathers were
        considered a premium grade being scarcer and more
        expensive. For making fine lines crow feathers were
        considered the best and the feathers of the eagle, owl,
        hawk and turkey were occasionally used.

        Quill pens lasted for only a week before it was necessary
        to replace them, there were other disadvantages
        associated with their use, including a lengthy preparation
        time. The early european writing parchments were made
        from animal skins and required much scraping and
        cleaning. Margins were then made with a lead and a ruler.

        To sharpen the quill, the writer needed a special knife
        (origins of the term "pen-knife".) Beneath the writer's
        high-top desk was a coal stove to cause the ink to dry
        as fast as possible.