The Pen is Mightier

I love pens, so when looking for a topic for Trivia Monday, I found a bit of interesting information about quills.

* As far as writing instruments go, the quill has lasted the longest, over a thousand years.

* Because most people are right-handed, the outer feathers from the left wing of a bird were favored because of the way they curved away from the hand.

* Most commonly used were feathers from geese. The shafts were more flexible, allowing the ink to flow freely with light pressure. Swan feathers were more pricey. Crow feathers made the best fine lines.

* Quills only lasted about a week before you needed to replace them.

* The term "penknife" originated from the special type of knife needed to sharpen your quill.

Cool, huh!