I am sending with you a goodly supply of quills and some fine parchment; most assuredly you will soon need more of both these things, and it would be wise to contract with the local farmers to ensure that you may obtain the feathers of their geese and the skins of their animals.
I feel almost foolish writing this next part, for of course you know how to make a quill, as does any scribe; but perhaps it will be of use in instructing the novices, and so I will include it here. Remember that quills are best made from the first five flight feathers of a large fowl (“Preparing”, 2002), and if geese are not sufficient in number you could use feathers from ducks, or swans, or any other large bird. The feathers must be cured by first soaking the shafts in water, then plunging them into heated sand. Once dry, scrape the inside of the barrel until it is clean. Trim the barbs from the shaft, else the writing will be most uncomfortable! Lastly, use your sharp penknife to shape the nib, cutting first the sides to achieve the desired shape, then square across the tip (“Preparing”, 2002).
