Tutorial: Making a Feather Pen

Admit it. At one time or another you wanted to write with a feather pen. I have a tendency to collect things I find on the ground. Rocks, leaves, shells, feathers, sticks (yes, sticks). I seem to recall that among all the things I collected off the ground, my mother had something of a negative reaction toward the feathers. They were deemed "dirty," perhaps because they had once been stuck in an animal that might carry a disease. And actually, in a way Mom was right. Birds and reptiles can carry salmonella, so when you are handling them it is always a good idea to wash your hands afterward. But I don't think the feathers themselves are dangerous, so handle away. Probably you just shouldn't eat them.

Anyway, over the years I've found a few "good" feathers, the kind that are somehow more desirable than the plain gray feathers that come off of mourning doves. Blue jay feathers were always prized. I don't think I ever found a cardinal feather. Seagull feathers were fairly common where I grew up near the Saginaw Bay, but since they were white (which seemed to represent purity, royalty, and poetry to me as a child) I liked finding them. But I always wished I could find some BIG feathers. And, of course, fairly long feathers are needed for making pens.

Let me pause a moment and tell you that some feathers are okay to take, while others are not. Feathers from non-migratory birds, like pheasants and turkeys, are okay to pick up and take home. However, feathers that come from any migratory bird, including songbirds and birds of prey, are illegal to possess in the United States (see the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918). So those blue jay feathers I had? Yep, not legal. But if I had found a feather from an English sparrow (a.k.a., house sparrow), a pigeon (a.k.a., Rock Dove), or a European starling, all alien species, I could keep it. In fact, I could even destroy nests of those birds legally. And if I had a crop that was in danger from blackbirds of any kind, I could kill them from June-October, despite the fact that they migrate.

Now, is the DNR going to come with the SWAT team to break down your door and drag you screaming into the night if you pick up a cool feather and put it on a shelf? Odds are against it. Still, it's important to know what's right in the eyes of the law.

Now, with all that out of the way, once you have the perfect feather, how do you make it into a functioning pen? First, you need the right tools. A feather, a new straight razor, and a piece of cardboard.

These feathers are from peacocks, which do not migrate across international borders and are not covered by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. (Why aren't they iridescent green and blue? Because a peacock's flight feathers are usually brown--they're for flying, not courtship.)

Hold the feather in your hand with the tip down and the shaft curving toward you. This shows you how many of the barbs you will have to remove to allow the pen to rest comfortably in your hand and where the tip will have to be cut.

Next, use the razor to remove any barbs you desire. You can just remove a little bit and keep most if you really like the color or pattern of the feather. Or, for a more stylized look, you can remove barbs until there is just a small area left at the end.

To remove barbs, turn the feather right side down and position your new, sharp razor next to the shaft, slicing very close to the shaft.

Stop near the end of the feather to leave a fancy tuft.

Once you have the feather looking the way you want, it's time to slice off part of the tip. The bigger the feather, the tougher the shaft, the harder it is to do this. If you tend toward clumsiness, be careful at this point and consider donning protective gear. You will be slicing toward yourself, though at a downward angle, so, should you slip, the razor should end up in the cardboard and not in your sternum.

Notice the fairly sharp angle. You want the opening you create to be long and thin.

Smaller feathers are more delicate and should be treated with care so that the shaft isn't smashed to bits or cracked.

Once you have your opening made, you may notice some flaky bits inside the shaft (see below).

Clear those flakes out. You'll probably have to scrape at them a bit with the razor then blow them out. Again, smaller feathers with thinner shafts are delicate so be gentle with that razor.

Once the hole is clean. you will need to shape it such that you have a fairly fine tip. Here's where it's both good and bad dealing with a thicker shaft; it's harder to shape, but if you succeed in getting a nice fine point it is less likely to break during use. Shave off a bit at a time, as though you were trying to sharpen a pencil with a knife and not break the lead.

Eventually you want to have a fine point, like a fountain pen (sorry for the blurred photo).

Dip the newly fashioned pen into some ink (you did remember to buy a pot of ink, right?) and test it out. Stay light on the pressure at first to get to know the pen. Too much pressure on a fine point may bend or break it, and there goes all your hard work. Use a few layers of paper at first in case your pen allows the ink to flow too fast. You don't want ink soaking through your paper and onto your table. If the ink comes out too fast, you may need a finer tip or a smaller feather.

Good luck!