Quill

A writing implement comprising a wooden shaft, decorated with six simple flutes and a removable, interchangeable metal nib. Quills were an essential writing tool in schools until the pen was introduced (around 1940–50) as they had to be used with inkwells that were either placed on top of or fitted into school desks. In schools, the teacher would usually have a bottle containing liquid ink which they would divide among the students' inkwells. Teachers even had to prepare ink by grinding bars of ink or getting sachets of ink powder.