Quill Pens: Commercially Produced or Always Home Made?

[MrDibble]

@UDS

There is. As well as having a left side and a right side, a feather has an upper surface, which is harder and smoother, and a lower surface, which is softer and rougher.

The natural hardness is irrelevant - quills are heat-treated before cutting (in hot sand, usually), so the hardness is adjustable.