Shaping the Quill

I laid the crow feather flat upon the dark oak desk, steadying the shaft beneath my fingers. A wild feather cannot serve for delicate notation until the calamus is properly cleared and shaped. Taking up a small penknife, I stripped away the coarse barbs near the base and executed a measured, diagonal cut to form a clean nib, followed by a minute center slit to hold the ink reservoir. The hollow barrel yielded cleanly without a split. Tested against a scrap of heavy parchment, the tip produced an unbroken, whisper-thin line without catching the grain. A reliable instrument ensures nothing of value is blurred.