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From Lewis and Clark Trail Travel Guide 2001 -
Quills For writing, Lewis, Clark and other people of their time would trim the tip of a goose or turkey wing feather. These are called quills. Quills were the writing tools of the new nation. They were used even through the Civil War. To make a fine tip, writers would dip it in hot water to soften it. This made the tip flexible, like a fingernail. By slicing the hollow stem at a slant, then cleaning out the pith and shaping the tip with a split in the middle, they could make a workable pen. To make the quill harder, they dipped it in warm sand. A quill wears out after a few days of use, so Lewis and Clark were constantly making new ones. Some people peeled or cut off part of the plume to keep the feather out of their way and keep the plume out of the ink. Ink Lewis and Clark started off with their own supply of ink. It was packed in a powder form, and they turned it to liquid by adding water. They only mixed as much as they needed at one time. Several easy substitutes were used for making ink on the frontier. One simple method is by mixing egg whites, ashes or charcoal and honey with a small amount of water. You can also make ink by soaking walnut hulls in water and straining out the stained liquid. Vinegar was added to help the ink set. Other plant juices, such as indigo, have been used as ink for centuries. Writing with a Quill The most important tip to remember when using a quill is to write lightly. It's tempting to press hard, but the proper way is to barely scratch the paper. Handwriting in the 1800s was very flowing and fancy. Moving the quill so much helped keep the ink flowing and made writing easier. In that way, it's more like painting than writing with a pen or pencil. Practice making some loops and turns to get the feel of it. Try to get only a little ink in your quill. You want enough to write just a few letters or one word at a time. Scrape off any excess ink before you place the quill on the paper. Try not to rush the wet ink. It sometimes takes a few minutes to dry. Remember, writing with a quill and ink is messy. Wear old clothes and be prepared for some fingers stained with ink.
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Lewis and Clark's crew had leather-bound journals with paper pages. The
pages were bound in elk skin and red leather cases to help protect them.
Paper was precious back then, and they took great pains to keep it safe
and dry.