Why did the Victorians use feathers to write?

Answer 1

Feathers could draw ink into their hollow shaft, and then the ink was placed on the page as you wrote.

Writing with ink, whether with feathers or with the later metal and plastic pens, was messy. There would have been many blots of ink on most pages. The ink had to be refilled by dipping the nib into the inkwell, every few words.

In "David Copperfield", Davy has his useless little wife trim the ends of his pens regularly, so that she could feel helpful.

Answer 2

Victorians used feathers, specifically quills, for writing because they were readily available, easy to sharpen into a point for writing, and absorbed ink well. This method of writing also provided a level of flexibility in strokes that contributed to elegant calligraphy.