Editing Quill (section)

==Quill and pen knives==
A quill knife was the original primary tool used for cutting and sharpening quills, a process known as "dressing".{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

Following the decline of the quill in the 1820s, after the introduction of the maintenance-free, mass-produced steel dip nib by John Mitchell, knives were still manufactured but became known as desk knives, stationery knives or latterly as the name stuck [[pen knife|"pen" knives]].{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

There is a small but significant difference between a pen knife and a quill knife, in that the quill knife has a blade that is flat on one side and convex on the other which facilitates the round cuts required to shape a quill.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

A "pen" knife by contrast has two flat sides. This distinction is not recognised by modern traders, dealers or collectors, who define a quill knife as any small knife with a fixed or hinged blade, including such items as ornamental fruit knives.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}