According to the American Instructor (1799), the best way to make a quill pen was as follows:
Scrape off the superfluous Scurff on the back of the Quill, so that the slit may be fine, and without the Gander's teeth. Cut Quill at end half through the back Part, and then turning up the Belly cut the other half or part quite through viz about a fourth or about half an inch at the end of the Quill which will then appear forked. Then enter the Pen knife a little back of the Notch and then putting the peg of the Pen knife Haft (or the end of another Quill) into the back Notch holding your thumb pretty hard on the back of the, Quill (as high as you intend the slit to be) then with a sudden and quick Twitch force up the...