Sections


Introduction
Parchment Manufacture
Pens
Inks
Writing
Decoration
Bookbinding
Catalogues

Pens

Pens are made from a type of tall reed that grows locally.

Tall reeds used for making pens
Clump of reeds near the house of Qés Yohanis Melese Dubale,
Gono Gebriel,
April 2001

The reeds are dried carefully before being shaped into pens by the scribes.

Cutting reed pens
Cutting reed pen
Isheti Zemene Yiman,
Ziboye Mikael,
April 2001

The diameter of the reed used and the length of pen made varies widely from scribe to scribe. The width of the pen nib is dictated by the size of writing required. Several pens will be prepared before starting to write.

Often a pen with a slightly wider nib will be used on the hair side of the parchment because the ink tends to spread more on the flesh side. The pen nib usually needs to be resharpened after about four sides of parchment have been written.


Finnished reed pen
Typical reed pen