A good pair of scissors is safer than a knife. Clean out the inside of the quill so that the ink will flow to the point. Use the end of a paper clip if needed. Dip just the tip of the pen in the ink, and keep a paper towel handy to use as an ink blotter. Experiment by drawing lines, curves, and single letters, and by holding the pen at different angles.
Most people press too hard or stop too long in one spot.
Practice signing your name, John Hancock style, with the early American letters shown here. Then write your signature in your history log. Write your name again using a pen or pencil. Compare the results. History log What to do Talk about what school was like when you were a child .