funnily enough when i was a kid my science teacher said my handwriting was like " A drunken spider had fallen into a ink pot and then came out and crawled across the page"

@PLAYERSLAYER_22

6 ай бұрын

are you left handed. they called mine chicken scratch. should be illegal for teachers to say things like that without attempting to determine underlying causes such as dyslexia. parents just say "well the teacher didnt say anything to me about it so you probably arent dyslexic" well isnt that nice...

@EastyyBlogspot

6 ай бұрын

@@PLAYERSLAYER_22 no not left handed , had to go into handwriting classes and write huge font text for some reason lol

@PLAYERSLAYER_22

6 ай бұрын

@@EastyyBlogspot gotcha. sorry. i believe modern education is a "cargo cult" but i should stop my ramblings there for now.

@patriciajrs46

6 ай бұрын

Ha, ha ha. Oh boy.

@TheOneWhoMotivates223

6 ай бұрын

That's wild, your teacher was based

Brian’s postscript on nutmeg might be my favorite in-joke on this channel.

White sleeves and left-handed... Thats brave

@KingPhilipsRideshare

5 ай бұрын

I thought the same thing, but he’s floating his entire arm off the page and not using his wrist as a crutch. Really incredible form.

In the 50's my granddaddy would make us kids quill pens from chicken feathers. We made ink from poke berries. Grandma would give us paper from cut up paper grocery bags. We thought we were something 😊

@Socrates21stCentury

6 ай бұрын

Hilarious, thank you for sharing!

@r.coachman3499

5 ай бұрын

You were writing like our ancestors did; reusing what you had, borrowing from nature and feathered friends. You thought right~!

@kaylahall1219

5 ай бұрын

I agree; you thought right and you sure are something! Thank you for sharing! ❤️

@xxTAARGUS

5 ай бұрын

That's cool as heck haha

@lindaanthony7890

2 ай бұрын

What a great memory. ❤

My favorite part of the whole Townsends cinematic universe is how nutmeg went from a niche gag to being a central character.

@ThePhobosAnomally

5 ай бұрын

This reminds me to buy nutmeg.

Tannic acid is an interesting thing. When I worked in a woodworking shop with oak for a whole day during the summer, I had tannic acid all over my hands. I had a lot of oak sawdust and sweat mixing in my hands. Even after washing my hands with soap the acid didn't really go away (I was unaware of this). In the evening I handled iron and my hands turned black and I couldn't get them clean for almost a week. I was never aware that this same chemistry was used for writing, but I get why it works.

@patriciajrs46

6 ай бұрын

Wow! That must have been really weird.

@m.a.6478

6 ай бұрын

@@patriciajrs46 I looked like a criminal after touching something illegal ;-)

@mannys9130

5 ай бұрын

Don't you just love it when we make these sorts of connections to past life experiences all this time later? I love these "Aha" moments.

I’m a huge believer in snail mail as an art form and expression of intimacy in communication. I even use sealing wax and a signet seal.

@212caboose

6 ай бұрын

I'm honestly surprised wax sealing is allowed, considering how mail is sorted and handled today.

@andycalimara

5 ай бұрын

Where do you get the wax and seal?

@KingPhilipsRideshare

5 ай бұрын

@@212cabooseyou SHOULD purchase a “non machinable” stamp from the USPS if you wish to use the wax. Otherwise it will get sorted via DPS machine and the wax if often just sheared away.

Thank you for posting this! I’m a professional (pen and ink) calligrapher (since 1982), and have been waiting for someone to do/post this! Again, thank you!

@iac4357

6 ай бұрын

Do you ever practice Letter Locking too ?

@patriciajrs46

6 ай бұрын

Fantastic!!

I am obsessed with this channel and cannot express my gratitude enough for the content you produce.

When my Daughter turned 22 she wanted to tour this place especially after we had seen this episode back in 2019? She learned to carve those feathers from watching this episode which we had cured already and they worked amazingly. I wrote a wordy paragraph with one dip in the ink much to my surprise. If done correctly that's as it should be. Prior to this episode I researched letter locking/ sealing and do demonstrations at events on the subject... fascinating... also from there the history of paper making... it took 9 months for paper to be ready to write on from start to finish. A whole year for a feather to cure.. how times have changed~

@patriciajrs46

6 ай бұрын

Thank you for letting us know.

@abarn9541

5 ай бұрын

I have geese, I will be setting some of the flight feathers in a sunny window after they molt and try to remember what I planned for them next year. (The last set became cat toys)

As someone who is a history enthusiast and a fiction writer, your channel is a treasure trove of knowledge. I'm baffled how modern shows and movies don't get these things right with such readily available knowledge.

What a happy coincidence, My dad bought me a quill set as a gift yesterday, The quill made in Italy. I love writing so much

It must be challenging enough to keep from smearing your words when writing left-handed using a ball point pen, but using a fountain pen must take that to a whole new level.

@SharnRiver

6 ай бұрын

Funnily enough, it's why I switched to fountain pens in the first place! I'm a lefty, and after years of essay writing using ball point pens and gel inks that would get hopelessly stained on my hand, I switched to fountain pens because it was the only thing that would allow me to overwrite (as Brian does!) and use so little pressure whilst still making a firm mark on the paper. I've used nothing but fountain pens (with very few exceptions) ever since.

@Ammoniummetavanadate

6 ай бұрын

I used a Fischer space pen cartridge in my ball point, solves that right away. I can't use a fountain pen at all.

@heidisparklebottom

6 ай бұрын

I'm a lefty as well and switching to fountain pen has helped my handwriting a bunch

@labaccident2010

6 ай бұрын

I’m also a lefty using almost exclusively fountain pens!

@paladinproductions881

5 ай бұрын

As a lefty, fountain pens are actually my favorite writing utensils. It forces you to slow down and consider your words more carefully and makes composition more intimate and enjoyable.

This was thoroughly amazing! Silly me, after 6 times of trying to 'listen' while doing dishes ... I gave up on the dishes. This was so full of fantastic demos and packed with SO much detailed, fascinating information, I can't wait to re-play it straight through again. Thank you Mr. Allison, well-done!

I'm a fountain pen person and i absolutely love using iron gall inks (obviously ones made for fountain pens), they have so much character and are waterproof and most are allowed to be used for documents in germany

@bcase5328

6 ай бұрын

How do modern fountain pen ink react in quill pens? I know some modern fountain pen inks work well with metal dip pens and with glass dip pens.

@H.G.Halberd

6 ай бұрын

@@bcase5328 most, if not all, fountain pen inks work well in dip pens (which are often used for swatching them) but I have no idea about quills

@patriciajrs46

6 ай бұрын

Wow! That's cool.

@cptjeff1

5 ай бұрын

@@bcase5328 A little thin, so you'll be dipping often, but they work just fine!

@arwo1143

5 ай бұрын

I’m German as well (I assume you are) I’m always writing with a fountain pen and I didn’t know you couldn’t sign documents with them, which I have always been doing Work contracts, rent, insurance stuff… Can you link me one of those inks?

I recently made a full leather bound book with hand-cut clasps and wrote my resume in it for a job I want. The book itself was, in my opinion, beautiful. But after looking at the end result I was revolted because my handwriting ruined it. And now this video pops up and I feel very called out 😅 So for this year’s resolution I will be learning classic penmanship. I’ll let you know how it goes.

@RunninUpThatHillh

6 ай бұрын

That is a problem with handmade books isn't it? :D I make books too (out of more crude materials, fabric covers etc and I use a pamphlet stitch, with big fat signatures). More utilitarian, and practice there. It makes for a NICE collection of books to show where I've been. I also collect antique letters and things.. and I like the hen scratch as much as the beautiful writing. I hope you kept the book! :D

@anybodyoutthere3208

6 ай бұрын

Can you take an online tutorial Or just get a book that has you practice along 🤔 Sounds like a great idea

@EliotChildress

6 ай бұрын

@@anybodyoutthere3208 I ordered some Spencerian script workbooks. Still waiting for them to arrive but I’ve heard completing the books takes about a year so perfect timing for a New Year’s resolution.

@EliotChildress

6 ай бұрын

@@RunninUpThatHillh I didn’t keep it unfortunately (or fortunately depending on the future) I had bought a plane ticket and was planning on hand delivering it as a side excursion while on vacation. So there was no time for redos. Fingers crossed my handwriting wasn’t too much of a put-off. I do however plan on keeping a new handmade journal as part of documenting my writing practice. It seems like the only right thing to do.

@zynski3451

6 ай бұрын

There are free pdfs of a book from 100 years ago called 'Writing & Illuminating, & Lettering' and it's a God-send to improve handwriting. Even a couple techniques from a quick gloss of it will really shape up your letters. Good luck!

Laid lines run horizontally and are close together. Chain lines are wider apart and run vertically. In 18th century England, burial shrouds were - by law - made from wool because the paper industry was using much of the cotton.

I never get tired of watching this 3 part series. My 5th great-grandfather, William Bowen, built this house, and my 4th great-grandfather was born in this house. The date Mr. Alison uses in his letter in the introduction is contemporary with my ancestors lives in that house.

With so many people out there that want to change and rewrite our history, this channel is very important. Our history books are very important. Doesn't matter what side you are on or who you vote for. Those who try to change or erase our history are doomed to repeat it. Thank you Jon and everybody on Townsend!

@SebKettley

3 ай бұрын

Go touch some grass.

Class is in session for another history lesson. I'M HERE FOR IT! Who's with me!?

@colton72395

6 ай бұрын

Me old hand writing is crazy I want to see the original Declaration of Independence and constitution one day

@Funkpocalypse

6 ай бұрын

Right here! Got my quill pen and parchment paper ⭐️

@Mike-tq7is

6 ай бұрын

Here!

@frugalmum7943

6 ай бұрын

Yep. Watching from Australia:)

@keptleroymg6877

6 ай бұрын

I'm gonna get a wife with small breaststroke 😊

We have an ancestor's diary from the 1850s. He was a wheat and livestock farmer and would have had knives, scythes and other sharp tools, and his wife would have had kitchen knives etc. But the diary indicates he took only three things to town to pay someone else to sharpen: his razor, Mother's scissors, and his nib knife.

It gives me chills when someone has knowledge of something this specific in such detail, especially when it all comes from something as personal as trying to “write like a pirate” as a child. What a wonderful video.

I walk my dog in that park all the time, and I never get tired of seeing that house and the fort. There's a little awe every time

I've recently been doing some volunteer transcription of Revolutionary war pension records, so letter writing and penmanship has very much been on my mind. I really appreciate those who wrote with a clear hand, but I think lawyers must have been like today's doctors because sometimes I struggle to make out anything. 😂

This was fantastic! I have a friend who has gotten into pens and nibs, not historical ones, but I'll be sharing this video.

Grub and communications are such fascinating historical rabbit holes. Really appreciate seeing how writing was done in that transitional state between bronze age clay press and modern mechanized and pencil writing.

They had such a different way of expressing themselves back then. I had one of those wax seals in grade school. It was a thing.

Amazing video! It is great fun to make your own pens, and use them. To make a drawing of a bird with a bird feather pen for example. I must have been lucky because the Seagull feather i used was quite great for it's purpose, being exposed to rain and sun for i don't know how long until it blew into my garden. I can highly recommend everyone to try it out. It's one of those things that will cost you nothing but gives great satisfaction when you manage to make it work!

He's left handed! That was cool to see. Writing like that without smudging the ink on paper is a skill in and of itself.

I love this sort of content. I love the cooking too, but I love old documents, so much can be learned from even the most mundane notes.

@ThePhobosAnomally

5 ай бұрын

Yes. Someone once wrote a little note. I wonder what the author whould say if someone would tell him that what he wrote will be of historical importance in the 21. century.

Wow, this is amazing. I love anything on books, correspondence, anything about how they communicated. I hope there's a point where you can go into the making of paper as well. Thank you!

This was fascinating. Writing is always something I've been interested in. Thank you, Jon, for another great history lesson.

I think i remember watching this episode a couple of years ago and was so facinating! Makes me want to find a quill and learn some good penmanship

@anybodyoutthere3208

6 ай бұрын

Same I also want to find a candle and a press to seal letters with

@SandrA-hr5zk

6 ай бұрын

I was wondering how many people would notice that this is an older video. John has a little too much hair for it to be a new video. But I remember watching it a while ago.

What a treat for a rainy sunday afternoon! Could have watched two more hours, easily :D

As a 7th generation Tennessean.. the Bowen - Campbell House is one of my favorites...

I don't know what I thought old paper was made out of, but it wasn't old linen clothes!! 🤯 Thats the coolest fact I've learned all week!

I love this man's voice on the left. He could probably do some amazing ASMR or High level Voice acting.

I write with a fountain pen regularly, it's nice to another lefty in the world. 😊

This channel's content should be shown to kids in school to be honest. Enjoyable and informative plus the quality of the videos rival anything that i can think of that i have seen before on TV, absolutely incredible!

This is the video that brought me to this channel years ago! I don't know why you reposted, but I just had to watch it again and it's still great. Thank you, John!

I still remember, it was 2 years ago when I first came across this video, and it was actually what got me into fountain pens.

This is so fascinating. I love longer form deep dive videos like this.

Nice throwback! I remember loving this series, and hope there are new vids on the horizon in this vein!

For anyone interested, look into "Sumerian tablets." They are similar to what is discussed in this video, but much more ancient. And they were also laundry lists, shopping lists, notes to employees, etc. Which indicates to me, that even that far back, a lot of people were literate. And also, how important writing is to culture and society.

@Ea-Nasir_Copper_Co

6 ай бұрын

Or complaints about the quality of copper.

@SlavicCelery

6 ай бұрын

@@Ea-Nasir_Copper_Co Ea-nāṣir's copper was substandard! That guy under delivered!

@mercster

6 ай бұрын

This episode is about paper and ink, the Sumerian tablets were written in cuneiform using styluses with a wedge tip, onto clay? I mean, obviously people were writing reading/writing before the 15th century AD... besides being two different forms of writing I don't understand what the linkage is? There are hundreds of historical/ancient writing methods.

@jeromethiel4323

6 ай бұрын

@@mercster The link is that the artifacts recovered were simple day to day communications. There are some cultures where we have written records that are only really from the educated or ruling classes. the Sumerian tablets recovered to date span the gamut from imperial edicts (or whatever) to simple "hi, how are you" messages.

Such fantastic work by bringing the past to be seen in modern times! Thank you for your videos!

“Gastric experimentation” lol I love it!!!

Thank you guys for all the awesome content and great videos!!

I'm so glad to see another of these videos again!

I am a hand-engraver, I use the scripts/lettering style used in this time period quite often, on horn, bone, antler, ivory and metal. Part of my apprenticeship was learning to write in the old scripts, calligraphy and scrolls. Thank you for this video!

@OnTheRiver66

5 ай бұрын

I would love to do engravings. Wonderful art and skill.

AAHHHH his writing is so fluid and consistent. I find it very hard to change my natural form

Sir your videos are incredible and appreciated. I play a lot of D&D and you have been a continuing source of reality based inspiration for my characters/games. There's so much about our history I didn't know that you taught me and I in turn shared with my friends through play. Your cooking videos have also helped me in my personal life as I'm not very good at cooking but learning our history has improved my actual ability to cook.

Clearly, a very important subject matter. Well done Sir.

I love pens, writing, and calligraphy. So glad I found this episode of Townsends❤

This was fascinating! I love these extra long videos for how much in-depth knowledge they contain. No matter the subject, hearing from an expert with a passion for their craft is so enjoyable.

Wow.. great great video. For someone who is into inks, paper, art... I'm so glad I saw this... I appreciate the old "analog" method versus doing everything on a phone today.

Love seeing another writing video with Mr. Allison. He's great!

I am an avid handwriterm, using a fountain pen. My oldest pen is about 75 yrs old. Like yourself I seal my letters with a deep red wax seal. I have had the recipients call me to compliment me on doing a Victorian fold. I do not write with m a quill but for letter writing I use my 1940s Esterbrook desk set, requiring me to dip the nib in one of the lovely Diamine or Iroshizuku inks. There is nothing more satisfying like putting the thoughts of the heart on beautiful parchment, as you write to those you care about.

Seeing Townsends guy without a hat in 2024 was not on my list of expectations!

The passion. The storytelling. The ansamble of all presentation, subject, details... Amazing Respect Greetings from Romania

Kind of weird of him to comment that it's anachronism to have Peacocks in Medieval Europe. Peacocks has been present in Europe since at least the Ancient Greeks, and was a delicacy for the Ancient Romans. They also held, and to some extent still do, significant symbolic meaning in Christianity. During the Middle Ages there was plenty of Peacock in Europe, sure they weren't accessible by the common man, but the educated elite who were the ones writing during this period very much had access to them and could've used their feathers.

I love this guy. Have him on more.

This was wonderful--one of your most detailed, explicit videos, and I truly enjoyed it. I had seen your previous videos with Mr. Allison and found them interesting but somewhat lacking in some of the practical details, but not so this example. Well done, and thank you. More like this, please!

Thank you so much for your videos! I love them. I worked in a library archive / museum as an apprentice printer setting type (replica Smith Improved Printing Press c. 1821) and printing on a full sized press. The paper was standared sized A1 that we would fold and slice to size with long knives, print, hang to set, fold into signatures, and sew them together. They'd have to be sliced to be read. It was wonderfully fun. I miss the way the ink and machine oil smelled. Watercolor paper (e.g. Arches) is made out of cotton, and it shouldn't be cut with scissors. You score, then fold it on the score and it splits (I use a bookbinders bone). The Brönte museum has examples of mini wax and wafer seals that were in Emily's desk, in case anyone wants to see how tiny, etc. they are.

Thank you for going into detail on all the different elements! 💗

Excellent video to watch. Thank you again Townsends!

What a fantastic episode, loving this topic.

I watched this when it originally came out. I loved this miniseries. Still do.

What a handsome and knowledgeable man! You can see how dedicated he is to his craft :) great information!

Great video! I always enjoy listening to Mr. Allison.

I cannot begin to describe how much I have enjoyed this presentation! Bravo!! ❤

Thank you for reuploading this video. I had quite forgotten about it.

Hello from a medieval scribe! I've been making my IG ink with both red wine and red wine vinegar. I think fermenting and boiling the galls helps to intensify the black. Along with a pinch of alum, per an old recipe.

I enjoyed this even more the second time. Thank you for the replay!

Thanks Jon and Crew. Always good for a refresher course. 😁👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

Thanks for the instruction on quill pen making. I live in the land of the Canada Goose and the Wild Turkey, so I have access to excellent feathers for half the year at least. I have also dabbled in calligraphy since I was a young man in the engineering department of a nuclear powered fleet ballistic submarine. You'd be surprised about some of the off duty hobbies submariners can pick up, especially ones that don't make a lot of noise. (In addition to calligraphy, I and some of my shipmates painted portraits and pictures of seascapes and the like on long patrols in both acrylic and oil paints.) I've almost exclusively used steel nibs for calligraphy, especially when I make italic script cards and the like, and they are perfect for writing hands like copperplate, which I love to do.

I absolutely love the Townsends "OST", it gives every episode a sense of familiarity and nostalgia almost.

Thank you for sharing this information! Love the history!

This was terrific! So much information. Greatly appreciated!

I somehow missed the original uploads of these videos, so it was such a great watch to see the supercut! Thanks for the wonderful demonstrations!

amazing compilation!

I began studying and getting interested in Calligraphy this past year, awesome video about Quills and historical writing!!!

THIS IS EXCELLENT!!! THANK YOU! 😊😊😊

I love the letterlocking channel too

This was an outstanding history of letters tour. Thank you thank you!

Thank you, Jon and Brian. That was even more interesting than I expected it to be.

Simply a fascinating episode! Thank you very much.

Fascinating.

I was into this as a child. Wish I studied it more but gud to see someone is keeping these traditions alive

This was incredibly interesting! Brian Allison certainly knows what he is talking about...

Thank you for such a wonderful time learning about times past. What an inspiration! Thank you for keeping it alive.

This was so fascinating! I didn't know that much about this!!! wow! So great!!

loved this! fascinating!! 😊

Amazing!!! 🎉🎉🎉 thanks for this wonderful share

This was FASCINATING!! Thank you so very very much!!!!

Really enjoyed this episode. It shows you how easy we have it.

Excellent Presentation!

Fascinating

Loved this Vlog on handwriting!

Thank you!

I really enjoyed this. Thanks so much!