yes, long ago, feathers were cut into pens with pen knives, and as they got worn, they were re-cut into a sharp point, and carefully split. then, sometime during the industrial revolution, steel nibs, that could slip into wooden holder became popular, and these, had pointed nibs, just like the feather ones.. but steel is much harder than a quill, and you had to write with a light hand.(and nibs were made out of other metal, most popular gold) or risk tearing the paper, or making a blot.
then someone (parker? waterman?) designed a ball tip to a steel nib. it was safer, smoother, and less likely to tear the paper.. Most fountain pens today have this style nib.
(pen's were also made out of glass!)
(as a curiosity, i have a "teacher's supply" box of steel nibs, and several of the wooden pen bodies to hold them.. as well as a number of different pens and nibs for caligraphy. i have even made my own inks.. (batchalor buttons, crushed in alcohol (denatured) make the pretties blue ink.. darker than sky, but still pretty light blue)


my other obsession