The term QUILL PEN PARTS can be broken down into two crossword solutions: NIBS (4 letters) and QUILL (5 letters). A QUILL pen is a writing instrument made from a feather, usually a large bird such as a goose or swan. The nib of the QUILL pen is the part that touches the paper and is responsible for creating the lines of the writing. The QUILL itself is the shaft of the feather that is cut to a point and used to hold the ink.