There are many conciderations to take into account when purchasing African Porcupine Quills online or through an online auction site such as eBay. Here are some tips and information to concider before purchasing them.

Contact Your Seller Before Buying

Your seller should be knowledgeable and friendly. Being a vendor they can let you know what sizes, and width are available and what quill will suit your needs. A seller worth you giving your business to, will go the extra mile in insuring that what you want, you end up getting.  

On Quill Quantity and Quality

A rule-of-thumb is that the higher the quantity the lower the quality tends to be due to the means of sourcing. This is because a supplier that buys in large bulk does not have the time or means to individually pick and package each quill. Unfortunately, some suppliers of large quantities will also "bulk-up" the number of quills they sell in a packet by adding smaller inferior quality quills.

Of last, and perhaps greatest concern is that the practice of selling such large numbers of quills is not ecologically sustainable. Natural sourcing can only yield a few quills at a time. In order to sustain such large orders porcupine quills have to be captured and killed.

On Quill Size and Thickness

The size of the African Porcupine Quill varies from a few inches to over 12 inches. What lenght you require is dictated by your needs. Shorter quills are often use by Native Craftsmen for adoration of articles of clothing, while longer ones are perfect for the "wow-factor" in a vase to display. For making fishing floats a variety of sizes often does the trick.

Another concideration is the thickness of the quill. There are two very specific widths--the thin quill (1/8th of an inch or 3mm) and the thick quill (1/4 of an inch or 6mm). The thin ones on the porcupine serves as guards for the thick quills. They are a better choice if you are looking to manipulate the quill by bending it or cutting it as they are more pliable and bend easily. The thick quills are strong and rigid. They are more robust, and in my opinion more beautiful, as they are less flimsy.

On a Cautionary Note

It alarmed me to find that some vendors are selling North American Porcupine Quills and claiming them to be of the more expensive and sought after African variety. African porcupine quills have a banding pattern, and only the occasional quill will have the solid white/dark brown colouration. If you find quills that are of a solid white colour with only the end dark---this is not an African Porcupine Quill!

       North American Quill                           African Porcupine Quill

Final Words

African Porcupine Quills are a true engineering wonder of nature, and their uses are incredibly varied. Reading this guide I hope informed you of the conciderations, and warned you of the possible pitfalls when purchasing them online. It is my sincerest wish that you enjoy these quills as much as I have come to enjoy them.

Dogmeier Imports
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