I Despise Whitelines.se Or Recommend A Paper For Custom Notebooks

[KCat]

I loved the whitelines classic line and the company has decided they can make more money by discontinuing their "bestseller" as they refer to it on their website. Whatever. So I'm p.o.'d still and that was probably over a year ago.

 

I had a lovely RA folio made. I've tried CF and Rhodia notebooks and they fit but I don't like them. The paper is fine for journals or letters but for the kind of writing I do daily, it's too slick. I need something with more tooth and better absorbency. I figure I can basically have notebooks made for a decent price and at the A4 dimensions that fit my CUSTOM folio but I don't know what paper to look into. Any suggestions for a readily available American paper that is 80-90 gsm and not super slick but not paper towel? I have looked in numerous places for A4 notebooks of the right size. (210x297x10, softcover) and failed miserably. What I did find was $$ from Japan or Australia or UK. So, not an option.

 

Other thoughts?

 

Thanks much.

KC

 

p.s. Yes, if all else fails, I will scrape up the $100 and get a new folio, but I do hate that.

 

p.p.s. I asked this several months ago (albeit a little differently) and no one had a thought. Let's see what happens this time.

 

p.p.p.s. doo wap doo wap.

[pen2paper]

whitelines is a favorite of mine too.. easy on the eyes as you noted.. would be sad to see it fade off the scene..

Edited October 22, 2014 by pen2paper

[Gloucesterman]

Bought "Whiteline" for use with a fountain pen and with the exception of a fine or extra fine nib held VERY lightly there is some feathering and a lot of shadowing with occasional bleed through. I will be extremely happy when I finish using the current book for my journaling and get something "more better" that allows me to use the full range of my pens -- from 1.1 stubs to some nice flex nibs and the F/EF spectrum.

 

Glad I only bought one book.

[KCat]

for me it was ideal. yes, there was a little show-through but for what I do, I didn't care. I just needed something that would allow me to write fast and would absorb well but still be thick enough to not be hard to read. And I loved the low contrast for my migraines. So when I say I despise whitelines.se, I mean the company. For taking away my beloved classic wire-bound notebook. I can only find it here and there and "used" for $30 or more a pop. I find that with my fast writing, the CF and Rhodia paper smears and ghosts far too much and I have to wait for a page to dry before I can move on sometimes. As well, it causes some of my extremely smooth nibs to behave as if they are baby-bottomed when they did not on paper with more tooth. That is, they miss on the first downstroke here and there or at odd angles. Frustrating. So I'm okay to go to cheaper paper BUT this being America, finding anything in A4 is dang near impossible. So I'm relegated to making it or spending a ridiculous amount on something from overseas and hubby is looking to retire and any income from my "job" is in the future and sporadic. I need a decent brand of paper that a company can acquire and will be willing to assemble into either stapled or wire-bound notebooks for me. I can live without lines. Well, ideally, I need whitelines.se to get back to making my favorite notebook again. If they had simply made the "link" notebooks the same size as the classics, I'd have just bought that. More expensive but I'd have suffered that. Maybe even appreciated a way to archive my blabbering.

[ink-syringe]

I have 2 pads of Whitelines (there is a store on 18th street in NYC that has some still or did this summer).

 

I like the look of the paper and love that I can scan it and threshold it and the lines disappear but ... The coating on the paper is weird and I find oddly that my pens write better along the edges than in the middle. Odd.

[kazoolaw]

I'm not sure exactly the size in cm or the finish which is ideal, but suggest that you look at the Dick Blick site on the sketchbook page for a variety of paper types. Unfortunately, they'll have blank pages.

 

gary

[sigma]

Where are you planning on going for getting a custom notebook? I'm in a similar dilemma trying to find an A5 subject notebook.

[KCat]

i was planning on going to the folks who print our game manuals or even just to office depot. Not sure the minimum count at the former. May make it too expensive. I think, however, that they can source the paper and make it happen for a reasonable cost. Again, no lines. If I get it lined, the price is bound to ramp up.

 

I'll look at Dick Blick but my searches on the 'net so far have yielded only a couple of A4 notebooks that weren't hardbound and too thick for my portfolio and those were clearly extremely cheap (probably the furthest from FP friendly).

[KCat]

I have 2 pads of Whitelines (there is a store on 18th street in NYC that has some still or did this summer).

 

I like the look of the paper and love that I can scan it and threshold it and the lines disappear but ... The coating on the paper is weird and I find oddly that my pens write better along the edges than in the middle. Odd.

 

hmm. never experienced that. Have experienced that with Red n' Black which is why I've ruled it out (well, that and it's too thick for my folio) but didn't notice it with Whiltelines. No doubt, though, these companies have varied over the years with their sizing quality.

[kazoolaw]

How about the Apica at Goulet, or the Life at Jetpens?

 

gary

[Chrissy]

You could always go for this one

[KCat]

You could always go for this one

Nope. Too thick. I have a folio that is made precisely for a notebook I made the ASSumption would be in production for a while. 210x297x10mm. Dummy me. I should have found a brand made here in the US in a standard US size. Now I'm -- well, you know the expression.

 

I have written to the press that makes our manuals.

 

I guess I'd like to get folks focused on the main question. What domestic American paper would YOU choose to make your own notebooks?

 

Because I'm 99% certain that if I'm going to use my own dang folio without having a new one made, I'm stuck with having notebooks made. If that's too expensive, then it's time to suck it up and move on to a new folio.

 

Oh, and I've found a few of the spirals for $300. HaHa!

Edited October 22, 2014 by KCat

[KCat]

How about the Apica at Goulet, or the Life at Jetpens?

 

gary

 

Didn't care for Apica. It's a last resort but not totally out of the question. It is, at least, more absorbent than CF and Rhodia. Smooth as it was, it felt gritty for some reason. Not toothy, but gritty. As if sand was getting in my pen.

 

The Life -- Looks lovely and I considered it until I saw the price. They have a high opinion of themselves.

[Fox Point]

The fabriano A4 dot pad would be perfect, right width and everything, but for the extremely fragile glue binding (turn a page and it falls off) and it may be too bright. Generally very good paper, handles most everything but dip flex. The stapled A4 books are plain, but thinner and cost quite a bit more per page, but would definitely be something to check out! They have beautiful, extremely durable card covers. Absorbant paper, but shows shading, and sheen with extremely wet writers.

 

Fox Point

[Fox Point]

At Blick!

[PJohnP]

I guess I'd like to get folks focused on the main question. What domestic American paper would YOU choose to make your own notebooks?

 

I'll take this question as "domestically available" paper, as a lot of the bulk paper can be sourced within the US isn't domestically pulped and produced.

 

Double-A paper has hit the best balance for me. The heavier weight HP papers work about as well, but I've found the Double-A was the best balance of weight, FP-friendly characteristics, and capability to successfully run through double-sided in my office printer. The pricing for the paper has varied since it's come in and out of availability in the big-box-chain-office-supply stores, but it's not an excessively expensive paper for the quality point. I've been extremely pleased with the performance of the paper.

 

Staples Sustainable and the Walgreens Ology papers worked fairly acceptably at a lower price, but there were more readthrough issues, and the papers are more "scratchy" on my nibs.

 

 

 

 

John P.

[Anne-Sophie]

I second Fabriano notebooks, I have one Ecoqua grid spiral notebook in Junior size.

 

The grid is pale grey, the paper feels like it has more feedback than Rhodia.

I got mine at my local independent art store.

 

Unlike the ones on the website, my spiral notebook is not punched.

http://fabrianoboutique.com/collections/ecoqua.html

 

 

I suggest trying the stitched notebooks, they have few pages than the spiral or glued ones, they are cheaper. While the website only list them with lined pages, I seem to remember that I saw squared pages stitched notebooks in my store.

 

 

Below is another line of notebooks, each notebook having grid and lined pages.

http://fabrianoboutique.com/collections/quaderno-bamako-2206.html?___SID=U

 

 

FPN Fabriano paper reviews

 

One of the Ecoqua notebook, I bought mine because of that review.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/256653-fabriano-ecoqua-35-x-55-notebook-review/

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/190478-fabriano-bouquet-notebook-set-review/

 

 

 

Another brand, I use is Neenah Conservation paper.

 

Below is the page with all the Neenah Fine Paper Brands, it tell you to use Flash but I just clicked on the brand I used.

http://www.neenahpaper.com/FinePaper/NeenahProducts/PaperSelector

 

Below is the page for the brand I use Neenah Conservation paper.

http://www.neenahpaper.com/FinePaper/CONSERVATIONPapers

 

Each brand of Neenah paper page has a tab that enable a prospective customer to order a free booklet sample of the paper, she is interested in.

 

 

Some years ago, someone did a test page of Neenah papers, in the Paper review page, it seems that their brand has expended and they have a sample booklet for each sub-brand.

 

Review of three Neenah Classic Crest papers - posted in Paper & Pen Paraphernalia Reviews and Articles: I'd consider Neenah to be a "premium" paper company--their ...

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/76906-review-of-three-neenah-classic-crest-papers/

 

Comparaison of 10 papers, another sub-brand of Neenah is included.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/240501-quick-comparison-of-ten-papers/

 

 

I hope the links are helpful.

 

I bought Rhodia last year and Fabriano this year at the independent local art store, I have used gridded Neenah Conservation paper since I bought my Field Journal Notebook, it is custom Junior sized, 3 holes punched for the company that makes the 3 ring notebook.

 

 

After realizing how smooth and well behaved my fountain pens are with the Neenah conservation, Rhodia and Fabriano paper, that is all I use with my fountain pens and ink rollers.

 

I still have lined Ampad Recycled notepad which I assign to my ballpoint using husband. I use recycled printer paper for notes, drafts, etc,... in pencil, gel, markers...

Edited October 25, 2014 by Anne-Sophie

[KCat]

 

I'll take this question as "domestically available" paper, as a lot of the bulk paper can be sourced within the US isn't domestically pulped and produced.

 

Double-A paper has hit the best balance for me.

 

John P.

Thanks for the information, John. Yes, availability was exactly what I meant. Much appreciate your help.

[KCat]

nevermind. I found dimensions. Going to try it. Leather on my folio may have stretched enough to accommodate the extra 3 mm. If not, so be it.

 

edit: well, that was disappointing. Dick Blick doesn't carry the A4 spirals. I'll try the staple bound soon, however. I imagine they'll be fine. Was hoping to find a spiral, however. $55 shipping from Italy just won't cut it.

 

I'm much too hard on these things to try the glued. I'd be scaring (scarring) the dog with my cursing if the pages are coming out that easily.

Edited October 29, 2014 by KCat

[nigelg]

Am I alone in not liking Whitelines paper?

Although it's very FP-friendly I couldn't adjust to the "reversed" colour. The white lines on the grey background blurred and became very distracting.

Glad I tried it but it's not for me.

Of course, YM may very well V.