Stillman And Birn Gamma Series

[comfortableshoes]

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8002/7469192352_b8962c1427.jpg

P6294385 by lessherger, on Flickr

I’m going to go out on a limb and call this sketchbook a moleskine killer. The pages are a heavy 100lb slightly textured surface with a nice ivory color. I tried it out with Platinum carbon black, a mix of my junk ink in a Noodler’s Ahab and some rollerballs. After laying down some lines and letting them dry I dumped watercolor onto the page, a little waviness but nothing major.

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7129/7469189712_a1ae3e5c10.jpg

P6294387 by lessherger, on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7108/7469191008_b8526d62c5.jpg

P6294386 by lessherger, on Flickr

 

Here’s the kicker to the whole thing- not a single feathery line, no bleeding and little show through when using a regular pen. With my Ahab vomiting ink to the page there was p[lenty of show through. Both sides of every page, even with heavy ink lines and watercolor washes was usable.

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8150/7469188464_47d49e9bf3.jpg

P6294388 by lessherger, on Flickr

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8149/7469187046_10f6baaa75.jpg

P6294389 by lessherger, on Flickr

 

They come in a 4x6 size instead of the molie 3.5x5.5. No elastic and no pocket, but who cares? The paper is soooo darn nice it’s amazing. 62 sheets or 124 pages of luscious perfect paper in the case bound version, which does lay relatively flat after some use and the spine relaxes. It also comes spiral bound.

 

I wonder if we can coax Stillman and Birn to make a 3.5x5.5 book with an elastic?

[zquilts]

Thanks for the review - they have been on my radar for some time - and my current journal is nearing it's end - I may just try one of these.

[ObserveClosely]

I wonder if we can coax Stillman and Birn to make a 3.5x5.5 book with an elastic?

Totally agree with you on this S&B Gamma paper. It's exceptional. You want a mini, eh? Well, I want them to sell the paper in large sheets, so I can sew my own inserts for my Midori using that delectable Gamma paper.

Edited June 30, 2012 by ObserveClosely

[comfortableshoes]

You could buy a larger sized sketchbook and cut the pages out... How big do their spiral bindings go?

 

I want them to make a sketch book that will once and for all put the moleskine out of it's misery. The Gamma paper is just amazing. I slopped watercolors on it today and it was just, wow. It warps and cockles far less than the Alpha series and is simply put, a joy to work with.

 

I think they should do a pocket sized moleskine killer and a larger sized version too.

 

 

I wonder if we can coax Stillman and Birn to make a 3.5x5.5 book with an elastic?

Totally agree with you on this S&B Gamma paper. It's exceptional. You want a mini, eh? Well, I want them to sell the paper in large sheets, so I can sew my own inserts for my Midori using that delectable Gamma paper.

[ObserveClosely]

You could buy a larger sized sketchbook and cut the pages out... How big do their spiral bindings go?

Well, yeah, which I have already done. But which is, you know, wicked expensive. I want the Gamma paper in 22x30 sheets.

[comfortableshoes]

that would be pretty amazing.

 

You could buy a larger sized sketchbook and cut the pages out... How big do their spiral bindings go?

Well, yeah, which I have already done. But which is, you know, wicked expensive. I want the Gamma paper in 22x30 sheets.

[hedera]

I would love to try one of these, but I simply cannot figure out where to get them...

 

Anyone know of a place in Europe that sells them, or someone that is willing to ship them to Europe (for somewhat sane shipping costs)?

 

Bonus if they take Paypal!

[comfortableshoes]

the 2 places I know that carry them are europeanpaper.com and GouletPens.com I can't say what their shipping rate to Europe would be. I read on the Stillman and Birn twitter that they were looking at retailers in Europe.

 

Here is their website listing their retailers on line and brick and mortar;

http://www.stillmanandbirn.com/wheretofind.html

 

Not a paid promoter just a big fan of their products.

 

I would love to try one of these, but I simply cannot figure out where to get them...

 

Anyone know of a place in Europe that sells them, or someone that is willing to ship them to Europe (for somewhat sane shipping costs)?

 

Bonus if they take Paypal!

[hedera]

the 2 places I know that carry them are europeanpaper.com and GouletPens.com I can't say what their shipping rate to Europe would be. I read on the Stillman and Birn twitter that they were looking at retailers in Europe.

 

Here is their website listing their retailers on line and brick and mortar;

http://www.stillmanandbirn.com/wheretofind.html

 

Not a paid promoter just a big fan of their products.

 

 

Thank you!

[stevlight]

This paper is fantastic!

 

I heard if you really work the binding before using by bending the pages all the way back through out the book--the book will lie flat.

 

Lets get them to make it with rounded corners and an elastic and we will all be set.

[tenney]

Interesting... And their Alpha series seems the same as the Gamma but in white paper instead of ivory (see http://www.stillmanandbirn.com/paper.html )

[comfortableshoes]

I have one of each alpha and gamma. The paper has different textures and reacts differently to watercolor but both are superb with fountain pens. The gamma feels thinner though it's the same or similar weight to the alpha. My alpha is spiral bound so i'm not sure that accounts for the difference in how the paper reacts to watercolor.

 

Interesting... And their Alpha series seems the same as the Gamma but in white paper instead of ivory (see http://www.stillmanandbirn.com/paper.html )

[comfortableshoes]

It is true- if you bend the binding back and forth literally touch the covers to themselves it will open flat. I've hand stitched the same style binding and it is very sturdy. The case binding they use is the same as moleskines and called smythe sewing. It's VERY sturdy and very flexible.

 

This paper is fantastic!

 

I heard if you really work the binding before using by bending the pages all the way back through out the book--the book will lie flat.

 

Lets get them to make it with rounded corners and an elastic and we will all be set.