At here, I wrote about the samples I received from them. Oddly, it was not as smooth as expected, and different samples (e.g. different color) behaved totally differently.

In my first outing to get some good writing paper at a paper store, I picked up "Classic Crest Text 'sub 70' Avon Brl White Smooth". It is listed as Text rather than Writing, but the weight translates to the same (28#). Yet, it is smoother than Classic Crest Writing 28# Avon White Smooth". I thought it would be the same paper. This is better for my day-to-day writing, in terms of what I like. The toothier "eggshell" style is better for breaking in new cheap Chinese nibs.

Fortunately, the guy at the store let me try a sheet before buying. At least that way I won't get an outright unfriendly sheet, but I can't really know without using it at length.

This was $16.88 for 500 sheets.

--John

Funny, John, that you and I seem to be having different experiences with the same paper and different pens & inks. Before it was Mohawk brand and now it's Neenah brand...

I picked up a few samples of Neenah paper and found the Avon to be the worst of the lot with bad line bloating out of a Pelikan M215 XF nib with Waterman Blue-Black and a Lamy Al-Star F with Waterman Havana Brown--both wrote like an M or B. I REALLY like the Neenah Classic Crest text Solar White "super smooth" finish paper, 28# (which is a tad bit cheaper than Avon white) and the Neenah Classic Crest Natural White (ivory) super smooth paper, 24#. I have a ream of the latter and it is the perfect paper for me; I wish Moleskine would use this paper in their journals... Glad to see the Avon works better with different pens/inks. By the way, the "smooth" finish is much toothier than the "super smooth" finish. I happen to like the feedback from the smooth, but super smooth is hands down much nicer to use.

In all, I find that I like Neenah best of all the "premium" US papers. It's nice that they have range of colors & textures, as well as matching bond, cardstock, and envelopes in a range of sizes. Doesn't hurt that Neenah is acid-free archival quality and guaranteed for copy, laser, and inkjet printing. In fact, my school requires theses and dissertations to be printed on Neenah or Strathmore paper.

My $0.02. YMMV.

Brandon

Interesting, after filling a couple pages using a Pelikan "F" and Baystate Blue, I'm less than thrilled with it. It doesn't feather out as an "unfriendly" paper, but it does seem to make any pen wetter. That makes for beautiful vivid bright lines, but any hesitation will cause a blotch.

The Asian nib in my Hero 200D still looks fine, though. I think it will vary on the nib and the ink!

--John

Well here's another kink in my thoughts on the Neenah Solar White text paper (28/70#, product number 03211). I liked the samples that I picked up a few weeks ago so much that I bought a ream last week. I opened it up today to write a letter and found that the paper quality did not match the samples at all! Needless to say, I'm disappointed, especially since I was so taken by the samples! I'm thinking the paper in the sample tray did not match the ream, as there were also samples of wove paper in same tray... I've had consistent quality in buying reams of a different kind of paper (Super Smooth classic natural white Classic Crest writing) months apart, so I doubt that it is a manufacturing inconsistency on Neenah's part. Hopefully the store will exchange or refund the product...

The "true" Solar White text paper (from the ream) writes wider than I like and has feathering problems, almost like the Avon sample I picked up....which begs the question, did I mix up my samples a few weeks ago and did I actually like the Avon paper and not the Solar White, but I labeled them wrong?!

Brandon
(PS-I'm about to respond to your PM, so look for that)

I'm interested in a 28# paper for general use, both in white (but not ultra-reactive) and ivory. I like the latter with brown inks.

Maybe I'll have to order some more samples. If I buy a ream of something from Neenah then they will send some samples for free too. But their shipping is steep! The problem is that every variation behaves differently. You can't just decide which product line and finish you like and then pick the weight and color and expect it to be the same.

--John

Returned the bad Solar White text for Neenah Classic Crest Text, Super Smooth finish, Avalanche White color 70# text paper and can heartily recommend it for anyone looking for acid-free, archival quality 28#ish paper. If you don't need the archival qualities there are cheaper white papers to be had...