I just have to gush a little today. I am loving my new Crane Monarch Stationery. I have the Pearl White Kid Finish and the Ecruwhite Kid Finish. I purchased three boxes of each color from a merchant on ebay for a song. They work very well with my Waterman pens and Waterman inks. I don't get the intense feathering that I was expecting. Moreover, they are a perfect size for correspondence and they have a thickness to them that I really like. Does anyone else like Crane for letter-writing?

Todd

Curious why you expected Crane to feather? I've been using Crane for about 20 years now and had no problems. Although I am annoyed that they keep discontinuing the colors of paper that I like.


Kurt

To be honest, I'm not exactly sure why I was expecting the ink to feather. I will admit, though, that when I tried to use my Waterman 12 with Havana Brown in my Paperblanks journal, you would not believe the feathering. I had to stop after one line and switch to a different pen. Perhaps it wasn't that I was expecting the ink to feather as much as I was hoping against hope that it wouldn't. It met my expectations and exceeded them.

Todd

Crane paper is old enough to still be made for writing with FPs. some of the other paper out there...not so much.


K

Love, love, love the Crane sheets! I'm partial to the Ecru as well. I'm using it almost exclusively anymore, I've actually stopped oiling the Hallmark machine in favor of hand written letters that contain my own sentiments with very poor stick figures, and everyone loves them. I had gone to Mohawk and Wausau a couple times but always go back to Crane.

It never entered my mind to look on eBlech for Crane papers. LOL, I just discovered that a search for "stationery" will not get much in the way of hits, but "stationary" will bring them right up.

I just got a box of the Ecru in Ivory last weekend. I'm not a big fan of it. I used two sheets and just couldn't get used to the feedback of the paper. I think I just like smoother paper. The envelope I addressed with the same FP and it was repelling the ink. I'm going to sell these sheets most likely and try another brand.

All this stuff is so hit or miss. Really just depends on what you like.

That's interesting, because what I love so much about the Crane is exactly that "feedback" about which you are speaking. It has a bit of bite to it - rather like al dente pasta. I realize that's a weird metaphor, but it seems to work for me.

Todd

I use Crane all the time. I like the lined letter size 6-3/8x8-1/2". I also like their 4x6 notecards. Haven't had any problems wit hfeathering and I've gone thru a dozen or so boxes. My only complaint is the lines stock SKU CH3186 only comes with 20 sheets and 20 envelopes. The unlines stock is 40/20. Since I use two sheets per letter I wind up with al ot of extra envelopes. At leasyt I am able to exchange them for other products at the shop where i buy my Crane products. It turns out that the envelopes are a size that they use a lot in custom work so they don't mind swapping them for me.

Many years ago--more than I care to admit--I had my initials and address personally engraved on steelplate by cCrane's and purchased my first truly high-end letterhead, 100% cotton Cranes Crest. Back then the cost of the engraved plate and letterhead and envelopes was a little over $300. So I must still love the look of the monogram and address because I still use them whenever I reorder the letterhead and envelope sheets. And yes, I agree that Crane stops making some sheets--my fave about 15 yrs ago was a blue with light blue striping in the sheet. O well. Now, though, I've found a local printer that will order my Cranes in sheets, convert to letterhead and envelope and I supply him with my steelplate engravings and VOILA--I have my stationary.

Won't get into it now, but I used to sell fine printing paper and was a Crane's representative. Their history is truly phenomenal in the history of our country--like for one their paper machines are still among the oldest in the country and they hold the patents to produce our currency. A very good read about an interesting US manufacturer.

I love Crane's! I use their notecards and notepads regularly. It's great for FPs, though I do find the paper a bit thick for some of my extra-fine nibs. Still, it never feathers or bleeds, and the paper itself feels so well-made. Also, I am a big advocate of their sustainability practices, using only responsibly-harvested cotton.

Has anyone found a good low cost source of Crane's stationery on-line? If so, please post here. Thanks!

I buy from the Crane's website when they have their big sales (50-75% off). Otherwise, it's eBay if you're lucky.

Great website but they don't ship to Australia

I purchased my supply from ebay. Check listings for both stationery and stationary. I've found good deals that were simply misspelled. I also check on ebay for fountian pen, which always gives me some interesting listings as well.

Todd

Crane's original business in papermaking was for our currency and stock and bond certificates. Therefore, they used nothing but 100% cotto . Unlike paper--with high cellulose content and rather acidic--cotton was the papermaker's choice for many hundreds of years until it was discoverred you could use woodpulp to produce paper. So PC and environmentalism aside, cotton has been the mainstay of finer paper for many many years.

all that said, Crane made a heaavyweight paper grade, a 24# bondweight, for stock certificates, and a lighter weight for currency They then moved into the business and personal writing paper business with a 20# bond while also including the 24# bond. There's Cranes, Cranes Crest and a few others. The Cranes Crest was a 24# bond, slightly heavier and produces for me a little more "drag" on a "f" or XF nib.

Enough history. But you get the idea: a very old, very reputable papermaker who's been around about as long as our country.

The crane Monarch Pearl White Kid is my all time favorite. Nice size, nice heavy weight and it's all cotton. Some of my XF to XXF nibs don't like it very well but that's the only down side. I use Clairefontaine for them.

The last of my Fiery red half sheets is gone in the mail today. As usual I have a bunch of envelopes left over. I think they discontinued this color as well, third color that I like that has been stopped.

oh well,

Kurt

That's my problem - they discontinued the stuff I liked and haven't replaced it with anything else that appeals to me. I think I may be down to 2 sheets of the Denim and one of Old Money.

They'll always be my supplier of black-bordered stationery. It seems odd, now, to me to do condolences any other way.