does anyone know of an index card that is of good enough quality to use with a fountain pen? While my life is mostly digital, I use a fountain pen almost exclusively for what isn't. The trouble is that the part of my life that is persistently non-digital is that all the little notes go on index cards, which live in my shirt pocket, between my fountain pen and my shirt...
Is there a writer's quality index card out there?

TIA
Tim

I've used the cards Levenger sells, and while they're pricey, they work great with all my pens. Minimal if any feathering.

I also recommend Levenger. They've got a range of "cards" in sizes from about 1 1/2" x 3" to 3" x 5", and then there's their whole line of Circa products that are great for a wide variety of tasks.

Later,
Ron

Yes, Levenger's index cards take most ink very well. I received some in a hand bag I ordered, and when they are gone I'll probably order some to replace these.

There's quite a few threads on this topic if you search for "3x5" and "index cards".

I use Top Flight index cards for throwaway lists and reminders and to carry in a pocket or purse. They are unlined, smooth, and serviceable, and w/o the spreading I get in the "normal" index cards I could get at Staples or Office Depot. Probably not nearly as nice as the Levenger cards, but also probably not nearly as expensive.

If you can find some good cardstock you like, you can use the templates on this page to print them.

http://diyplanner.com/node/4980#comment-354350

The levenger 3 x 5 cards I have feather quite a bit in my hands, and they are spendy, but as you can see some folks seem to love them.

pm me and I can send you some if you want to try them.

Exacompta (http://www.exaclair.com/brands_exacompta.shtml)makes index cards but they are not typical US sizes and this is the only place that I talked to that said they might be able to get them http://www.thedailyplanner.com

I use Office Depot's own brand of blank 3x5's. I have made my own template and print faint lines and my name on the
PMSm. they have been very FP friendly!

Hey, thanks everyone! This is very helpful. I've never seen topflight products, but will look for them. Also, I'll have a look at the Office Depot (gotta finda store, though...) cards. The Exacompta are too big -- 3x5 is my size. Superbleu, thanks for the offer of a Levenger sample, I've PM'd you on it. If they're THAT good, then $26 for 500 plus freight might be the ultimate solution. Yes, it's a lot of money, but 500 is probably 2-3 years worth, so $8-$9 a year to make the combination of good pens and good ink and good cards work, it might well be worth the price of admission. L's also offers a sampler of 50 each of three styles for $12, which might be worth trying too.

Tim

I have found the Crane ruled cards to be the best. I pick them up at my local stationary store. You can also order them direct on-line. I have used Levenger but I feel the Crane cards are superior.

I really dig the Behance Action Cards.

From a previous conversation, there was a recommendation for ACCO brand. They can be found at KMart for one. Haven't tried them as I like an hour+ from a KMart, but if you have one near, worth trying.

I have been using the graphed (is that a word?) 3X5's from Staples. They are not pretty but I use them in my pocket jotter and several different inks seem to like these things. Now that I think about it they are mostly Private Reserve inks, just the regular, not the fast drying.

Oxford makes a decent card, thought the back side feathers a little - it seems to be sized less than the front.

Crane cards sound interesting. LouisA, do they a have a cotton content like the paper does?

Ryan.

edit duplicate

Well, I was the one who started this thread...and it was the Oxford cards that got me looking in the first place! They seemed to be the standard for the better part of forever, but either my standards have risen or they have gotten rougher.

Tim

Yeah, sorry! I lost the main point as I read through the thread. I mentioned Oxford as they are cheap, ubiquitous, and work reasonably well with most of my fine point pens.

I've used handful of Levenger cards a FPN member was kind enough to let me sample a few years ago. The difference in quality was readily apparent.

DIYPlanner has already been mentioned as a good place for templates: its founder, Doug J, is a big proponent of finding cardstock you like and cutting it down to index card size yourself. I've yet to get that ambitious.

Ryan.

I've had very good luck with these Top Flight cards. Both sides work well with my fountain pens, and they are inexpensive. Unfortunately, they are not very heavy card stock, so they feel a little flimsy. Also unfortunately, the local store that I used to buy them from has stopped carrying them

I think I remember that they are made in Brazil, which is interesting because that seems to be the best country of manufacture for fountain pen friendly composition notebooks, too.

Bill

I use Notes on the Run 3 x 5 cards from Planner Pads which are very fp friendly, but as you can see from the link, are specifically designed for to do lists and random notes.

donnie

Many thanks to Superbleu -- sent me a sampling of the Levenger and other cards to try... what a board this is! Thanks, again, SB!

I echo many thanks to Superbleu who sent me several different index cards--including some hand-cut. I will be using them all for notes for a forthcoming workshop I'm giving and see which is the most fountain pen friendly.

Thanks again, Superblue.

I echo many thanks to Superbleu who sent me several different index cards--including some hand-cut. I will be using them all for notes for a forthcoming workshop I'm giving and see which is the most fountain pen friendly.

Thanks again, Superbleu.

Farhney's Pens carries the 3 x 5 Crane cards. They are off-white / ivory-ish, certainly not bright white. The ones I have are lined on one side and blank on the other.

Mead "ruled index cards" from Walmart, guzzle ink and are a bit feathery. They'll bleed if you don't write quickly because they'll suck up the ink.

I use the Exacompta ones that Pendemonium sells to good effect.

Aren't these larger than 3 x 5, though? I love the smoothness of the ones I have, but they are gridded rather than lined, and I prefer lined. Any source for smaller Exacompta ones with lines?

I have 4" x 7" ones, though I see Pendemonium also has 4" x 6" ones. They might be able to get other ones if you call and ask. They've been amenable in the past to special ordering cases of products that they don't usually sell, if you agree to buy more than one unit.

Sorry Tricia, the exacompta catalog only shows gridded cards, and they come in the following 3 sizes, 4x6 5x8 5.75 x 8.25

Hi Tim and Zoe, No problem. Hope you find something that will work for you.

I use the unlined Mead index cards and haven't had the problems you describe. They keep a sharp line and don't bleed or feather. The ink dries quickly. Might be different card stock, coating, or simply a difference in pen and ink.

But yeah, I get the $.99 pack of Mead cards and they work fine for me with Waterman inks.

I second the Levengers and the Crane notecards. I've also found the jotter cards for the M branded stuff at Staples to very nice and not as pricey.

Sorry to disagree with many of you but I think Levenger's 3X5 cards are junk. They are okay on one side, though pretty thirsty making your line broader than usual, but on the back side they feathered pretty badly. Maybe I just got a bad batch. But after trying them out with all kinds of pens and inks, I ended up putting them by the phone to take messages.

I love Crane 3X5 cards but they are expensie. The brand that Kmart carries (or used to), were quite good, though they were a bit flimsy. I can't remember the brand naem, though they were discussed in an earlier thread here awhile back.

Matt C.

I use some Japanese ones that start with "K," but I can't remember the company for the life of me! Also makes the little green graph paper notebooks.

Kokuyo? Although I have no idea if they make little green graph paper notebooks.

-Nkk

Ding ding! That's the one. Kokuyo. I was Googling for Kokyo, Kyoku, and a bunch of other things that all resolve to something else in Japan.

But they do make nice hardcover green notebooks, thin. Which is what I like, esp for project books- I always avoid thicker notebooks, even regular hard cover Moleskines, because there is so much paper. The Fieldnotes are cheaper than a Moleskine (easy to do!), maybe $5?

Anyway, this awesome guy espouses them and sells them. Also sells notecards that are "correctly ruled," as he says- 5x5 mm graph, like Rhodia. And they line up notecard to notecard, rather than being all over the place. FP friendy too, and ike $3 a pack. Not cheap, but prolly cheaper than the gold-plated paper Levenger sells.

Thanks to Superbleu, I'm trying out the Levengers, and they work perfectly, both with my Parker 180/Noodlers black and my Lamy 81/blue-black quink. No scratching, no feathering, quick dry.