Fountain Pen Friendly Index Cards - Any Current Available Sources?

[cellmatrix]

I had asked this question on the currently running 3 by 5 card holder thread, but decided instead of hijacking that thread, to start a new one.

 

Its been my experience that finding fountain pen friendly 3 by 5 index cards that don't feather badly is a very hit and miss experience, mostly miss if, like me, you are not a fan of extra fine nibs and very dry writing inks. The current ubiquitous ones Mead, Ampad, Oxford all are terrible in this regard.

 

I suppose I could order crane index cards at ten cents apiece, or buy exacompta 5 by 8 cards and cut two 3 by 5 cards out of them, and pay a similar price but have the added benefit of creating more work for myself. But as attractive as those options sound, an even better option would be to have a decent local shoppe I could go to that I could in fact buy some decent index cards fromme.

 

I know people will want to verify that I have searched the old threads on this matter. To those people I will say yes, I have searched thank you.

 

In them someone always is quick to state that the index cards at [insert large department store] imported from [insert country of origin] are really great! Upon which I actually go to said department store, and either cannot find said item from said country or I do and find that it is not so great after all.

 

The most promising lead was hearing there were some great fountain pen friendly cards (topps?- the baseball card people!!!) at target once, but that was long ago, and now it seems more of an urban legend.

 

As you can tell, its been an elusive experience for me. A search for the holy Grail! Or even more specifically, its been like the other monty python skit where John Cleese goes into a long discourse with the cheese shop owner Eric Idle, about the availability of certain cheeses, which somehow never are available any more, due to the cat eating it etc., finally culminating in the ultimatum:

 

Customer "do you sir, in fact have any cheese available at all?"

Salesman "of course we do!"

Customer: "really?"

Saleman: "well, no, not really"

 

http://www.minderella.com/words/cheeseshop.htm

 

 

OK, with this background, I will finally ask anyone here:

 

Do any locally available, fountain pen friendly 3 by 5 cards exist?

 

Really?

[Sh.Andrews]

I am surprised that you find Oxford cards feather. I use them a lot with a wet stub and have had no problems at all regardless of ink used. They claim to be Ph neutral which seems to be a good start.

 

I love Crane cotton papers but haven't wanted to spend that much for index cards. It's a safe bet that they would work for you though. Another option you did not mention is Levenger. I have not tried their index cards but was very dissatisfied with some 8 1/2 x 11 from them - worse feathering I ever saw. That was a long time ago and they might have corrected that problem by now. The nice thing about Levenger is the many style options.

[CraigR]

I am a 3x5 card organized man. I use them for notes, lists, correspondence, planning and a host of other uses - including making a cool noise when attached to the fork of my bike and strummed by the moving wheel spokes. The OP has pretty much identified the usual brands found in the big box stores. These brands seem to have quality control/pen friendliness that is all over the place. In the past, I have used Oxford and Ampad cards that were heavenly with most of my pens and inks, but recently they have been pretty bad. I went the other way at times and used Levenger and Crane with much the same results. In frustration, I went to Kelly Paper, near me, and tried a number of different card stock samples with various pens until I was satisfied. I then bought stock and had it cut into 3x5 cards. The next time around, that paper was discontinued and it was back to the drawing board - so to speak.

 

My search continues as well.

 

/Craig

[PeppWaves03]

I have yet to find any either, but I did find this:

 

http://www.gouletpens.com/Exacompta_Index_Cards_p/e10272.htm

 

Order 10 and get a 10% discount.

 

I am not affiliated with Goulet Pens. I am just a happy customer that saw them as I was looking at what they had on sale.

[DanF]

"Tops" from Target stores are the best I've found, no complaints here, and I like wide nibs. They are made in Indonesia, quite smooth, and friendly in every way. Check them out.

 

Dan

[macaddicted]

There simply not enough of us for most companies, stores and manufacturers alike, to care. You're going to have to settle for not as good, pay more, or be creative.

 

Pay more is obvious, and as obvious from your post is that it's not a choice. So clearly is settling. So creative: You might try an ink that doesn't feather so much, something that is specific to your cards. You might also try a small pad. Rhodia makes the No. 12 pad with pages that tear down to around 3x5". I haven't had a chance to try one yet but it is available in the new R by Rhodia line with 90gsm paper, a bit heavier than their standard line. Do-it-yourself falls under creative too. Any print shop, and most copy shops, can cut standard size stock down to card size. If you find a card stock you like see if you can get it in 11x17". You'll get 10 cards per 11x17" sheet rather than the 8 you'd get from two 8.5x11" sheets. The scraps are good for bookmarks, or pads for very narrow minded people.

[cellmatrix]

"Tops" from Target stores are the best I've found, no complaints here, and I like wide nibs. They are made in Indonesia, quite smooth, and friendly in every way. Check them out.

 

Dan

 

I'm not sure where you are located, but I've been to my local target stores several times this year in the san francisco bay area, and have never, ever seen the 'tops' brand. But finally, just today I do see where I could get them online at 4 cents a card, so on your recommendation I will go ahead and buy some. Thanks!

[cellmatrix]

I have yet to find any either, but I did find this:

 

http://www.gouletpens.com/Exacompta_Index_Cards_p/e10272.htm

 

Order 10 and get a 10% discount.

 

I am not affiliated with Goulet Pens. I am just a happy customer that saw them as I was looking at what they had on sale.

 

Yes, I have used some of the exacompta cards before in the 5 by 8 inch size, and they were very good albeit a bit pricey. I wish they made them in 3 by 5!

[cellmatrix]

There simply not enough of us for most companies, stores and manufacturers alike, to care. You're going to have to settle for not as good, pay more, or be creative.

 

Pay more is obvious, and as obvious from your post is that it's not a choice. So clearly is settling. So creative: You might try an ink that doesn't feather so much, something that is specific to your cards. You might also try a small pad. Rhodia makes the No. 12 pad with pages that tear down to around 3x5". I haven't had a chance to try one yet but it is available in the new R by Rhodia line with 90gsm paper, a bit heavier than their standard line. Do-it-yourself falls under creative too. Any print shop, and most copy shops, can cut standard size stock down to card size. If you find a card stock you like see if you can get it in 11x17". You'll get 10 cards per 11x17" sheet rather than the 8 you'd get from two 8.5x11" sheets. The scraps are good for bookmarks, or pads for very narrow minded people.

 

Macaddicted, thanks for taking the time for your post. I thought about the Rhodia paper option, but shuffling a stack of loose 3 by 5 papers is not as easy as shuffling index cards. The card stock is another good idea. If these tops cards do not work out, I will try that next. You want me to make you a pad with the leftover scraps?????

 

 

 

-----JUST KIDDING!

[cellmatrix]

I am a 3x5 card organized man. I use them for notes, lists, correspondence, planning and a host of other uses - including making a cool noise when attached to the fork of my bike and strummed by the moving wheel spokes. The OP has pretty much identified the usual brands found in the big box stores. These brands seem to have quality control/pen friendliness that is all over the place. In the past, I have used Oxford and Ampad cards that were heavenly with most of my pens and inks, but recently they have been pretty bad. I went the other way at times and used Levenger and Crane with much the same results. In frustration, I went to Kelly Paper, near me, and tried a number of different card stock samples with various pens until I was satisfied. I then bought stock and had it cut into 3x5 cards. The next time around, that paper was discontinued and it was back to the drawing board - so to speak.

 

My search continues as well.

 

/Craig

 

I can only aspire to your level of index card-ness Craig! One quick question regarding your organizational structure: how do you decide whether the card belongs on the front fork or the back fork?

[CraigR]

I am a 3x5 card organized man. I use them for notes, lists, correspondence, planning and a host of other uses - including making a cool noise when attached to the fork of my bike and strummed by the moving wheel spokes. The OP has pretty much identified the usual brands found in the big box stores. These brands seem to have quality control/pen friendliness that is all over the place. In the past, I have used Oxford and Ampad cards that were heavenly with most of my pens and inks, but recently they have been pretty bad. I went the other way at times and used Levenger and Crane with much the same results. In frustration, I went to Kelly Paper, near me, and tried a number of different card stock samples with various pens until I was satisfied. I then bought stock and had it cut into 3x5 cards. The next time around, that paper was discontinued and it was back to the drawing board - so to speak.

 

My search continues as well.

 

/Craig

 

I can only aspire to your level of index card-ness Craig! One quick question regarding your organizational structure: how do you decide whether the card belongs on the front fork or the back fork?

 

I think the front fork is better suited as there is less going on there than in back :roflmho:

[Pippin60]

"Tops" from Target stores are the best I've found, no complaints here, and I like wide nibs. They are made in Indonesia, quite smooth, and friendly in every way. Check them out.

 

Dan

 

 

"Tops" from Target stores are the best I've found, no complaints here, and I like wide nibs. They are made in Indonesia, quite smooth, and friendly in every way. Check them out.

 

Dan

 

I'm not sure where you are located, but I've been to my local target stores several times this year in the san francisco bay area, and have never, ever seen the 'tops' brand. But finally, just today I do see where I could get them online at 4 cents a card, so on your recommendation I will go ahead and buy some. Thanks!

 

I also use TOPS, I think I've seen them at Walmart also. I've had no luck with Oxford.

[pmsalty]

I get mine from our company stationer, with name, logo etc on them. They are very good quality and no feathering. I'll try to check out who the mfg is.

PMS

[DanF]

I haven't looked for Topps lately, as I bought a bunch the last time I shopped for them. Hope Target still has them, they were much less than $4 a hundred pack, more like fifty cents a pack. If I find they still have them, I'll probably lay in a really good supply, just in case.

 

Dan

[dizzypen]

My favorite index cards are by an Indian company called NavNeet, but I haven't been able to find them for a couple years now. You used to be able to get them at Dollar stores nationwide.

 

My second choice is also TOPS. They aren't perfect, but they are by far the best of what is regularly available to the big box stores. I use these for my reviews. If you want to see how they do with a particular ink just take a look at my blog.

[funkypeanut]

I've had fairly good luck with the post-it index cards, but they are gummed on the back because they're, well, post-its.

[cellmatrix]

My favorite index cards are by an Indian company called NavNeet, but I haven't been able to find them for a couple years now. You used to be able to get them at Dollar stores nationwide.

 

My second choice is also TOPS. They aren't perfect, but they are by far the best of what is regularly available to the big box stores. I use these for my reviews. If you want to see how they do with a particular ink just take a look at my blog.

 

Wow this is really helpful, reviews of various fountain pens and inks on Tops index cards - Thanks!

 

Edit to add: Best wishes for your grandpa!!!

Edited September 18, 2011 by cellmatrix

[cellmatrix]

I've had fairly good luck with the post-it index cards, but they are gummed on the back because they're, well, post-its.

 

the regular post it notes feather really badly, and I would not have thought that their index cards would be any better, but this is good to know, thanks.

[cellmatrix]

just got the tops in after ordering some on amazon. The cards are somewhat rough feeling, not smooth as described. Also they feather quite a bit. Very disappointing. Its possible that they may have changed manufacturers or something, the label says they are made in the USA.http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41q-NIowAAL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

[cellmatrix]

There is another version of Tops cards floating around Amazon too, these are made in Indonesia. Are these the ones I should have gotten????

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41DuNfiOFtL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Edited September 20, 2011 by cellmatrix