Fountain Pen Friendly Index Cards - Any Current Available Sources?

[Mr.How]

I may be dreaming based on how hard it is to find index cards that have a nice weight and work well with fp, BUT anyone find any graph lined ones?

 

I have been using top red box lined and unlined. I would really prefer graph lined ones. It could be the result of a lifelong Rhodia addiction.

 

Help.

 

Also weight matters, everything is getting cheaper and cheaper quality. I tried up brand from target they were so thin they felt terrible in my hand and didn't hold up well to a day of travel in my pocket.

[macaddicted]

Exacompta has cards in 3x5 and 4x6. Unfortunately Exaclair only imports the 4x6 cards here in the US.

[myyrkezaan]

Levenger has 3x5 grid index cards, but they aren't across the whole card.

[lsmith42]

Anyone checked out the gridded cards at Daiso? I saw them in SF Japantown today, and thought of this thread.

 

MOST of the paper at Daiso is very good with fountain pens.

[plc123]

If you have a Japanese $1.50 store called Daiso, they have really great index cards that they sell as flashcards blank or with grids. I have found them to be very fountain pen friendly - no feathering or bleed through - when using a dip flex nibbed pen. They are not that expensive, either!

 

ETA: just found the second page and Ismith42's comment! what Ismith42 said! Also, the grid covers the entire card.

 

-plc123

Edited February 29, 2012 by plc123

[GemMayhem]

This week, whilest traveling, I needed some graph-ruled index cards. I found some at a large Staples: 3x5 and 4x6 .

 

The good news: these index cards held up to even my wettest writers with no bleedthrough, no show-through, no spreading, and no feathering except for one pen/ink combination that feathered slightly. The cards are slightly thicker than the up&up cards from Target (see previous post in this thread), although may not be as thick as what some people are seeking. The back of the card, unruled, presented the same fountain-pen friendly properties.

 

The not-so-good news: while not as expensive as others I have tried, I would not call them 'inexpensive' either (3x5 are $1.99/100 and 4x6 are $3.29/100). The deal breaker, for me at least, is that the grid-ruling is "too much" - too bright of a blue and the lines too thick. I was looking for something where the grid ruling would "fade into the background", but the ruling is distracting and competes with what's written on the card. If you're looking for cards with subtle ruling similar to a Clairfontaine grid-ruled notebook, as I was, pass on these. If, instead, you are looking for a card where the grid rule is the star of the show, such as for technical drawings, then maybe these could work. I will use the remaining cards either for technical drawings using a very dark black ink (Aurora Black, Noodler's Black, etc) that can compete with the blue grid lines, or simply use the back as unruled cards.

 

If time permits, I will try to scan the cards so that you can visually compare them.

[Mr.How]

I am going to Staples this weekend to get some to tryout. I was encouraged by your post then discouraged by the comments on grid brightness. I agree ultimately you want any grid to fade behind your writing.

 

Thank you for your post.

 

If I go on a roadtrip in the future I will hit the Daiso store as well. I am willing to try all reasonably priced ideas.

 

thanks all

[plc123]

If you have a Japanese $1.50 store called Daiso, they have really great index cards that they sell as flashcards blank or with grids. I have found them to be very fountain pen friendly - no feathering or bleed through - when using a dip flex nibbed pen. They are not that expensive, either!

 

ETA: just found the second page and Ismith42's comment! what Ismith42 said! Also, the grid covers the entire card.

 

-plc123

 

The grid on these cards is a light grey. I feel that although it is cardstock, it seems a little less weighty than something from Staples or Office Depot.

[GemMayhem]

Here is a small scan to illustrate the grid ruling on the Staples cards (See post #66 above)

 

 

On the left is a 4"x6" Staples grid ruled index card, in the middle is a page from a Clairefontaine notebook with Rhodia grid rule, and on the right is a light blue 4x6 Exacompta index card.

 

All three are made of fountain pen friendly papers (let me know if you'd like to see scans to illustrate performance with a wet writer).

 

All the Best,

Gem

[Mr.How]

I got the Staples ones and I hate to throw them out so I will use my Noodlers Nikita, hopefully then the text will stand out a little.

[countrydirt]

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m44/countrydirt/IMG_0001Copy.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m44/countrydirt/IMG_0002Copy.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m44/countrydirt/IMG_0003Copy.jpg

 

I purchased these at one of the office big box stores. I think maybe Staples. $1.50 for 300

 

Pen - TWSBI 540, 1.1 mm stub, ink - Noodler's Midnight

Edited March 7, 2012 by countrydirt

[adamselene]

I may be dreaming based on how hard it is to find index cards that have a nice weight and work well with fp, BUT anyone find any graph lined ones?

 

I have been using top red box lined and unlined. I would really prefer graph lined ones. It could be the result of a lifelong Rhodia addiction.

 

Help.

 

Also weight matters, everything is getting cheaper and cheaper quality. I tried up brand from target they were so thin they felt terrible in my hand and didn't hold up well to a day of travel in my pocket.

 

Found it! Thanks Google.

 

I have about ten packs, I ordered in various colors and graph ("squared") or blank, a long time ago (when $US was more valuable than $CN). Highly recommended. This is the 3x5 size, given in mm.

 

http://www.nota-bene.ca/

 

>>>>> Match in Squared Record Cards (Without Holes). 13200E

size:74 x 105mm squared record cards

plain white

no holes <<<<<

 

Cheers!

 

(Could do a group buy??)

Edited March 8, 2012 by adamselene

[GemMayhem]

I may be dreaming based on how hard it is to find index cards that have a nice weight and work well with fp, BUT anyone find any graph lined ones?

 

I have been using top red box lined and unlined. I would really prefer graph lined ones. It could be the result of a lifelong Rhodia addiction.

 

Help.

 

Also weight matters, everything is getting cheaper and cheaper quality. I tried up brand from target they were so thin they felt terrible in my hand and didn't hold up well to a day of travel in my pocket.

 

Found it! Thanks Google.

 

I have about ten packs, I ordered in various colors and graph ("squared") or blank, a long time ago (when $US was more valuable than $CN). Highly recommended. This is the 3x5 size, given in mm.

 

http://www.nota-bene.ca/

 

>>>>> Match in Squared Record Cards (Without Holes). 13200E

size:74 x 105mm squared record cards

plain white

no holes <<<<<

 

Cheers!

 

(Could do a group buy??)

 

:hmm1: Am I seeing correctly that the Exacompta cards are considerably less expensive in lovely Montreal? The exchange rate is practically US$1=CN$1 at the moment. 100 4x6" cards are $US 8.00-8.50 in the US and only $CN 5.00 in Montreal.

 

Road trip!!! (any excuse to visit Montreal!)

[KristinaPerrez]

All the index cards I have tried cause the ink to smudge real bad, maybe because of the longer drying time

[Mr.How]

I have friends in Vancouver right now, I will email them to check there.

[kayakjax]

I like to use 3" x 5" cards in a vertical orientation in a shirt pocket. I usually use the blank back of regular cards because I haven't been able to find any with the lines that way for a LONG time, and am not prepared to spend $28 for 500 of Levenger's.

 

I found some in my local Office Depot last week for $1.89 for 100. They're very adequate for my needs, even with my juiciest pen. There's some very slight feathering, but that's with my Rosetta North Star with a very wet, wide medium nib. I discarded the packaging, but I think they were Office Depot's brand. I notice they're not on their site, so maybe I just stumbled on some old stock. I think there was another 5 or 6 packages on the shelf. I think I might go buy them all, while I can.

[drutledge4445]

Exacompta index cards are great. Reasonably thick, perhaps slightly thinner than cards we had in the old days. But printed on both sides!!! And fountain pen friendly. White, pink, blue, green, yellow. I ordered them from Cult Pens in England and received them in Canada a week later. Find them here: https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/EX43761/exacompta-yellow-5-x-3-(125-x-75)-record-cards-pack-of-100