Fp-Friendly 3X5 Notecards?

[Moynihan]

...the new magazine, Index Card Connoisseur :

New mag, gotta URL for it?

[jmccarty3]

I bought a pack of the Nock index cards at the DC show, just to support the guys, who were a lot of fun to talk to. One of them even let me try his Nakaya. I didn't really have occasion to open the package until today, when I needed to make out a shopping list. I was very impressed with the quality of these cards, which surpassed anything I've ever seen.

 

It would be nice if Nock could offer larger quantities of these cards at a lower price per card, but I really don't need a lot of them. I'll probably use these as inserts with greeting cards, since most of those have paper that's inimical to fountain pens.

 

One of the things that has us headed in the wrong direction is that we are totally focused on price, and have forgotten quality and service. I'm reminded of a sign that used to hang in every Baskin-Robbins ice cream store in the country:

 

"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey."

 

~ John Ruskin

[Portamenti]

FPN to the rescue, and I discovered the great (for me), Exacompta cards, which I order from a shop in Montreal,

 

Would you mind sharing your source? I'm interested in trying those and Montreal is close enough to home.

Thanks for the info!

[cellmatrix]

I bought a pack of the Nock index cards at the DC show, just to support the guys, who were a lot of fun to talk to. One of them even let me try his Nakaya. I didn't really have occasion to open the package until today, when I needed to make out a shopping list. I was very impressed with the quality of these cards, which surpassed anything I've ever seen.

 

It would be nice if Nock could offer larger quantities of these cards at a lower price per card, but I really don't need a lot of them. I'll probably use these as inserts with greeting cards, since most of those have paper that's inimical to fountain pens.

 

One of the things that has us headed in the wrong direction is that we are totally focused on price, and have forgotten quality and service. I'm reminded of a sign that used to hang in every Baskin-Robbins ice cream store in the country:

 

"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey."

 

~ John Ruskin

I went to the local dollar general store again and bought another pack of these excellent index cards at one twentieth the cost of the nock cards. The cashier smiled and gave me the correct change. No she did not let me use her Nakaya but I am sure she would have let me use her bic ballpoint if I had asked her.

 

I think sometimes more expensive does not mean better quality or better service. For example I just got stocked up on a bunch of one dollar composition books on sale locally which I actually like just as well as tomoe river notebooks selling at ten times the cost. And as I recall, those sales people were nice too.

 

Whether it's dollar general or other stationary stores, one of the things I like about buying local using cash as opposed to buying online is that you don't have to give out your email or phone number and so you don't risk getting spammed or getting soliciting calls at dinner time.

Edited September 6, 2015 by cellmatrix

[jmccarty3]

Cellmatrix, I agree with you that more expensive does not necessarily mean better quality or better service, but, generally speaking, you do get what you pay for. My concern is that our rabid fixation on lower prices, to the exclusion of everything else, has eliminated a lot of small businesses that provided the option of better service and quality for those who chose to pay for it. The owners of these small businesses, by and large, contributed a great deal to their communities, and now they're gone.

[cellmatrix]

Cellmatrix, I agree with you that more expensive does not necessarily mean better quality or better service, but, generally speaking, you do get what you pay for. My concern is that our rabid fixation on lower prices, to the exclusion of everything else, has eliminated a lot of small businesses that provided the option of better service and quality for those who chose to pay for it. The owners of these small businesses, by and large, contributed a great deal to their communities, and now they're gone.

There are some local mom and pop stationary stores I buy ink/greeting cards/pens from. I love visiting them and the people know me. I sure am sorry that there are a lot less local stationary stores in my community than there used to be. So I agree I with you on this part.

 

But on the other hand, does an internet store who will sell me index cards thru the mail replace the personal experience local stores give? No - in fact, its internet sales which contribute most of all to the closure of our small local community businesses.

Edited September 6, 2015 by cellmatrix

[Ed44]

Hi folks,

 

I've had excellent success with the 3 x 5 Heavyweight Index Cards made by Tops Oxford. They're nice and thick plus they're fountain pen friendly. I get them on Amazon for about $3-$5 for a pack of 100 cards. They're a little bit thicker than a playing card with a smooth finish. I've never had any instances of bleed through or feathering. Give 'em a try for the price. I have no affiliation with Tops Oxford, I'm just a happy user.

 

Ed

 

[bob_hayden]

I use color 3X5 cards to keep different projects straight. I recently ran out of pastel blue and searched and found this thread. I thought I would post an update. There was positive mention of Jot cards and of some cards from Dollar Tree. The local DT does not have the cards credited to them, but they do have Jot brand cards. I was a bit sceptical of those based on my experience with Jot loose-leaf filler paper.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/315748-loose-leaf-notebook-filler-paper-bleed-through-battle/

 

(Note the second thoughts post as well as the original.) The price is now twice what it used to be and the current cards come from India. They seem to be of reasonable weight. The lined side is quite smooth, the unlined a bit less so. I had no show through, and no feathering in the sense of hairy handwriting. However, lines came out two to three times wider than on some cheap 3X5 notepads I had on hand. The pens with black and blue ink had wet F nibs but came out B to BB. The pen with red ink had a not particularly wet XF nib and came out F. Even at the new price of $1/100 cards these are very cheap and so represent a bargain if you write with a dry XF or don't mind the spread. I tend to write very small on these narrow-ruled cards and would rather do without the spread.

 

http://statland.org/PenPix/JotCards.jpg

Edited June 7, 2019 by bob_hayden

[WalterC]

Amazon carries Exacompta index cards in 205gsm. Some of the prices are actually good, BUT CHECK SHIPPING COSTS FIRST!!!! They probably ship from France.

Example: white lined 75x125mm (about 3"x5") are $1.32 per 100, shipping is $5.74 which makes it about the same total as Goulet. If you buy enough, the shipping becomes reasonable, but check carefully. 10 packs of 100 were under $9 shipping, which is not bad. Also, some of the sizes are a bit odd (75x100mm = 3x4").

 

https://www.amazon.com/Etui-100-Fiches-Bristol-75x125mm/dp/B00BEHJ2YI/ref=sr_1_15?crid=29OOG6L1RMR3D&keywords=exacompta+index+cards&qid=1559922680&s=gateway&sprefix=exacomp%2Caps%2C144&sr=8-15

 

Exaclair's website takes you to dealers when you click buy, but those dealer's prices are about the same as Goulet's; none have white. $6.50 seems to be the US list price for 100 3"x5".

[BaronWulfraed]

I'd been using Levenger "Pocket Notes" -- but looking at the current offerings they've gotten rather expensive ($11 for 100!). In the past, I'd bought a 1000 card box of -- at the time -- uncustomized "Window", now only available in the "Personalization" group; and later a 500 card pack of plain ruled. Have about 750 cards left between the two.

 

Believe Levenger went to a recycled paper stock (the ruled cards have a faint grey tinge compared to the older window cards).

 

No choice for colors (white, or an ivory in the personalized section). Used to be billed as suitable for all inks.

[bob_hayden]

Today I was in a larger town. CVS Caliber cards now come from China and USA, are dated 2017 and 2018, and cost more than the ones I got at Dollar Tree so I did not bite. Then at Dollar General I found 3X5 cards for $0.50 per hundred which I could not resist. These were white and showed no feathering or bleed through and lines came out their normal width. I don't see how you could improve on these functionally, though you could make gourmet cards that cost a lot more. This is no different from what was said in posts about DG cards left here some years ago. The only news is that, unlike the CVS cards, the price and quality are still excellent.

[Honeybadgers]

I used like 1000 3x5's from staples (Generic brand) and with a japanese EF and F, they were very serivceable. Was able to write both sides without bleeding or ghosting, feathering was very modest with noodlers inks.

[Honeybadgers]

Hi folks,

 

I've had excellent success with the 3 x 5 Heavyweight Index Cards made by Tops Oxford. They're nice and thick plus they're fountain pen friendly. I get them on Amazon for about $3-$5 for a pack of 100 cards. They're a little bit thicker than a playing card with a smooth finish. I've never had any instances of bleed through or feathering. Give 'em a try for the price. I have no affiliation with Tops Oxford, I'm just a happy user.

 

Ed

 

 

 

I just came here to +1 this. I needed some cards, didn't care the quality, for my chemistry final cheat sheet, and the wife grabbed a pack of these at the grocery store.

 

To my amazement, they're insanely FP friendly. A bit of sheen visible form Seiboku, a lot of visible shading, and only the BAREST hint of feathering on a juicy flex nib with no bleeding and very little showthrough.

 

They're not "smooth" but they aren't grabby or scratchy, and my sharp nibs don't pick up fibers.

[Honeybadgers]

These are the Oxford by Tops cards

 

No bleed or showthrough at all.

 

 

 

 

[gailfus]

I finally broke down and went to Dollar Tree today and bought their Jot 3x5 index cards because I was almost out of the totally crappy cards I already had and needed to continue taking notes for my nursing class. They don't FEEL especially great, but they're REALLY nice write on with FPs. Everything from a Pilot Kakuno with a fine steel nib to a custom Cross Townsend with an 18k gold nib and various ink brands. Fast dry times, no bleed through or ghosting, and NO feathering. Seriously, guys if you're looking for good 3x5 index cards, stop at your local Dollar Tree and pick up a pack of 200 for $1. I'm very impressed. And I'm very picky about paper! I'll be stocking up on these bad boys!