A Few Notebook/paper Thoughts From A Fountain Pen Newbie

[btb01]

I thought I might share a few notes on paper/notebooks that I've been using so far in my fairly new foray to fountain pens.

 

My fountain pen "collection" at this point consists of two pens: a Lamy Safari Fine nib with a converter using Noodler's #41 Brown, and a TWSBI Diamond 580 Medium nib using Noodler's Air Corp Blue-Black. I've had the Safari for years, but never had much luck with it (very scratchy, ink skipped regularly, etc). I recently replaced the nib and have seen much better results, although it's still not nearly as smooth as the TWSBI (which I just received earlier this week).

 

Most of the paper/notebooks I've been using are things that I've had on hand and enjoyed using before. (Prior to fountain pens, my preferred writing instruments were liquid ink rollerballs, mostly variations of the Uniball Vision and Vision Elite).

 

No. 1: Moleskine

 

I've used the classic/standard Moleskine notebooks for years. I like them for quick notes, jotting down ideas, to-do lists, etc., and I've always had good results in them with rollerballs. Although I know they aren't particularly popular with many fountain pen users, I don't dislike them for fountain pen use. There's minimal bleed-through, I haven't noticed any feathering, and both pens write smoothly on the paper. The only problem that I have is dry time. I haven't done any timed testing (5, 10, 20, 30 seconds, etc.), but I would say that the dry time for the TWSBI with Noodler's Air Corp is 30 seconds plus. The Noodler's #41 Brown in the Safari seems to dry a little faster (maybe a result of the finer line I get from that pen), but it still doesn't dry quickly. I write on both sides of the page in these notebooks, and with a fountain pen I've found I have to be careful holding the left side of the notebook down to write on the right side, or I will smudge the ink where I've already written on the left side with my fingers. Likewise, if I turn the page or close the notebook just after writing in it, the ink can bleed onto the opposite page.

 

No. 2: Rhodia

 

I've also used different sizes of Rhodia notepads over the years, so I tested those with the fountain pens as well. The pens write well on the Rhodia paper, but I think the drying time is even slower than with the Moleskine. I made a shopping list in a small Rhodia pad this morning and ended up with several smudges.

 

No. 3: Fabriano

 

My favorite paper (so far) for fountain pen use has been the Fabriano EcoQua notebook. I have two of these; one is a spiral-bound notebook that I've use mostly for note-taking at work, and the other is a glue-bound notepad that is great when I need a sheet of paper I can tear off. The paper in the spiral notebook has a graphing grid on it, and the notepad has a dot grid. I believe the paper on these is a bit more absorbent and I do get a slightly thicker line from the TWSBI, but there isn't any feathering or bleed-through, and the dry-time is much better: only a slight smear after 5 seconds, and completely dry in about 10 seconds.

 

No. 4: Strathmore

 

The last paper I tested out was a small Strathmore Drawing pad. The paper on these is much heavier, but I like them sometimes for quick notes and doodling. Although these pads are great for pencils and most pens, it was by far the worst paper I used with the fountain pen. Both pens are scratchy on this paper, and the paper doesn't seem to take the ink very well. This was one I tested out just because I had it on hand, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it for fountain pen use.

 

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on any of these, as well as your recommendations for other paper/notebooks I should try out.

[FountainPenBibliophile]

I have been pleasantly surprised by some the CR Gibson Markings notebooks. I have used some pretty heavy flowing nib/ink combos with no bleed through, feathering or shadowing. I couldn't believe it. I got mine from Staples in their journal section. I'm hoping they all use the same paper because the book I just finished is phenomenal. I did have some smearing/dry time issues with Noodler's Polar Black, but this is a pretty viscous ink as it is.

 

Another paper you must try is the Tomoe River paper. Jet Pens has some notebooks with this paper that won't break the bank and will allow you to at least try it. It is a thinner paper so you will get ghosting but it handles even the flexiest of nibs like a champ.

 

www.jetpens.com

 

No affiliation of course!

 

HTH

 

FBP

[Jan2016]

Tomoe River

 

my favorite, and for my notebooks I use

 

Leuchtturm 1917

 

I prefer their paper of Rhodia

[rafapa]

WIf you like Fabriano try the Traccia pad. It's 60gsm.. Superior to Tomoe River in my opinion.

Edited April 10, 2017 by rafapa

[btb01]

Thanks for the replies, everyone! I've read about the Tomoe River paper before, and I'm curious to try it out. In addition to the notebooks Jet Pens sells, it looks like you can get like 5 sheets for $1 just to try it out, as well, so I may do that the next time I order from Jet Pens.

 

Has anyone used/tried the Maruman Mnemosyne notebooks?

[Ted A]

The Tomoe River paper is excellent, but if you think ink takes a long time to dry on moleskine paper, wait till you try Tomoe River.

[btb01]

The Tomoe River paper is excellent, but if you think ink takes a long time to dry on moleskine paper, wait till you try Tomoe River.

 

 

Thanks for the heads up.

 

I don't necessarily mind the long dry time for certain applications (if I were writing on loose leaf paper, for instance), but in a notebook, and in particular a small notebook like the Moleskine, it can be a bit frustrating. I was writing in one this morning, had filled the page on the left and was writing halfway down the page on the right when, not thinking about it (or not thinking it would be an issue), I put my finger on the top left corner of the left page... and smudged the first word. Now that had ink had to have been on the page for at least a minute, probably more like two or three. That just seems like an excessively long time for ink to dry on paper. (This was with the TWSBI 580, Medium nib, Noodler's Air Corp.)

 

I ordered a Maruman Mnemosyne notebook this morning; A5 size, blank pages. I also ordered another Fabriano EcoQua with blank pages. I'm curious how the paper on that one will compare to the two I have; having written in both a bit more, I've noticed some differences between the properties of the graph-grid paper in the spiral-bound notebook and the dot grid paper on the glue-bound pad. The dot grid paper is a bit more absorbent than the graph grid paper, so the line comes out a bit thicker. Both still have great dry time compared to Rhodia and (especially) Moleskine. I think I would say now that the graph grid paper in the spiral-bound is my favorite -- not as absorbent as the dot grid paper so the line stays nice and thin, but still quick drying, and the ink looks good on the page -- so I'm hoping the paper in the blank Fabriano notebook has that same quality.

[HollyDav]

Thanks for the replies, everyone! I've read about the Tomoe River paper before, and I'm curious to try it out. In addition to the notebooks Jet Pens sells, it looks like you can get like 5 sheets for $1 just to try it out, as well, so I may do that the next time I order from Jet Pens.

 

Has anyone used/tried the Maruman Mnemosyne notebooks?

 

Yes I love my Mnemosyne notebook. I think I have size B5? Anyway size doesn't matter, I love the paper. I have been writing in it will different pens from fine to 1.1 stub and all kinds of ink. I haven't had any bleed through at all. I have been able to write on both sides of the paper and will definitely order more of these notebooks when this one is filled up. I love that the sheets are perforated I can neatly tear out a sheet if I wish.

[btb01]

Yes I love my Mnemosyne notebook. I think I have size B5? Anyway size doesn't matter, I love the paper. I have been writing in it will different pens from fine to 1.1 stub and all kinds of ink. I haven't had any bleed through at all. I have been able to write on both sides of the paper and will definitely order more of these notebooks when this one is filled up. I love that the sheets are perforated I can neatly tear out a sheet if I wish.

 

I got the Mnemosyne notebook I ordered in the mail yesterday (A5, unruled). The quality of the notebook is excellent, and the paper is very nice and probably the smoothest to write on of anything I've tried, with almost no show-through and no bleed-through at all, but the time it takes for ink to fully dry is very long. Ink still smudges at 60 seconds+.

 

I also got another Fabriano EcoQua, with blank/unruled pages this time (instead of graph or dot grid), and like the Mnemosyne, the paper is nice and smooth but the dry time is very slow. (I was using a TWSBI 580, Medium nib, Noodler's Air Corp to test both of these). I thought this one was particularly interesting since (in theory, at least) it should be the same paper as the other two EcoQua notebooks I have, but all three perform differently. The dot-grid paper is very absorbent, results in a much thicker line, but quick drying (less than 10 seconds). The graph grid is probably the best balance of paper quality (smooth, not so absorbent that it makes the line thick, etc.) and reasonably quick drying (20-ish seconds for that same pen/ink combo), but I don't particularly like writing on graph paper. The unruled Fabriano paper is certainly the smoothest of the three (not quite as nice as the Mnemosyne, but close) but, again, very slow to dry.

 

Is finding the right paper for fountain pen use all about finding a balance somewhere between smooth-writing and quick drying? Or about deciding which of those you're more comfortable sacrificing to obtain the other? Or is there a magic smooth-writing-not-too-absorbent-yet-quick-drying paper out there I just haven't found yet?

[thudthwacker]

Is finding the right paper for fountain pen use all about finding a balance somewhere between smooth-writing and quick drying? Or about deciding which of those you're more comfortable sacrificing to obtain the other? Or is there a magic smooth-writing-not-too-absorbent-yet-quick-drying paper out there I just haven't found yet?

 

For me, it's been more ink than paper that I look to when I have unacceptable drying times. I stopped using Noodler's standard Blue Black because it just never dried on paper that didn't cause any problems with other inks. I've never used Noodler's Air Corps Blue Black or Brown, though, so I can't compare behavior. And, of course, if you love those inks, it's not really useful to suggest "well, use different inks" anyway.

[senzen]

You need to try at least once Clairefontaine, although drying times will be even slower, their Triomphe is also exceptional. Tomoe river and Rhodia are my number two favorites, Fabriano Eco Qua is nice when you want something that will dry more quickly. Fabriano Traccia is somewhere in between for me. HP 32 lbs laserjet is a lot thicker but also probably a lot cheaper by the sheet.

 

There is no right and wrong, some of us will prefer pens gliding and inks shading a lot, others will prefer quicker drying times, there seems there are even some heretics who prefer no shading at all! At some point you'll turn to your moleskine using friends and exclaim HA! preferably as you turn up your nose at them . I prefer the smile that says "pity you don't know any better" .

[btb01]

Thanks for the replies!

 

In addition to Noodler's Air Corp (in the M nib TWSBI) and #41 Brown (F nib Lamy), I've picked up a Noodler's Konrad flex nib and a bottle of their Apache Sunset and have been playing around with that combination.

I've really warmed up to using the Mnemosyne regularly, and have been using the blank page Fabriano EcoQua as well. It's amazing how different that paper is from the dot grid and graph Fabriano EcoQua notebooks I have. The flex nib with the Apache Sunset works well with both the Mnemosyne and blank Fabriano, but feathers and bleeds through horribly on the dot grid Fabriano, and slightly less horribly in the graph Fabriano, Rhodia and Moleskine. It's pretty much unusable those.

I have another TWSBI (Mini, 1.1 mm stub) and my first non-Noodler's ink (Diamine Red Dragon) on the way.

I'll probably try out some quicker-drying inks at some point, but I am happy with most of the inks I have so far. Having experienced a little more variety now (in paper, pens, and inks), I think I can safely say I'd sacrifice some dry time for a better quality paper on which what I'm writing looks good (not feathered or over-absorbed or blotchy, which happens with the Apache Sunset on some paper).

Edited April 19, 2017 by btb01