A Fp-Friendly, Cheap Lined Paper?

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi all,

 

I'm looking for recommendations for a CHEAP, LINED paper that's friendly to fp's.

 

Does such a thing exist?

 

I was wondering about Mead 5*... or Top legal pads... or the like...

 

I'm tired of using up quality paper like Black and Red and Rhodia to just scribble notes and such, that I typically toss out at the end of the day.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

 

- Anthony

[cattar]

I use the topps, norcon, etc composition books that sell for about $1 in department stores or 50 cents at target. Feel the paper. Choose the notebooks with smooth paper.

I've used mead books, the small hand-sized ones. But in my area they now go for $5, the same price as moleskine lookalikes on sale.

Search for fpn threads on cheap paper. Lots of folks use cheap paper.

Edited April 9, 2018 by cattar

[Honeybadgers]

mead cambridge paper is acceptable for FP's. some inks and nibs can bleed, it doesn't love super broad and wet nibs, but a fine, wet nib or a double broad with a more paper-friendly ink (such as sailor jentle inks) is just fine. It's not -amazing- paper, kinda toothy, but it can cause some interesting shading and dry times are good. No sheen on anything but crazy inks like organics studio. Mead 5 star isn't worth it. It's no better than any other (bleep) american paper.

 

The biggest lesson here is that if CHEAP is your modus operandi, focus on your nib and ink selection over the paper choice. Good paper lets you use any pen and ink, bad paper requires specifics. I can get an FP to write in a garbage composition notebook without feathering, but that's in a pilot extra fine or platinum UEF with sailor inks or iron gall.

 

Black-n-red (made by mead) paper is very FP friendly and they come in a variety of layouts, all lined. My only complaints are super white paper (I am an ivory paper kinda guy) and I don't love simple lined paper, I prefer graph, and dot grid, or french rule. And they're about $7.

 

If you can spring for about $8.50 a notebook, peter pauper press paper is a little picky about inks but the right inks (again sailor inks are king, along with iron galls like diamine registrar) it just loves, can show shading, sheen, and the overall size and build quality is a real cut above.

 

I think on balance, the winner is probably the Apica CD15 if you need cheap with lines. 66 pages, ruled, good for double sided, smooth, ivory paper, well made, and under $5 each. Also come in a big variety of colors so you can have 4 or 5 and know immediately what you got.

 

While they don't have a ton of pages, I still liked the one I had. I should note that the paper's coating can be spotty towards the bottom of the sheet and the edges of the paper can randomly cause a TON of feathering, but for a notebook under five bucks, it's exceptional paper. the only problem is that they use the same paper in the premium notebook, which is four to five times the price, and REALLY not worth it at that point.

 

Consider that a lot of more expensive notebooks tend to have a lot more pages. Rhodia and clairefontaine aren't great, but something like the Essential scribbles notebook has over 200 pages of A4 paper, which is a TON. And the peter pauper journal have a solid 200 as well. So with cheap notebooks, count the price-per-page.

Edited April 8, 2018 by Honeybadgers

[Octo]

Often cheap lined paper is wrapped in plastic such that you can not touch it to feel the texture or check for FP-use qualities. Look at the printed lines. If they show bleeding or feathering, the paper will do the same with FP ink. If the lines are well defined, the chances are better.

[marlinspike]

How much are you paying for Rhodia that they aren't cheap? Atlasstationers.com sells a No 18 pad for $7.20 each, and free shipping after $20.

[Rhincodon]

My partner has a basic composition notebook and it's surprisingly decent. I think it'll work best with finer nibs, but he's used it as a journal and it's really pretty good. If you're just looking for something for note scribbling, that's not bad.

 

I don't know what the prices are now, but I use a Miquelrius A5 for my work notes. It's the mostly-recycled paper version and actually takes fountain pens pretty well.

[carlos.q]

OfficeMax/OfficeDepot regularly sell cheap (50 cent to $1.00) composition notebooks that are FP friendly.

[knarflj]

During back-to-school sales I stock up on loose-leaf paper and spiral notebooks at either Staples or Walmart - super cheap, BUT you must rummage through the stock to find those that are made in Brazil; accept no substitutes.

 

I do tend to prefer finer nibs; if you like broad nibs with wet ink, you'll probably only be able to use one side of the paper.

 

Jenny

[katerchen]

Hi all,

 

I'm looking for recommendations for a CHEAP, LINED paper that's friendly to fp's.

 

Does such a thing exist?

 

I was wondering about Mead 5*... or Top legal pads... or the like...

 

I'm tired of using up quality paper like Black and Red and Rhodia to just scribble notes and such, that I typically toss out at the end of the day.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

 

- Anthony

 

Maybe something from this selection? I have their A5 "plantation paper" refills for my binder and pretty happy with it. (I'm sort of skeptical about the recycled paper one ... could be wrong, never tried)

 

http://www.muji.us/store/stationery/note-books.html

 

Need to commit to a decent size purchase though to spread out shipping.

[Runnin_Ute]

I'll second the Made in Brazil paper on the Composition books and the like. I haven't had enough experience with some of the others (Egypt, Vietnam) to give a good recommendation one way or the other.

[Charles Rice]

If I want lined paper, I print my own lines.

[FLZapped]

I believe there was a comparison of such paper a while back.

[RonB]

This is a good thread for legal pads that may be applicable:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/166559-the-best-legal-pads-which-are-fountain-pen-friendly/

 

I've found the Staples Signa in yellow to be very good. For some reason, yellow legal tablet paper is often more fountain pen friendly than the white.

 

https://www.staples.com/Staples-Signa-Notepads-Wide-Ruled-8-1-2-x-11-3-4-Yellow-12-Pack/product_809865

Edited April 12, 2018 by RonB

[ParkerDuofold]

I use the topps, norcon, etc composition books that sell for about $1 in department stores or 50 cents at target. Feel the paper. Choose the notebooks with smooth paper.

 

I've used mead books, the small hand-sized ones. But in my area they now go for $5, the same price as moleskine lookalikes on sale.

 

Search for fpn threads on cheap paper. Lots of folks use cheap paper.

Hi Cattar, et al,

 

Thanks for the tips... I bought a set of Tops Ultimate pads... heavyweight coated paper for $1.25 for a pad of 50 sheets... which is a lot better than the $7.50+ I'm paying for a pad of 70 sheets from Black&Red... which is what I typically use, but which gets expensive for notes and lists that sometimes only have a 2-3 hour lifespan and then get run through a shredder.

 

 

 

Mead cambridge paper is acceptable for FP's. some inks and nibs can bleed, it doesn't love super broad and wet nibs, but a fine, wet nib or a double broad with a more paper-friendly ink (such as sailor jentle inks) is just fine. It's not -amazing- paper, kinda toothy, but it can cause some interesting shading and dry times are good. No sheen on anything but crazy inks like organics studio. Mead 5 star isn't worth it. It's no better than any other (bleep) american paper.

 

The biggest lesson here is that if CHEAP is your modus operandi, focus on your nib and ink selection over the paper choice. Good paper lets you use any pen and ink, bad paper requires specifics. I can get an FP to write in a garbage composition notebook without feathering, but that's in a pilot extra fine or platinum UEF with sailor inks or iron gall.

 

Black-n-red (made by mead) paper is very FP friendly and they come in a variety of layouts, all lined. My only complaints are super white paper (I am an ivory paper kinda guy) and I don't love simple lined paper, I prefer graph, and dot grid, or french rule. And they're about $7.

 

If you can spring for about $8.50 a notebook, peter pauper press paper is a little picky about inks but the right inks (again sailor inks are king, along with iron galls like diamine registrar) it just loves, can show shading, sheen, and the overall size and build quality is a real cut above.

 

I think on balance, the winner is probably the Apica CD15 if you need cheap with lines. 66 pages, ruled, good for double sided, smooth, ivory paper, well made, and under $5 each. Also come in a big variety of colors so you can have 4 or 5 and know immediately what you got.

 

While they don't have a ton of pages, I still liked the one I had. I should note that the paper's coating can be spotty towards the bottom of the sheet and the edges of the paper can randomly cause a TON of feathering, but for a notebook under five bucks, it's exceptional paper. the only problem is that they use the same paper in the premium notebook, which is four to five times the price, and REALLY not worth it at that point.

 

Consider that a lot of more expensive notebooks tend to have a lot more pages. Rhodia and clairefontaine aren't great, but something like the Essential scribbles notebook has over 200 pages of A4 paper, which is a TON. And the peter pauper journal have a solid 200 as well. So with cheap notebooks, count the price-per-page.

Thank you, HB. I picked up a Cambridge pad w/ 70 sheets for $2.25 and an Apica n.b. for pocket notes.

 

 

 

Often cheap lined paper is wrapped in plastic such that you can not touch it to feel the texture or check for FP-use qualities. Look at the printed lines. If they show bleeding or feathering, the paper will do the same with FP ink. If the lines are well defined, the chances are better.

EXCELLENT observation, Octo... thank you much for the tip.

 

 

- Anthony

[ParkerDuofold]

How much are you paying for Rhodia that they aren't cheap? Atlasstationers.com sells a No 18 pad for $7.20 each, and free shipping after $20.

Hi MarlinSpike, et al,

 

Thank you for taking the time and effort to share your thoughts.

 

Too much for the Rhodia... ... and I'm already paying the Atlas price for the B&R... which I dont mind doing... if the document is going to live longer than a couple of hours.

 

 

 

My partner has a basic composition notebook and it's surprisingly decent. I think it'll work best with finer nibs, but he's used it as a journal and it's really pretty good. If you're just looking for something for note scribbling, that's not bad.

 

I don't know what the prices are now, but I use a Miquelrius A5 for my work notes. It's the mostly-recycled paper version and actually takes fountain pens pretty well.

Hi Rhincodon,

 

Okay... thank you,... I'll look for those Miquelrius n.b.'s and compare them with the rest.

 

 

 

OfficeMax/OfficeDepot regularly sell cheap (50 cent to $1.00) composition notebooks that are FP friendly.

Hi Carlos,

 

Thank you... I've heard of these... I think they're called Bagesse and are made in Brazil.

 

 

- Anthony

[Dip n Scratch]

I am in the UK, you can see from my flag. I was looking for some A4 wide-ruled paper that is FP friendly. I have been looking in WH Smith & Ryman, but I haven't been to Staples yet.

Can you get that sugar-cane bagasse paper in UK branches of Staples?

I haven't bought anything yet because I didn't want to make a mistake & get something that feathers like a chicken.

I have been looking, but wondered what Rhodia A4 pads are like. I have been looking at the gsm rating. The various A4 pads in W.H.S. I see range from 60-80gsm, but I don't see what the figure is like for the Rhodia pads.

[JustinS]

If you have a Daiso store near you, I have found some inexpensive notebooks there. They carry 40 and 50 sheet notebooks in lined, blank, and graph for $1.50 each. The notebooks are A4 and something smaller - larger than A5 but smaller than A4.

[Dip n Scratch]

If you have a Daiso store near you

 

As I am in the UK, I have never heard of the place.

Is the difference between 60 &80gsm detectable anyway?

I suppose that a thin paper might display show-through, but bleed-through may be due to the treatment of the paper.

A very good point that someone made about looking at how crisp the lines on the page are. I need the lines.

[wasteland]

The made in Egypt filler paper from Staples has to be the absolute worst. Thin and feathers/bleeds with everything. (But since I hate waste, I use it with an EF from Goulet and Diamine Registrar's ink).

The Top Flight paper (made in USA) bought on a whim at my local supermarket ($1.99 for 100) turned out to be quite good.

[goodpens]

Staples (house brand) 1-subject notebooks are surprisingly excellent. The 70 sheet notebooks are about 4/$1.00 around back-to-school time and $1-$2/ea the rest of the year.

 

The key: in the pile will be seemingly identical notebooks, but some are made in Brazil and some in Egypt. The Brazilian ones are great; the Egyptian ones are lousy for fountain pens (as Wasteland pointed out).

 

 

I use the college ruled notebooks, but assume that the wide-ruled ones have equally good paper.