Tudor (Australia) Executive Grid Pad Review

[ru32day]

Tudor Australia Executive Grid Pad Review

 

I thought I'd give this paper a go as it:

1. Has a 5mm grid - great for practicing writing improvement

2. Is cheaper than Rhodia and Clairfontaine

3. Is available at my local Officeworks (no postage costs).

 

I wasn't looking to use this as my best journalling paper, but just to see if there was FP friendly paper that I could use for ephemera, saving the "good" stuff for writings of more permanent value.

 

 

Description:

 

Size: A4 (8.5" x 11.7")

Style/Type: Writing pad style - top bound, no cover, cardboard back. The sort you can slip into a compendium if you want to look fancy.

Color/Texture: White, light grey lines.

Weight: Unstated but lightweight and easily seen through (you can't tell this while it's in the platic wrapping though ).

Ruling: 5mm (3/16") grid (same as Rhodia and Clairfontaine)

Other Features: Perforated paper

 

Tested with:

 

Noodler flex "December 25" (Lamy Green)

Lamy Safari, 1.5mm italic nib (Noodlers Dragon's Napalm)

Jinhao Commemorative Fountain Pen for Zhuge Liang, Med nib (Noodlers Hellfire)

Lamy Al-Star, fine nib (Noodlers Heart of Darkness)

 

Initial Observations:

Feathering/Bleedthrough/Show Through: Some feathering with all combinations - least on the italic and fine nibs. Severe bleedthrough with the flex pen and the Jinhao and there is even a tiny amount of bleed with the fine nib Al-Star. Show through on all combinations.

Tactile Feedback/Drag/Toothiness: Very smooth to write on - no drag.

Unusual Dry Times: Negligible dry time - just soaks the ink right up

Appearance, Design & Durability: Looks and feels nice but thin. Perforated sheets for easy removal are a nice touch but perforations are 2.5 cm (1") down the page, sacrificing significant writing space.

Fountain Pen Friendly? No - Feathering and bleedthrough make this paper unsuitable for fountain pen use, even if you're prepared to use just one side.

Works Well With Other Media, Watercolors, Markers, Etc: Doubtful.

Value, Comparison to Other Brands/Models/Sizes: Around $7 for three pads of 50 sheets.

 

Writing samples (to save bandwidth, only the used part of the page is pictured)

 

Front (front) - .

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff508/ru32day/Fountain%20Pen%20Network/TEGpaper_front.png

 

Close ups - feathering.

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff508/ru32day/Fountain%20Pen%20Network/TEGpaper_1.pnghttp://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff508/ru32day/Fountain%20Pen%20Network/TEGpaper_2.pnghttp://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff508/ru32day/Fountain%20Pen%20Network/TEGpaper_3.pnghttp://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff508/ru32day/Fountain%20Pen%20Network/TEGpaper_4.png

 

Back of page - showthrough.

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff508/ru32day/Fountain%20Pen%20Network/TEGpaper_back.png

 

Scrap page from under - bleedthrough.

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff508/ru32day/Fountain%20Pen%20Network/TEGpaper_bleed.png

 

Overall Conclusions: Don't do it ... just don't!

Even as a cheap paper for practice this does not come up to the mark. The excessive feathering makes it too hard to form letters correctly and the bleedthrough means you'd have to have scrap paper under the top sheet every time. You might just get away with it using a very fine dry nib, but you still won't be able to use both sides of the paper and the way the ink soaks into this paper (rather than gliding on), writing just isn't a pleasant experience.

[inkypete]

Agree - have tried this pad and the paper is disappointing. Try the new Reflex pads. Should do the job for you with most pen/ink combos and well priced. http://www.officeworks.com.au/retail/products/Office-Supplies/General-Stationery/Notebooks-Pads-and-Student-Organisers/Writing-Pads/AP142421

[ru32day]

Yep I picked up a Reflex conference pad the same time. A very different story. Shame they don't have them in grid lining. Would have done a review of them as well but I noticed that there a quite a few references/comparisons of them on here already. The flex and the Jinhao still show through on the Reflex but nowhere near as badly and you can still write legibly on the other side.

 

The best paper I've bought from Officeworks so far is the copy paper made from wheat. Although it's not nearly as white as the Reflex/Rhodia/Clairefontaine papers, not even the flex pen shows through on that. I've printed some of this with guides for calligraphy practice and stapled it with a cardboard cover into sort of a cahiers affair, but that's a bit too much effort to go to for jotting paper.

[inkypete]

Yep I picked up a Reflex conference pad the same time. A very different story. Shame they don't have them in grid lining. Would have done a review of them as well but I noticed that there a quite a few references/comparisons of them on here already. The flex and the Jinhao still show through on the Reflex but nowhere near as badly and you can still write legibly on the other side.

 

The best paper I've bought from Officeworks so far is the copy paper made from wheat. Although it's not nearly as white as the Reflex/Rhodia/Clairefontaine papers, not even the flex pen shows through on that. I've printed some of this with guides for calligraphy practice and stapled it with a cardboard cover into sort of a cahiers affair, but that's a bit too much effort to go to for jotting paper.

 

Still haven't tried that one. Have to go to Officeworks tomorrow so will pick up a ream to try.

[tanalasta]

Reflex (non-recycled) copy paper handles most fountain pen inks well.

 

Unfortunately, the majority of notebooks made by Tudor, generic brands, Marbig etc... are now thin, light paper that are cheap, massed produced rubbish.

 

I get around that by ordering in bulk the Clairefontaine lined (blue wire bound) notebooks... Brian Goulet sells them as does notemaker.com.au if you want to buy local. Lovely, fountainpen friendly paper, strong wire binding that doesn't bend out of shape and nice perforations on each paper margin if you want to rip the page out.

[dcwaites]

KMart has the OfficeOne A4 Executive Writing pad. These are ~$4 each and have excellent 90 gsm paper.

 

However, my vote still goes to the Reflex Ultra-White products - pads, notebooks, etc.

[ohexploitable]

+1 for Reflex.

 

I use these notepads for school,

 

http://www.officeworks.com.au/ims_docs/4B/4B61889FB981057CE1008000AC193D36.JPG

 

http://www.officeworks.com.au/retail/products/Office-Supplies/General-Stationery/Notebooks-Pads-and-Student-Organisers/Spiral-Notebooks/AP142423

[electricpowerman]

ru32day, Thanks for your very well presented review with closeup pictures of the feathering, etc. I like grid paper too, but I'll give the Tudor pads a miss.

[Fof 3]

Hi Fellow Aussies,

 

I went to officeworks as well and in the folders/diaries isle, there was conference paper called "nu" at I think 100 or 110 gram plus being $3.50 for 100 A4 sheets I got some. as expected for heavy weight paper no bleed through at all and smooth. they have A5 size paper for $3.00

 

good practise paper for sure

 

regards

 

Fof 3