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i was looking for something, when I came upon this article... I found it to be an interesting read... with points of view from someone knowledgeable... hope everyone enjoys it as well article--- paper trail good day Vikram

I don't think I am repeating an old thread (I did a quick search) and I hope this is the right place to post this. Sorry that it might be a little long-winded, but here goes... I was in my local bookstore and saw a shelf full of journals and took a quick look. Normally I ignore things like this as my own 'journalling' is a collection of 'stuff' such as recipes, bits of card, things I want to keep, pictures, tickets - all that sort of 'stuff' rather than any serious writing. The only reason I do it is because if it wasn't in a book it would be scattered around my office like a tornado hit it or I'd been burgled or something (not that it works, it still looks like that). Anyway, most of what I looked at could easily be filed under 'Waste of Money', but two things did catch my eye. The first was a journal called '642 Things To Write About'. It had a fountain pen on the cover, so of course I had to pick it up and look at it. But I got distracted by someone telling me the place was about to close and for some reason set it down. I briefly picked up another one called 'Q & A a Day For Five Years', read the back cover - seemed interesting, and then had to leave. So, I came home had a quick look on Amazon for the Q & A thing and it looked interesting. It asked you to write one line in response to a question every day for five years. In fact, you are answering the same questions for five years to see how they change - if at all. I thought it might be fun, so I'm tempted. I looked up the other 'journal' too. I do a lot of writing for a living (I know it might be hard to believe) and sometimes it can get a little dry and lazy, so this exercise journal might be helpful. It reminded me a little of the 365 project which asked you to take a photograph every day for one year and post it on a site so that you could get comments from professionals and the curious and hopefully improve your ability. It really worked for me; taught me about framing, techniques, filters...a load of stuff I would never have dared mess with otherwise and my pictures did noticeably improve. I thought this might be a little similar and stretch me to write things I wouldn't normally write and, hopefully, improve it a little. So, after that rather long and drawn out intro, has anyone here ever used these 'journal' types, and crucially - and the whole reason I am posting this here - is the paper in them fountain pen friendly?

I'd like to make my own stationary in hopes that having some decent paper will encourage me to write more correspondence. If it works for journaling it will probably work for correspondence. So I need two key things—paper and a template. I have a decent color ink jet printer. I plan on using a heavier weight printer paper and cutting in in half to make, well whatever the name is for half a sheet of standard 8.5 and 11 paper. I want a simple but elegant design on the stationary itself. I don't have a permanent address right now so the only personalization I want is my name. What kinds of printer paper do you all use for letter writing and has anyone made their own stationary and have any tips? Also as an aside are there any office store level envelopes that are better than others for FPs?

Hi there, Looking to try some new paper for my fpens and read some great reviews about Tomoe River paper. Almost all reviews mention getting it from JetPens and whereas that would be a good option, I am wondering if there are any shops in New York city that may stock this paper (or generally stock writing paper ?). Have already aclled a few art supply stores like Pearl and also AI Friedman and they do not catrry this paper. Any help would be appreciated !

I am having some trouble now that I have a few pens and ink samples......i need paper! I found some SouthWorth 24lb 100% cotton resume paper that I like although a bit rougher than I care for. I would like some suggestions on hardback journals with a paper that is thick but not overly"textured" if that's the right word. Also would like some suggestions on any parchment papers you may know of. If this isn't the right subforum I do apologize

Hello and this a review of Michaels Recollection Cardstock. http://i.imgur.com/CUaRW28.jpg http://i.imgur.com/fdesW4Y.jpg For upclose scans of the sample page: Obverse: http://i.imgur.com/xnG84g2.jpg Reverse: http://i.imgur.com/DyVt6H6.jpg Paper is very white with a very, very fine tooth. Writing with a TWSBI Diamond 580 Fine and a Lamy Al-Star Extra Fine provided little feedback, less so in the TWSBI. No feathering, absolutely no showthrough. Absorbtion (dry time for ink) is almost instant, inks will show up a little lighter than on ink-resistant papers like Rhodia. For other purposes like alcohol-marker coloring, inking with India Ink, or hell even a Sharpie, it holds up with again no feathering, however, the markers do have showthrough, which is normal for COPIC markers. However, there was no bleeding through. What was even more surprising was the little showthrough of the Sharpie marker, and they bleed through almost any paper! This paper comes in both 65lb and 110lb weights and in various sizes, available at Michaels stores as of April 15, 2014. Hope you've found this review helpful and if you have any questions or comments feel free to post them here and Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Evening and Night!

I would like to get a small notebook/sketchbook/journal to carry around with me that is fountain pen friendly. It would just be something to carry where I could jot down a thought or sketch something interesting. I would prefer it to have blank pages, although dots wouldn't be out of the question. Moleskine makes a nice blank pcket-size notebook, but I've read in other forums the paper is not so fountain pen friendly. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.

I have an older leather DayTimer planner that is about 5x7 inches. The refills are now absolutely outrageously priced. I would love to find some good quality paper, book style, refills, blank as well as planner style, to use with this. It needs to be able to slip into the right side using the back cover. Any suggestions?

I've been looking for the perfect journal for years and still have not come close. I was hoping you all could help me out. I used to use a Moleskine Sketchbook as my preferred journal, just because it could handle a variety of media. I like to travel and stick all my ticket-stubs and postcards in there and thanks to the thickness of the pages, it never caused bumps my writing. However, with only 100 pages, it was getting to be kind of a waste. I am looking for something lined with good paper quality of heavier weight. Preferably, the journal is bound nicely but that's not a huge priority. I really like the feel of Clairefontaine Triomphe paper. I would bind my own notebook with the Clairefontaine paper but the lines make it so I can't fold and then sew them together. Do any of you have any suggestions?

I personaly like to use clairefontaine paper with montblanc ink. I think the paper absorbs the ink very nicely and smooth. I carry around a Rhodia webnotebook everywhere i go and i must say it's my favorite so far.

I have learned to bind journals and books. Usually I use either copy paper or drawing paper. Now that I've taken an interest in fountain pens, I'd like to create some that will be ideal for writing with fountain pens. I'd like suggestions for paper that can be purchased in quantity (by the ream or roll, not truckload) such that it would be still be more economical to make my own journal than buy manufactured. The main quality I desire is that it wouldn't bleed through. I am familiar with the Rhodia pads and the like. I guess I'm looking for something that approaches that quality but isn't already made into pad. Also, if anyone has found 8.5/11 paper that I can purchase by the ream which performs decently with fountain pens, I'd be interested to know about that too.

I saw the announcement video pop up on my YouTube suggested videos feed on Friday: http://youtu.be/YddRA-YcSHg. Then this morning I got confirmation in the comments from Whitelines that they are indeed making Whitelines Link notebooks with Leuchtturm1917 paper! "Leuchtturm1917 notebooks with Whitelines Link inlay/functionality". I don't see any mention of this new notebook on the Whitelines blog yet. After some Googling, I found some additional info:Leuchtturm1917 2013/2014 catalogThe Paperie - search results for Leuchtturm1917 + Whitelines These new notebooks will have black covers with orange elastics. Paper options will be ruled and dotted. Available in Notebook and Academy Pad. From the little bit that I've read (newbie FB user), it sounds like Whitelines paper has gotten so-so/mixed reviews from the FP community. Perhaps this will make Whitelines Link notebooks a more viable option for FP users. This could be the ultimate digital + analog combo. Exciting!

I have a friend who is visiting Paris. I was wondering if anyone might have any information on papers that may only normally be available in France. Also, if you are this familiar with France, where are the nice pen shops in Paris? I would like to relay this information to her. If there are any France only papers I may ask her to pick some up to bring back.

So I have been reading and browsing looking for a quality leather notebook cover, while at the same time looking for quality paper to use with my FP. I have seen so many pictures, read into so many brands, that I have a general idea of what I want. However, I find myself now completely overwhelmed with the choices, sizes, etc. By now I've seen how to make your own covers as well as the enormous range of planner-styles. So yes, feeling a bit overwhelmed. Rather than just start buying and experimenting with what I've seen, I'd like my first purchase to be done with some input from you paraphernalia buffs. I use a Medium 14kt Montblanc nib with Diamine Green/Black quite often so lets assume that's what I will be writing with in this notebook. I make lists often, but this paper will mainly be used to write letters to my daughter. She is 2 and I write her a letter every day I can so when she gets older she can laugh at how awesome I was. I am looking for both a leather cover, and paper to fill it. Cover I would like to purchase the cover once, and replace the paper as necessary so it must have replaceable paper, to be used often. There must be a spot/pocket to fasten my pen. I'm a laser engraver and will be putting my own intricate designs into the leather if/when I feel like, so plain covers would be preferred. So far I have seen some nice-looking stuff, but like I said, overwhelmed. I liked the Midori's, is there something better to look at? LeatherReplaceable PaperPen SlotPaper I will only be using a FP with this notebook, so it must work well with FPs. Lined paper would be best, but I am open to other types if people have recommendations for letter writing paper. As I mean to pull the letters from the notebook, this means I will need lined paper, that can tear away clean (to be placed in a folder or book/scan). I would prefer the paper to not be hole-punched as well. I have read good thing about Rhodia, but didn't see if it would fit in covers or if it tore away clean. Lined PaperFP CapableTearaway Non Hole-punched So there ya have it, the method to my new notebook purchase madness. I really would appreciate some input on what pairing of cover and paper would fit my needs. Looking to spend under $100 but its its more... hey, I'm worth it. Just not $200 worth it Also, thanks for taking the time to read this novel, I know I can run on for a while.

I discovered these two sites a few weeks ago when I was looking for templates to print on my own paper for writing practice. I figured some of you might be interested in thiese two sites: http://www.printablepaper.net/ This site has all sorts of line templates available to print on your paper at home. Everything from the basic notebook line rule to college rule,,, 5mm square or dot, French ruled and tons more. All for free. The drawback is they have their website address at the bottom left od the template and you can't remove it unless you do it through some sort of photo editor program. I have printed some of the templates out on some of the nicer laser copy paper I have and was surprised. I have yet to get any expensive paper but will definitely be using this site when I do. http://www.freeprintablestationery.net/ Self explanitory and the designs are somewhat generic but some of you might find some you like. I for one am making some of my own stationary using some of my fine art photography as backgrounds.

After starting my addiction hobby with fountain pens I soon realized that there is far more to this than just the pen itself. 1. Pen - Needs to be comfortable to hold and write with, and perform well. It's very personal choice. 2. Nib - Without a good nib, the pen is useless. It should be one that you enjoy not only writing with, but are pleased with what it produces on paper. 3. Ink - I like a smooth ink, moderately saturated, with great shading. Others seem to like something akin to paint, but that's not my preference. Some nibs and inks are meant for each other. Others clearly are not. 4. Paper - You may have the nicest pair of roller skates/blades, but if you're trying them out at the sand dunes, you'll be sorely disappointed. Similarly, the paper should be fountain pen friendly & one that you enjoy writing on. What is your favorite combination of the three? I have a lot of favorite combinations, but my current favorite: 1. Mabie Todd Swan - 1920s BCHR self-filler 2. Super-flex fine 14k nib - very expressive 3. Waterman Blue-Black (1980s) 4. Zander's Gohrsmühle (great German paper with a really cool watermark)

So this was a bit or a surprise. I bought an Oberon journal - the one with the green tooled bark effect and the dragonfly in a round, red section on the front. It's a beautiful journal, nice weight, love the texture of the tooling and it looks pretty awesome. I had read that the paper in these journals wasn't the best, but I had also heard the same about other notebooks that I thought were ok - not brilliant, but ok. This however, took me totally by surprise. After having read that the paper wasn't fountain pen friendly I knew it wasn't going to be great, but I wasn't prepared for just how terrible it would be. I decided to christen it with Noodler's Navajo Turquoise in my Ahab. Initially the ink laid down on the paper just fine and the pen moved over the page smoothly; I finished the last letter of the second word, all looked fine....and then it happened. The paper suddenly became a tiny bit thirsty, the ink seemed to change a bit, then it got more thirsty, it started to feather like I've never seen ink feather on paper before. It bled through to the other side to a high degree and even stained the guide lined paper underneath! It looks like a tiny spider has crawled through my ink and then marked out two words. It really is a terrible shame, because this is a seriously nice product let down by something so simple. I know that I can go and insert another journal/notebook that will work, but it seems very odd that such a high end product would be let down by something so simple. Pity.

Hi guys! I was at the markets on Saturday and I bought a very lovley handmade leather journal from a very nice lady. Unfortunately, the paper in it (handmade) is completely unsuitable for fountain pens. It's like trying to write on paper towel or toilet paper or something. Anyway, I've spent the evening watching and reading bookbinding tutorials and I think I have a handle on what I want to do, which is take out the paper that's in there and put in some lovely FP friendly something or other which I have not yet decided on (and would appreciate recommendations on papers to look at). The problem I'm having is that I'm really not a maths-y person and occasionally I will get embarrassingly confused by simple things like conversions and measurements. The journal seems to be non-standardly sized. It measures 7in x 5in on the cover and then the paper is 6 5/8ths x 4 5/8ths. or almost 19cm x almost 14cm cover and almost 18cm x 13cm paper. I have no idea what size paper I should be looking for to fold into signatures (I really don't want to fiddle around cutting paper). If anyone could help me with this, I would be eternally grateful! Also, places to find nice paper in/around Sydney CBD? Thank you!!

Good morning everyone... I am new here, but certainlynot new to fountain pens. I'm trying to investigate papers and this is my trouble: the well-regarded Rhodia and Clairefontaine for me have 2 problems: 1. that brilliant/stark white is very aggressive 2. they feel very hard under the nib, with no softness whatsoever - meaning the ink line appears to just sit there rather than become one with the paper (waterman, diamine, whatever). Am I describing this right? I'd like a paper which feels softer under the pen, draws- the- nib- in kindda thing (and dodn't mean ink feathering dangers). Any thoughts? many thanks.

I've tried at least 20 different papers over the last two months. I can honestly say that THE VERY BEST is staples 120gsm, and if you tolerate a slighly heavier weight the 160gsm from staples as well. I've been on a bit of a quest lately, and I've tried HP colour laser 100 and 120gsm, Claifontaine DCP 100 and 120 gsm, conqueror, Mondi colour laser 100 gsm, 120gsm, and 160gsm. I've compared smoothness, feathering resistance, and bleed through to both Rhodia and the Clairfontaine triomphe, and the Staples colour laser 120gsm and 160gsm performed as well if not better. It's also incredibly good value, with 250 sheets costing between £6.5-£7.5 depending on the weight you choose. The Staples100gsm was not particularly good so don't bother with it..

Hello! This is a review of Tomoe River Paper It is my very first paper review, so I hope I'm addressing every possible issue. It is available from Jetpens.com (No affiliation) $15 for 100 sheets. My girlfriend was kind enough to buy some for me to try out. The following is my handwritten review and it's transcription: Overview:http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3665/12402196403_8ea52c6edc_c.jpgDSCF6583 by makey95, on Flickr Under Warmer Lighting:http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2816/12402049045_bab0699cff_c.jpgDSCF6602 by makey95, on Flickr The Pens Used (In No Particular Order, Capped):http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7320/12402502594_e68e63b59d_c.jpgDSCF6598 by makey95, on Flickr (Ordered Left to Right and Capped):http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5535/12402197043_d0aac890f0_c.jpgDSCF6601 by makey95, on Flickr Pens and Inks: Pen No. 1: Pick Pen Company; Pencil Pen Combo; Fine 14k; Diamine Monaco Redhttp://farm4.staticflickr.com/3785/12402197673_cd66a948d1_n.jpgDSCF6595 by makey95, on Flickrhttp://farm4.staticflickr.com/3829/12402504324_f601b4c874_n.jpgDSCF6588 by makey95, on Flickr Pen No. 2: Ranga; Ranga with Eversharp Flex; Flex Fine 14k; Diamine Monaco Redhttp://farm4.staticflickr.com/3686/12402502834_069b206c03_n.jpgDSCF6596 by makey95, on Flickrhttp://farm8.staticflickr.com/7408/12402051005_473b2196d2_n.jpgDSCF6589 by makey95, on Flickr Pen No. 3: Pilot; Parallel Pen; 2.4 mm Steel; Private Reserve Shoreline Goldhttp://farm4.staticflickr.com/3689/12402049865_d058a24fc5_n.jpgDSCF6597 by makey95, on Flickrhttp://farm8.staticflickr.com/7429/12402504054_30127f19d3_n.jpgDSCF6590 by makey95, on Flickr Transcription: Initial Observations: The paper is extraordinarily thin and has a very pleasing texture. Feathering/Bleedthrough: No noticeable feathering or bleed through but a fair amount of show through. May be annoying to some. Tactile Feedback/Drag/Toothiness: Very smooth but slightly more feedback than Clairefontaine. Unusual Dry times: Takes as long as Clairefontaine generally. Appearance/Design/Durability. Though thin, it feels durable and it looks lovely. Fountain Pen Friendly?: Yes! Other Media: _X_ Pencil X?_ Watercolour _X_Markers _X_India Ink Value/Comparison: A viable alternative to Rhodia, 15 cents a sheet. Definitely one of the best papers I have used. Overall Conclusion:Recommended for those who like this paper and don't mind a little show through. Smooth, lovely, and attractive. I will use this as stationery. Other Media Tests:http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7324/12402503854_2f763959a3_n.jpgDSCF6591 by makey95, on Flickrhttp://farm8.staticflickr.com/7443/12402050715_d898b05b99_n.jpgDSCF6592 by makey95, on Flickrhttp://farm4.staticflickr.com/3795/12402050425_1008da4fab_n.jpgDSCF6593 by makey95, on Flickrhttp://farm3.staticflickr.com/2813/12402503324_7f201c5374_n.jpgDSCF6594 by makey95, on Flickr Final Words:I really enjoyed this paper and I think it looks nice. Flex writing can deform the paper a little (where the tines dug in shows) and of course wetting the paper also deforms it slightly. It is prone to creasing. I am not sure if the watercolors would work very well, but I have put samples up so that others may judge for themselves. I don't think it would be a good idea to try and do anything wet on wet with watercolors on this paper. Not shown in this review are some of the cheaper pens that I used on a previous sheet of Tomoe River paper. It's not just the fountain pens I used for this review that make the paper seem smooth. Other than the permanent marker, there is no bleed through at all on this paper. I think everyone should at the very least have a chance to try this paper. It's very different from Clairefontaine in a good way. The closest thing that I have ever encountered to this paper are some old memo pads from my High School, which the librarians were kind enough to give me.

For many of us, our appreciation of fountain pens goes hand-in-hand with our affection for journals, notebooks and sketchbooks. No newsflash there. Quick back-story (well, not-so-quick...): Last autumn, when I posted a query, seeking a really fine replacement for a functional but damaged Junior Legal Pad Portfolio, fellow FPN member Octo very kindly directed me to Oberon Design -- a source for bench-crafted leather goods. I landed on the handsome Tree of Life pattern, and placed an order. For anyone wondering, I can attest, it's an exemplary bit of craftsmanship, tooled with a keen eye to meticulous detailing, and well constructed from heavyweight materials. As a reporter, any time I haul it out during an interview it draws enthusiastic comments from others. I own one of their journals, in the handsome Bold Celtic design. Except it's a bit small for my writing style, which involves a lot of side notes and digressions. After some research I decided on Oberon's Sketchbook (9-1/8 x 11-5/8). Except unlike the Portfolio models, Oberon's Journals and Sketchbooks (both of which include a leather cord-and-pewter button closure) haven't been equipped with a pen loop. But after inquiring whether such an option could be made available, I heard from Amy of the Santa Rosa, California-based company's customer service department. Such an add-on was in the works. Now, Oberon is offering that option. For an additional $5, the made-to-order Journals and Sketchbooks can be fitted with a sewn-in pen loop. Having researched add-on loops such as the peel-and-stick Leuchtturm pen loops or the very appealing Quiver pen holders -- both of which I admire -- I'd say that Oberon's optional add-on is a functional and moderately priced supplement to an admittedly pricey piece of leather goods, An investment I happily endorse, with no prompting other than as a satisfied paying customer. (PS: My son, a budding artist, took one look at my Celtic pattern Journal and fell in love with it. He's inheriting it next month, for his 21st birthday. It's nice to be able to bestow -- and share word of -- heirloom-quality goods that are still made in America.)

Looking for a little advice on journals. I've seen quite a few leather bound journals on ebay and a few I have liked very much and been tempted to buy. However, most of the ones I liked said the paper was Indian made from cloth (cottons?). I'm wondering if anyone has used any of this type of paper and if they would be happy to share their experience. I resisted buying on the basis that the paper might feel scratchy and bleed or feather very considerably, but maybe I have misunderstood the 'cloth' aspect. Thanks

Whovians -- behold! The "Dalek" Journal by Culturenik, available at Barnes & Noble: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5473/12259243425_f31ebbd59c.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7388/12259819046_5b48b7338d.jpg http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3742/12259815186_0a2c3711a2.jpg http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5523/12259400073_905f00d98a.jpg

Don't get me wrong; I certainly understand the value of the way graph paper is lined. But as far as quality goes, isn't it even thinner than copier paper and otherwise low quality stuff?