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Hi Everyone, Just wanted to say that for those of you looking for quality copy/looseleaf paper the Double A paper sold in Amazon is incredibly smooth and reasonably priced (35$ per case). As a student I needed a cheap solution for looseleaf so I printed the college ruled template (found on Incompetech website) on it and you can even print and write on both sides (very little shadow)

I really do like sheen, I think that it and shading are the two most beautiful properties you can have in an ink, but after some research, it looks like the best way to get sheen is to use an ink resistant paper. Now, that wouldn't be a problem, but I'm left-handed! What kind of papers should I use to get sheen while not letting my hand blot the ink everywhere and ending up with a blue/purple/red left hand? If it helps, when I write, the pen will usually be about 3-4 cm away from my hand, long fingers (this might help with allowing a little more dry time). Thanks!

I found this paper at my school and decided that I just had to share it here. It's SOL copy paper, made in Australia, suspiciously unavailable online, but there's tons at my school so I'm happy about that. Since I assume it's not readily commercially available, this'll just be a short blurb about the paper in case other people chance upon it. Specs: Brand: Australian Made (?) Name: SOL copy paper Recycled: 30% Size: 8.5x11 letter size but also available in A4 size Brightness: 96 ISO Weight: 20lb (74 gsm) Format: Loose leaf copy paper, 500 sheets/ream URL: http://www.australianmade.com.au/licensees/australian-paper/sol-copy-paper Summary of the review: Good shading, some sheen in a Japanese F nib, very little feathering, allows for a fine line that's a little rough around the edges. Fairly white and fairly light.This paper makes me happy. So the outside is very unassuming, to put it nicely. Here's a picture from the internet: http://www.eurobiuras.lt/media/dynamic/img/preke_319842/18135_large_po-dau-35573.jpg The paper's light like one would expect, and it's something I like in a paper. The pen and ink here is a Pilot Metropolitan F with Diamine Blue Velvet. "But Tea," you exclaim "Japanese fines don't hardly feather on ANYTHING!" Okay, kind of true, but they still do better on some papers than others, and I only have one pen with me, and some review is better than nothing. Enough talk, time for show and tell. The paper isn't slippery smooth but it's smoother than most copy papers. From my experience it feathers* a tiny bit, maintains a good line width, and shows shading and what little sheen I can expect from a Japanese F nib on something other than Tomoe River. No bleedthrough and barely any showthrough. http://i.imgur.com/mDKbwpTh.jpg yay shading yay thin lines! The two most important things to me tbh. The lines look fuzzy but trust me it's not spreading. I'm pretty sure it's cause the paper's not smooth enough so when the ink pools it settles in the weird cracks and dips on the paper's surface. When the ink comes down thicker it smooths out some. Close-up. http://i.imgur.com/BCnXzcUh.jpg Comparison with a Red Uniball Signo DX 0.38. http://i.imgur.com/mDKbwpTl.jpg If you look closely you can see sheen. Picture has been edited because the colors wouldn't come out right; the first pics are more accurate but this one shows the pinkish red sheen like it appears irl. It's not very obvious and looks kinda like jpg compression artifacts but it's there. http://i.imgur.com/mF7eCKWh.jpg Comparison to the same pen and ink in a Campus mid-grade notebook. yes, the line here is thicker than on the SOL paper. http://i.imgur.com/o3VM7pSh.jpg That's it! Anyone else have this paper and have opinions on it? Have you seen it in stores before? I sure haven't but I'd like to.

Hello! Does anyone have any experience using the Anorak notebooks (such as these: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=anorak+notenook) with fountain pens? I see that they're made by Moleskine, which gives me pause right there, but wondered if their paper might be fountain-pen friendly nonetheless. I have been unable to find reviews that cover this topic; if I've missed something here on FPN and someone would like to point me toward it, I would be grateful. Thank you in advance for any input! Best to all, Susan/ArtPen

Hi guys, I'm looking for paper that is lined and could be classified as "school use". My only complain with my current composition books is that they bleed and feather the heck out of me. It didn't originally bother me, but eventually it got so bad that I went back to ballpoints for a while. Another major concern is that I'm not a fancy person, I go through paper very quickly so I don't want to get the expensive paper like Rhodia or some other fancy brand. So any suggestions?

Hi all. So, despite my insistence at the start of every year that my students produce their work on FP-friendly paper, many of them use some pretty horrific stuff - it's invariably grey, opaque and sponge-like. I will not mark in ballpoint as it cripples my hand, so I've spent ages trying to get the perfect combination and I reckon I've found it: Pilot Plumix with standard Pilot/Namiki red cartridges. I'm not fan of cartridges at all, but these are cheap and Pilot ink is pricey in the UK. Surprisingly, the next best combination is my Platinum #3776 Century (broad nib) and Platinum Carbon Black - that ink just STAYS. I'm a bit scared to use it in anything else though! What about you?

Hi everyone, after almost 2 years I'm going back to school, and for the first I have to properly ask myself: which paper would be best to use for daily use. I prefer to use wirebound notebooks, so I can organise the individual sheets into the right folders after class. Naturally I have to consider which pens and inks to use, too, but we all know how the paper affects things such as dry time, etc., too. So ideally I'd like to get a ring wired notebook, that isn't too smooth as ink tends to take its time to dry (which is what I experienced with Rhodia a lot). On the other hand I'd like to avoid feathering and bleed through as much as possible. I quite like Rhodia's dotted paper, though, due its subtleness and clean look, and it helps, of course, to write fairly neatly. Anyone's got any suggestions? I'd be very grateful.

So after searching around and trying some things out I found it is SUPER easy to do this. This video I show you just how easy it is to make a notebook. Using my favorite Tomoe River paper. It is a semi-delicate paper so the stitching needs to be a bit closer together to add stability to the notebook as well and help secure the paper so it wont tear out.

Background: Right handed. Been using fountain pens on and off for a couple of years. Only recently gotten more serious about pens, cursive writing, nib types etc. My goal is to improve my cursive handwriting, and eventually to move on to calligraphy and advanced scripts. So I recently got some flexible nibs, played around with line variation, and came upon an article that says the "sweet spot" is when the pen is under the lining of writing, and the nib is perpendicular to it. This makes a bit of sense to me, so I tried it out (quite weird to say the least!). My original way of writing is a kind of side writing. One thing I did notice upon switching to underwriting at 90 degrees is that pens write wetter and line variation much more achievable (esp for nibs previously thought to be nails).' So I just want to throw this out to the community of much more experienced writers. Which is the more "correct" way to position the nib with regard to the direction of writing? Right now I find the need to rotate my page awkward and underwriting somewhat fatiguing to the wrist. Any tips of advice? The bottom line is that I want to get started with the correct writing posture, that will serve me well if I move onto dip pens and calligraphy. My original way of holding pen: New, correct?? way of holding pen:

While I am enamored with the pen display, ink display, and desk displays of them,( I am confounded with an equivalently stylish and practical storage of sheet paper in office use sizes (8.5x11, A4, A5, A6, B5) sheet and inventory of notebooks. Used and full filing/storage paper and notebooks is a matter for another post. Any suggestions on an "at hand" cache for near the office and a "within minutes" storage inventory system. I use ~3 sheet paper styles in Japanese and US sizes, with cards and envelopes included, as well as Rhodia, Clairfontaine, Muju, and ~5 others that would be "within minutes" since I don't instantly finish a notebook. Since my paper investment is well beyond my ink and I change papers/stationery far more often for their appropriate use a proper storage vessel/system to maintain the integrity of the stationery is important. I have been using an office supply file storage box but the cardboard container and the stacking have not been ideal. I would show you my pics of my system but it's a file box and a bookshelf. Looking for better. Best wishes from the Goat

I'm currently taking a couple of college classes, and the poor quality notebook paper has been frustrating. I called Goulet Pens to see if they have the 8.5 x 11 inch notebook paper or know of any, and they said no and recommended I post here. So can anyone help me? I just want narrow-ruled notebook paper that's fountain pen friendly. Current paper I'm using is scratchy and bleeds through to the other side unless I use an extra-fine nib (which is scratchy and unpleasant to use on the paper). Any recommendations? Thanks much in advance for your help! Liora

I'm trying for the moment to focus my pen purchases so I don't break the bank. One of my interests has been in replacing a Place Vendome that disappeared with something I like as well or nearly as well. From the pens I've tried, I seem to like light slender pens. I have a few Vectors/Rialtos now that I'm comparing. Well, one actually can't be compared yet because it arrived leaking like crazy. I don't know if that's the pen or the cartridge. It seems to have been shipped with a full cartridge, which was sweet of the seller but which might not have been the best idea. I rinsed that one out and ordered a converter for it. I got that one because it was made in the UK. The other two I'm using right now are a used blue Vector made in the US and a new metal Vector I bought new off Amazon, for comparison. No country listed on that one; I'm guessing China. The metal is definitely a fine nib. I think the blue is as well. Both are using converters--the metal is using the converter it came with; the blue is using an old converter I had lying around. Both are filled with the exact same ink, from the same bottle. Here's the problem, which I first thought was the paper (which is another issue; I clearly need different paper but not sure what kind yet). When I wrote with the metal pen today, the ink created a wider line than it did on some paper I was using yesterday. The ink really sinks into the paper and spreads in an almost smearish way. So I thought, okay that's the paper, but let's try the blue pen anyway. The blue writes fine on the paper. Still sinks in enough to make the back side of the paper not usable, but doesn't smear or anything like that. Does anyone know what the problem with the metal pen might be? Cheaper nib? If so, is the solution to look for older nibs on ebay and replace it? (I know; I could just buy another pen, but I do want to know what's wrong with this one.) If the problem is just that the entire new pen line is so much more cheaply made that it's not worth using, I'd like to know that as well. Thanks, Tery

Hi all, today I want to share with you a review of HP Inkjet Paper 24lb (HPB1124). I bought them last year from Staples when they were on sale ($8.99 USD). http://i.imgur.com/vcMp9n8.jpg http://i.imgur.com/mtgzAnm.jpg http://i.imgur.com/mRcKmpP.jpg Advantages: -You can print lines, grid, dot grid, or leave the paper blank. -There are no any visible feathering that I see. Disadvantages: -It is blank, but again, you can print your preferred format on the paper. -The paper gives you little to no shading. (I used Diamine Syrah, Noodler's Kiowa Pecan, and Diamine Sherwood Green.) -There are some slight bleedthrough/heavy show-through with the flex writing and wetter ink. Things to be aware of: -Ink generally dries in less than 20 seconds using a fine nib. -It is US letter sized. -I am pretty sure they come in reams (500 sheets). However, the pens that I have used mostly have fine nibs, so I would suggest using heavier paper if you use wetter or broader nibs, since I am not sure if they will perform equally well on this 24lb paper. You can find them on Amazon. They are currently $9.94 USD for 500 sheets. https://www.amazon.com/HP-Inkjet-Brightness-Letter-HPB1124/dp/B001B091J4 Thanks for reading, Sofia

i have just bought a pilot 912 with spencerian customization (mottishaw). any recommendations for a notebook that can handle the greater ink output (without feathering, bleeding etc.)? thanks in advance. best, nils

Hi, This is a review of the Fabriano EcoQua A5 Spiral Bound - graph 5mm notebook. See more at http://fabriano.com/en/267/ecoqua http://i.imgur.com/IDSu8Se.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/XNZwtje.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/PWNDPuZ.jpg http://i.imgur.com/OKEvYtY.jpg http://i.imgur.com/drpaYuM.jpg Pros: It has nice paper (85 gsm). The paper is quite smooth, but not as smooth as Clairefontaine. There is minor show-through and no bleed-through. Cons: (Personally, I cannot think of any.) Things to consider: The paper is off-white. The notebooks are available in different binding, sizes, formats, and cover colours. The dry time is from about 20 to 25 seconds. The covers might not be very durable to some people, but I have no problems with it. I bought it from an art store for about $5.00 USD. Amazon has it, but with a higher price. http://www.dickblick.com/products/fabriano-ecoqua-notebooks/ http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008VSMK4M/ Thank you for reading, Sofia

Hi, I am going to build my own Midori-style notebook (to make it a bit wider) and also wanted to make my own inserts. But I'm not sure which paper to use for it. I like the paper in Rhodia Dot Pads, the Leuchtturm paper, that is in the thicker A5 notebooks and Clairefontaine in general. So I like a smooth, FP friendly paper (preferably dotted). So what paper can I buy in bulk (like a pack of 100-500 pages) that has these options? Do I just buy the A4 versions of these notebooks and cut them to my taste? That seems a bit silly to me. I would rather buy a bigger quantity of the paper these company source. I know they usually produce the paper themself and don't sell it separately but is there an option to buy loose sheets of paper that have similar properties? I would also like to have blank paper so I can print them myself. What I found is just cheap printer paper or the really expensive paper where 50 sheets cost about 20 bucks. Especially Clairefontaine Notebooks are great for their price. They are almost the cheapest option in Germany. So if anyone has an idea how to get to this paper? Thanks in advance. Sebastian

Hello guys. I have attached close-up photo of a sheet that has texture I am asking about. All I know is that this is kraft paper but I think it's just style of paper. Does its texture has specific term/name? Does it have texture mentioned in this article or it's something that is not there? Thanks

Our first year anniversary is here! Next month in July, we will be celebrating all month long with extra discounts! Most items in our online store are already discounted as much as 25% daily, but we will have a special discount that will be added at checkout! More on that next month...... New Items- we have added Edelstein Ink, and Clairfontaine "My Essentials" Bound Notebooks to our store! Other recent additions include Regal Pens, and Diplomat Pens! The current "Deal of The Day" is the Laban Galileo Model FP- Currently 25% Off! More at http://www.federalistpensonline.com/Laban-Galileo See you in August at The DC Supershow! We are in the same corner location in the small ballroom! Regards, Frank ("Federalist Frank") Federalist Pens and Paper

Howdy fellow writers, With the plethora of foreign-made papers available for fountain pen use it occured to me to seek out a Canadian brand of paper worthy of use. I've become aware of the Shinola Detroit brand which I will be investigating further but I cannot find a brand from my own country. The Hilroy brand comes to mind but that's for ham-fisted school children and is quite coarse. Can anyone recommend a brand of paper, preferably notebook inserts, that is produced by a Canadian company? My best, Jen

Hi, On the 20th May 2016 I am lucky to be going to Tokyo and Osaka. What would you contemplate buying that is interesting, different, you cannot buy elsewhere, (especially the United Kingdom) etc. and from where? I am into Urban Sketching so also want to visit there art supply shops It could be pens, strange nibs on pens, pencils, paper, inks, calligraphy (like), sharpeners or anything else pen, calligraphy or stationary related. All suggestions no matter how wild and wacky will be very welcome

I have both cream and white available, in 70 sheet packs. PM me for more details.

Hello there, There are definitions and terms sometimes that I bump into and don't know meaning of. Would appreciate your help in clarifying. Let's start with definitions of words. Refillable and loose-leaf are basically synonyms of same thing i.e. in this case paper that is removable. Is that correct and which of these 2 words are more used today? Moving on to leather journal with binder rings, are these also "loose-leaf"? Can they be referred to as "loose-leaf construction" journals or something? I wouldn't think "refillable" makes sense for refillable journal whereas in paper context "refillable paper" sounds right. Now about paper. is there typical term for paper that is fountain pen, gel pen and rollerball pens "friendly"? Sometimes I want to know how to distinguish such paper from normal everyday paper. When I want to buy Leuchtturm 1917 paper or Clairefontaine, I always find by brand name but is there something general that would help me find paper by quality rather than by brand? Does "quality writing paper" make sense to anyone? Thanks!

hey guys, my name is jamie and i am new to this network, and i was having difficulty finding some quality high GSM paper that wont bleed or feather when i write on them with wet pens like the jinhao x450. Are any og you guys having the same issue ? it seems to me that there isnt really enough places to get quality things for fountain pens, becuase officeworks doesnt carry any paper with a GSM high enough to not bleed like crazy, and they have a very very limited range of fountain pens. what sort of stuff are my australian mates having difficulty finding?

Recently I purchased some of Q-Connect's lovely Banker's Paper (a little like Tomoe River). I like thin papers and crinkly ones, but a little while ago someone sent me a letter on a really beautiful thick paper. Now this wasn't just a textured paper, it was thick, thick. It was made in very small batches and only available in in its country of production from the actual factory/mill. I think it may have been a cotton paper. Since getting that lovely letter on such wonderful paper I've been looking for something similar (I know I can't get the actual paper in question). I've had a good look around, but I have yet to see anything close to it. I have nice, quite thick (but very stiff) cards from G Lalo with that lovely rough edge and the paper I got in the letter had that same rough edge but wasn't as stiff. Does anyone know of a source for the sort of paper I'm trying to describe?

Hello and welcome to the Quick Review of the Staples Sustainable Earth Sugarcane Paper Notebooks. As you know, Staples Sugarcane (Bagasse) paper is well known amongst fountain-pen users as an economical alternative to more pricier notebooks and papers such as Rhodia. Although by no means superior, it fulfills every criteria for general-purpose writing. Note: These notebooks were purchased from a Staples store as of April 14, 2014. http://i.imgur.com/xkfTHaj.jpg http://i.imgur.com/r45preH.jpg http://i.imgur.com/P9WEWW4.jpg http://i.imgur.com/jajrKyc.jpg http://i.imgur.com/xuCyOZ9.jpg For the up close scans of the sample page: Obverse: http://i.imgur.com/IgV0Pl7.jpg Reverse: http://i.imgur.com/3Z29fsE.jpg Covers are made of heavy weight kraft paper. Paper content is 80% sugarcane fiber, unsure of the remaining percentage. Unsure if acid-free and lignin-free. Paper is as thin as tracing paper, but not nearly as fragile and easily torn. The pages are lined (7 mm apart, College Ruled) and perforated with a 22 mm margin on the top. The big blobs you see on the page is the result of me doing a police siren impression while holding a loaded TWSBI Diamond 580. When writing there is little feedback (in fact with a Pilot Prera it was pretty glassy). Absolutely no feathering and no bleedthrough when writing at a normal speed (don't keep the nib on paper if you're pausing). Writing on the back is feasible if you don't mind the slight show of the other page. For both the 9.5 in. x 6 in. and 11 in. x 8.5 in. notebook, there are 100 sheets (200 pages). Both come with a page of pockets in the front (also kraft paper), one pocket on each side (2 pockets) for inserting torn-out pages or pages from somewhere else. At the time of purchase the 9.5 in. 6 in. notebook costs $3.99 and the 11 in. x 8.5 in. $4.99 excld. tax. That's it for this review, hope you enjoyed and if you have any questions or comments feel free to ask! Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Evening and Night!