Difference B/w 15 Lb. And 20 Lb.

[emes441]

Just wondering what the main differences are and which, if any, have less feathering.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Srul

[gillyohan]

I think paper weight only has to do with the paper thickness. It is not directly related to whether it will withstand feathering. It does affect the amount of showthrough and bleeding, I think.

 

If you are trying to find the right paper(s) for you, the best thing to do may be to share what you are using your paper for, what kind you like (loose, bound, blank, ruled, etc.), what types of inks and pens you use, and how much you are willing to pay.

[bigstick]

15 pound paper I have not seen in many moons. Is this not "typewriter paper"? If it is, then my experience is that it feathers outrageously. 20 lb paper is typical photocopier/printer paper and as long as it is not a coated variety, many are FP friendly enough. Some are coated and then the bet is off. Buying 20 lb LASER paper is a safer bet, usually, and 24-32 lb paper is safer still.

All that said, it really depends on the pen and the ink, as well as the paper, and what works well for me might be a mess for you.

[emes441]

Ok, here's the situation. Currently, I have Staples Signa paper that they say is 15 lb. I saw in the store today Staple's M brand that is 20 lb.

 

I generally use paper pads as my first draft of writing. I use B or F pens, generally gold nibs, with Herbin, MB, Visconti, Iroshizuku, and the occasional PR ink. The fine usually doesn't feather, but the B (Visconti Pd nib) does (even with Herbin Empire).

 

So will the 20 lb. paper be better (it is quite more expensive, $15 for 6, opposed to $10 for 8).

 

Also, what type of paper does the crowd here suggest.

 

Srul

[ethernautrix]

I believe the correct answer is five pounds.

 

*Prances around the room with arms raised in Math Victory*

 

Woot!

 

 

The not-obnoxious answer is: what those other guys said.

[gillyohan]

I believe the correct answer is five pounds.

 

*Prances around the room with arms raised in Math Victory*

 

Woot!

 

 

Heheh.

 

Srul - I don't use notepads, so I can't really offer advice on that. I use kokuyo or comp books for notes and drafts, which work pretty well for me.

[Bookman]

Ok, here's the situation. Currently, I have Staples Signa paper that they say is 15 lb. I saw in the store today Staple's M brand that is 20 lb.

 

I generally use paper pads as my first draft of writing. I use B or F pens, generally gold nibs, with Herbin, MB, Visconti, Iroshizuku, and the occasional PR ink. The fine usually doesn't feather, but the B (Visconti Pd nib) does (even with Herbin Empire).

 

So will the 20 lb. paper be better (it is quite more expensive, $15 for 6, opposed to $10 for 8).

 

Also, what type of paper does the crowd here suggest.

 

Srul

 

I am a satisfied, loyal buyer of Staples Signa yellow paper. With Staples, one can never be sure about long-term quality of a particular line of its paper products; but for now, Staples yellow Signa paper is a terrific value. It is the smoothest paper I've found for the money and does an excellent job resisting feathering, show-through, and bleedthrough. Staples Signa white, oddly enough, is total crappola. I bought a stack of these pads today and I'm returning them immediately. The sheet I tested is the worst performer of any paper I have, including Mead Five-Star notebook paper, which previously ranked at the bottom.

[txinsk]

Just wondering what the main differences are and which, if any, have less feathering.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Srul

 

Other questions to ask is it wood pulp or cotton or artificial (search on stone paper)? Really you cannot tell about feathering based on paper weight. You can have a hint about bleedthrough and showthrough, but that is not guaranteed either. If I had to guess my bagasse pads are 15# maybe 18#, and they have no feathering, however, some of the newer pads feather like crazy. Really you need to find out who makes the paper and what it was made for. Ask here with some more information, like the brand name and weight. There are different steps and additives to paper that affect fountain pen performance. Sorry, I can see you wanted a simple answer but it is not simple with the information we have.

 

As for differences standard cheap copy paper is usually 20# and so 15# is thinner.

 

Rick

[SonyaSpiral]

Isn't 15 lb the standard weight for paper in the spiral notebooks that are meant for school use? You know... the cheap quality ones that are offered during the Back To School season?

[RLTodd]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_density

[jmw19]

I am a satisfied, loyal buyer of Staples Signa yellow paper. With Staples, one can never be sure about long-term quality of a particular line of its paper products; but for now, Staples yellow Signa paper is a terrific value. It is the smoothest paper I've found for the money and does an excellent job resisting feathering, show-through, and bleedthrough. Staples Signa white, oddly enough, is total crappola. I bought a stack of these pads today and I'm returning them immediately. The sheet I tested is the worst performer of any paper I have, including Mead Five-Star notebook paper, which previously ranked at the bottom.

 

I've noticed the same behavior from the cheap OfficeMax legal pads my workplace stocks: the white pads feather pretty badly, though ink does dry fast on them. The yellow pads are much better behaved, although the drying time is longer.

I talked my office into buying a bunch of the Bagasse pads, so it's almost academic, but it is interesting. I wouldn't be surprised if the Signa and OfficeMax pads come from the same supplier, who just prints a different logo at the top.

 

As to the original question, it's been covered pretty well here. The M papers seem to review well, though I've only used their index cards, so I can't say. I know the Bagasse (or Eco-Easy) papers get generally good reviews, though there may be some bad batches out there (which can be sorted out by their feathery printed lines).

 

Really, the best way to see what works for you is to try them out, but I realize that can get expensive quickly, and leave you with a stack of useless pads.