Oxford Optik Coated Paper

[beurling]

I apologise if this has been asked or if I am totally off kilter here.

 

I don't always have time to trawl the wonderful wealth of information here. I try to read as much as I can but sometimes it's easier to just ask a straight question.

 

I am trying to get an idea of good quality paper to use with my Fountain pens..I do have an idea of what I would like....that's a question for another time....and I will post that question in another topic..

 

For now I want to know what you good folks think of Oxford Optik Paper.

 

I have a little Oxford notepad ( A3 size?? it's only small ) the ring binded type that I carry with me , and put a to do list and a wanted or needed to purchase list and other random notes that come to me .... I currently , wierdly use a Tesco "handwriting" pen for children to write in it..you know the nylon tipped ones that are specifically to help children improve their handwriting.... I quite like it ( the pen ) and obviously couldn't care less about dropping it or bashing it about, but it's only until I receive my new small pen case/holder and I can start carrying my fountain pens with me more regularly....I don't like using pocket clips for some obscure reason...always think i'll ruin or bend them..anyway enough about my wierd inadequacies...

 

my point is it's got 90gsm paper with a special optik coating to stop bleed through..i know this works as on my P**s poor ( excuse my french ) staples diary i carry about with me it goes straight trough the paper so i use a biro on that....

 

This Optik coating though gives the paper a shiny sort of look and feel to the paper..so it's a little peculiar to write on with a fountain pen..almost like writing on teflon if you get me...

 

anybody else used this paper and what do they think?

 

Cheers,

 

Buzz

[View from the Loft]

Some of my pens like this paper, some refuse to play with it. Some inks play nicely with it, some won't. Like everything else, it's a case of finding a combination that works for you.

[The Good Captain]

I haven't used this specific paper but some Black n' Red behave the same and the Clairefontaine spiral ones that I like certainly do. I just have to pick the ink/pen combination carefully but as I tend to write nonsense most of the time it's not really a big issue.

That's a magazine you can get on most High Streets!

[beurling]

haha..that big issue joke made me giggle..seein as i am feelin right miserable at the mo witn my bi-polar that was much welcome so i thank you

 

It seems things are far more complicated than i thought..

 

no one ink will work well in or on everything..no one paper will work well with everything and no one fountain pen will work with everything..but i suppose that's what makes owning and using them so addictive...

[Flounder]

no one ink will work well in or on everything..no one paper will work well with everything and no one fountain pen will work with everything

 

that's about the long and short of it. For what it's worth, none of my pens or inks liked Oxford pads with optic paper.

 

 

[John the Monkey]

Some ink tests on the Optik paper in my 2012 diary here, fwiw. I used the notes pages at the back - the pen and nib used are written alongside each ink.

 

I was pretty impressed - even inks I've found finicky (like Pousserie De Lune) liked the paper.

[Phormula]

I am using Oxford Optik paper for my meeting notes. I use either Rhodia or Clairefontaine or Oxford A4 spiral notebook, whatever I can grab at a good price. I agree with others above, you have to choose the pen/ink combination. The worst resutl I got with a Lamy Safari M and Lamy washable blue, after a while the writing tuned a pale blue. My best results so far I got with the Faber Castell Ambition (F) and an ink slightly more saturated than average, like Visconti Blue.

[beurling]

thanks guys...some very interesting input there....john..i particularly enjoyed lookingat all the different inks on the paper..very enlightening..thanks

[Holdav]

I spent a lot of time looking for paper that didn't cost a silly amount (because a lot of my notes end up in the bin) but was still FP friendly. Oxford Optik is what I've ended up with and find it fantastic though I've not used any Clairefontaine/Rhodia which i think is widely recognized as the 'best'.

 

I myself haven't found any pen/ink combos that don't behave well, overall I'm very happy, so happy I've just bought some Oxford Signature notebooks that i hope to review with after I've used some Clairefontaine/Rhodia paper to compare it against.

[beurling]

i look forward to that review..i've been trying some new inks today on bog standard cheap out of the pack copy paper...

 

Mont Blanc Burgundy Red in my Centennial and Pelikan Edelstein Topaz in dads Duofold Junior...both medium nibbed...quite interesting actually..i will have to write a report...

 

not tried them on the optik paper yet...will do that later in the day if i ever get up...lol

 

I(ncidentally some of the pens i normally enjoy writing with were not at all on par writing on this cheap copy paper..says alot i think....the only one that was anywhere near writing nicely was my centennial but then nothing seems to faze that..in fact with the other pens there was almost a slight scratchiness to them and a drag that is unusual for them...even the Lamy Studio with the medium nib and the nice wet Turqoise Lamy Cartridge wasnt that smooth and believe me that thing is like gliding silk usually...

[Bo Bo Olson]

Love that paper...I can't get it where I live in Germany. They make some here too. They make some in Spain. Some one sent me a sheet...great paper.

 

As good as Clairefontain Velvet (IMO) or Rhoda as I hear.

 

I will be ordering some by mail.

[Scylax]

I love the Optik paper, though I agree it can be a little fussy. My medium Waterman Carene with Waterman ink absolutely hates it, but everything else I have works okay. It's a gorgeous paper at a fair price and I wouldn't choose anything else for daily use. I get through about a pad per week of A4 for Uni, though not always with fountain pens, I admit.

[beurling]

i really like it..though i'm yet to try my duofold wiht pelikan edelstein topaz on it..

 

maybe later

 

it's a great price for what you get i think

[Old Nick]

Just picked up an A4 Oxford notebook with 140 pages of Optik paper and with my MB146 and black quinck its giving superb results - all for £1.99! Writes as well as my webbie.....

 

Superb!!

[Bo Bo Olson]

Some one nice shipped me a large spiral notebook of Oxford Optic 90g from England....as good as my little German booklet.

Still very good paper as good as Claire-fountain 90g Velvet, at least.

 

Red & Black is now using Oxford Optic 90g...so that is a good buy.

 

I really like Oxford Optic 90g paper.

[Old Nick]

I agree Bo Bo, its just shot to the top of my list of favorite notepads

[beurling]

i have to say of all the papers i have used recently this is still my favourite..i'll definately be buying some more

 

I may even get some in to use when i start my new pen business as test paper....in fact that's a great idea..thanks all

[whitedot]

I have a couple of Black n' Red notebooks at the moment. I use it with Sheaffer Skrip. Pretty happy. No bleed-through. I know what you mean by "teflon". I prefer this texture when I'm writing for work as opposed to leisure.

[alexander_k]

My own experiences with this paper (various A4 and A5 notebooks over the past ten years) have been generally disappointing. The broad nibs and saturated inks I prefer seem to work poorly with it. The smearing of PR American Blue even months later was extraordinary. I've ended up using my stock of notebooks for rough drafts only.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Alex, what paper do you use?

 

PR has a reputation as a problem ink, so I don't even think of the brand.

Edited March 6, 2012 by Bo Bo Olson