Best Calligraphy Paper?

[Enss327]

What is the best paper, or company that makes paper and notebooks for calligraphy, copperplate, and casual writing?

[mAnuscript69]

I use Rhodia top staplebound pads for letters which I pen in calligraphy or flex writing. The paper is sufficiently smooth and doesn't feather or bleed unless subjected to extreme amounts of ink, e.g. writing with full flex with a very wet ink.

 

I also use a Leuchtturm notebook for calligraphy practice, with Noodler's Black. Flex writing bleeds through, and broader nibs like my 6mm Pilot Parallel bleeds with wetter inks. With Noodler's Black, the ink is on the verge of bleeding through but the reverse page is still useable (depending on your level of tolerance for bleed and showthrough).

Edited December 22, 2012 by mAnuscript69

[notbob]

Like mA, I use Clairefontaine and Rhodia for calligraphy. Michael Sull, a well known name in Spencerian calligraphy actually recommends CF paper for pointed nib flex writing. I chose CF because I discovered it didn't bleed through even when using my 6.0mm Pilot Parallel Pens (PPP), which are incredibly wet writers and lay down gobs of ink.

 

There are specialized papers out there for calligraphy, but CF and Rhodia work well enough for me. I will say these two papers WILL bleed and show through IF the nib is so rough, scratchy, or requires sooo much pressure to flex, that it actually damages the paper's surface while writing. I suspect such a condition would probably cause any paper to bleed through.

[fiberdrunk]

I like Strathmore Calligraphy 400 Series. It takes the ink well and has a little tooth to it. It comes in 8 1/2" x 11" pads. Pentalic Paper for Pens and Paris Paper for Pens are nice, too, if you prefer a really smooth sheet (these aren't available in 8 1/2"x 11" size pads, though. Smallest pad size is 9"x 12").

Edited December 23, 2012 by fiberdrunk