mead cambridge reporter style pad [3x5]

[Latro21]

i was looking for a small pocket sized reporter style pad on the cheap, and i picked up a pack of 12 of these 70 page mead cambridge spiral bound pads for something like $8 i think while at sam's club today.

 

the description said the paper was heavyweight 20lb bond, and the price was right, so i figured i would give them a shot.

 

i tested all my fountain pens, plus a bunch of other rollerballs and liner pens, and not a single one bled through the page, even when i did my 'scratch-out' test, simulating the way i scratch out a written mistake. this means i completely scribble over the mistake so you cant see a single letter/piece of a letter, basically blocking it out. none of the pens feathered on the paper either, nor was there any show through that would interfere with writing on both sides. only with my wettest writers [mk1 "21" fine nib with quink black, and fine italic nibbed sheaffer viewpoint with skrip red] and my sakura brush pen did the ink show through, and even then it was very very faint. the only time there was any bit of ink bleeding through the paper was when i left the nib pressed against the paper for a couple seconds in one spot, barely moving it [like making a very small comma, but taking a couple seconds to do it]. with normal writing, i had no problems with quink black, waterman black, namiki blue, skrip red, pilot varsity black, or pilot varsity blue bleeding through the page.

 

i also tested a staedtler liquid 7 rollerball which i simply cannot write with on any paper so far other than the ampad 20lb gold fibre legal pads due to the extreme wetness of its writing and the ink which stays wet for a loooooong time on all the other papers i have. ink that wont dry in an acceptable amount of time just wont do, since im a lefty. this is the first pen in a very very long time, maybe even ever, that ive smeared the ink across the page while writing on some kinds of paper [black n red, basic brand spiral notebook, moleskine, mead 5 star tape bound notebook]. on the paper in this mead pad, the pen wrote much drier, almost too dry, and the ink dried nearly instantly with no bleeding/feathering. by the way, i would totally recommend these staedtler rollerballs to people who are looking to a backup to a fountain pen-they are exceptionally smooth and i havent had one skip or act up on me yet. theyre great if you dont have to worry about smearing the ink.

 

to compare it to other good papers, it is every bit as good as or better than the ampad 20lb gold fibre legal pads and the paper in black n red notebooks [also 20lb i believe]. i definitely plan on trying out a full size mead cambridge notebook too now.

 

if mead took this cambridge paper, gave it an off white tint, put a grid on it rather than ruling, and bound it in an attractive, simple, and sturdy cover like moleskine, i would have found a replacement for my moleskines.

 

the cardboard backing is also very sturdy for writing with it in your hand rather than on a surface, the cover is a nice simple black with mead in the upper right in white, and a stripe near the bottom of a light blue with cambridge in it in white, and with a thin white stripe on top of the blue one. at 3x5'', they fit very easily in my pockets, and the spiral doesnt pose much of a problem.

 

im sure that the paper in other size mead cambridge notebooks/writing pads [as long as it says 20lb bond] will be just as good.

 

 

 

so, if you need a small little writing pad for on the go, the paper in this inexpensive little pad is very fountain pen friendly, and its size, even with the spiral, makes it very convenient for riding around in pockets. sure, it wont be usurping the throne from my pocket moleskine, but it definitely will be seeing plenty of use.

[ViolinWriter]

I've had the same experience. What I can't fathom is why the paper in the Reporter's Notebooks is so much better for fountain pens than the regular notebook paper?

[Latro21]

QUOTE (ViolinWriter @ Mar 18 2007, 06:27 AM)

I've had the same experience. What I can't fathom is why the paper in the Reporter's Notebooks is so much better for fountain pens than the regular notebook paper?

does the paper for the regular mead cambridge notebooks say 'heavyweight 20lb bond' like the small reporter writing pads do?

[JohnS-MI]

My experience is that Mead Cambridge quality (for fountain pens) is all over the place. I have a very inexpensive small, wireless, side-bonded notebook. 5.5" x 4.125". It makes no mention of paper weight, but is very FP-friendly. I have a letter-size quadrille pad (grid paper, 1/4" square) that is just terrible, it spreads, feathers, and bleeds.

 

I'm glad when one works, but I'm sick of buying ones that don't. I'd prefer to spend more money on a brand that makes a more consistent brand promise.

[aunt rebecca]

hi,

 

where did you purchase the pads? can you buy them on line? please post a link. thanks.

[Latro21]

QUOTE (aunt rebecca @ Mar 19 2007, 11:04 AM)

hi, where did you purchase the pads?  can you buy them on line?  please post a link.  thanks.

i bought them from sam's club. im sure you can get them from one of the office supply places like staples or office depot, but i havent looked.

 

EDIT: i did a good bit of searching, but cant find these exact pads anywhere except sams club, and even then it says in store only, and the picture didnt show what the pad looks like.

Edited March 22, 2007 by Latro21

[inkyblot]

is this mead product #45431(an individual notebook)? if not, could you please provide the product number or upc.

 

thank you

[Black Rose]

This thread is over 4 years old and the original poster has not logged on in over two years....

[inkyblot]

yes, i realised this after the fact. i am sorry for that mistake. i do not know how i overlooked the age of this thread. in fact this pad is no longer sold by sams club afaik. i apologize for this.