Found Some Good, Cheap Paper

[Witsius]

I have my stash of Rhodia,Apica, Midori, and other high quality papers of course, but I wanted to find some cheap paper for scribbling notes, rough drafts, and practicing handwriting. I've found the Norcom notebooks made in Brazil sold at Walmart to be quite good and Target's Up and Up legal pads to be actually better. Both work well with fountain pens. The Norcom does not feather or bleed, but the line laid down by the nib gets a little fatter than on better papers. The Up and Up legal pads also do not feather or bleed, but the line stays nice and tight. The paper is a little toothy, but works well enough for cheap paper. It out performs the Docket Gold legal pads sold at Office Max by a large margin and is a fraction of the price.

 

If you're looking for cheap fountain pen friendly paper because, like me, you want to save your high quality papers for final drafts, and other more important writing, give these a try.

[ralphawilson]

Great tips, thanks! Will look for that Target paper (no Walmarts nearby). I used to love the "bagasse" paper pads and notebooks (made from sugar cane waste) at Staples, but they seem to have disappeared. The surface was slightly glossy and loved fountain pens.

[Bookman]

I concur with your assessment of the Target Up & Up Legal Pads, Witsius, although I admit I was skeptical. I bought a 3-pack of these today and tested a few sheets as soon as I got home. This one was just like the others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ink Stained Wretch]

I concur with your assessment of the Target Up & Up Legal Pads, Witsius, although I admit I was skeptical. I bought a 3-pack of these today and tested a few sheets as soon as I got home. This one was just like the others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looks well behaved with ink.

 

I'm still using some Staples yellow letter sized "legal" pads that I scored for low prices years ago. I think it's 15 pound bond. Price is a major factor for me with this type of paper.

[Bookman]

 

Looks well behaved with ink.

 

I'm still using some Staples yellow letter sized "legal" pads that I scored for low prices years ago. I think it's 15 pound bond. Price is a major factor for me with this type of paper.

 

For a few years I bought nothing but yellow Staples* Signa and Staples Double Pads. And then I tried Costco's yellow pads a couple of years ago, just to see how they performed. I wasn't expecting much (they were made by Tops, and I hadn't had good luck with Tops products), but 900 sheets of paper for $9 was worth the gamble. And while the paper wasn't as smooth as yellow Staples Signa or Staples Double Pads, it was smooth-ish and the feathering and show-through were no worse than with the Staples pads I liked and used. I bought one or two replacement 9-packs at Costco and got the same quality and performance as with the first batch. But with the most recent purchase—about two months ago—the quality had fallen through the floor. Clearly, Tops had changed its paper source.

 

Anyone who has grown fond of Costco's yellow pads over the last few years may find the product no longer worth a penny a sheet. Now I'm back with Staples.

 

 

 

* When I have anything good to say about Staples 8½x11 "legal" pads, I'm talking about the yellow paper and positively excluding the white.

Edited June 27, 2016 by Bookman

[inkypete]

Yellow pads - they are so American. In Australia and most other countries I have been to you would rarely see a yellow pad. Anyone know the history of why the US seems to have yellow legal pads? Can buy them down under but usually at a small premium as they are not the norm. Our stock standard office pads are white.

[Bookman]

There's a reason why our legal pads are traditionally yellow. Unfortunately, nobody knows what it is. My guess: color-coding. Even now, yellow paper stands out in a legal file and instantly identifies a lawyer's handwritten notes.

[Pravda]

Many great paper recommended around here. I find the problem is that different countries or markets determine variant availability.

 

So far here Moleskine is easily obtained, Rhodia and Clairefontaine not so much. Then random no-name off brands made in China or India which are usually a hit or miss.

 

Recently I have found something called Septcoleur that aren't half bad.

[inkypete]

I used to buy legal style pads when I was visiting US called Ampad. They were fantastic quality but because they were US sizing instead of A4 or A5 they did not fit most of my compendiums, leather covers etc. Is that brand still around?

[Sailor Kenshin]

Great tips, thanks! Will look for that Target paper (no Walmarts nearby). I used to love the "bagasse" paper pads and notebooks (made from sugar cane waste) at Staples, but they seem to have disappeared. The surface was slightly glossy and loved fountain pens. [/size]

 

That's why I bought a case of pads and a half-dozen notebooks!

 

Plus, there's always paper made in India, in your local Dollar Tree. Go on. You know you want to try it.

[Mikeal]

Thanks for the tips.

[Dragonmaster Lou]

I used to buy legal style pads when I was visiting US called Ampad. They were fantastic quality but because they were US sizing instead of A4 or A5 they did not fit most of my compendiums, leather covers etc. Is that brand still around?

 

Ampad is still around. They were bought by another company (that also makes some pretty nice paper, depending on the model, IMHO) called TOPS a couple years back: http://www.tops-products.com/

[mulrich]

I started looking for new legal pads just this week (I posted about it here https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/166559-the-best-legal-pads-which-are-fountain-pen-friendly/page-7). I'll drop by Target today and give their option a try. So far Staple's Signa is my best option.

[mhm802]

 

For a few years I bought nothing but yellow Staples* Signa and Staples Double Pads. And then I tried Costco's yellow pads a couple of years ago, just to see how they performed. I wasn't expecting much (they were made by Tops, and I hadn't had good luck with Tops products), but 900 sheets of paper for $9 was worth the gamble. And while the paper wasn't as smooth as yellow Staples Signa or Staples Double Pads, it was smooth-ish and the feathering and show-through were no worse than with the Staples pads I liked and used. I bought one or two replacement 9-packs at Costco and got the same quality and performance as with the first batch. But with the most recent purchase—about two months ago—the quality had fallen through the floor. Clearly, Tops had changed its paper source.

 

Anyone who has grown fond of Costco's yellow pads over the last few years may find the product no longer worth a penny a sheet. Now I'm back with Staples.

 

 

 

* When I have anything good to say about Staples 8½x11 "legal" pads, I'm talking about the yellow paper and positively excluding the white.

Funny, I have found the "M" series white legal pads at Staples to be very well behaved with all of my fountain pens. And nowhere near the showthrough illustrated above. I like both the letter size and the junior size.

[Bookman]

Funny, I have found the "M" series white legal pads at Staples to be very well behaved with all of my fountain pens. And nowhere near the showthrough illustrated above. I like both the letter size and the junior size.

 

I confess I haven't bought white M pads in five or six years, the same length of time since I bought white Signa or white Double Pads. I just gave up on the stuff and switched to 24lb HP Laserjet, using Incompetech downloads and Photoshop to make my own similar paper. I'll get my hands on one of each product and update my tests.

[ac12]

A couple years ago, I got from Staples, a single subject, wire bound notebook, made in BRAZIL. They were on sale in the 'back to school' sale for 17 CENTS each. So I bought 30 of em, enough to last me a few years. The Brazil paper in the notebook is pretty FP friendly. And as long as you don't use a Japanese XF nib, it will write just fine. The surface is not smooth and hard enough for the really fine nibs like the Japanese XF nibs. Even some Western XF nibs have trouble on the paper. But for 17 CENTS each...I'll live with the limitation.

 

'Back to school' sale should be starting in July.

 

I have also had good luck with the Office Depot sugar cane pads, the one with the green lines. Those would take my finer nib pens...but they were also more expensive than 17 cents each.

Edited June 29, 2016 by ac12

[Bookman]

A couple years ago, I got from Staples, a single subject, wire bound notebook, made in BRAZIL. They were on sale in the 'back to school' sale for 17 CENTS each. So I bought 30 of em, enough to last me a few years. The Brazil paper in the notebook is pretty FP friendly. And as long as you don't use a Japanese XF nib, it will write just fine. The surface is not smooth and hard enough for the really fine nibs like the Japanese XF nibs. Even some Western XF nibs have trouble on the paper. But for 17 CENTS each...I'll live with the limitation.

 

'Back to school' sale should be starting in July.

 

I have also had good luck with the Office Depot sugar cane pads, the one with the green lines. Those would take my finer nib pens...but they were also more expensive than 17 cents each.

 

$.17 is a ridiculously low price for that product. I've bought and used a few of these along with their Norcom counterparts from Walmart, and I agree with you about the paper.

 

My only quarrel is the construction of the notebook itself. There's no stiff backing for writing on the go; it's convenient to have a built-in writing surface, and when I can get one without compromising too much on paper quality I usually opt for that choice. I'll pay extra to get it. And I wish the Target Up&Up yellow pads had firmer backs. I like the paper and dislike the absence of a truly stiff back. The stiff backing is what makes a "legal" pad particularly useful for me nowadays. And after years of using yellow paper every day I've grown accustomed to it and, at this price level, I place virtually no value on having white paper as an option anyway.

[mulrich]

 

And I wish the Target Up&Up yellow pads had firmer backs. I like the paper and dislike the absence of a truly stiff back. The stiff backing is what makes a "legal" pad particularly useful for me nowadays.

 

 

Have you considered just slipping a firmer surface into the back of the legal pad (right after the last sheet)? Not a perfect solution but would be simply and possibly sufficient.

[Bookman]

I have used a similar fix for wirebound notebooks, and indeed it will do in a pinch. If the best solution turns out to be to stick with Up&Up and make it work, that's what I'll do. It isn't my only choice, of course; I can use Staples Signa and/or Staples Double Pads that already have firmer backs. I haven't field-tested this with the Up&Up, but I would want the supplemental backing to stay virtually attached so that I wouldn't have to carry it separately. Separate-carry seems no better than loose-leaf pages and a clipboard. All other things being equal, I think legal-pad design and construction (i.e. having the writing table attached) better serves my take-and-go writing-on-the-go option. Shoving the supplemental back firmly in between the existing back and the back page might suffice. Or better yet, take one of the dozen or so extra-firm backs I've cut off spent Costco pads and affix it to the Up&Up back with the appropriate bonding agent. If I do that and it works, I'll post a photo. Meanwhile, something will suffice.

 

 

Edit: add photos

 

 

 

The back that comes with the Target Up&Up yellow pad is so flimsy it doesn't fully support its own weight.

 

 

 

 

 

When I shove the repurposed Costco yellow pad backing into the Up&Up pad, it stays in place.

 

 

 

 

With the added backing, the Up&Up pad supports a full 2-lb tin of tea.

 

Edited June 30, 2016 by Bookman

[mulrich]

I tried Target's Up and Up. I don't know all the paper lingo to evaluate papers but the line control seemed decent. The paper was very absorbent (dark lines) but didn't feather. There was definitely bleed through though. If you're looking for a really cheap paper with decent properties this seems like a nice option. If people are interested I can upload scans of a few different legal pads I've tried over the past week.