An Office Depot Grid-ruled Comp Book -- accepts FP ink

[welch]

I've begun writing in an Office Depot Composition book that handles fountain pen ink. It is grid ruled, 4-to-the-inch. For the last 20 years, I have used a Levenger's Notabilia grid notebook, through various Levenger's changes...it's now called their "To-Do" rule. 

 

Since the Levenger's Notabilia now sells for about $20, I gave a try to this thinner and lighter Office Max Graph Ruled Composition Book, which sells for about $1.87 on-line. It works. I've used it with three different Parker 51, medium nibs, a pair of Parker 75, also medium nib, and a modern Dufold, also medium nib. The paper is thin, but it takes a fountain pen well: no blotting.

 

My writing shows-through to the reverse side of the paper, so it is a one-side-only, but at $2 a notebook, I can afford to buy extra notebooks.

 

Here is the exact notebook I've been testing: https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/320155/Office-Depot-Brand-Composition-Book-7/;jsessionid=0000g5rLNyNjWHPzFCNICJ-Rxgm:17h4h7dc6

 

Has anyone else tried this?

[OCArt]

Thanks for sharing this tip, always on the lookout for good paper. Now if I could only find a replacement for the old HP Laser 32lb.

[PJohnP]

I picked up five of these notebooks at my local OD on Friday, and thereby depleted the stock for my small city.  The price re-ascended to ~$4 on Sunday, BTW.

 

It's actually quite good FP paper in the notebooks, and for me with Kwzi IG Red, little show-through to the other side of a page.

 

I would note that there is a similar notebook in a larger size available, but I haven't tested one as yet.  This composition book sizing is more to my taste.

 

Many thanks to the OP for this notice !

 

 

 

John P.

[samasry]

On 3/25/2021 at 1:12 PM, OCArt said:

Thanks for sharing this tip, always on the lookout for good paper. Now if I could only find a replacement for the old HP Laser 32lb.

 

Oh so I am not the only one then.

I  have purchased this paper based on some advice and found it to feather and bleed significantly.   Did they change the formula  and made it  less friendly to Fountain pens?

[OCArt]

Yes, the current HP 32lb paper is different and very inferior to the old. 

See discussion here

4 minutes ago, salmasry said:

 

Oh so I am not the only one then.

I  have purchased this paper based on some advice and found it to feather and bleed significantly.   Did they change the formula  and made it  less friendly to Fountain pens?

 

[samasry]

  Thanks @OCArt .    Yes, the current version is  horrible,  I have bought a box of  6 reams and it was never used due to the  extra feathering and bleeding.    Fuji  photo paper  was even worse.

[welch]

(Just so you young folks can envy us old-timers: when I was in junior high and high school, we used National 20-pound three-hole paper. It was perfect for fountain pens, using both sides. Even the 16-pound paper. We did not have cell-phones, but we had paper back back in olden dayes.)

[flatline]

Out of curiosity, what country produces the Office Depot composition book in the original post?

 

In my recent experience, composition books made in Vietnam do pretty well with ink but composition books from Egypt are only good for pencils and ballpoints.

 

Is this just coincidence or are you guys seeing similar results?

 

--flatline

[welch]

2 hours ago, flatline said:

Out of curiosity, what country produces the Office Depot composition book in the original post?

 

In my recent experience, composition books made in Vietnam do pretty well with ink but composition books from Egypt are only good for pencils and ballpoints.

 

Is this just coincidence or are you guys seeing similar results?

 

--flatline

 

Made in Egypt. I've been using this since March 23. Ink shows through, but no other problems. I have been using one of a couple Parker 51 pens, US medium nib. Parker penman Sapphire, Scribe Indigo, and Iroshizuku Asa-Gao. For the last week, I've been using a Wing Sung 601 with a Bobby nib, filled with Parker Superchrome Blue Black. 

 

Yes, Superchrome. It's wet but dries quickly, just as the advertising slogan said. I've read Richard's warning s about Superchrome, but don't care if it eventually ruins a $15 pen. No, I will not try it in a 51.

[Runnin_Ute]

Of the ones I have tried Made in Brazil are best, but are getting harder to find, so I  buy in quantity when I do. It's been awhile since I tried some of the others.