FP Paper by the ream (affordable)?

[dipper]

The ordered Q-Connect Bank Paper 50gsm did not arrive. Instead, this was delivered...

 

The distributor said, "Oh dear! Sorry about this. ......... Due to the paper shortages at the moment, it’s quite possible that the warehouse are substituting the Q-Connect with the Clairefontaine ....... unfortunately I won’t be able to get the Q-Connect paper for you. We are updating our website information accordingly."

 

Refund being arranged. 😢😢😢.

 

However, as I now have 500 sheets of 50gsm Clairfontaine "Smart" print paper, for free, I might as well put some ink onto it....

 

Temperature is 22 deg C.

Relative Humidity is 57%.

Photo of reverse face of paper flipped for easier reading....

 

 

MY OBSERVATIONS:

 

Paper has a pleasing crisp smooth surface. No dragyness. Has a slight tooth, but smoother than typical cheap bulk buy copier/printer papers. One face may be smoother than the other?

 

Bleedthrough and feathering depends on how much ink is laid down.

Top of sheet, Fude deMannen fountain pen & Sailor Black ink: That pen is a medium-to-dry writer.

12 inks in body of the test sheet were all drawn with a ruling pen, a very wet writer - equivalent to a "fire-hose" fountain pen. (Compare Sailor Black at top of sheet with same ink in bottom row.)

 

Conclusions for ClrFon "Smart" 50gsm A4 size paper :

 

Most inks bleed through badly on this paper if applied wetly.

 

Just a few inks are rather good though, and can even be laid wetly with a ruling pen. From my ink selection, those are DeAtramentis "Document Ink Black", and Sailor "Kiwaguro".

 

A few more inks will probably be free of bleed through if used in a medium or less wetness fountain pen. From my ink selection, Waterman "Intense Black" showed barely any bleed through when applied super-wetly.

 

Given the bleed-through results, and wet ruling pen used, feathering was less than expected. (Due to the densely compressed smooth paper surface?)

 

Inks that I find feather on almost everything also showed a lot here: Cross "Black", and "Documentus 700 Black".

 

My other inks I find do feather on some papers, but not on other papers, in no clear predictable pattern. Here, the lightly feathered inks (when applied super-wet) were GVFaber-Castell "Carbon Black" (unusually!), Kaweco "Pearl Black" and Sailor "Black".

 

[amberleadavis]

On 6/26/2022 at 5:51 PM, AmandaW said:

The package just says Premium Double A. I only have A3 left, but the A4 was the same pack design. Pictures of front and back of package:

 

 

I have this paper and it is very nice.

[amberleadavis]

A few thoughts:

 

Go on ebay and look for vintage paper. The older papers are more often FP friendly.

 

By the time you spend your energy choosing the pen and ink and then writing, the cost of the paper is trivial.

[mhguda]

I think the humidity of the environment plays a big role here. I had bought some really nice copy/printer paper and of course not used it all up. When I tried it again after about a year in my home (no AC) it was much less nice... the humidity had got to it, I think. When I first bought it, there was no feathering, no bleeding, not even ghosting. Alas, some spots now bled even Parker Quink, there was some feathering, and ghosting also. I guess I should have used it sooner...

[dipper]

2 hours ago, mhguda said:

When I tried it again after about a year in my home (no AC) it was much less nice... the humidity had got to it, I think.

That should be reversible.

Try warming a sheet with a hairdryer etc, cool for a minute or so, then test immediately.

If that sheet behaves well you might want to dry the whole pack - but much more slowly, to avoid buckling due to uneven shrinkage.

Suggestions: Put the pack in an airtight plastic box, or perhaps a plastic bag, with some silica-gel moisture absorbent sachets.

[mhguda]

thanks, those are good suggestions - especially the silica gel and closed plastic enclosure, are workable. Will try them...

[AmandaW]

1 hour ago, dipper said:

Suggestions: Put the pack in an airtight plastic box

 

Yes. This is how I store mine:

 

[PithyProlix]

1 hour ago, dipper said:

Suggestions: Put the pack in an airtight plastic box, or perhaps a plastic bag, with some silica-gel moisture absorbent sachets.

 

That might be the reason why my Double A Premium is draggy when writing - it has been unprotected in a drawer in a high humidity environment (in fact, it has been raining for the last few days). And this paper is probably significantly more absorbent than other paper I use. I might try drying a sheet and report back. 

[migo984]

On 6/28/2022 at 6:18 PM, Karmachanic said:

 

AMZ UK £17/500 sheets

 Price fluctuates a lot. Obviously affected by exchange rates, shipping etc. Last couple of times I bought it (in 2022) I paid £8.95 and £9.99. Today it’s £16.99.

[amberleadavis]

Finally, something good about living in the desert during a drought.  I never have to worry about how to store my paper. I have to worry about shipping books.  Books will warp when arriving in Las Vegas as the air sucks the moisture right out of the paper.

[Eoghan2009]

On 6/25/2022 at 10:54 PM, David0966 said:

Hello,

 

Have looked @ the posts from last year about affordable paper for FP, looked them up, and still pretty pricey.

Anyone know about perhaps buying FP friendly paper by the ream?

I'm looking for simple unlined paper, although certainly open to all options.

 

Appreciate any input, including "you're being unreasonable"

 

Thanks, David

I go with xerox colotech+ 160g paper which I recently bought two reams of from amazon.  The lighter weights are cheaper but 160g reacts well with sheen inks.

[LizEF]

Someone on reddit reminded me of reports that Target's Up & Up (in house brand) paper is FP-friendly - not the recycled one, the other.  I'm skeptical, but I'm going to try it as soon as I can get to a Target.

[Maurizio]

I’m late to this party. I have found that this cane pulp paper is quite good, but I consider it a bit expensive. It is also available from other retailers such as Staples. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Paper-Bright-Carbon-Neutral-Sugarcane/dp/B09MDRGNCP/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3BGFM4JHS6S9A&keywords=tree+free+copy+paper&qid=1657630985&sprefix=treefree+copy+paper%2Caps%2C62&sr=8-5

[David0966]

Hello everyone,

 

You all are true experts, and a boost to folks like me who are unlearned in these things.

 

I started this thread while on vacation.  Upon my return, and my job, time was @ a premium so I ordered a reliable paper that has served me so well in the past-Rhodia plain in the A4 pad, from Dick Blick.

 

The price there was $92 for 10 pads (80 sheets/pad), plus tax, a total of $98.44

 

This should serve me well for the time being until this topic is revisited.

 

Thanks to all

 

David

[TitoThePencilPimp]

18 hours ago, David0966 said:

Hello everyone,

 

You all are true experts, and a boost to folks like me who are unlearned in these things.

 

I started this thread while on vacation.  Upon my return, and my job, time was @ a premium so I ordered a reliable paper that has served me so well in the past-Rhodia plain in the A4 pad, from Dick Blick.

 

The price there was $92 for 10 pads (80 sheets/pad), plus tax, a total of $98.44

 

This should serve me well for the time being until this topic is revisited.

 

Thanks to all

 

David

That is extremely high. 

 

If line rule is is not an issue, you can buy n bulk from Appelboom. You would have received twice as much, for the same price, using the 10% off coupon.

 

Now, Cultpens, when they have a Rhodia sell, is also a great place to buy.

[webgeckos]

On 6/25/2022 at 3:54 PM, David0966 said:

Hello,

 

Have looked @ the posts from last year about affordable paper for FP, looked them up, and still pretty pricey.

Anyone know about perhaps buying FP friendly paper by the ream?

I'm looking for simple unlined paper, although certainly open to all options.

 

Appreciate any input, including "you're being unreasonable"

 

Thanks, David

I purchased old Tomoe River 52 by the ream-on-steroids. Got them as 2x4,000 sheets per pack.  Buying it that way really dropped the prices down.

[Horseflesh]

Count me among the paper-seekers... One of my hobbies is making journals, using my laser cutter for wood covers, and a binding machine to punch the paper and bind. I'd like to make FP-friendly journals so I am looking for loose paper that is ideally of nice weight, half-letter size... with dots or lines. I can't really find loose paper like that, unfortunately. The closest I have found through threads like this is Kokuyo A5, which is really FP-friendly copy paper. (My current paper is a 90 GSM cream paper... Nice, but unlined and 2x the cost of the Kokuyo. I also have not tested it with fountain pens since I currently only have a Preppy Platinum and don't know much.)

 

All my designs are sized for half-letter, but I can change that with a bit of work... If I find the right paper. I don't have a specific size in mind, I just feel like a hardback journal in letter size is too big, and half letter is about right. 

 

So... anyone know where to get lined or dotted, loose, unpunched, half-letter-ish FP paper? 

 

 

[mhguda]

I can't answer your question, but I'd say for me, blank paper for a journal is what I prefer. Part of the pleasure of using a notebook, for me, comes from adding all those markings, page number, date, etcetera, myself. Using a fountain pen, of course. It's also how I make sure the paper is what I wanted...

That journal looks very handsome, BTW.