Paper Products Archives - Page 14 of 14

Tomoe River Notebook Review

October 14, 2014October 20, 2013 by Blake

I have been hearing about this supernatural Tomoe River paper for a while but I could not find it in a format that I liked. Through The Fountain Pen Network I saw that is was available in notebook form from PaperForFountainPens.com (no affiliation).

Tomoe River Notebooks. — Tomoe River Notebooks

Tomoe River paper is ultra light weight at 52 gsm with a very smooth texture. This paper has been getting a lot of praise in the fountain pen community for its ability to handle fountain pen ink. I have been playing with this paper the last few days and it is amazing. There is virtually no bleed through. With some abuse I did get it to bleed in one spot. I used my Rohrer & Klinger glass dip pen without removing the excess ink first and the only point of bleed through is where the bottom of the “g” made contact with the “a” in “Scabiosa”. The wettest letter though is the first “R” in “Rohrer” which had zero bleed through. There is no feathering to mention and ink looks beautiful on this paper. The paper is fragile and easily crinkles; to me this is just part of the charm of the paper. Dry times are comparable to Rhodia and Clairefontaine papers.

A good amount of ghosting but virtually no bleed through.

I did abuse the paper a bit more. I tried a drop Noodler’s Qin Shi Huang on the paper. There was no bleed through for about the first hour. Here is the result after 3 hours:

Noodler's Qin Shi Huang (notorious for feathering) still wet after 3 hours. — Noodler’s Qin Shi Huang (notorious for feathering) still wet after 3 hours.

The results are very impressive. I let the ink sit overnight and the ink finally bled through all the way. The ink did not spread at all and if you use the widest and juiciest of pens with blotter paper you should experience no bleed. This is an excellent paper for fountain pens.

The notebook contains 320 cream colored pages (160 leaves) that measure 4.9″ x 8″. There is ghosting so I only like to write on one side. It is worth noting that because this paper is so thin you will get ghosting even with a pencil. The notebook is nicely made and lays pretty flat. I am really happy with these notebooks and plan to use them as my primary journal. The price per notebook varies based on how many you order: 1 for $29, 2 for $53 ($26.50 each), and 3 for $75 ($25 each).

The only paper I can compare to the Tomoe River is Smythson’s Featherweight 50 gsm paper. Smythson’s paper handles fountain pen ink just as well but costs an absolute fortune. Think $29 is a lot for a notebook? A 5.5″ x 7.5″ Smythson notebook with 192 leaves (not refillable) costs £135 (approx. $220 USD)! To by fair, Smythson notebooks have beautiful leather covers, blue paper with gilt edges and three real ROYAL WARRANTS. Having been gifted a Smythson’s Panama diary a few years ago I can say that they are easily the nicest notebooks (calendar) I have ever used but for almost 1/10th the price of a Smythson, the Paper For Fountain Pens Tomoe River notebook is a fantastic value. I haven’t been this happy with a notebook in a long time. I highly recommend giving one a try.

Here are some great reviews of Tomoe River paper:

(I have no affiliation to the sites linked below)

Ed Jelley – Seven Seas Tomoe River Paper Pad – Handwritten Stationery Review

Wonder Pens – Tomoe River Paper

Fountain Pen Geeks – Tomoe River Paper Review

The Pen Addict – Tomoe River Paper Review

Field Notes Expedition Review

October 15, 2013 by Blake

The Field Notes Expedition was not well received as the paper does not agree with many pens. The Expedition edition uses a synthetic plastic paper and cover which makes the pages and cover tear resistant and waterproof. The pages have a grey dot pattern. I haven’t used any other waterproof papers so I don’t have anything to compare it to but I really like these Field Notes .

As you can see below, this paper is not the most pen friendly. I have found that regular (non-gel) ballpoint pens and pencils work the best. Writing in the notebook feels like writing in cold butter; it is so smooth and pleasant that even the finest points feel great on this paper. I dipped the notebook in water after doing a smear test and the plastic pages were completely fine, however, most of the ink was not.

1. Zebra Arbez Piitro Ballpoint – Smeared but not affected by water

2. Field Notes Brand Bic Clic Ballpoint – No smear no issues with water

3. Pilot G-Tec-C3 Gel Pen – Smeared but not affected by water

4. Caran d’Ache Technograph HB Pencil – Lightly smudges but is comparable with regular paper

5. Uni Woodnote Gel Pen – Very slight smear but not affected by water

6. Marvy Le Pen Drawing Porous Tip Pen – Smeared and affected by water

7. Pentel Energel Rollerball – Smeared and affected by water

8. Noodler’s Konrad w/ J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir – Smeared badly, ink completely gone with water

9. Platinum Preppy Fountain Pen – Smeared badly, ink completely gone with water

10. Platinum Preppy Sign Pen – Smeared badly, ink completely gone with water

11. Stabilo Bionic Worker – Smeared badly and affected by water

12. Staedtler Triplus Fineliner – Smeared badly and affected by water

13. Morning Glory Mach 3 – Slight smearing, ink completely gone with water

14. Itoya Paperskater – Smeared badly and affected by water

15. Ohto Graphic Liner – Smeared but not affected by water

16. Sakura Pigma Micron – Smeared badly and affected by water

In addition to the Field Notes Bic Clic pen below I have found that the Pilot Down Force, Lamy Dialog 1, and the Parker Jotter all worked well on this paper.

Here are some great reviews of Expedition Field Notes:

(I have no affiliation with the sites linked below)

Pocket Philosophies – Finding the Right Pen for the Field Notes Expedition Notebook

Pencil Revolution – Field Notes Expedition Edition: Smeary?

The Well-Appointed Desk – Expectations and Expeditions, Field Notes that is.

The Pen Addict – What is the Best Pen for the Field Notes Expedition Edition

Field Notes Notebooks Review

October 14, 2014October 4, 2013 by Blake

The new Field Notes Drink Local Edition Back Cover with Coasters

As I have stated before in my Field Notes Calendar Review I didn’t like Field Notes right away because the paper was not fountain pen friendly. Not too long ago I saw a friend’s collection of limited edition Field Notes and I stopped caring so much about the paper.

Let’s talk about the paper; it’s okay, not great. I use my Field Notes with fountain pens and and there is some bleed through and very minor feathering with juicy pens. Some editions have slightly thicker paper than others but in general Field Notes do not do that well with fountain pens.

As you can see there is quite a lot of bleed through from the Montblanc and some minor spotting with both of the Auroras.

I love the Futura typeface and all of the interesting and amusing things that they print onto the covers. I also really like that they list how each Field Notes was manufactured and what materials were used. Here is the cover of the California County Fair Field Notes:

Field Notes County Fair — Practical Applications : #16: Animal Husbandry Techniques

Field Notes measure 3.5″ x 5.5″ and come with 48 pages of blank, ruled, or graph paper. There are more variations in the limited editions, for instance, the Drink Local Edition has an amber colored grid paper and the Night Sky Edition used a reticle graph paper. You can subscribe to their Colors Subscription for $97 a year and you will get 4 quarterly shipments with two three-packs of the most recent limited edition as well as two three-packs of the standard Field Notes for a total of ten three-packs per year.

This is my modest collection of Field Notes…no Butcher Blue here

There are not many collectable paper products out there and certainly none that have been executed as well as Field Notes. If you are into pens and paper Field Notes are pretty hard to resist…I am contemplating a second Colors subscription.

I usually carry at least one Field Notes in my Midori Traveler’s notebook as they are really easy to slide in an out when I don’t need all the other notebooks in my Midori.

Here are some great Field Notes reviews:

(I have no affiliation with any of the sites linked below)

A Penchant For Paper – Field Notes Memo Books

Not Enough Bits in This Byte – A Review: Field Notes vs. Moleskine

Inkophile – Field Notes Journals or Moleskine Cahiers

Pencil Revolution – Field Notes Review, Part II: The Notebook.

Stationery Review – Field Notes – Squared Memo Book

Exacompta FAF Desk Pad Review

October 3, 2013 by Blake

Exacompta is part of the Exacompta Clairefontaine Group (Rhodia, Clairefontaine, G. Lalo, J. Herbin, Quo Vadis, and others). Exacompta means “exact accounting”; the company originally made ledgers and now is more known for journals.

The Exacompta FAF (Fabriqué en France) Desk Pad is a bit of an odd item. It is a metal-backed refillable notepad with 200 perforated 60 gsm sheets that measure 4.25″ x 7.25″ (this is the medium size). I am not sure why anyone would need a refillable notepad but it looked interesting so I purchased one. Exacompta claims that it is built in a workshop built by Gustave Eiffel (the man who designed the Eiffel Tower).

The 60 gsm paper is thinner than Clairefontaine and Rhodia paper; it is also not as smooth but it holds ink well as has a faster drying time. There is virtually no bleed through. I had to try pretty hard to get the paper to bleed. I prefer the paper to both Clairefontaine and Rhodia because of how thin the paper is and how quick it dries (compared to other fountain pen friendly papers). Exacompta calls the sheets “microperforated” which seems pretty generous as they don’t make for the cleanest of tears. The notches next to the perforations are a touch I quite like. As the name implies this notepad is designed for the desk; the exposed bolts and lack of a cover don’t make the FAF all that portable.

A few negative points: 1) I don’t like the ugly Exacompta two tree logo at the top of the pad and 2) the metal back bows slightly causing the pad to feel a bit springy which is annoying. 3) The FAF costs almost $40!

I have seen lined refills for the FAF but in the US I believe they only sell the blanks (200 sheets for $8). Despite its flaws I really like the FAF Desk Pad; it has a vintage high quality look and fountain pen friendly paper.

Here is are some great reviews of the FAF Desk Pad:

(I have no affiliation to the sites linked below)

Pencil Talk – Exacompta Bloc Faf – Retro Office Excellence

Life Imitates Doodles – Review of the Exacompta FAF Pad

OfficeSupplyGeek – Exacompta FAF Pad – Retro Desk Pad

Pocket Blonde – Review: FAF Un Bloc Pad

Original Crown Mill Laid Paper Review

September 27, 2013 by Blake

I am a big fan of writing letters and thank-you notes on real paper and correspondence stock. Original Crown Mill has become quite popular in the last few years so I thought I would write a review on their laid paper correspondence pad and envelopes. The Original Crown Mill paper has been made by Pelletier & Co in Belgium since 1870.

The 50 sheet correspondence pad is glue bound at the top and does not come with a blotter sheet; you do however get a lined guide sheet to put under the paper so you can keep your writing straight. The paper is the standard A5 size (5.83″ × 8.27″) and has a 100g weight. I really like the look and feel of the paper; it is laid so you get a very attractive ribbed texture. This paper is supposedly a replica of a handmade 17th century writing paper commissioned by King Charles II.

Unfortunately this paper has quite a bit of feathering and some bleed through with the more juicy pens. If you like pens with a fine nib I think this paper will work well for you but if you like writing with a wider or wetter nib there is better paper out there.

I love the color of these orange/yellow envelopes and I wish I had bought a pad in this color. The envelopes come in packs of 25 and are lined with white paper.

Original Crown Mill also makes a cotton paper as well; the cotton paper is more expensive and doesn’t take the ink as well as the laid paper so I have not repurchased it.

Here is a great review of Original Crown Mill laid paper:

(I have no affiliation to the site linked below)

Wonder Pens – Original Crown Mill Classic Laid Writing Paper

Field Notes 18-Month Work Station Calendar Review

September 26, 2013September 24, 2013 by Blake

When I tried Field Notes journals a few years back I didn’t like them; the paper wasn’t fountain pen friendly so I gave them away and that was that. Recently, I saw a friend’s vast collection of limited edition Field Notes and realized that I couldn’t live without them. Beyond the journals I have ventured out into some of their other products which brings me to the Field Notes 18-Month Work Station Calendar.

The calendar features the same Futura Bold font as the journals and the chipboard backing has the typical sort of campy/amusing signage you expect from Field Notes. For example, it states “No maintenance or special tools required.” As the name suggests this calendar has 18 months starting November 2013 and ending with April 2015.

Field Notes 18-Month Work Station Calendar (front)

The back of the chipboard features a list of “Real Big Days” including major holidays and the dates of (random) historical events; here is a sample of the dates:

Mar 22: “Leonard ‘Chico’ Marx, hat-wearing comedian (b. 1887)”

May 1 : “1982 World’s Fair opens in Knoxville, Tennessee (1982)”

Jun 12 : “Dr. Cyclops begins filming in three-stage Technicolor (1939)”

The back also lists details about what was used in the manufacturing process.

Field Notes 18-Month Work Station Calendar (back)

The calendar itself is very simple; the only real features are moon phases and holidays. There isn’t much space to write in the date boxes so like the Field Notes journals you would buy this more for looks than for function. The Field Notes 18-Month Work Station Calendar looks great and I am excited to use it at my desk.

fieldnotesbrand.com