Great video! I too love Tomoe River paper! I also love Leuchtuurm for daily bullet journaling -- and Rhodia! My favorite cheap paper is CVS Caliber filler/notebook paper!
Thanks for a video on paper. I love Rhodia. Easily my fave. Clairefontaine is almost too smooth for my taste. I got one of Goulet's notebook samplers when I was first getting into the hobby and found it a very useful way to test out multiple types of paper.
I love this review. I love how you give us the tools to discuss and assess paper for our pens and inks i.e. “properties” of paper: tooth, smoothness/slick, bleeding, ghosting, weight, display of the ink, lines/dot/blank, etc. So very helpful. THANK YOU for your talent and discipline! ❤
I know ghosting is a problem for a lot of fountain pen users but I think it looks really cool! My handwriting slants so it looks a bit like cross hatching. Thanks for the great video! For anyone new to pens who might be hesitant to buy more expensive paper, I recommend looking for regular composition or spiral notebooks that have recycled paper with a smooth texture. I've had very good luck with this type of paper with minimal bleed through. There is some ghosting however and the notebook quality might not be very good.
Hi Kerry- another very interesting and very fair video! Thank you! My own preference, (I do a lot of writing -fiction and non-fiction, with first drafts in long-hand using a fountain pen) is for Leuchturm 1917 notebooks. I first wrote on Moleskine, which I found only fit for writing with ballpoints (ugh!) but then discovered Leuchturm about 10 years ago and have used them exclusively ever since as my main "carry around" notebooks. I go through one notebook every 3-4 months on average. Their A5 size is perfect to put in a pocket or a bag, the pages are numbered, the paper is of excellent quality. So they get my vote for the #1 slot. One excellent notebook manufacturer you did not mention are those produced by MUJI, the Japanese store selling storage boxes and clothes. They produce excellent notebooks with superb paper- not on the level of excellence of Tomoe-River, but certainly the equal of Rhodia, IMHO.
Hey, I do a lot of writing too (novels, short stories) and I was looking for recommendations of paper for fountain pens. I don't like regular paper (spiral bound notebooks that I buy at Walgreens) because it bleeds through the next page. I prefer heavier stock, with not-so-wide lines, and maybe loose pages so I can fill a notebook I have. Anything you may recommend? Thanks.
I use a dot grid Leuchtturm every day and have had no issues with bleed through (yes, I use my fountain pens - mostly fine nibs) There is some ghosting but that doesn’t bother me. I like it for the value & I think it's good paper in a good quality notebook.
I have so many different kinds of notebooks, picking a top five would be hard, but here goes anyway. I love A5 so almost all of mine are A5. The Rhodia Dotpad is pretty close to perfection for me. I love that it's inexpensive, that I can tear sheets off and the way my nibs feel gliding across that page is just about unmatched. My journal currently is a Midori MD notebook. No frills cover, but good paper that doesn't give me any issues. I like having smaller, or thinner A5 notebooks that I use for meeting notes, jotting quick notes down, writing out my ideas and I even use them for vacation journals bc they are thinner so I prefer the NockCo Dot Dash A5 notebooks and Apica CD Notebooks. I had only been able to use Tomoe in a small pocket size until recently. Now I have a full A5 and I use my pocket tomoe notebook for playing with new inks. I have a few othersI've bought but haven't used yet, including a kokuyo campus, tsubame fool's notebook (what a name) and a Mnemosyne.
For my work notebook,. I'm using the Taroko Design Enigma in A5 with their veg tanned leather cover. It's TR paper with a bit of texture and works great with fountain pens. I'm also studying for the AWS Professional certification and am using the Midori A4. I'm going through a lot of these, so got a very nice leather cover from Etsy - the maker is in Ukraine. TR paper is wonderful, but some inks dry in geologic timelines. The typical well-behaved Japanese inks like Pilot or Platinum and even Sailor are perfect for the paper.
The 68gsm Tomoe River is wonderful and doesn't have as much showthrough as the 52gsm Tomoe River. Great stuff! I'm also fond of the Leuchtturm1917. I don't think it's top tier, but it's good, and readily available. I use it when I need a notebook for something like a lecture or class where I need to hammer out notes quickly and I'm less interested in paper that can show off shading, sheen, etc. For personal stuff like a journal where the experience is important, then Tomoe River.
I agree. I have a lot of trouble trying to use 52gsm Tomoe River paper and none at all with the 68gsm. I get mine from the Taroko shop on Etsy. The A5 Enigma has about 380 pages!
I like the notebooks you recommend, and also enjoy the Midori notebooks. I see some others mentioning Black and Red, which I pick up for when I need a notebook to keep ongoing notes for a course or committee meetings--its inexpensive and works nicely. Also, it is occasionally on sale on Amazon.
My current top 5 : - Tomoe River : I love it for fountain pens, and I'm in my 3rd year with Hobonichi planners. I heard about a change in the Tomoe River manufacture. With 2021 Hobonichi I didn't notice too much change except I find it more pencil friendly while still being top fountain pen fun (fun : more than friendly) - Midori MD paper : The more time passes the more it tends to be my favorite ever. Today it's first ex-aequo with Tomoe. Several configurations available in paper tone, rulings, binding... But the paper have a consistent behaviour, it's great with fountain pens AND pencils. Light watercolor washes are possible but don't go too wild ^^) - L!fe : Lots of ruling and color choices (even with red, brown, or light green rulings/grids !). I enjoy it a lot, but beware of hand oil, it seems to be the most sensible paper for this ! - Apica (normal paper, not the premium one) : I like their thin notebooks, not too fancy, almost boring at times, but top reliability. I personnally find the premium paper less comfortable. - Clairefontaine : It's the childhood friend (if fountain pens were mandatory in your school) you know by heart and you know you can always count on, even if most of the times you want adult friends (the 4 others ^^)
Very helpful, thank you so much!! I've used many of these and like them all for different reasons. Tomoe River is Amazing of course, Lol. I enjoy the slightly off white color but most of all the way the paper feels and sounds when flipping through it- LOVE it!! I've found I don't like the super bright white of the Claire Fountaine and Rhodia sometimes, but the smoothness is fantastic and so I love them, too. Haven't actually written in a Leuchturm, but love the color of the paper and the numbered pages, etc.
My Leuchtrum ghosts like crazy in my bullet journal. It's ok but I'm not in love. I agree about the Tomoe, Rhodia, and Clairefontaine. I haven't heard of the Life Note and now have to go hunting for it. Thanks for the info.
I love Triomphe for letter writing and all my note books are Clairefontaine, although I do have a large Rhodia dot pad for projects. I loathe and despise all things Moleskine....
I tend to swear by Leuchtturm paper. I don't like Rhodia, as it's not very absorbent in my experience, and therefore the writing looks like it was done with smaller size nibs.
@Martin Mortensen...I completely agree. I thought I was the only one who felt that way. I tried Rhodia and was both baffled and disappointed at how light, thin, and dry my writing looked on the paper - compared to the Tomoe River that I almost always use and love so much. I’m no expert on paper types, but Rhodia and its ilk seem to be coated in ways that snuff the life out of inks and make my broad nibs appear like fine ones. I enjoy quality papers that are suitably absorbent too. I haven’t tried the oft-cited Leuchtturm paper yet.
For those not familiar with paper grading, it would have been helpful to state that GSM means grams per square meter. Also, it would be helpful to discuss blotter sheets and rocker blotters, which are necessary tools when using wet inks, pens, and non-absorbent paper. Blotters do not receive enough attention.
Do you use a rocker blotter? I got one as a gift after wanted it for so long! Yet, I have never been able to use it in a useful way: when I rock it, I get to dry the excess of ink on the paper, but at the expense of making a blob. So disappointed, I stopped using it.
I use Tomoe River B5 blank white loose sheets for letter writing, one side per page. Clairefontaine lined spiral notebook for Swedish language practice. A blank off-white Rhodia stapled pad for sketching and doodling. I have a Midori planner but I mainly write on one side and use stamps, stencils, stickers and photos on the other. I have a Rhodia spiral dot pad that gets used for a bit of everything, even to my grandsons try fountain pens. I’ll save their marks then stick them in my Midori journal as a visual reminder of the moments I have with them.
Tomoe River is definitely the best I've found so far. Rhodia is nice and I use it for "daily" paper, but Tomoe is a notch above, especially the 68gsm. Their 52 gsm is amazing for as thin as it is, but I get ghosting that annoys me.
My Leuchtturm paper ghosts, but it doesn't bleed and I find it smooth enough to write on. Let it be known, I do enjoy a little ghosting. Don't ask me why, I just do lol.
When drawing, much more ink is put down, sometimes over other ink. I've been happy with Strathmore 500 Multi-Media paper and hotpress watercolor paper (Arches or Fabriano). These are much thicker than those you discussed. I just bought a notebook of so-called "stone" paper that I am anxious to try out.
Paper doesn't have to be that expensive. I use 2 €/$ Muji notebooks with recycled paper, and it works as good as my Rhodias. Maybe a tiny bit scratchier but no ghosting or feathering wathsoever.
I love the 68 gsm Tomoe River Paper but can't deal with the 52 gsm! I've been buying from Taroko Designs for the last couple of years because of that. I've had a couple of Clairefontaine notebooks, one a small lined pocket-sized one with the paper you described, bright white and smooth as glass. But I also tried out a Clairefontaine Essential with graph (squared) paper and it was so yellow I gave up on that model. Another brand I really like is Black & Red. Their Optik White gives Clairefontaine's bright white paper a real challenge but I think they only make lined notebooks.
Maruman Mnemosyne is really nice and is extremely smooth. It's not brilliant white, but pleasantly off. I have gotten perfect results using their 80gsm paper with extra fine Japanese nibs. I will have to try the Tomoe River for single-sided letters. It sounds fantastic. Well done review.
For super cheap, good fountain pen paper --- Mohawk #28 smooth. A ream of 500 sheets is $16.00 which is SO CHEAP but takes fountain pen ink great and you can write on both sides. Mohawk Color Copy 98 Paper Smooth Finish 98-bright, 28 lb, 8.5 x 11 Inch, 500 Sheets/Ream - Bright White Shade (12-203) 8.5x11 Inches
Interesting comment on the impact of skin oils. Great review of your favourite papers. It would be great if next time you could list out the names in the video description, that would be really helpful. (also the best time to add affiliate links if available to you)
For me and some decades of writing with fountain pens it is Leuchtturm 100g paper (only in the A4 notebooks). The right amount of feedback, still so smooth and no bleeding, no feathering. I buy a notebook and let it cut to B5 in my local copyshop. I also like Tomoe from time to time, but most of the time it’s too smooth. Although I have to add, I love butter smooth nibs on great paper. Clairefontain for me is too smooth. Some pens don’t even write on it. Same with Rhodia. The Leuchtturm 100g gets connected with the nib and that is it.
Great video! I've used all of these papers except the Life Notebooks and they're all great. If I used fountain pens exclusively, I would go with Tomoe River paper. However, I also enjoy using mechanical pencils, so Rhodia Ice Notepads in the A5 size with grid ruling is my favorite all-around paper.
I was worried that I wouldn't like Tomoe River paper because I really don't care for ghosting but I finally gave it a chance recently and it worked out better than I was expecting and I am happy to like it and add it to my collection! I also love writing on Clairefontaine! I have a Apica notebook in my cart for my next Goulet order - curious to try that out. Im kinda over the Leuchttrums.... I actually don't mind writing in Moleskines with fountain pens - but I really find I prefer WHITE paper and no longer purchase ivory paper/notebooks...
Rhodia and Clairfontaine are the same Company now. Clairfontaine a4 pads are my go to everyday pads. I use WhSmith pads too here in UK also. Tomoe river paper in 52 and 68gsm. I make up my own pages for my filofax mini wallet /diary with 52gsm using a hole punch.
I am using a lot of Japanese "business paper" called KOKUYO (got a ream on Amazon for about $10 - so economical) and it's AMAZING. LIght weight yet it doesn't bleed through. You can see it from the other side if you hold it up to the light. I write letters on both sides - and it's very readable. This KOKUYO paper is so smooth - it makes difficult pens behave - especially calligraphy nibs that can be bitchy. This paper gives me nice sheen too. Doesn't come in notebooks that I know of -- but you could always take it to Staples or wherever and have THEM make it into notebooks. It's not lined or dotted - it's just a ream of "business" paper - whatever that means. Shhhh - don't tell KOKUYO, I don't use it for business.
I agree with all of these, but I would like to add for beginners that Caliber notebooks from CVS are pretty good and may be a cheaper start. The paper has some tooth to it. It still shades and sheens, but you can only get it in college rule.
Thank you for this. I’ve been waiting for someone to recommend a good “toothy” paper for fountain pens. Mostly everything I’ve read or heard has been described as “very smooth”
The papers that I use: (8.5 x 11); Eaton Air Mail--lightweight; Southworth Campus Bond all purpose medium weight; Southworth ivory parchment 24 lb.; Eaton Southworth acid free thesis paper 20 lb watermarked; Southworth white 100% cotton fiber 20 lb; and miscellaneous notepaper that comes with fancy no-message cards. I keep a diary in Mead 3-hole punched 80 sheet "college lined" 8.5 x 11 notebooks. The paper is fairly porous, so there is bleed-through. These notebooks also come with a grid format: 4 squares per inch on front front of the page, & 5 squares per inch on the back.
Rhoda/Clairefontaine have different types of paper. The specific paper that most people like is the 90 gsm ivory high quality vellum. That is the paper in the No 16 notepad and the Rhoda web notebooks.
thanks for the tip, about 80-100 gsm paper being best for fountain pens, as I defo was wondering about the 'gsm' number size bit, I am using fountain pens for art work, so it is defo nice to know what gsm paper to look out for
Tomoe River is my absolute fave, and looking forward to my Hippo Noto. Clairfontaine is a close second. The Midori MD paper they use in the yearly diaries is nice too. Never had any complaints with Leuchtturm and is 1000% better than Moleskin.
I use pretty much exclusively midori a5 notebooks. Found them once at 13CAD and bought a pile. Not hard to find them at 15 though. I have a dot pad and it's okay for work notes, but dots are not my favourite. Not all Rhodia paper is good for fountain pens either, I've got a rhodia notebook or two that always bleed except with a posting nib, which is saying nothing because a posting nib doesn't bleed on any paper. It's not too hard to find tomoe river paper at 18CAD for 100 a4 sheets, which you can fold into a notebook yourself. I have no idea how these companies selling half that amount of paper for two or three times as much just to fold it into a notebook get any business. Tomoe River paper is pretty nice, but it is easily damaged. All these papers have been pretty good for not aging too quickly, since I guess it's all acid free. Suitable for drawings or notes you need to keep.
Thanks for the video. There are two other (fantastic) large journals with Tomoe River paper: The Seven seas Writer 480 pages, and Seven Seas Crossfield Japan Version 384 pages, both A5 size.
Yes! That's what I have, and I love them. Use daily, and you can pack so much in those notebooks. It can get pricey to ship to Canada (essentially doubles the cost of the notebook), so I buy and have them shipped to my hotel when I travel to the US. And each notebook comes with a full sheet of blotting paper!! Mega bonus for use with fountain pens. Absolutely love.
Very timely subject. I need a new notebook for work, and am currently using a Rhodia Webbie. The Clariefontaine paper is fantastic, except I don't love how yellow the cream color of the paper is. Do you have a good recommendation for a notebook with a decent number of sheets (~100) with "whiter" paper? All of the Tomoe River notebooks I've found are extremely limited in the number of sheets which won't work for my needs. Thanks.
Seven Seas notebooks from Nanami Paper are great as well. Larger notebook, similar thickness to a hardcover Leuchtturn 1917, except 480 pages instead of 250! www.nanamipaper.com
As luck would have it, Goulet have just brought out a new 68gsm Tomoe River notebook with a decent number of pages - and it has a hardcover 😀 I think it has cream coloured paper, but would be no doubt less intense than the yellowish paper in the webbie. Goulet also have a new Quo Vadis hardcover notebook with 90gsm white paper. I think both notebooks are only available in dot grid though.
What a great video. I’m new to fountain pens. Like I’ve been doing this now for several months. For the Tomoe River paper, does anyone make a large paper notebooks (i.e., A4 or similar). I like to write mathematics out freehand [yes, for any math types I use LaTeX and I’ve even set things up in Linux with key bindings etc to enable me to typeset mathematics as fast as I can write it, even to the point that I can take notes live in LaTeX fast, but for *thinking* I prefer longhand so let’s not discuss LaTeX etc]. The only problem is that I can’t easily find notebook’s beyond the A5 journal size. I was able to find a Rodia notebook but I need *blank* pages. No ruling or grids. I was able to find loose leaf blank large Tomoe paper which fits the bill except that I’d like bound up in a notebook. I don’t love Rhodia either: it’s a little more slippery than I want. Tomoe is just right. Appreciate any thoughts. Cheers
It would have been nice if you had listed the papers/notebooks and their specs (at least a few, or links to where to get them) so some of us knew which papers you were reviewing. Just a thought for future videos. Thank you.
My first Rhodia notebook was really great. I loved the coated paper - no bleeding and almost no ghosting with my fountain pens. But the second one was the exact opposite - just a waste of money! Even my fountain pens with an extra fine nib bleeded through the paper. I guess they have issues with their quality control. So I stay with Leuchtturm 1917.
I’m looking for an EF Nib friendly paper, I tried rhodia and found both my pelikan ef and Leonardo ef are very scratchy, sticky and laggy which I don’t like.
What’s the best Christmas cards fountain pens? It’s hard to know if the inside finish is gloss or matt; gloss obviously useless. Is there a way of looking at signs or symbols on the back of a cellophane wrapped greetings card that indicates it’s good for a fountain pen and non-oil based ink?
Lloydstrom? Is that your honorable mention? It would be nice if you would include the name of all the papers you mentioned I can't find lloydstrom paper or notebook anywhere.
Have you tried Mitsubishi bank paper? I saw a review where sharpie doesn't bleed through it! I am reviewing papers again because the new Tomoe River paper isn't quite as good, so I'm curious about the Musubi journal with bank paper.
I mostly use Tomoe river paper (I have a bunch of Hippo Noto books). Have you tried Apica paper? It is much cheaper than all the others and is great for everyday use.
Hi! Love your paper comparisons. Could you please tell me the difference between Rhodia high grade vellum paper and Rhodia high gloss vellum paper? Or, is it the same thing? I've seen these both for sale on a couple websites... as in, this description is printed on the back of the notebook along with dimensions and gsm. Thank you! :)
I know everyone loves Rhodia...But, I have quite a few pens that refuse to write on Rhodia...??? Anywho, I use some regular legal pads that seem to be FP friendly..
I guess drawing with ink would be very different from just writing. I’ve ruined several drawings from ink bleed through. What’s expensive is time spent or lost.
I prefer white over cream but it shouldn’t have any impact on performance. I have a life branded cover but I don’t use it anymore. I don’t really like the travelers notebook 😲 it’s too narrow
PS- I've found I Really enjoy the Stalogy notebooks and my fountain pens do pretty well in them. And I'm partial to square grid, so that's a plus, haha!! 🌷
I do love my leuchtturm, however I have to say with a wetter medium nib with basically any J.Herbin ink will feather and bleed... And honestly, I think we all would choose the tomoe river
Great video! I too love Tomoe River paper! I also love Leuchtuurm for daily bullet journaling -- and Rhodia! My favorite cheap paper is CVS Caliber filler/notebook paper!
Thanks for a video on paper. I love Rhodia. Easily my fave. Clairefontaine is almost too smooth for my taste. I got one of Goulet's notebook samplers when I was first getting into the hobby and found it a very useful way to test out multiple types of paper.
I love this review. I love how you give us the tools to discuss and assess paper for our pens and inks i.e. “properties” of paper: tooth, smoothness/slick, bleeding, ghosting, weight, display of the ink, lines/dot/blank, etc. So very helpful. THANK YOU for your talent and discipline! ❤
I know ghosting is a problem for a lot of fountain pen users but I think it looks really cool! My handwriting slants so it looks a bit like cross hatching. Thanks for the great video!
For anyone new to pens who might be hesitant to buy more expensive paper, I recommend looking for regular composition or spiral notebooks that have recycled paper with a smooth texture. I've had very good luck with this type of paper with minimal bleed through. There is some ghosting however and the notebook quality might not be very good.
Hi Kerry- another very interesting and very fair video! Thank you!
My own preference, (I do a lot of writing -fiction and non-fiction, with first drafts in long-hand using a fountain pen) is for Leuchturm 1917 notebooks. I first wrote on Moleskine, which I found only fit for writing with ballpoints (ugh!) but then discovered Leuchturm about 10 years ago and have used them exclusively ever since as my main "carry around" notebooks. I go through one notebook every 3-4 months on average. Their A5 size is perfect to put in a pocket or a bag, the pages are numbered, the paper is of excellent quality. So they get my vote for the #1 slot.
One excellent notebook manufacturer you did not mention are those produced by MUJI, the Japanese store selling storage boxes and clothes. They produce excellent notebooks with superb paper- not on the level of excellence of Tomoe-River, but certainly the equal of Rhodia, IMHO.
Hey, I do a lot of writing too (novels, short stories) and I was looking for recommendations of paper for fountain pens. I don't like regular paper (spiral bound notebooks that I buy at Walgreens) because it bleeds through the next page. I prefer heavier stock, with not-so-wide lines, and maybe loose pages so I can fill a notebook I have. Anything you may recommend? Thanks.
I use a dot grid Leuchtturm every day and have had no issues with bleed through (yes, I use my fountain pens - mostly fine nibs) There is some ghosting but that doesn’t bother me. I like it for the value & I think it's good paper in a good quality notebook.
I have so many different kinds of notebooks, picking a top five would be hard, but here goes anyway. I love A5 so almost all of mine are A5. The Rhodia Dotpad is pretty close to perfection for me. I love that it's inexpensive, that I can tear sheets off and the way my nibs feel gliding across that page is just about unmatched. My journal currently is a Midori MD notebook. No frills cover, but good paper that doesn't give me any issues. I like having smaller, or thinner A5 notebooks that I use for meeting notes, jotting quick notes down, writing out my ideas and I even use them for vacation journals bc they are thinner so I prefer the NockCo Dot Dash A5 notebooks and Apica CD Notebooks. I had only been able to use Tomoe in a small pocket size until recently. Now I have a full A5 and I use my pocket tomoe notebook for playing with new inks. I have a few othersI've bought but haven't used yet, including a kokuyo campus, tsubame fool's notebook (what a name) and a Mnemosyne.
Apica CDs are so underrated
For my work notebook,. I'm using the Taroko Design Enigma in A5 with their veg tanned leather cover. It's TR paper with a bit of texture and works great with fountain pens. I'm also studying for the AWS Professional certification and am using the Midori A4. I'm going through a lot of these, so got a very nice leather cover from Etsy - the maker is in Ukraine. TR paper is wonderful, but some inks dry in geologic timelines. The typical well-behaved Japanese inks like Pilot or Platinum and even Sailor are perfect for the paper.
Clairfontaine owns Rhodia so the paper is very similar quality wise, just different styles of notebooks.
I did not know that! Thanks
I thought so- cool!
The 68gsm Tomoe River is wonderful and doesn't have as much showthrough as the 52gsm Tomoe River. Great stuff!
I'm also fond of the Leuchtturm1917. I don't think it's top tier, but it's good, and readily available. I use it when I need a notebook for something like a lecture or class where I need to hammer out notes quickly and I'm less interested in paper that can show off shading, sheen, etc. For personal stuff like a journal where the experience is important, then Tomoe River.
I agree. I have a lot of trouble trying to use 52gsm Tomoe River paper and none at all with the 68gsm. I get mine from the Taroko shop on Etsy. The A5 Enigma has about 380 pages!
Thanks 😊 i was trying to decide between the 2 yesterday. I’ll write in to change my order! Hopefully I’m not too late
I like the notebooks you recommend, and also enjoy the Midori notebooks. I see some others mentioning Black and Red, which I pick up for when I need a notebook to keep ongoing notes for a course or committee meetings--its inexpensive and works nicely. Also, it is occasionally on sale on Amazon.
I like Tomoe River paper, but I prefer the cream color version. I also enjoy the rarely mentioned Rhodia “Color” notebooks with cream colored paper.
My current top 5 :
- Tomoe River : I love it for fountain pens, and I'm in my 3rd year with Hobonichi planners. I heard about a change in the Tomoe River manufacture. With 2021 Hobonichi I didn't notice too much change except I find it more pencil friendly while still being top fountain pen fun (fun : more than friendly)
- Midori MD paper : The more time passes the more it tends to be my favorite ever. Today it's first ex-aequo with Tomoe. Several configurations available in paper tone, rulings, binding... But the paper have a consistent behaviour, it's great with fountain pens AND pencils. Light watercolor washes are possible but don't go too wild ^^)
- L!fe : Lots of ruling and color choices (even with red, brown, or light green rulings/grids !). I enjoy it a lot, but beware of hand oil, it seems to be the most sensible paper for this !
- Apica (normal paper, not the premium one) : I like their thin notebooks, not too fancy, almost boring at times, but top reliability. I personnally find the premium paper less comfortable.
- Clairefontaine : It's the childhood friend (if fountain pens were mandatory in your school) you know by heart and you know you can always count on, even if most of the times you want adult friends (the 4 others ^^)
Very helpful, thank you so much!! I've used many of these and like them all for different reasons. Tomoe River is Amazing of course, Lol. I enjoy the slightly off white color but most of all the way the paper feels and sounds when flipping through it- LOVE it!! I've found I don't like the super bright white of the Claire Fountaine and Rhodia sometimes, but the smoothness is fantastic and so I love them, too. Haven't actually written in a Leuchturm, but love the color of the paper and the numbered pages, etc.
My Leuchtrum ghosts like crazy in my bullet journal. It's ok but I'm not in love. I agree about the Tomoe, Rhodia, and Clairefontaine. I haven't heard of the Life Note and now have to go hunting for it. Thanks for the info.
My favourite is basic Silvine school notebook. It’s cheap, paper is not smooth but there is no bleed through or feathering.
I love Triomphe for letter writing and all my note books are Clairefontaine, although I do have a large Rhodia dot pad for projects. I loathe and despise all things Moleskine....
Triomphe is my go-to for letters also. Clairefontaine is just amazing. I love their A4 French ruled spiral notebooks for general use.
Jack Nemo right on.
Don’t hate on Moleskine!
I tend to swear by Leuchtturm paper. I don't like Rhodia, as it's not very absorbent in my experience, and therefore the writing looks like it was done with smaller size nibs.
@Martin Mortensen...I completely agree. I thought I was the only one who felt that way. I tried Rhodia and was both baffled and disappointed at how light, thin, and dry my writing looked on the paper - compared to the Tomoe River that I almost always use and love so much. I’m no expert on paper types, but Rhodia and its ilk seem to be coated in ways that snuff the life out of inks and make my broad nibs appear like fine ones. I enjoy quality papers that are suitably absorbent too. I haven’t tried the oft-cited Leuchtturm paper yet.
Wait you use Freebsd? I love that os?
For those not familiar with paper grading, it would have been helpful to state that GSM means grams per square meter.
Also, it would be helpful to discuss blotter sheets and rocker blotters, which are necessary tools when using wet inks, pens, and non-absorbent paper. Blotters do not receive enough attention.
Do you use a rocker blotter? I got one as a gift after wanted it for so long! Yet, I have never been able to use it in a useful way: when I rock it, I get to dry the excess of ink on the paper, but at the expense of making a blob. So disappointed, I stopped using it.
Love all the context you provide in your reviews. Very detailed 👍
I use Tomoe River B5 blank white loose sheets for letter writing, one side per page. Clairefontaine lined spiral notebook for Swedish language practice. A blank off-white Rhodia stapled pad for sketching and doodling. I have a Midori planner but I mainly write on one side and use stamps, stencils, stickers and photos on the other. I have a Rhodia spiral dot pad that gets used for a bit of everything, even to my grandsons try fountain pens. I’ll save their marks then stick them in my Midori journal as a visual reminder of the moments I have with them.
This was very informative and helpful. Love Tomoe River paper.
Tomoe River is definitely the best I've found so far. Rhodia is nice and I use it for "daily" paper, but Tomoe is a notch above, especially the 68gsm. Their 52 gsm is amazing for as thin as it is, but I get ghosting that annoys me.
Great video! I have not used yet Leuchturm paper, but I'd say my top 5 papers is your first 3 papers with tomoe river being 1st, 2nd and 3rd. :3
My Leuchtturm paper ghosts, but it doesn't bleed and I find it smooth enough to write on. Let it be known, I do enjoy a little ghosting. Don't ask me why, I just do lol.
Very interesting!
When drawing, much more ink is put down, sometimes over other ink. I've been happy with Strathmore 500 Multi-Media paper and hotpress watercolor paper (Arches or Fabriano). These are much thicker than those you discussed.
I just bought a notebook of so-called "stone" paper that I am anxious to try out.
THANKS A LOT! I appreciate your comments.
Paper doesn't have to be that expensive. I use 2 €/$ Muji notebooks with recycled paper, and it works as good as my Rhodias. Maybe a tiny bit scratchier but no ghosting or feathering wathsoever.
Exactly
My favorite papers are TomoeRiver, and Claierfontain Triomph for my fountain pens I write with.
I love the 68 gsm Tomoe River Paper but can't deal with the 52 gsm! I've been buying from Taroko Designs for the last couple of years because of that. I've had a couple of Clairefontaine notebooks, one a small lined pocket-sized one with the paper you described, bright white and smooth as glass. But I also tried out a Clairefontaine Essential with graph (squared) paper and it was so yellow I gave up on that model. Another brand I really like is Black & Red. Their Optik White gives Clairefontaine's bright white paper a real challenge but I think they only make lined notebooks.
Maruman Mnemosyne is really nice and is extremely smooth. It's not brilliant white, but pleasantly off. I have gotten perfect results using their 80gsm paper with extra fine Japanese nibs. I will have to try the Tomoe River for single-sided letters. It sounds fantastic. Well done review.
For super cheap, good fountain pen paper --- Mohawk #28 smooth. A ream of 500 sheets is $16.00 which is SO CHEAP but takes fountain pen ink great and you can write on both sides. Mohawk Color Copy 98 Paper Smooth Finish 98-bright, 28 lb, 8.5 x 11 Inch, 500 Sheets/Ream - Bright White Shade (12-203) 8.5x11 Inches
i love lauechterm. i dont like super slick paper for work as ink dries very slow then. their 100 gsm paper can handle bold nibs.
Interesting comment on the impact of skin oils. Great review of your favourite papers. It would be great if next time you could list out the names in the video description, that would be really helpful. (also the best time to add affiliate links if available to you)
For me and some decades of writing with fountain pens it is Leuchtturm 100g paper (only in the A4 notebooks). The right amount of feedback, still so smooth and no bleeding, no feathering.
I buy a notebook and let it cut to B5 in my local copyshop.
I also like Tomoe from time to time, but most of the time it’s too smooth. Although I have to add, I love butter smooth nibs on great paper.
Clairefontain for me is too smooth. Some pens don’t even write on it. Same with Rhodia. The Leuchtturm 100g gets connected with the nib and that is it.
Great video! I've used all of these papers except the Life Notebooks and they're all great. If I used fountain pens exclusively, I would go with Tomoe River paper. However, I also enjoy using mechanical pencils, so Rhodia Ice Notepads in the A5 size with grid ruling is my favorite all-around paper.
I was worried that I wouldn't like Tomoe River paper because I really don't care for ghosting but I finally gave it a chance recently and it worked out better than I was expecting and I am happy to like it and add it to my collection!
I also love writing on Clairefontaine!
I have a Apica notebook in my cart for my next Goulet order - curious to try that out.
Im kinda over the Leuchttrums.... I actually don't mind writing in Moleskines with fountain pens - but I really find I prefer WHITE paper and no longer purchase ivory paper/notebooks...
Rhodia and Clairfontaine are the same Company now. Clairfontaine a4 pads are my go to everyday pads.
I use WhSmith pads too here in UK also.
Tomoe river paper in 52 and 68gsm. I make up my own pages for my filofax mini wallet /diary with 52gsm using a hole punch.
I am using a lot of Japanese "business paper" called KOKUYO (got a ream on Amazon for about $10 - so economical) and it's AMAZING. LIght weight yet it doesn't bleed through. You can see it from the other side if you hold it up to the light. I write letters on both sides - and it's very readable. This KOKUYO paper is so smooth - it makes difficult pens behave - especially calligraphy nibs that can be bitchy. This paper gives me nice sheen too. Doesn't come in notebooks that I know of -- but you could always take it to Staples or wherever and have THEM make it into notebooks. It's not lined or dotted - it's just a ream of "business" paper - whatever that means. Shhhh - don't tell KOKUYO, I don't use it for business.
Thank you for this recommendation, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for!
I like the leuchtturm paper. Now and then, I prefer the toothiness.
I agree with all of these, but I would like to add for beginners that Caliber notebooks from CVS are pretty good and may be a cheaper start. The paper has some tooth to it. It still shades and sheens, but you can only get it in college rule.
Thank you for this. I’ve been waiting for someone to recommend a good “toothy” paper for fountain pens. Mostly everything I’ve read or heard has been described as “very smooth”
@@sjsheffield2238 In that case check out the Midori MD notebooks, too.
The papers that I use: (8.5 x 11); Eaton Air Mail--lightweight; Southworth Campus Bond all purpose medium weight; Southworth ivory parchment 24 lb.; Eaton Southworth acid free thesis paper 20 lb watermarked; Southworth white 100% cotton fiber 20 lb; and miscellaneous notepaper that comes with fancy no-message cards. I keep a diary in Mead 3-hole punched 80 sheet "college lined" 8.5 x 11 notebooks. The paper is fairly porous, so there is bleed-through. These notebooks also come with a grid format: 4 squares per inch on front front of the page, & 5 squares per inch on the back.
Rhoda/Clairefontaine have different types of paper. The specific paper that most people like is the 90 gsm ivory high quality vellum. That is the paper in the No 16 notepad and the Rhoda web notebooks.
TL;DW
1. Clairefontaine
2. Rhodia
3. Tomoe River
4. Life noble note
5. Leuchtturm1917
Great review.
Thanks for the information
thanks for the tip, about 80-100 gsm paper being best for fountain pens, as I defo was wondering about the 'gsm' number size bit, I am using fountain pens for art work, so it is defo nice to know what gsm paper to look out for
Tomoe River is my absolute fave, and looking forward to my Hippo Noto. Clairfontaine is a close second. The Midori MD paper they use in the yearly diaries is nice too. Never had any complaints with Leuchtturm and is 1000% better than Moleskin.
Thanks Kerry, this is very useful!
I use pretty much exclusively midori a5 notebooks. Found them once at 13CAD and bought a pile. Not hard to find them at 15 though. I have a dot pad and it's okay for work notes, but dots are not my favourite. Not all Rhodia paper is good for fountain pens either, I've got a rhodia notebook or two that always bleed except with a posting nib, which is saying nothing because a posting nib doesn't bleed on any paper. It's not too hard to find tomoe river paper at 18CAD for 100 a4 sheets, which you can fold into a notebook yourself. I have no idea how these companies selling half that amount of paper for two or three times as much just to fold it into a notebook get any business. Tomoe River paper is pretty nice, but it is easily damaged. All these papers have been pretty good for not aging too quickly, since I guess it's all acid free. Suitable for drawings or notes you need to keep.
I use Wordsworth & Bläck journals. Seven bucks, from Amazon.
- Five colours
- 128 pages
- 120 gsm
- Blank, lined, or dotted
I just wished Fountain Pen UA-camrs would tell us , which 3.5 " x 5.5 " Notebook is best for fountain pen / Ink
Thanks for the video. There are two other (fantastic) large journals with Tomoe River paper: The Seven seas Writer 480 pages, and Seven Seas Crossfield Japan Version 384 pages, both A5 size.
Yes! That's what I have, and I love them. Use daily, and you can pack so much in those notebooks. It can get pricey to ship to Canada (essentially doubles the cost of the notebook), so I buy and have them shipped to my hotel when I travel to the US.
And each notebook comes with a full sheet of blotting paper!! Mega bonus for use with fountain pens.
Absolutely love.
If only Nanami would offer 68 gsm paper, I would definitely give these a try. Until then, am more than happy with my Enigmas.
Very timely subject. I need a new notebook for work, and am currently using a Rhodia Webbie. The Clariefontaine paper is fantastic, except I don't love how yellow the cream color of the paper is. Do you have a good recommendation for a notebook with a decent number of sheets (~100) with "whiter" paper? All of the Tomoe River notebooks I've found are extremely limited in the number of sheets which won't work for my needs. Thanks.
Try Taroko's Enigma and Breeze notebooks..
The hippo noto is also very large and is all tomoe. It might take you a bit to get it though, I’m not sure if they’re through the Kickstarter rush
Seven Seas notebooks from Nanami Paper are great as well. Larger notebook, similar thickness to a hardcover Leuchtturn 1917, except 480 pages instead of 250! www.nanamipaper.com
As luck would have it, Goulet have just brought out a new 68gsm Tomoe River notebook with a decent number of pages - and it has a hardcover 😀 I think it has cream coloured paper, but would be no doubt less intense than the yellowish paper in the webbie. Goulet also have a new Quo Vadis hardcover notebook with 90gsm white paper. I think both notebooks are only available in dot grid though.
What a great video. I’m new to fountain pens. Like I’ve been doing this now for several months. For the Tomoe River paper, does anyone make a large paper notebooks (i.e., A4 or similar). I like to write mathematics out freehand [yes, for any math types I use LaTeX and I’ve even set things up in Linux with key bindings etc to enable me to typeset mathematics as fast as I can write it, even to the point that I can take notes live in LaTeX fast, but for *thinking* I prefer longhand so let’s not discuss LaTeX etc]. The only problem is that I can’t easily find notebook’s beyond the A5 journal size. I was able to find a Rodia notebook but I need *blank* pages. No ruling or grids. I was able to find loose leaf blank large Tomoe paper which fits the bill except that I’d like bound up in a notebook. I don’t love Rhodia either: it’s a little more slippery than I want. Tomoe is just right. Appreciate any thoughts. Cheers
Galen Leather makes B5 (composition) in both 128x3 and 400. Personally this is my favorite size although I haven't tried theirs, I use Danika58 CAL
Best ever review of papers. 👏
Thank you. Would you please do a review of Yamamoto testing (fountain pen friendly) papers please?
When you said what’s up everybody it reminded me of peter McKinnon haha
Lol people have told me that, it must be a canadian thing hahaha I started doing that before I knew who PM was. He definitely does it better!
I wish Tomoe River were available in still more formats. I'd like to see an A5 and A4 pad eg, rather than loose leaf.
They are available in A4 and A5 pads!
It would have been nice if you had listed the papers/notebooks and their specs (at least a few, or links to where to get them) so some of us knew which papers you were reviewing. Just a thought for future videos. Thank you.
Long live "Tomoe River" paper and its successor.
My first Rhodia notebook was really great. I loved the coated paper - no bleeding and almost no ghosting with my fountain pens. But the second one was the exact opposite - just a waste of money! Even my fountain pens with an extra fine nib bleeded through the paper. I guess they have issues with their quality control. So I stay with Leuchtturm 1917.
Great video! Very informative
I’m looking for an EF Nib friendly paper, I tried rhodia and found both my pelikan ef and Leonardo ef are very scratchy, sticky and laggy which I don’t like.
No MD Paper?! Why? BTW, I love the Life products. Kudos for adding them.
I’m just starting to use it so I didn’t want to talk about something I haven’t fully tested yet 👌🏼
@@PensandTea Please consider a review after a while then. I would also appreciate a clip on some work-appropriate inks. :-)
Thank you for your great vids , well, I am a year later.. 😂but ok, still very informative well done !!!
What’s the best Christmas cards fountain pens? It’s hard to know if the inside finish is gloss or matt; gloss obviously useless.
Is there a way of looking at signs or symbols on the back of a cellophane wrapped greetings card that indicates it’s good for a fountain pen and non-oil based ink?
Lloydstrom? Is that your honorable mention? It would be nice if you would include the name of all the papers you mentioned I can't find lloydstrom paper or notebook anywhere.
Have you tried Mitsubishi bank paper? I saw a review where sharpie doesn't bleed through it! I am reviewing papers again because the new Tomoe River paper isn't quite as good, so I'm curious about the Musubi journal with bank paper.
Which pen I used for leather journal
I mostly use Tomoe river paper (I have a bunch of Hippo Noto books). Have you tried Apica paper? It is much cheaper than all the others and is great for everyday use.
My thoughts too
Thanks for the video!
It's so difficult to find anyone of this notebooks here on Brazil 😭 Rhodia it's really expensive around here
I feel that a lot in Canada too
I like the Clairefontaine cover but I can't find it in stationery stores. Was it a Goulet exclusive?
Where can I purchase the Tomoe River one? I search online and didn't find it. Do they have a website?
Hi! Love your paper comparisons. Could you please tell me the difference between Rhodia high grade vellum paper and Rhodia high gloss vellum paper? Or, is it the same thing? I've seen these both for sale on a couple websites... as in, this description is printed on the back of the notebook along with dimensions and gsm. Thank you! :)
I know everyone loves Rhodia...But, I have quite a few pens that refuse to write on Rhodia...??? Anywho, I use some regular legal pads that seem to be FP friendly..
Italix, Platinum and a few others.
I’ve never experienced that 😲
I'm looking for 8.5x11 in spiral bound format, but can't find any with decent paper. Ideas?
Great video!!! Do you know good loose leaf paper for pens?
Thank you!
What do you think of black n red brand?
Can you share the spelling of the brand of the honorable mention journal? I have tried searching for it but can’t find it.
leuchtturm1917 👍🏻
Leuchtterm is awesome. I think people may confuse their notebooks with Moleskin which is terrible for FP work.
Most Midori notebooks are not TR paper. I think that may have been a misspeak?
I guess drawing with ink would be very different from just writing. I’ve ruined several drawings from ink bleed through. What’s expensive is time spent or lost.
Charles Jacques for drawing buy Bristol paper
I seen this this brand on eBay pretty cheap like $10.00 it’s called “EMAZNE” and is an A5 size. Is that fountain pen friendly?
Leuchsturm is more expensive than both Rhodia and Clairefontaine.
what kind of paper is 195 mnemosyne?
What about the color of the paper? Pure white vs an ivory? Also, do you use a cover for any of your notebooks? Do you use a travelers notebook?
She mentioned travellers notebook around 9.41 mark
I prefer white over cream but it shouldn’t have any impact on performance. I have a life branded cover but I don’t use it anymore. I don’t really like the travelers notebook 😲 it’s too narrow
The paper is good, I just don’t like the format
Try dingbats 100gsm notebook. Its a pretty good notebook at about 19.95 for a5 and comes from responsibly managed forests.
My list:
1) Rhodia R
2) Rhodia R
3) Rhodia R
4) Rhodia R
5) Rhodia R
Just sayin! :)
Dr Joseph M Vitolo you should try Rhodia
MUJI is just fantastic!
very nice
I like when she uses fountain pen😉
PS- I've found I Really enjoy the Stalogy notebooks and my fountain pens do pretty well in them. And I'm partial to square grid, so that's a plus, haha!! 🌷
could you do a cursive or handwriting video
I’ll add it to my list!
Kerry, I really love your videos, I watch them all the time and I’ve learned a lot from you. But please stop sniffing all the time!
A ballpoint is for easy functional writing. A fountain pen is for style.
I do love my leuchtturm, however I have to say with a wetter medium nib with basically any J.Herbin ink will feather and bleed...
And honestly, I think we all would choose the tomoe river
Does Milady have a sniffle?
Perpetually lol it’s allergy season 🤦🏼♀️
Hoperfully this doesn't sound like heresy: Have you got any suggestions on nice paper for a ball pen for writing letters?
I can't stand Tomoe because of the lack of weight and thickness. Midori and Clairefontaine are the top choices for me.