California Pen Show Workshop Recap: Paper for Everyday Writing

February 20, 2024

Many thanks to everyone who came out to see me at the 2024 California Pen Show! We had a great turnout at the “Stationery for Everyday Writing” Workshops on Friday and Saturday, and since I’ve had a couple requests for the names of the paper samples we discussed, I thought I would post them. Just a reminder that the promotional code distributed to workshop attendees (and Patreon members) is valid through February 29, 2024 (end of the month). If you attended the seminar and lost the code or need the details of the promotional offer, please contact me and I will send them to you.

Four of My Favorite Papers for Everyday Writing

Write Notepads Paper. Relatively inexpensive, absorbent, and available in a wide variety of formats and rulings, Write Notepads paper is among my favorite for everyday writing and notetaking.
Midori MD Paper. Another excellent Japanese paper that’s cost-effective enough to be used everyday. I especially enjoy their writing pads, which can be used vertically and horizontally (“landscape mode”). MD Paper is used in standard Traveler’s Company refills, and if you’re looking for something slightly more absorbent, you should try the MD Cotton version.
Clairefontaine French-Ruled Looseleaf Paper. The multi-lined paper handed out at the workshop was Clairefontaine French-ruled (or “Seyes-ruled”) looseleaf paper in the A4 format. Clairefontaine is often most people’s first experience with fountain-pen friendly paper, and while it’s slower to dry than the other options listed here, it’s also less expensive and more widely available.
Tomoe River 68gsm Paper. While the long-term availability of this paper is subject to debate, given recent manufacturing changes, it continues to be available from some sources (including the Lochby refills that we sell). 68gsm Tomoe River Paper is still quite thin, though a bit thicker and slightly more absorbent than the lighter-weight 52gsm version so it dries quicker.

For additional fountain pen friendly paper recommendations, check out our post titled “Hierarchies of Fountain Pen Friendly Paper,” which will walk you through these options and more.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized reseller of the brands we sell, and is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

New Arrivals: More Midori! MD Soft Color A5 Writing Pads

July 18, 2023

More new arrivals from Midori! This week we receive a shipment of A5 Soft Color writing pads featuring 60 sheets of dot grid paper in the same colors as the popular Soft Color A5 soft cover notebooks. As you know, I really enjoy mixing things up by using fountain pen friendly paper in colors other than white, especially blues and greys. If this is something that interests you, we also offer G. Lalo laid writing paper and are actively working to bring in more!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Midori. Please visit the T.G.S. Curated Shop for the full range of fountain pen friendly paper and notebooks.

Write Notepads Landscape Notebook in Plum

Paper Review: The Write Notepads Landscape Notebook As a Drafting Workhorse

June 7, 2023

The response to last month's review of the Cortex Brand Sidekick Notepad was overwhelmingly positive - there's apparently much interest in this sort of practical “workhorse” stationery product - so I thought it might make sense to dive further into the landscape notebook/desk pad category. Today I'll be discussing the Write Notepads Landscape Notebook, a long-time favorite of mine which plays a similar, yet distinct, role in my personal workflow.

Write Notepads Landscape Notebook Ruling

Baltimore, Maryland-based Write Notepads is an independent print shop that makes a full line of spiral notebooks, writing pads, and pocket notebooks in both standard and limited editions. Back in 2020, when I launched the shop, they were one of the first to believe in my idea enough to allow me to carry their products, for which I'm grateful. The main reason I continue to carry the brand, however, is their commitment to quality, and maybe a little bit of ensuring that I personally have ongoing access to certain of the items in their lineup. (Disclaimer: As mentioned, we sell certain of the Write Notepads products directly in our shop. I don't think this affects my opinion of what has long been regarded as a good standard notebook by the community at large, but transparency is important.)

Write Notepads Cover and Backing Chipboard — Write Notepads spiral notebooks all feature a fairly durable kraft paper cover and a thick chipboard backing, bound together with a durable double spiral binding.

I enjoyed reviewing the Sidekick Notepad, and the more structured layout of that pad has found its place in my workflow. Certain types of writing that I do, however, requires unformatted paper, and I can burn through a LOT of it quickly. Take yesterday, for example. I spent much of the day on Zoom calls and/or reviewing e-mails in order to collect input from a dozen different people on a project, while simultaneously processing my thoughts into a longer-form outline that will eventually make it's way into a 50-page memorandum. Since I almost always do my first draft of anything by hand, I had a landscape-style notebook (the one pictured here) beneath my keyboard and essentially took notes in "draft" form as I went back and forth in conversation. By the end of the day I had filled four or five pages, with more looseleaf notes taken on a Baron Fig Mastermind pad.

Write Notepads Landscape Notebook Writing Sample — Obviously I can’t show you the actual writing I do in my day job, but it’s nice to be able to write a continuous line horizontally across the page in this format.

Why this personal anecdote? To illustrate why and how I take use case into context whenever I discuss a product, offer a recommendation, and/or make choices for my own setup. For example, in my review of the Sidekick, I noted that it might not be a cost-effective option for "those who burn through 5+ sheets of paper on a daily basis, or who only use desk pads for taking lots of notes and drafting documents." Essentially I was talking about myself and a subset of the T.G.S. readership that I know maintain similar working habits. While none of the paper I use is inexpensive, in order to afford my preferences I do try to keep an eye on the overall cost of the paper I use for certain specific writing-intensive projects, and lately I've even tried to move some of my longhand work to an e-ink tablet (more on that later).

I’ve had very good luck using Write Notepads paper successfully with broad nibs and stubs, even combined with very wet inks.

Given the type of writing that I do, Write Notepads is one of several brands that strikes a balance between paper quality and cost. The paper works well with fountain pens, and is absorbent enough to dry relatively quickly when I'm writing quick notes at work and need to flip the page. The sturdy chipboard covers hold up in a bag, and will last a long time in storage if I need to maintain work notes long-term. Are these notebooks perfect? No. For one thing, I REALLY wish the pages were perforated, and I'd probably be willing to pay a few bucks extra per notebook for that feature. The Landscape Notebook would - in my opinion - be perfectly sized if it were a half-inch shorter to allow for a better fit beneath the keyboard. But no "perfect" product exists - this hobby wouldn't be fun if it did, right? - and that's why I'll likely already have a rotating stable of different pens, pads, and notebooks to collectively get me through my work week.

Write Notepads Writing Sample Reverse — Despite the absorbency, there is no bleedthrough and very little, if any, show-through on the paper.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Certain products are great because they're just solid, well-executed examples of what they are, and while not inexpensive, cost-effective enough to allow you to use them in larger quantities without feeling too guilty or extravagant. I've long loved the vintage aesthetic of the Write Notepads spiral notebooks, and whether I'm working with fountain pen, ballpoint, or pencil, the paper remains a staple of my workday.

Write Notepads Color Selection — Color selection continues to expand. Arctic Blue is my personal favorite, followed by Pistachio.

We sell most of the entire Write Notepads lineup directly, via our online shop, at pen shows we visit, and for local pickup in the greater Nashville, Tennessee area. The Landscape Notebook is priced at $20 for a 120-page notebook (writing front and back) and available in several different colors, including Black, Pistachio, Plum, Arctic Blue, and Forest. (While technically sold only in a lined ruling, if you prefer dot grid paper, you can achieve the same landscape effect by taking a Write Notepads Dot Grid Spiral Notebook and turning it sideways.) Those who prefer more structure to the notebook they have sitting under their keyboard may want to look at the Weekly Planner layout, which also features the spiral binding on the side, not the top.

In the Shop: Midori MD Cotton and Other Fountain Pen Friendly Papers

April 19, 2022

Japanese stationery company Midori makes so many different types of paper that it’s easy to lose track of them, especially some of the harder-to-find papers that don’t get as much attention. Case in point - Midori MD paper is quite popular on its own, and is used in everything from the classic Midori MD notebooks to the standard Traveler’s Notebook refills, but the MD Cotton paper tends to be sadly neglected.

Graphite Pencils on Midori MD Cotton — The slightly textured cotton paper is also excellent for pencils, especially darker graphites!

Why Midori MD Cotton? For starters, the paper has more of a white tone, as opposed to the standard cream MD, which some enjoy because they feel white paper shows off ink better. Personally, I love the A4 writing pad because you can tear off the sheets and use them in a typewriter. Cotton paper is strong and holds up well, with little bleed-through on most of my machines.

B-Sides and Rarities Letter Pad — The Traveler’s Company “Letter Pad” features Midori’s lined “letter-style” ruling on the front, and grid on the reverse.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop carries Midori MD Cotton paper in several formats, including the standard A4 and A5 writing pads, the “F” sized notebooks, and the Traveler’s Company “Letter Pads” from the B-Sides and Rarities collection. At one point, Midori made MD Cotton notebooks in standard A5, B6, etc., and I’m hoping they eventually bring them back! For more information on Midori Paper, and a wide range of other fountain pen friendly papers stocked in our shop (and elsewhere, with our friends), check out this post on fountain pen friendly paper recommendations.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of Midori and all other brands we stock.

Midori MD Cotton Paper is one of my favorite all-purpose options, including for letter writing.

Shop Update: Paper for Letter Writing

March 22, 2022

Even though I failed to get my act together in time to participate in NaNoWriMo last month, I’ve tried to do better with my letter writing, especially now that I have access to a ready stream of paper that’s more appropriate for casual letter writing. I’ve never been one for dedicated “stationery sets,” other than correspondence cards that people have sent me over the years, preferring to rely on standard writing pads that offer more writing space. (Hey, when I do write letters, they tend to be longer.) If you’ve ever received a letter from me, you’ll know that I prefer three types of paper: Clairefontaine Triomphe, Midori MD Cotton, and standard 52gsm Tomoe River paper (which is currently hard to source due to manufacturing changes). What do I like about these specific papers? They’re all “standard” enough to be both readily available and reasonably priced, while still maintaining that classic “vintage stock” feel that’s nicer than a standard legal pad, for both the writer and the recipient.

We’re happy to carry most of these papers in the shop, along with a few other quirky options.

Clairefontaine Triomphe

Available in both blank and lined formats, I would call Clairefontaine Triomphe my workhorse letter-writing paper of choice, since it’s both readily available, inexpensive, and ink-friendly. I love that it’s sold in bound writing pads, so you can use it for general writing and notetaking as well as correspondence. Available now in both A4 and A5 sizes, starting at only $5 USD.

Midori MD Writing Pads (MD Cotton and MD Standard)

If you favor more absorbent paper than Clairefontaine, or if you sometimes enjoy using pencils to write your letters, Midori MD Writing Pads are an excellent option. The unlined MD Cotton Paper has the best overall feel of any writing paper out there (in my opinion) and my only regret is that they don’t make it with a ruling. At the end of the day, I’ve simply adapted to using unlined paper. As I’ve mentioned before Midori MD pads are excellent for letter writing, and they can pull double-duty as a desk pad since they are bound on two sides and can be turned into a landscape orientation to fit beneath a keyboard. Available in both A4 and A5 sizes, starting at $10 for MD Cotton and $12 for standard Midori MD.

Life Noble Note and Bank Paper

While Japanese Stationery Company “Life” sits outside the stationery mainstream, receiving less attention than peers like Midori, many people find their paper equally as good and it’s developed a cult following. Their “Noble Note” 100-sheet writing pads come in blank, lined, and grid rulings. Personally, I find Life’s standard paper to behave closest to standard Midori MD, though perhaps with a bit more texture? If you favor toothier, more absorbent paper, check out their heavier, vintage-style Bank Paper. Available in A4 size, starting at $26 for a 100-sheet pad of Noble Note, and $28 for a 100-sheet pad of Bank Paper.

WMS & Co. ColorPads

Though color-coated paper is extremely hit or miss with fountain pens, I’ve had a lot of fun lately sending notes on the ColorPads from WMS & Co, mainly using ballpoint pen and pencil. (Colored Pencil looks exceptionally good on the grey paper.) I have one of the “Large Square” ColorPads on my desk at work, which I use for both taking notes and sending professional correspondence (thank-yous, cover notes, etc.). The best part is that all of the WMS & Co desk pads contain a minimum of 185 sheets of paper, so they’ll basically last forever. Available from $25.

WMS & Co makes writing pads in a variety of shapes and sizes. I’ve been using the large square ones (center) for work cover notes and casual correspondence.

Disclaimer: The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands shown here. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program.