Non Wood Paper

[Ole Juul]

I've been a student of paper technology for many years now. Paper, indeed fiber in general, is of the utmost importance to the development of civilization. There is more to say about paper, and paper history, than one can write in a single book, so this forum post is barely a tiny taste. It is really just my ramblings, but I hope it will inspire someone to consider their papers in more depth.

Outside of the art world, it seems that wood is taken for granted as the basic furnish for paper that we use. There is the exception of papers for legal documents commonly available which are usually specified as 25% cotton, Otherwise it is slim pickings nowadays, especially with the tendency of consolidation of companies and simplification of retail markets. Many paper suppliers won't even sell to the public any more. In any case, modern wood based papers are actually often of quite a good quality and many are genuinely acid free and not just buffered to prevent yellowing.

So why would you want a paper made from other materials anyway? Well there is the question of fiber length which generally equates to strength. That is the reason for the 25% cotton content of document papers, and why bank notes are traditionally all cotton. But there are many other qualities of a paper one can look at besides strength. Longevity is a major concern for some people. Non wood fibers have less lignin, a component of fibers which weakens the paper and is responsible for yellowing.

I grew up with newspapers that yellowed in a week and became brittle in a year or two. I also am witness to the pulpy and rapidly deteriorating books from the turn of the last century. I've just had enough experience with the worst of wood based papers for it to leave a bad taste in my mouth. Of course this is just me, and like I said, modern wood papers are generally good, and sometimes even excellent. I look at papers more from an aesthetic point of view. That is, I see different aspects in terms of how I like them. There are a lot of things one can learn about a paper. There is of course, the look, color, and surfacing. But there is also the physical feel of the paper - how it bends and folds, is it soft or hard etc. I also consider the operation and history of the mill that made the paper. I notice fountain pen people do this with pen and ink. I suggest doing the same with paper. Crane & Company paper is an old mill that has always made paper for currency printing and actually made the paper for America's first paper money. The client in that case was Paul Revere! Paper mills often have deep history and there are interesting companies all over the world.

The method of manufacture is less varied nowadays. Writing and printing paper being all made on various sizes of Fourdrinier machines. However, the furnish can vary considerably. The furnish comprises the various types of fiber (pulp), dyes, filler, and sizing. We rarely get rag papers any more as there is not a good nor sufficient source. Gone are the days when a paper manufacturer would source rags from poor countries where there was no use of bleach for washing, so that they could get the ultimate fiber strength for the highest quality paper.

Paper comes off the dry end of a Fourdrinier onto large rolls. In many cases the rolls are so large and heavy that they would flatten you like an ant if the were to roll onto you. This is a totally unwieldy form, so the paper goes from there to the converters. A converter is a company (or perhaps department nowadays) who takes bulk paper and cuts it into sizes suitable for the market.

One of my favorite papers is mulberry. I got large handmade sheets some years back, but unfortunately I've not found any commercial mulberry paper for writing. It's wonderfully soft and feels like no other paper I've seen. I've also collected linen papers in the past, but I have not been able to find any in the current market.

There are many other interesting fibers, and we see a few sometimes. Sometimes, like often with bagasse, they're just used as filler. The contemporary market, as I see it for writing paper, is pretty much cotton and linen, with an emerging use of hemp. Actually hemp is one of the oldest fibers for paper and has long fibers and low lignin content, and is very strong. There is much to say about the value of hemp.

Currently, my personal needs are almost all for simple cut paper for writing and copying. For the latter I have no issue using regular wood papers. They are more than sufficient. However, for pen and ink, I really like something with deeper meaning to me - might I say "class", (as defined by me for myself). To that end I have found several 100% cotton papers, and two 75%cotton/25%linen papers which I can get on Amazon. I'll list them in the next post.

Here are some links to whet your appetite for paper technology.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulp_(paper)#Alternatives_to_wood_pulp
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_paper
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp_paper

[Ole Juul]

Some 8.5" x 11" papers.

Gnatural 100% Cotton 80gsm White
- Available on Amazon in 200 sheet boxes, soft feel, tasteful cream color (not a crass yellow like some advertised cream papers) I think this is
an excellent buy.

Gnatural 75% Cotton 25% Linen 85gsm Ivory
- Available on Amazon in 100 sheet boxes, quite yellow, but the color plays quite nicely with a lot of inks and really enhances them. It has tiny blue and red fibers embedded which are only visible on close inspection or with a magnifying glass. This looks very special and is remeniscent of security fibers used in bank notes. It takes ink very well and is not so prone to feathering.

Gnatural 75% Cotton 24% Linen 85gsm White
- Available on Amazon in 100 sheet boxes. Tasteful off-white color. This also is similar to the above except for the color and has the colored threads in the mix.

Southworth 100% Cotton 90gsm White
- Available on Amazon in 100 sheet boxes. Water marked. (Not tried, it is still in the mail)

Fox River 100% Cotton 92 bright 90gsm
- I couldn't find it on the net. I got a number of 100 sheet boxes from a printer friend. It's watermarked and very classy looking. It does feather a bit much with some inks.

Note that these papers are not like common "fountain pen friendly" papers. The surface has quite a bit of resistance and you won't get an ink to sit on the surface and provide a varnish look in places, like Tamoe River, for instance. The ink basically soaks in right away.

I'd be very interested if there are other non wood papers readily available in practical sizes which are usable for pen and ink.

[migo984]

Interesting information - thank you for taking the time to post.

As a long-time user of Tomoegawa paper (52gsm only; the 68gsm is not nice IMO) I am upset that they’ve changed the specification of the paper. The new spec is nowhere near as good. As such I’m on the lookout for a replacement. I like Graphilo & Midori MD (Japan) and Elias (Philippines) but I’m still searching........

For pen & ink drawing I sometimes use matt drafting film (polyester) and vellum (plasticised cotton). Traditional tracing paper is good too. They give very clean lines, with no bleedthrough. The ink sits on the surface. The drafting film (I use 005 double matt Polydraw) is also an unusual and exciting surface for coloured pencil,work, especially as, being translucent, I can use both sides for a drawing to get nice effects.

I wouldn’t use any of these as standard writing surfaces, but I do enjoy them for sketching and designing with pigment or drawing inks like Rohrer & Klingner.

[azkid]

Interesting indeed, thanks for posting this.

[aquafox]

I heard tales of hemp paper being perfect for fountain pens. Except the price is through the roof.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0849/9504/products/a4-125gsm-white-hemp-paper_1800x.jpg?v=1527593036

Stone paper is bad for liquid inks.

[Pterodactylus]

Thanks for your excellent post. 👍

You are right, especially when using really wet drawing/painting techniques cotton/rags paper (25 up to 100%) is usually way better than conventional wood paper.
It just is way more robust mechanical and water related.
But this also has its price, such high quality papers are not cheap to get.

I already tried quite a lot papers for watercolor and ink washes and the differences are huge.
But there are also some wood papers which are not bad at all.
It depends on your use case which paper is the best compromise between quality versus price.

[guyy]

I recall that my doctoral dissertation had to be submitted on 100% cotton paper. It wasn’t easy to source in Montreal. I also had to print it twice because the first printing was rejected for having widows and/or orphans.

There’s also bagasse paper from sugar cane. I think it works well for fountain pens.

[TSherbs]

Very cool, Juul. Thanks for this info. I will look into some of this.

[Yazeh]

Thanks Ole Juul for posting this is very educating post. While I have heard of modern non wood paper, I have not ventured in that direction........


To Migo, I always though vellum (https://www.talasonline.com/Cowleys-Calfskin-Vellum?quantity=1&color=597&leathersize=3), was such... :)

[migo984]

To Migo, I always though vellum (https://www.talasonline.com/Cowleys-Calfskin-Vellum?quantity=1&color=597&leathersize=3), was such... :)

The vellum I’m referring to is the modern craft/art semi-translucent ‘paper’, rather than the traditional animal skin-based ‘parchment’ surface.

[Pterodactylus]

As migo said historical vellum paper like parchment was made from the skin of certain animals.
Then the word vellum was used for high quality rag paper which had a similar finish as the ancient skin vellum.
Vellum is also used to describe translucent paper.

The term Vellum is also used for pastel art paper to describe the surface finish of pastel paper.
Vellum pastel paper has a toothy finish (you can think of it as kind of fine sandpaper, but it is of course not sandpaper....even it is possible to use fine sandpaper as cheap pastel drawing surface) so that the pigments of dry media’s like pastel, charcoal, .... are grabbed and hold by them.
These papers are the expensive ones, but really makes a difference as you can layer several layers of pigments on it before it is satisfied.
General you can say as more layers are possible as more expensive the paper is.
One of the best (might be the best) pastel paper is Clairefontaine Pastelmat.

[Yazeh]

To Migo, I always though vellum (https://www.talasonline.com/Cowleys-Calfskin-Vellum?quantity=1&color=597&leathersize=3), was such... :)

The vellum I’m referring to is the modern craft/art semi-translucent ‘paper’, rather than the traditional animal skin-based ‘parchment’ surface.

Thanks Migo. I gathered so. I have been lucky enough to appreciate some of your beautiful sketches, especially one of fishing boats I believe on I assume cotton paper.
I was caught in the world of "historic stationary"...quills, parchment etc...... :)

[Yazeh]

As migo said historical vellum paper like parchment was made from the skin of certain animals.
Then the word vellum was used for high quality rag paper which had a similar finish as the ancient skin vellum.
Vellum is also used to describe translucent paper.

The term Vellum is also used for pastel art paper to describe the surface finish of pastel paper.
Vellum pastel paper has a toothy finish (you can think of it as kind of fine sandpaper, but it is of course not sandpaper....even it is possible to use fine sandpaper as cheap pastel drawing surface) so that the pigments of dry media’s like pastel, charcoal, .... are grabbed and hold by them.
These papers are the expensive ones, but really makes a difference as you can layer several layers of pigments on it before it is satisfied.
General you can say as more layers are possible as more expensive the paper is.
One of the best (might be the best) pastel paper is Clairefontaine Pastelmat.

Thanks Ptero, much appreciated :)

[XYZZY]

Thank you for this thread Ole Juul! I was reading through the first post, which is extremely informative and interesting, but I was starting to worry "Oh no, I won't be told what to buy!". I was so happy to get to "I'll list them in the next post." and hit the PgDn key :-)

You mentioned Crane, which I thought was interesting. I have only used Crane paper in Christmas cards, for the past two years. I have experienced two types of their 100% cotton paper: the "white" (which is definitely off-white) works quite well with Iroshizuku inks. But the "ecru" (much yellower) feathers a lot, with both Iro inks and Sailor Souboku. I haven't had opportunity to experiment with other inks, though, since I only buy them for Christmas cards and they're expensive. But they certainly make an impression on the recipients.

I didn't consider before your post, though, that I could just buy Crane paper. And after looking that up... $26 for 40 half-sheets.

[Ole Juul]

. . . You mentioned Crane, which I thought was interesting. I have only used Crane paper in Christmas cards, for the past two years. I have experienced two types of their 100% cotton paper: the "white" (which is definitely off-white) works quite well with Iroshizuku inks. But the "ecru" (much yellower) feathers a lot, with both Iro inks and Sailor Souboku. I haven't had opportunity to experiment with other inks, though, since I only buy them for Christmas cards and they're expensive. But they certainly make an impression on the recipients.

I didn't consider before your post, though, that I could just buy Crane paper. And after looking that up... $26 for 40 half-sheets.

I bought a couple of reams of Crane laid paper many years ago, but a couple of years later when I went back to get more it was not available. The way they're sell their product now doesn't interest me.

I like laid papers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laid_paper). That is the way papers always used to look until the modern wove became common with the advent of the paper machine. Nowadays it's just a finish - the work of a dandy roll (https://www.britannica.com/technology/papermaking/Formation-of-paper-sheet-by-machines#ref625103). It is still nice, in my opinion. I have not been able to find any on-line lately, except in wood.

[Ole Juul]

As migo said historical vellum paper like parchment was made from the skin of certain animals.
Then the word vellum was used for high quality rag paper which had a similar finish as the ancient skin vellum. . . .

This process of naming something by a superficial look is prevalent. I find it a nuisance when searching for paper. One cannot search for "linen" paper and expect to find linen.

For some reason "cotton" papers are still made of cotton, but I think that is because the qualities of cotton are more subtle and often even ignored by many people.

A brown block of wood in never called a chocolate bar, but who knows how the language may change in the future. :)

[Yazeh]

Vellum, Old French vélin 'calfskin', from the Latin word vitulinum 'made from calf' :)

[XYZZY]

Some 8.5" x 11" papers.

Gnatural 100% Cotton 80gsm White
- Available on Amazon in 200 sheet boxes, soft feel, tasteful cream color (not a crass yellow like some advertised cream papers) I think this is
an excellent buy.

Gnatural 75% Cotton 25% Linen 85gsm Ivory
- Available on Amazon in 100 sheet boxes, quite yellow, but the color plays quite nicely with a lot of inks and really enhances them. It has tiny blue and red fibers embedded which are only visible on close inspection or with a magnifying glass. This looks very special and is remeniscent of security fibers used in bank notes. It takes ink very well and is not so prone to feathering.

Gnatural 75% Cotton 24% Linen 85gsm White
- Available on Amazon in 100 sheet boxes. Tasteful off-white color. This also is similar to the above except for the color and has the colored threads in the mix.



I must be doing something wrong: I cannot find "Gnatural" on either amazon.com or amazon.ca. And googling "gnatural paper" doesn't produce useful results, either.

[Yazeh]

Some 8.5" x 11" papers.

Gnatural 100% Cotton 80gsm White
- Available on Amazon in 200 sheet boxes, soft feel, tasteful cream color (not a crass yellow like some advertised cream papers) I think this is
an excellent buy.

Gnatural 75% Cotton 25% Linen 85gsm Ivory
- Available on Amazon in 100 sheet boxes, quite yellow, but the color plays quite nicely with a lot of inks and really enhances them. It has tiny blue and red fibers embedded which are only visible on close inspection or with a magnifying glass. This looks very special and is remeniscent of security fibers used in bank notes. It takes ink very well and is not so prone to feathering.

Gnatural 75% Cotton 24% Linen 85gsm White
- Available on Amazon in 100 sheet boxes. Tasteful off-white color. This also is similar to the above except for the color and has the colored threads in the mix.



I must be doing something wrong: I cannot find "Gnatural" on either amazon.com or amazon.ca. And googling "gnatural paper" doesn't produce useful results, either.


I couldn't find it either, however, I found this: https://www.gnaturepaper.com/product-page/80gsm-100-cotton-paper

[Ole Juul]

I'll post my amazon.ca links

Gnatural yellow 75%/25% (https://www.amazon.ca/Neutral-Cotton-Printing-100sheets-Waterproof/dp/B07DQMLDTC/ref=pd_sim_229_4/136-7622138-7507402?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07DQMLDTC&pd_rd_r=50a69c6b-a69e-41d8-b8b7-58773fabe99b&pd_rd_w=GrDkQ&pd_rd_wg=UiyLZ&pf_rd_p=b7c5b315-aec9-4034-b442-cc5a97846acb&pf_rd_r=WW33MQ1Q4E6HP5R8VZB7&psc=1&refRID=WW33MQ1Q4E6HP5R8VZB7)
Gnatural white 75%/25% (https://www.amazon.ca/cotton-inkjet-printing-100sheets-waterproof/dp/B07DQN1G3H/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/136-7622138-7507402?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07DQN1G3H&pd_rd_r=9f37c0ac-3e9c-4306-98dd-ef5b736213da&pd_rd_w=DoCfI&pd_rd_wg=lqIFV&pf_rd_p=42339929-297e-4141-b7b2-fe55db70f4b7&pf_rd_r=DSYBDQ00Y553688BXCET&psc=1&refRID=DSYBDQ00Y553688BXCET)
Gnatural white 100% (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B082Y44F4D/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
Southwoorth 100% (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B000083E4G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

I think they suppress or bury some results. I don't like that. The Gnatural 100% cotton was very difficult for me to find in the first place. I only found it because I knew it was there.

[An old bloke]

As migo said historical vellum paper like parchment was made from the skin of certain animals.
Then the word vellum was used for high quality rag paper which had a similar finish as the ancient skin vellum. . . .

This process of naming something by a superficial look is prevalent. I find it a nuisance when searching for paper. One cannot search for "linen" paper and expect to find linen.

For some reason "cotton" papers are still made of cotton, but I think that is because the qualities of cotton are more subtle and often even ignored by many people.

A brown block of wood in never called a chocolate bar, but who knows how the language may change in the future. :)

Then too, a medium. 'vellum' that is made from materials, synthetics for instance, that are cheaper or easier to produce will often be carry on the name as the original fades into obsolescence.

I know that all the vellum I used even 40 years ago was not made from animal skins. In fact, I assumed it was some sort of polymer. Imagine my surprise when I found out it, modern vellum, is actually made from cellulose fibre.

[Ole Juul]

I just received the Southworth 100% from Amazon today. It's OK, but very plain, dare I say cheap, looking. It's harder than the others so ink pools a bit on it. That may, or may not, be desirable to some folks. Despite feeling smooth to the touch, it is very toothy on nibs. Even my smoothest nib has more resistance than I'd expect. I was disappointed that there was no watermark, which the advertising copy had promised.

[Yazeh]

I'll post my amazon.ca links

Gnatural yellow 75%/25% (https://www.amazon.ca/Neutral-Cotton-Printing-100sheets-Waterproof/dp/B07DQMLDTC/ref=pd_sim_229_4/136-7622138-7507402?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07DQMLDTC&pd_rd_r=50a69c6b-a69e-41d8-b8b7-58773fabe99b&pd_rd_w=GrDkQ&pd_rd_wg=UiyLZ&pf_rd_p=b7c5b315-aec9-4034-b442-cc5a97846acb&pf_rd_r=WW33MQ1Q4E6HP5R8VZB7&psc=1&refRID=WW33MQ1Q4E6HP5R8VZB7)
Gnatural white 75%/25% (https://www.amazon.ca/cotton-inkjet-printing-100sheets-waterproof/dp/B07DQN1G3H/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/136-7622138-7507402?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07DQN1G3H&pd_rd_r=9f37c0ac-3e9c-4306-98dd-ef5b736213da&pd_rd_w=DoCfI&pd_rd_wg=lqIFV&pf_rd_p=42339929-297e-4141-b7b2-fe55db70f4b7&pf_rd_r=DSYBDQ00Y553688BXCET&psc=1&refRID=DSYBDQ00Y553688BXCET)
Gnatural white 100% (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B082Y44F4D/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
Southwoorth 100% (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B000083E4G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

I think they suppress or bury some results. I don't like that. The Gnatural 100% cotton was very difficult for me to find in the first place. I only found it because I knew it was there.


Thanks for posting the links....
What is your preference the 75% 25%
or the 100% and which brand?

[Ole Juul]

@Yazeh The 75%cotton 25%linen in white is my all time favorite. It has a softness and depth that turns my crank. :) It's quite expensive as papers go, but to me it's worth it. I'm a little reluctant to recommend these papers to regular fountain pen users though, because they're not what is normally expected for that use case.

The Gnatural 100% cotton is surprisingly inexpensive. Two thirds the price for twice the sheets. It's actually quite nice too, but it doesn't quite have the depth of feel nor the beautiful tiny red and blue security threads.

I should say, I don't recommend the Southworth. For one it is plain and boring, and for another, it doesn't take ink as nicely.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I love vintage paper. It usually works for everything.

Just stay away from stone paper. Tried it years ago. It must have been someone's idea of a 'rock, paper, scissors' joke. I keep my two tablets as a curiosity.

[Yazeh]

@Yazeh The 75%cotton 25%linen in white is my all time favorite. It has a softness and depth that turns my crank. :) It's quite expensive as papers go, but to me it's worth it. I'm a little reluctant to recommend these papers to regular fountain pen users though, because they're not what is normally expected for that use case.

The Gnatural 100% cotton is surprisingly inexpensive. Two thirds the price for twice the sheets. It's actually quite nice too, but it doesn't quite have the depth of feel nor the beautiful tiny red and blue security threads.

I should say, I don't recommend the Southworth. For one it is plain and boring, and for another, it doesn't take ink as nicely.

Thanks Ole Juul..... I've added to my long list of stationary to try ;)

[XYZZY]

Is there anything to watch out for regarding inks? For example, if inks are permanent, or water resistant, on papers from wood pulp can I assume similar behavior on a cotton paper?

[Pterodactylus]

Is there anything to watch out for regarding inks? For example, if inks are permanent, or water resistant, on papers from wood pulp can I assume similar behavior on a cotton paper?

As there are thousands of fountain pen inks on the market, they can be quite different and have many attributes.
So it depends mainly on your personal preference and use case what to choose.


Water proof is waterproof no matter which paper you use (unless the paper desolves in the water ;) )
Better paper is usually never a issue for an ink, the better question is which inks perform also great on cheap low quality paper.

E.g. you can write with an iron gall ink like ESS Registrars Blue-Black on everything almost down to toilet paper with an excellent performance only to make one example.

[Ole Juul]

Is there anything to watch out for regarding inks? For example, if inks are permanent, or water resistant, on papers from wood pulp can I assume similar behavior on a cotton paper?

Yes, very similar. The fiber in both cases is cellulose. The major difference is that cotton, flax (linen), and some other fibers, are much longer, and hence stronger. For writing papers the pulp is very clean and free of lignin and other artifacts.

It is of course possible that some dyes attach (or not) to some of the minor materials in the pulp, such as fillers (https://www.pulpequipment.com/culture-paper-making-line/fillers-in-paper-making/). The papers that I mentioned above are pretty pure. They're also UV dull, and don't have any brighteners either.

About brightening agents: It is common to add brighteners (either at the wet end or the dry end on the paper machine) and that's why we can get papers that have a 100% brightness, or even greater! These are fluorescent dyes which turn non visible frequencies of light into visible. We see these in photo papers and some copy papers. But many manufacturers add these in smaller quantities to maintain the target brightness for the product. After several years the whitener will degrade because of reaction with oxygen, so it is not really a permanent solution. However, it is not something you expect in writing papers, especially non wood ones.

[Yazeh]

Interesting information - thank you for taking the time to post.

As a long-time user of Tomoegawa paper (52gsm only; the 68gsm is not nice IMO) I am upset that they’ve changed the specification of the paper. The new spec is nowhere near as good. As such I’m on the lookout for a replacement. I like Graphilo & Midori MD (Japan) and Elias (Philippines) but I’m still searching........

For pen & ink drawing I sometimes use matt drafting film (polyester) and vellum (plasticised cotton). Traditional tracing paper is good too. They give very clean lines, with no bleedthrough. The ink sits on the surface. The drafting film (I use 005 double matt Polydraw) is also an unusual and exciting surface for coloured pencil,work, especially as, being translucent, I can use both sides for a drawing to get nice effects.

I wouldn’t use any of these as standard writing surfaces, but I do enjoy them for sketching and designing with pigment or drawing inks like Rohrer & Klingner.

Mijo, you might want to look up Yoseka (https://yosekastationery.com/collections/yoseka-stationery/products/yoseka-notebook), notebooks

[Yazeh]

Is there anything to watch out for regarding inks? For example, if inks are permanent, or water resistant, on papers from wood pulp can I assume similar behavior on a cotton paper?

Yes, very similar. The fiber in both cases is cellulose. The major difference is that cotton, flax (linen), and some other fibers, are much longer, and hence stronger. For writing papers the pulp is very clean and free of lignin and other artifacts.

It is of course possible that some dyes attach (or not) to some of the minor materials in the pulp, such as fillers (https://www.pulpequipment.com/culture-paper-making-line/fillers-in-paper-making/). The papers that I mentioned above are pretty pure. They're also UV dull, and don't have any brighteners either.

About brightening agents: It is common to add brighteners (either at the wet end or the dry end on the paper machine) and that's why we can get papers that have a 100% brightness, or even greater! These are fluorescent dyes which turn non visible frequencies of light into visible. We see these in photo papers and some copy papers. But many manufacturers add these in smaller quantities to maintain the target brightness for the product. After several years the whitener will degrade because of reaction with oxygen, so it is not really a permanent solution. However, it is not something you expect in writing papers, especially non wood ones.

Thanks for all the detailed information, especially about paper brightness. I finally got it...
Though from what you said, other inks behaviours like shading and sheening would be less prominent on none wood paper,I guess.

It's funny I always thought that cootn paper, was luxurious, thick, on the bright side like some wedding invitation I have received. I never thought they would be dull :)

[Ole Juul]

. . .
It's funny I always thought that cootn paper, was luxurious, thick, on the bright side like some wedding invitation I have received. I never thought they would be dull :)

Cotton can be made hard, soft, thick, thin, semi transparent, just about anything you want. That is not a major characteristic of the fiber, but mostly a characteristic of the beating process and calendering (https://www.britannica.com/technology/calendering).

[XYZZY]

Interesting information - thank you for taking the time to post.

As a long-time user of Tomoegawa paper (52gsm only; the 68gsm is not nice IMO) I am upset that they’ve changed the specification of the paper. The new spec is nowhere near as good. As such I’m on the lookout for a replacement. I like Graphilo & Midori MD (Japan) and Elias (Philippines) but I’m still searching........

For pen & ink drawing I sometimes use matt drafting film (polyester) and vellum (plasticised cotton). Traditional tracing paper is good too. They give very clean lines, with no bleedthrough. The ink sits on the surface. The drafting film (I use 005 double matt Polydraw) is also an unusual and exciting surface for coloured pencil,work, especially as, being translucent, I can use both sides for a drawing to get nice effects.

I wouldn’t use any of these as standard writing surfaces, but I do enjoy them for sketching and designing with pigment or drawing inks like Rohrer & Klingner.

Mijo, you might want to look up Yoseka (https://yosekastationery.com/collections/yoseka-stationery/products/yoseka-notebook), notebooks

I have a Yoseka notebook. About a year ago somebody on FPN mentioned them, saying they considered this to be a replacement for Tomoe River. I got super-excited, and bought one. While I recommend the shop (https://yosekastationery.com/), I cannot recommend the paper. It's a pretty white page and I like the texture, but it has a tendency to bleed and it is bad about keeping finger oils on the page so that they can interrupt the ink. I guess it's better than Leuchtturm, though. It's not horrible, and I don't regret buying the notebook, but I won't be buying a second.

[XYZZY]

Here is a slide-deck from SAPPI that covers a lot of paper manufacturing basics: https://www.slideshare.net/SappiHouston/basics-of-wood-pulp-and-paper-november-2012

[Yazeh]

Interesting information - thank you for taking the time to post.

As a long-time user of Tomoegawa paper (52gsm only; the 68gsm is not nice IMO) I am upset that they’ve changed the specification of the paper. The new spec is nowhere near as good. As such I’m on the lookout for a replacement. I like Graphilo & Midori MD (Japan) and Elias (Philippines) but I’m still searching........

For pen & ink drawing I sometimes use matt drafting film (polyester) and vellum (plasticised cotton). Traditional tracing paper is good too. They give very clean lines, with no bleedthrough. The ink sits on the surface. The drafting film (I use 005 double matt Polydraw) is also an unusual and exciting surface for coloured pencil,work, especially as, being translucent, I can use both sides for a drawing to get nice effects.

I wouldn’t use any of these as standard writing surfaces, but I do enjoy them for sketching and designing with pigment or drawing inks like Rohrer & Klingner.

Mijo, you might want to look up Yoseka (https://yosekastationery.com/collections/yoseka-stationery/products/yoseka-notebook), notebooks

I have a Yoseka notebook. About a year ago somebody on FPN mentioned them, saying they considered this to be a replacement for Tomoe River. I got super-excited, and bought one. While I recommend the shop (https://yosekastationery.com/), I cannot recommend the paper. It's a pretty white page and I like the texture, but it has a tendency to bleed and it is bad about keeping finger oils on the page so that they can interrupt the ink. I guess it's better than Leuchtturm, though. It's not horrible, and I don't regret buying the notebook, but I won't be buying a second.

Thanks for letting me know.... I guess I'm gravitating more towards textured papers.....I'm not enjoying Rhodia and the gang as much as I did before...

[Jleeper]

I just received the Southworth 100% from Amazon today. It's OK, but very plain, dare I say cheap, looking. It's harder than the others so ink pools a bit on it. That may, or may not, be desirable to some folks. Despite feeling smooth to the touch, it is very toothy on nibs. Even my smoothest nib has more resistance than I'd expect. I was disappointed that there was no watermark, which the advertising copy had promised.

I agree, Southworth seems to be inferior and overpriced when compared to writing paper from Neenah or Mohawk. Paper from both mills can be found at the papermillstore.com or your local paper merchant that supplies local printers. Most make cash and carry sales that are willing to sell reams of writing paper to individuals. Buying from local stores like that save you from paying postage on a rather heavy product. (Even 'free' Amazon Prime prices have postage added into the papers online price.)

Plus paper merchants are often rather generous with samples, and you can see the paper. They also often have clearance on slow selling papers that might be just what you are looking for.

[Ole Juul]

I agree, Southworth seems to be inferior and overpriced when compared to writing paper from Neenah or Mohawk. Paper from both mills can be found at the papermillstore.com or your local paper merchant that supplies local printers. Most make cash and carry sales that are willing to sell reams of writing paper to individuals. Buying from local stores like that save you from paying postage on a rather heavy product. (Even 'free' Amazon Prime prices have postage added into the papers online price.)

Plus paper merchants are often rather generous with samples, and you can see the paper. They also often have clearance on slow selling papers that might be just what you are looking for.

Thanks for the info. The papermillstore.com looks excellent.

I've bought paper at proper paper supply on the Lower Mainland when I lived there. They do accept cash and carry and have clearance sales. The variety is quite limited though because they mostly sell BC mill products. Unfortunately that's 8 hours return which is a hundred dollars in gas. It's not an option since I moved into the mountains. That's the price I pay for not living in a major center any more. :(

[BoBo Olson]

It depends to me that I chase two toned shading inks. 25% cotton does well there. 50-100% don't. They swallow up the shading. They are a bit too absorbent. If not using shading inks, would be fine.

Rossler is a German brand..I bought single sheets in it was expensive and I wanted to find out what was what....one of the 100% cotton papers, 120g was so sinfully good to write on, it would be illegal to use on Sunday in Kansas........unfortunately it feathered like a champ. Rossler is an expensive German paper, and I don't like it at 100g or 120g or the 80g pad....it is not now a fountain pen paper, due to feathering.

I have original Crown Mill 100% cotton & Strathmore watermarked 100% cotton they are nice, but again...swallow shading, so I don't use them.

My Southworth papers, 2 or 6 packs are 100% cotton, and actually I don't use any of them as much as I could.....in they were hard to come by....I flew to the States for business and was looking for papers and found Target or Homeoffice selling them. so stocked up. I couldn't find any other paper source in Northern Virginia; and unfortunately didn't drive to Tyson Corner's fountain pen shop and found perhaps more paper.

I am rather old fashioned and don't order from online enough.

I guess I've 30-35 papers, some packs, others gifts so are smaller amounts. Perhaps a little bit more...that I have no idea what they are!!!!
I tend to like heavy papers 150g or better at various times. I don't think of 120g as heavy paper.

My Verge de France is 25% 160g. Got to get some of that in thin paper someday.

[KrazyIvan]

I love vintage paper. It usually works for everything.

Just stay away from stone paper. Tried it years ago. It must have been someone's idea of a 'rock, paper, scissors' joke. I keep my two tablets as a curiosity.

I second the sentiment on stone paper. It works well initially but eventually, the ink spreads on the page even after several months. I did find that it works well as a nib polishing paper through.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I love vintage paper. It usually works for everything.

Just stay away from stone paper. Tried it years ago. It must have been someone's idea of a 'rock, paper, scissors' joke. I keep my two tablets as a curiosity.

I second the sentiment on stone paper. It works well initially but eventually, the ink spreads on the page even after several months. I did find that it works well as a nib polishing paper through.

I should have thought of that! 👍🏻