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Thread: Blotting Paper

  1. #21
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    Default Re: Blotting Paper

    I buy my blotter paper at the local art supply store. It comes in 18"x22" sheets, so you can get a lot of 4"x6" blotters out of a sheet. There is a bit more texture and the sheets are heavier than the old style ink blotters but work well. I've been printing on blotters I send out to pen pals and FredRydr will be receiving one in the next letter if I get around to it.

    Printmakers use the blotter paper to remove excess moisture from printmaking paper before printing.

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    Senior Member mizgeorge's Avatar
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    Default Re: Blotting Paper

    I was thinking about blotting paper only the other day. When I was young, we all used to have a desk pad with a sheet of blotting paper held in it - mine was a half demy, my father had a full demy. I haven't seen one for years - but I did look for large sheets of blotting paper and was horrified at how difficult it was to find, and how expensive. And on reading the reviews, they all seemed to be very different to the nice thick absorbent stuff we used to use. I obviously need to to the art shop (when they open again).

  4. #23
    Senior Member FredRydr's Avatar
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    Default Re: Blotting Paper

    Quote Originally Posted by mizgeorge View Post
    I was thinking about blotting paper only the other day....
    Here's my assessment of available blotting paper. https://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread...ocker-blotters I bought sheets of modern blotting paper from Blick's, and it wasn't very absorbent for fountain pen purposes, compared to the good stuff.

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    Senior Member Ole Juul's Avatar
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    Default Re: Blotting Paper

    I thought about using a blotter. After all, it's nice to collect "fountain pen stuff". I've seen people use blotters when I was a kid, and I wish I'd paid attention then. In any case, at this point I can't for the life of me figure out what I'd use it for. Apparently my writing habits are sufficiently different from others to qualify me as an alien. I have yet to see ink sitting on the surface after I've written. It just seems to go into the paper right away. That applies to all my inks, and not just iron gall.

    That said, I'm not a fan of wooden papers, although the cheap copy paper (1¢ per sheet) that I use for scrap has much the same quality in that regard as my 35¢ a sheet preferred papers. I did buy some Tamoe River paper a while ago and I think I understand what people are talking about because (in my highly biased opinion) that's a bit like wax paper to write on. It's certainly an interesting effect, but far from practical in my opinion. Too smooth and not ink friendly. Yes, I'm familiar with real blotter like what @linearMN talks about, but I just don't need it since the paper I use is already more like that than Tamoe River or other hard surfaced wood papers.

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    Senior Member Yazeh's Avatar
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    Default Re: Blotting Paper

    I got a small Herbin blotter and blotting paper in the early days. But I don't use it anymore.
    @Ole, the cotton paper is so unusual for us woodpaper user, it somehow acts as blotting paper

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  9. #26
    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Default Re: Blotting Paper

    Well, this came in the mail yesterday. I cut a sample, put it on my small rocker, and it works just fine. Now I have a ton of this. I'm thinking I'll cut pieces to include in letters I send. Fred, what would be the optimal 'universal' width (not length) of pieces for rocker blotters? Mine is 2.5" wide.

    blotter_book.jpg
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

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    Senior Member FredRydr's Avatar
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    Default Re: Blotting Paper

    Vintage rocker blotters in the states are either 2 inches or 2 1/2 inches or 3 inches wide. You always need plenty of extra length to fold over at the ends, so do not precut them to length. The longer the extra length at each end, the more secure it will be when you tighten down the top.

    Also, get some soft felt that will be cut to the same widths, but the length will equal the curved underside of each rocker blotter. Place it between the bottom and the blotting paper.

    Okay, using American business size No. 10 envelopes to send to your friends, they are 4 1/8 x 9 1/2 inches: My largest 3-inch rocker blotter needs 6 1/2 inches of paper along the length of the curved bottom, plus 1/4 inch at each end to 'round the corners, leaves a maximum 2 1/2 inches to fit in the envelope. 2 1/2 divided by 2 is only 1 1/4 inches at each end to be held down by the top of the rocker blotter. It's enough, but I wouldn't want less.

    IMG_3712.jpg
    Look! It's Bakelite. Whatever you do, don't drop it!

    If you have one of those giant modern Montblanc rocker blotters without a knob, you're on your own for dimensions.
    Last edited by FredRydr; March 21st, 2021 at 03:12 PM.

  12. #28
    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Default Re: Blotting Paper

    Quote Originally Posted by FredRydr View Post
    Vintage rocker blotters in the states are either 2 inches or 2 1/2 inches or 3 inches wide. You always need plenty of extra length...
    Ahem. Well, I can certainly make a nice extra width that will still fit in a standard envelope and cut the longest I can. If people have special needs they will have to ask! And I mentioned earlier about having added felt to the rocker after your suggestion. I am now completely set, except that now I want a larger rocker blotter.
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

    ~ Benjamin Franklin

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    Senior Member jbb's Avatar
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    Default Re: Blotting Paper

    My biggest rocking blotters are 2¾" wide. I have big sheets of moss green blotter paper and some brown sheets of a brand called "Verigood" which is.....very good.

    IMG_0223 copy by JBBJBB
    Last edited by jbb; March 21st, 2021 at 03:57 PM.
    JBBPensPaper an Etsy store

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    Senior Member FredRydr's Avatar
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    Default Re: Blotting Paper

    job, the upper left is cool!

  16. #31
    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Default Re: Blotting Paper

    Fred, the pages in my book are 9 x 12. I could get three pieces of 3 x 12 per page. Do you think if I folded over each end equally, to fit in the envelope, it would harm usage? Seems like it would be ok, as the fold would be inside the covered part. So much thought over such a little-used resource!
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

    ~ Benjamin Franklin

  17. #32
    Senior Member FredRydr's Avatar
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    Default Re: Blotting Paper

    Simply fold it so that one side of the crease is 9 inches

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    Default Re: Blotting Paper

    My grandfather's blotters looked much bigger... If my memory isn't playing tricks with me, they were 4 inch wide...

  20. #34
    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Default Re: Blotting Paper

    As hard as it may be to believe, in this day and age, there it is:

    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

    ~ Benjamin Franklin

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  22. #35
    Senior Member Yazeh's Avatar
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    Default Re: Blotting Paper

    Thanks Jon. It wasn't solid wood actually. It was hollow and open.... and no knob...
    This is the closest it looked like, though I'm sure my grandfather's wasn't a Montblanc...



  23. #36
    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Default Re: Blotting Paper

    Quote Originally Posted by Yazeh View Post
    Thanks Jon. It wasn't solid wood actually. It was hollow and open....
    Sorry, Yazeh - that wasn't meant as a direct response to your post, I was off doing research when you wrote about your grandfather's blotters! It was just curious to me to see someone zeroing in on such a niche product. That MB piece must cost a fortune.
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

    ~ Benjamin Franklin

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  25. #37
    Senior Member FredRydr's Avatar
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    Default Re: Blotting Paper

    Quote Originally Posted by Yazeh View Post
    ...It wasn't solid wood actually. It was hollow and open.... and no knob....
    Rocker blotters are typically either three piece or two piece. Your grandfather likely had the latter type.

    A three piece version will have (1) a solid bottom curved piece against which the blotting paper lies, (2) a flat top piece that presses down upon the extended ends of the blotter paper and (3) a knob with a screw that passes through a hole in the center of the flat top and into the center of the curved bottom, clamping the top and bottom to grip the paper. My wooden and bakelite blotters, jbb's ivory and black blotter and Jon's modern wooden blotter in the photos above are examples. Two-part rocker blotters use (1) a sprung sheet steel bottom that fits into notches in (2) the flat top, thereby holding the paper against the steel curve. jbb's two cast metal blotters in her photo above are examples. I don't know how the Montblanc rocker grips the paper; 24k thumbscrews?

    Jon, I had one of those modern rocker blotters in the photo. It has a great classic look, but compared to the originals, I found its length too short and the bottom radius too tight, making it toy-like (the ringtop of rocker blotters?).
    Last edited by FredRydr; March 22nd, 2021 at 05:28 AM.

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