Fabriano Medioevalis Cards

[Marsilius]

I am not much of a reviewer, but I thought I would put in a shout for Fabriano Medioevalis cards and envelopes. They are made from mould-made paper, which seems an awful lot like cold press watercolor paper. Unlike some watercolor paper, both sides of the paper appear to have the same texture and feel. The cards have a seam that can be folded either way. The paper is smooth and absorbent, so ink tends to sink right in, but does not feather or bleed, and you can write and draw on all sizes with no show-through.

You can also buy envelopes for each card size. The boxes are not cheap (see the links below) but in comparison to buying cards, they seem reasonable enough.

I find them perfect for drawing a five-minute sketch to send off as a note card. The example below shows three quick drawings on the lager-size note card (drawn with Conid Fountainbel Bulk Filler with 1930s nib, and Sailor Jentle Doyou brown ink, and with apologies for my desultory penmanship).

Blick
http://www.dickblick.com/products/fa...is-stationery/

Italian Art Shoppe
http://www.italianartshoppe.com/Fabr...tationery.html

[jbb]

I'm a fan of your drawings!!!! Thanks for sharing them.

[chiaroscuro]

Nice. I had wondered about these. Thanks for the review.

[Chemyst]

The cards are very nice, however the matching envelopes are a bit thin and disappointing. At least the batch that I got from Chuck Swisher were. The writing/illustrations on the cards are visible through the envelopes.

[Marsilius]

The cards are very nice, however the matching envelopes are a bit thin and disappointing. At least the batch that I got from Chuck Swisher were. The writing/illustrations on the cards are visible through the envelopes.

There you go! Thanks for that comment. I had not even tried the envelopes, and was about to buy some. I used cheaper card envelopes for the ones I have sent.

[MisterBoll]

I found the paper a bit too 'toothy' for most fountain pens. Maybe I should have used a broader nib.

I do like it as an art paper though.

[Marsilius]

I found the paper a bit too 'toothy' for most fountain pens. Maybe I should have used a broader nib.

I do like it as an art paper though.

I have found it less toothy than the watercolor paper I generally use (Strathmore). But I like a bit of tooth, as long as the paper doesn't tear. But, yep, dry fine nibs could create a more spidery line than one might like. Some of its toothiness might come from the softness of the paper. It has the feel of not having the kind of sizing found in some watercolor paper.

And, since I first posted this, I have been on a different batch, and have the suspicion that there is some variation between individual sheets. Not a lot, but what you would expect with soft, textured paper.

[MisterBoll]

And, since I first posted this, I have been on a different batch, and have the suspicion that there is some variation between individual sheets. Not a lot, but what you would expect with soft, textured paper.

I just checked and found that the smaller sheets are alot rougher than the larger ones.

[Marsilius]

Well, what do you know, MisterBoll. Now I am going to have to run to the store to check that out, too. Wanna show a sample of writing or something on the smaller cards, since the store isn't open until tomorrow morning?

[MisterBoll]

Sorry for the late reply as I just ran across this thread again. This paper works best with cursive handwriting.

Pens from top to bottom - M.T. Swan F, Conway Stewart Marlborough MI, TWSBI Vac 700 M, Edison Beaumont F
Attachment 3129

[Marsilius]

Very cool, and I love your Swan! Thank you!

[MisterBoll]

The Swan does best but it just goes to show - go slow with this paper. If you rush even your wet pens will skip.