Amalfi Angel, from Paper Arts of Dallas

[FredRydr]

I was digging around in one of two cabinets where I keep stationary and notecards. I stumbled upon several packets of unopened handmade paper sets that I brought home from a D.C. pen show years ago; I cannot recall when. This packet reads "DC Pen Show Exclusive $14" for five Amalfi Angel sheets of "8.75 x 12.5" inches (that's bigger than A4) with five huge envelopes that accommodate a half-folded sheet. I usually don't buy such large sheets, so these may have been given to me as a vendor at the show.

After all this time, I decided to give my new-found Amalfi Angel a try by writing a reply to a fellow FPGeek. I prefer writing my fountain pen correspondence on smaller paper like A5, so I folded one sheet in half to create four sides. I chose my recently acquired Sheaffer Triumph Vac-Fill desk pen in striated golden-brown, restored by Ron Zorn and filled with Omas Sepia (unobtainium) ink. The nib is a classic upturned conical firm F, which has proven to be a smooth writer on all types of paper used to date.

Amalfi Angel is a delight to hold and behold, with its all-'round deckled edge and handmade feel of both sheets and envelopes. The sheets have a bold watermark of a winged angel holding a staff and banner emblazoned "L A." The surface is textured. There was no bleed through or feathering of the Omas ink. And yet, I was denied a pleasant writing experience because I struggled with the need to constantly extract paper fibers from between the tips of the tines, which in turn created unwanted line variation with blobs of ink-soaked fibers in every line. I was surprised at this because the Triumph nib is quite firm and I saw no opening of the tines to grab so much paper fiber. Amalfi Angel can be a challenge for the fountain pen, but I'll try again using a modern pen with a broader rounder tipped nib for my next letter on Amalfi Angel.

If you love the look of paper that looks genuinely handmade and are willing to pay for the privilege, this paper fits the bill. If you yearn for big sheets of paper to write your own declaration of independence, Amalfi Angel will also satisfy. But if you want paper that is friendlier to fountain pens while mimicking the handmade look, I recommend instead Papyrus stationary with unfinished deckled edge and envelope flap.

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