My new favorite paper for needlepoint cursive: G. Lalo - Papier Paille
One thing I’ve had a hard time finding when it comes to fountain pen friendly paper is very low “line spread”, by which I mean paper that makes an extra fine line write broader than it should. Papers like Tomoe River and Graphilo have very high line spread which I do actually like for print writing, whereas papers like Midori MD and Mnemosyne tend to have low line spread.
But none of the “low line spread” papers ever felt quite right. They all had some quality that I didn’t like, I.E. they made inks look dull, or they were too absorbent, or had an inconsistent coating, or they still caused the line to spread a little more than I wanted.
I’ve probably gone through 20-30 different paper brands and lines and my desk is currently littered with a graveyard of notebooks, writing pads, and loose paper sheets that weren’t quite right, but I’ve finally found my grail: G. Lalo - Papier Paille. It has the least line spread of any paper I’ve used while still keeping inks looking saturated, isn’t too absorbent, is consistent, and of course has no feathering or bleed through. It’s a very thick, textured, fancy paper made from straw. This obsession over finding the right paper has taught me so much
I’m using a Montblanc “Around the World In 80 Days” fountain pen with a custom needlepoint grind and Birmingham Pen Co. “Sugar Maple” ink, which is also a nice, high shading and controlled ink perfect for extra fine nibs.
One thing I’ve had a hard time finding when it comes to fountain pen friendly paper is very low “line spread”, by which I mean paper that makes an extra fine line write broader than it should. Papers like Tomoe River and Graphilo have very high line spread which I do actually like for print writing, whereas papers like Midori MD and Mnemosyne tend to have low line spread.
But none of the “low line spread” papers ever felt quite right. They all had some quality that I didn’t like, I.E. they made inks look dull, or they were too absorbent, or had an inconsistent coating, or they still caused the line to spread a little more than I wanted.
I’ve probably gone through 20-30 different paper brands and lines and my desk is currently littered with a graveyard of notebooks, writing pads, and loose paper sheets that weren’t quite right, but I’ve finally found my grail: G. Lalo - Papier Paille. It has the least line spread of any paper I’ve used while still keeping inks looking saturated, isn’t too absorbent, is consistent, and of course has no feathering or bleed through. It’s a very thick, textured, fancy paper made from straw. This obsession over finding the right paper has taught me so much
I’m using a Montblanc “Around the World In 80 Days” fountain pen with a custom needlepoint grind and Birmingham Pen Co. “Sugar Maple” ink, which is also a nice, high shading and controlled ink perfect for extra fine nibs.