Paper Review: Clairefontaine Is My Personal Benchmark for Fountain Pen Friendly Paper

Everyone has a personal benchmark, or reference point by which they measure most things, whether it’s pens, inks, paper, or something else entirely. For me, whenever I’m evaluating any sort of paper, my comparison starts with Clairefontaine.

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In an era where new specialty paper brands hit the market on a seemingly weekly basis - each touted as having “special properties” or “even more ink friendliness than ___” - it’s easy to overlook the basics. Brands such as Clairefontaine and Rhodia (which come from the same family of companies but have slightly different paper formulations) have been churning out excellent all-around paper for a very long time, and if what you’re looking for is quality, relatively cost-effective paper that’s easy to find and capable of handling most pens and inks, I often suggest that new users start here. Specifically, the reasons I love/recommend this paper include:

• Versatility. Clairefontaine Paper comes in a wide range of formats and rulings. Honestly, the idea for this post struck me yesterday morning as I was unpacking a recent shop order and found myself floored by the variety of products that kept emerging from the box. Clairefontaine makes pocket notebooks, reporter-style notebooks, A5 notebooks, A4 notebooks, legal pads, top-spiral legal pads, looseleaf paper - you get the picture. While I count myself a paper aficionado, and consider experimenting across product lines part of the fun, if you prefer to focus on the pens and/or inks you can stick to Clairefontaine and find pretty much any paper format you might need within that line.

• Consistent Quality. What I love about Clairefontaine is that you don’t need to think about whether it’s going to offer you a baseline-level of fountain pen friendliness. Although most people lump them together as “Clairefontaine/Rhodia”, I’ve generally found Clairefontaine to be more consistent across batches and the product line as a whole.

• Cost Effectiveness. Whether it’s those of us who use fountain pens on a daily basis at work, or prolific journalers who can fill a 100+ page notebook in a matter of weeks, most people have to pay attention to the cost of this hobby on some level. While they’ve had to raise prices over the past couple of years, Clairefontaine paper is still some of the more reasonably priced fountain pen friendly stationery on the market. As I write this, notebooks containing Clairefontaine paper range from $5.50 to $23, depending on size and page volume.

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Clairefontaine paper is famous for how well it handles ink. The bright white version showcases color and shading fairly well. It also holds up to extremely wet pens and inks, though as discussed further below, that may affect dry time.

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As you can see, there is zero bleed-through from handwriting. It took me FOUR passes with a q-tip - basically until the paper soaked through and began disintegrating, before I saw any bleeding whatsoever from the ink swab. Even then, it only bled along the “weak spots” in the paper (i.e., where the ruling was printed).

That’s not to say that Clairefontaine doesn’t have it’s drawbacks, and any well-rounded review should point them out. First of all, dry time can be an issue, especially with wet and/or super-saturated inks. What makes Clairefontaine paper so ink-friendly is the fact that the paper is coated to minimize feathering and bleed-through, so it takes longer to dry because the paper doesn’t absorb as much ink as other brands. As a result, many left handers find that that ink frequently smears, and certain Noodler’s and Organics Studio formulations will literally never dry on this paper. On a similar note, because this paper tends to feel very smooth, I find it less satisfying to use with pencil. While to me this is more of a tactile issue, some people claim that graphite smears more easily on Clairefontaine and other coated papers. YMMV.

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Clairefontaine’s 1951 Collection, with it’s school-days-retro vibe, has been incredibly popular.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I always keep Clairefontaine paper close at hand. I opened my “notebook stash drawer” in my office desk yesterday and three Clairefontaine products jumped out at me: (1) a packet of French-ruled looseleaf sheets, which will be returning to the shop soon; (2) a “Pupitre” legal-style A4 pad; and (3) a spiral-bound A4 French-ruled notebook. I started with Clairefontaine paper way back in college, when I first got into fountain pens, and at this point I consider myself a lifer with this brand.

In the interest of full disclosure (though most readers probably already know this) we do sell Clairefontaine directly via our own shop, though my love of this paper predates my status as a retailer by decades. You can generally find this paper at most pen retailers worldwide.

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Further Reading

I’ve previously reviewed a few specific iterations of Clairefontaine Paper, including my favorite French/Seyes-ruled layout, which is what got me hooked on quality stationery all those years ago. For a broader look at how different brands compare, and what I consider to be “fountain pen friendly”, check out our “Hierarchies of Fountain Pen Friendly Paper” post. This particular article has a vibrant comments section, from which I’ve already picked up several new suggestions on additional brands to review and/or carry in the shop. Please add to the conversation if you don’t see one of your own favorites represented!

The Cortex Brand Sidekick Notepad: Hype or Innovation? A Bit of Both

Since the release of the Baron Fig Mastermind in 2017, I've paid close attention to the "landscape desk pad" segment of the stationery marketplace, because as I mentioned in my review of that product, this particular category holds a special place in my productivity-stationery-loving heart. There's no set of circumstances under which I don't have a pad of paper sitting below or to the side of my keyboard when I'm working on the computer, and I often prefer a "landscape" (i.e., horizontal) layout when I'm drafting documents longhand. So how does the recently released Sidekick Notepad from Cortex Brand measure up to the significant hype it’s received? Let’s take a look.

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The foldover cover, complete with Cortex “Brain” logo.

A Second Original Product from Cortex Brand, an Offshoot of the Cortex Podcast

Rarely does a paper product - much less something like a desk pad - generate significant attention in "mainstream" internet and YouTube circles, but with the release of the Sidekick Notepad, Cortex Brand has achieved just that. Not only am I starting to see this product broadly advertised on social media, but it’s also been reviewed in publications such as Inc. While it may not be “the best productivity tool I’ve used yet” (as Inc. somewhat hyperbolically proclaims), Cortex Brand definitely has something with their stationery product line, and they’ve certainly accomplished their stated goal of designing a product capable of standing alone, independent of a podcast audience. Whether that ends up being the case remains to be seen, but the Sidekick Notepad is a great product that fits a niche many stationery manufacturers have largely ignored.

Those unfamiliar with Relay.fm’s Cortex Podcast but interested in discussions of the intersection between digital and analog in work and everyday life should give Cortex a listen. Hosted by Myke Hurley (of The Pen Addict podcast) and CGP Grey (of the eponymous YouTube Channel), I've been a semi-regular listener for years, and previously reviewed their Theme System Journal, which has been helpful to me at various points over the past few years as I've navigated some life changes which required a more structured journaling experience. The Sidekick Notepad is the second product wholly designed by Cortex Brand, which borrows some visual design elements from the Theme System Journal and generally builds on a common theme of offering products designed to assist users is capturing thoughts and ideas in a structured - but not overly structured - format that helps translate raw material into action items.

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I also want to comment on the print quality. The printing on the dot grid and the To-Do list are exceptionally clean and legible.

Layout, Build Quality, and Specific Workflow for Which this Product is Designed

Straddling the line between notebook and notepad, the Sidekick Notepad is a 12 x 7” (roughly A4) covered writing pad that features a dot grid layout with a to-do list column on the right-hand side. The design and build quality is exceptional. Featuring 60 sheets of thick, fountain pen friendly Munken Lynx paper, I've had no issues with fountain pens or rollerballs feathering or bleeding through the pages. The cover is constructed from a paper called "Extract" made from recycled coffee cups, and the entire notepad is hand-assembled by a print shop in London using a combination of modern and traditional techniques. I want to call out three specific points that I believe makes the Sidekick Notepad a well-made stationery product:

• The Munken Paper Doesn't Curl. Those of you who regularly use desk and legal pads know what I'm talking about. Over time, resting your arms on the pad and/or carrying them in a briefcase can cause the paper to curl at the edges, resulting in a beat-up look that detracts from an otherwise clean, professional design. That's not a factor with the Sidekick, helped by not only paper quality but the fold-down cover.

• The Perforations Tear Easily and Cleanly. This one's self-explanatory, but it's a big deal to me. I dislike desk pads and legal pads with messy perforations that leave bits of torn paper stuck to the top of the binding.

• The Cover Looks Professional and Is Sturdy Enough to Travel. I love the Baron Fig Mastermind, but my major complaint is that it's hard to transport the pad in a briefcase between locations without the paper getting torn to shreds and bent. There’s also a flimsy backing board so the entire pad tends to curl over time. The Sidekick Notepad solves this problem by adding a durable cover that folds back underneath the pad when in use, as well as a sturdy backing board that keeps the pad flat and should hold up to a significant amount of daily use. This sort of durable construction is a major value-add for me, and what may keep me using this product going forward.

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Check out the perforations! I also like the subtle branding.

How is this product intended to be used? Based on both the layout and the explanation given on several different episodes of Cortex, the natural use case is as a GTD-style capture device. The Sidekick Notepad sits beneath your keyboard (or in front of you at a meeting), and as you jot notes you further refine them into to-dos and action items that you can then incorporate into your bullet journal or digital to-do manager. It's a clean, straightforward workflow. While you can also use the Sidekick for standard notetaking or writing, you'll probably want to seek out something slightly more cost-effective, as I'll discuss below.

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A huge part of the Sidekick’s allure is its aesthetic, as well as the functionality. Not only does the cover protect your notepad and add a layer of privacy if you want to cover your writing during meetings or when you step away from your desk (a big plus for me), it just looks better as it’s used compared to other pads that can start to seem tattered after they’ve been used for a while.

Price: At $35 (Before Shipping), the Sidekick Notepad May Be Prohibitively Expensive for Some

A large section of this review has to be devoted to the price point at which Cortex Brand sells this product, because the main drawback is expense. The Sidekick Notepad costs $35 for one notebook, with shipping for a single notebook costing an additional $10-15. Cortex Brand uses Cotton Bureau for fulfillment, which results in a somewhat incongruous situation where a product made in the U.K. is shipped to the U.S. for fulfillment, and U.K./European customers bear the brunt of international shipping on a U.K.-made product. I will note that, at least for U.S. consumers, purchasing this product in bulk evens out the shipping. Ten notebooks currently results in a shipping charge of $16.74 (more than reasonable), which brings the per-unit price (shipped) to roughly $36.60 - expensive, but hardly unprecedented given the prices enthusiasts pay for Japanese brands such as Life Stationery. The larger question is whether NON-stationery nerds (i.e., just regular nerds and professionals) who aren’t already Cortex fans will pay this much for a disposable writing pad that’s NOT intended to be retained long-term, and whether the reason for the price point is adequately communicated outside the Cortex Podcast audience.

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The specifications on the notebook are high quality, and it shows once you have the product in hand.

In addition to discussing the demanding product specifications and lengthy design/prototyping process, on the podcast Myke and Grey talk about how they are trying to create a company targeting consumers beyond those who already listen to the Cortex Podcast. While they have absolutely nailed the design and build quality, the primary roadblock to the Sidekick Notepad achieving true "mainstream" success outside the Cortex listenership is that you have to listen to the podcast to fully appreciate what they were trying to accomplish. You can’t really evaluate the Sidekick as “just a notepad,” but rather as a tool that’s intended to be used in a specific way.

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I’ve had no issues using fountain pens on either the Sidekick Notepad or in the Theme System Journal. I love this paper and would like to see it used more.

Personally, prior to listening to two different Cortex episodes discussing the Sidekick Notepad, I had passed on purchasing and reviewing this product. A long-time friend and reader asked me to reconsider, and was kind enough to send me one of the multiple Sidekicks she had purchased. The fact that someone was enthusiastic enough about the item to not only buy multiples but to donate one so that it could be reviewed was the first factor that caused me to reconsider my position here. My perspective further changed after I was actually able to hear the story and philosophy behind the product, and understand that it would supplement, not replace, certain items already in my workflow.

The backing board is substantial and durable, something that’s not as common as you might think but adds a lot of value to the quality of the experience.

Takeaways and Where to Buy, Along with A few less costly Alternatives

As noted, you can purchase the Sidekick Notepad via Cotton Bureau for $35. I enjoy this product and will probably pick up a few more, especially since at some point I will be placing a reorder for the Theme System Journal, and one of the Cortex Brand Mark One pens. It of course helps that the Sidekick's layout fits nicely with how I already take notes at my computer, and my own work situation (moving between setups at home and in a physical office). At $35 per unit, the Sidekick will be price prohibitive for certain consumers - especially those who don't want/need the note + action item layout - but understanding the product's intended audience and use-case, a market for a high-end notepad like this one definitely exists.

Slimmer than most, the Sidekick Notepad will fit beneath a keyboard and will be versatile enough to use in most locations. Shown here atop a standard A4 Midori MD Writing Pad.

Who is this product NOT for? Those who burn through 5+ sheets of paper on a daily basis, or who only use desk pads for taking lots of notes and drafting documents. If you're someone who prefers (or is required) to retain notes long-term, you might consider a spiral bound landscape notebook like those sold by Write Notepads or Maruman Mnemosyne, both of which contain fountain pen friendly paper and are generally less expensive. Those looking for a more straightforward tear-off writing pad without the special formatting can get a similar experience from the Baron Fig Mastermind, or a Midori MD or MD Cotton writing pad, again at a lower per-unit price. It goes without saying that none of these products are "cheap" by any stretch - if you appreciate quality paper, you'll need to pay for it, as these days good stationery is simply not made in the quantities necessary to keep prices at a commodity level.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This product was donated by a reader for review and was not funded or sponsored by Cortex Brand. This post does not contain links to affiliates or third-party advertisers.

Introducing Nakabayashi Logical Prime Paper: Ink Friendly and Quick Drying

Earlier this year, my friend Ana over at the Well-Appointed Desk recommended that I try out Logical Prime paper from Nakabayashi Stationery, a brand I knew by reputation (mainly for their scissors and desk accessories) but had never personally tried. This paper is apparently known for being fountain pen friendly, with relatively short dry times and nice sheening and shading for showcasing ink.

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So far, the quality has impressed. I’ve pushed this paper with some fairly wet nibs - including a No. 8 Bock Titanium nib - and tested multiple inks, and the only one that’s feathered or bled has been a Kakimori pigmented ink that, frankly, has feathered and bled through everything I’ve tried except mixed media paper. I can see this Logical Prime paper working its way into my rotation, especially where I need a slimmer spiral notebook for discrete projects.

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The notebooks come in four rulings and a blank option. Clockwise from top left: 7mm “lined”, 6mm “lined”, grid, and dot.

The Logical Prime Notebooks contain 40 sheets (80 pages) in the thread-bound format, and 50 sheets (100 pages) in the “W-Ring” spiral binding. The paper comes in four different rulings, including some interesting 6mm and 7mm lined variants that remind me of Clairefontaine Séyes-ruled paper. Pages have a header reminiscent of that on Maruman Mnemosyne, allowing you to better organize your notes.

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All of the standard fountain pen inks I tested worked extremely well.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Nakabayashi Logical Prime paper recently became more widely available in the U.S. So far, testing with this paper has been extremely positive, and I’ve listed an initial shipment for sale in the shop in both the “Thread Binding” and “W-Ring” (spiral bound) formats. These notebooks are relatively inexpensive, with the thread-bound version priced at $6 and the W-Ring version priced at $7.50. Note that the Logical Prime paper is considered Nakabayashi’s premium paper option, with certain other Nakabayashi paper not handling fountain pens quite as well. I don’t plan to stock anything other than Logical Prime until I have had a chance to test their other offerings.

This post does not contain third-party affiliate links or paid advertising. The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases through the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Personal Obsessions: My Quest for the Perfect Blue Writing Paper

Despite having access to about as wide a range of stationery products as humanly possible, there are still certain things I’ve been looking for over the years that remain elusive. Chief among these is a reliably fountain-pen-friendly blue writing paper. Smythson of Bond Street seems to be the gold standard for many, and their notebooks are indeed gorgeous, but I’ve had trouble locating reviews of their paper from the perspective of a fountain pen user, and in any event the price point makes the paper hard to justify for everyday writing outside of formal correspondence.

G. Lalo Paper comes in 50-sheet tablets. As shown from the picture at the top of the page, shading won’t look the same, but the blue doesn’t distort the ink color as much as I expected. In fact, it gives it a nice vintage look. G. Lalo paper has a laid texture (meaning that it’s not smooth), so if you prefer super-smooth paper you should be aware of this.

Since the past few years saw a steep drop off in my work travel, depriving me of regular opportunities to loot hotel rooms of “low cost” light blue stationery, I’ve been on the lookout for a replacement and have found two options that I enjoy. The first, G. Lalo Vergé de France writing paper, is typically recommended for written correspondence, but I’ve also enjoyed using it as a standard writing tablet, similar to the Midori MD Cotton Paper. While a touch darker than what I originally expected, I’ve been enjoying this as a solid general purpose writing paper, especially since the price point ($14 for a 50-sheet A5 tablet) is fairly reasonable for paper of this quality and the paper is easy to get a hold of, especially now that we stock G. Lalo Paper in our own shop.

The Midori Soft Color A5 Notebooks come in four shades (grey + three pastels) that aren’t so loud they overwhelm your writing. Some people match the notebook to their ink color, but I prefer a bit of contrast.

I discovered the second blue paper option when I was in New York City last week and found myself browsing the back wall at Kinokuniya bookstore off Bryant Park. (For those of you who haven’t visited Kinokuniya, it’s the NYC outpost of the Japanese bookstore that has a massive stationery section in the basement, and the back wall contains nothing but notebooks.) I noticed that they had a couple piles of Midori A5 “Soft Color” notebooks in blue, grey, green, and yellow, priced at $4 each. Seeing that they contained dot grid paper, I figured that was a no-brainer purchase at that price and grabbed one in blue and one in grey. I spent ten minutes jotting in these notebooks in a coffee shop, realized the paper lost none of the excellent qualities of the standard Midori MD Paper, and promptly contacted my distributor to stock all four colors for the shop.

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Midori Soft Color Notebook in blue, with dot grid paper. Testing inks are three of my favorite colors from the Laban Greek Mythology series.

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Midori Soft Color Notebook in Grey (shown with the blue notebook for contrast). These notebooks are standard A5 so they fit covers like the Lochby Field Journal.

Many people have requested recommendations for colored paper options in the past, but it’s a tricky thing to get right. Often, companies will apply a coating to give the paper its color, which works fine as long as you’re not trying to write with a fountain pen, rollerball, or other liquid ink, since most coated paper isn’t particularly absorbent and the ink tends to never dry. That’s not an issue with either of the two papers shown here. Both G. Lalo and Midori Soft Color dry fairly quickly, and behave essentially like standard white or ivory writing papers. There is a third option - Original Crown Mill - that makes a light blue laid paper I want to try, and yes, I probably will eventually splurge on some Smythson. (“For science.”)

For the time being, however, these two will work fine, and I no longer have to worry about exhausting my dwindling stash of blue notepads. If you’re interested in trying out some of this stationery for yourself, we currently have G. Lalo writing paper and envelopes available for sale in the shop in white, ivory and blue, along with the Midori Soft Color A5 notebooks in blue, grey, green, and yellow.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

In Praise of Perforated Pages: The Nebula Note "Casual Note" Notebook

Colorverse Ink, with their numerous “seasons” of ink and interesting colors, have established themselves as a stalwart in the ink world, and it was only a matter of time before they turned to paper. Featuring 120 pages of ink-friendly, 90gsm paper, Colorverse’s “Nebula Note Casual Note” notebook offers yet another excellent fountain pen friendly option. The notebook shown here features a durable twin-ring spiral binding, a fairly sturdy kraft/cardstock cover, three different ruling options, and - wait for it - PERFORATED PAGES.

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The perforations tear easily and cleanly.

I sometimes feel like I’m shouting into the void with paper companies and perforations. For those of us with day jobs that require us to be able to organize, file, and, yes, sometimes destroy specific pieces of notes or writing, perforations are key. (Unless you’re one of those strange people who loves picking paper scraps out of a spiral binding. Anyone who used a Mead notebook in high school knows what I’m talking about.) Currently, this “Casual Note” notebook and the Maruman Mnemosyne series are my perforated options of choice.

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I experienced no feathering with the Nebula Note paper, and since it’s textured and slightly absorbent, fairly quick dry times.

As one would expect from an ink company, Nebula Note notebooks features very good paper. I would compare the feel to a thicker, slightly more textured 68gsm Tomoe River. Colorverse markets this paper as “ink proof,” meaning that you’re supposed to be able to use it to write and swatch inks. I can’t dispute their characterization - I really pushed this paper scribbling with fairly wet pens and a sharp needlepoint and couldn’t get the paper to bleed.

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Zero bleed-through, and not much show through even with darker inks. You can easily use both sides of a page.

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Here you can see the texture. If you’re not a fan of toothy paper, you may not enjoy the writing experience, but I found it tactile without being “scratchy”.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

My overall opinion is that this is excellent paper, and I wish that more spiral notebooks featured perforated pages like this one. While things are getting better, those “ink proof” spiral notebooks that are also practical enough to use at work remain few and far between, and I’ve been tearing through this one fast enough that I’ll probably look to pick up a few more at the D.C. Pen Show in August.

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Some people may not like the “nebula” hologram on the cover, but I think it sets off my Platinum Karakusa (shown in the top photo) nicely!

You can purchase the Colorverse Nebula Note Casual Note from our friends at Vanness Pens, priced at $15. The Casual Note comes in three different rulings: dot grid, lined, and blank. The cover pictured here is called “oil green”, but other options exist, as well as additional notebooks that I look forward to trying out in the future.

This notebook was sent to me by Luxury Brands, the Colorverse U.S. distributor, free of charge for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review. This post does NOT contain affiliate links.