We not only live in a new “golden age” of fountain pen ink, but also fountain pen friendly paper. In the past few months alone, I’ve had the pleasure of testing at least four different legal or desk pads, all of which turned out to be excellent. When I first got into this hobby, there was Rhodia and Clairefontaine. Hard Stop. Not only do today’s fountain pen enthusiasts have a much more extensive selection to choose from, but the cost of good everyday paper has dropped.
After revamping their notebook lineup to include some of the most ink-friendly paper on the market, Baltimore-based Write Notepads has now released a new set of “Memo Notepads” - 8.5” x 11” legal-sized writing pads containing the same 70# paper stock found in the notebooks. Each pad is glue-bound at the top, so the sheets tear off easily, and backed by a sturdy kraft/chipboard back cover.
One thing I love about Write Notepads paper is that it is uncoated and more absorbent than your typical “fountain pen friendly” paper. It dries quickly, and despite the absorbency does not bleed or feather.
Write Notepads Memo Pads are sold two pads to a pack, with each pad containing 50 sheets. You can choose from three different 1/4” rulings: dot grid, lined, and “Meeting” (a Cornell-style ruling optimized for taking and summarizing meeting notes). These pads are ruled on both sides, so you actually get 100 pages of writing per pad - a feature that I wish makers of other high-end legal pads (such as Blackwing) would emulate. When I’m paying for good paper, I want to be able to easily use both sides of the page.
Some people really enjoy the “Meeting” ruling for the ability to easily summarize notes and pull together action items. It’s also useful for research.
You can purchase Write Memo Notepads in the Curated Shop, priced at $18 for a pack of two. The Shop also carries the full range of Write Notepads products, from spiral Notebooks to pocket notebooks to hardbound journals. I can’t wait to see what Write releases next - perhaps a landscape desk pad? (Suggestion….)
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