Discovering Unusual Paper: "Paper Tasting" Sets from Yamamoto Paper

It’s easy sometimes to get stuck in a rut with hobbies and interests, and many times over the years I’ve found myself bored with my stationery routine, using the same pens, pencils, and especially paper without much variation. The good thing about paper is that if you write enough you will use it up and need more, which offers you endless opportunities for experimentation (as long as you keep writing). Japanese distributor Yamamoto Paper offers a seemingly endless array of unique and uncommon Japanese papers, and sells them in convenient sample packs of pads and loose sheets.

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Each Yamamoto Paper Tasting Sampler includes a cover sheet with a short description on the manufacture, history, and usage of each of the three papers. It will also indicate Yamamoto’s opinion on how each paper reacts to different types of ink.These sorts of opinions are incredibly subjective, and as I’ll discuss more below, your own opinion may differ wildly (which is part of why these sorts of samplers are so much fun). Photos of additional information included with each Paper Tasting Sampler are included in the gallery below.

I’ve purchased many different paper sampling or “Paper Tasting” products from Yamamoto Paper over the years, starting back in 2022 at the San Francisco Pen Show where they had a setup at their table that allowed you to assemble a small box of samples of different papers in square sheets. I bought two full boxes, and I’m now well into my last one which I’m working through sparingly. I use them for small notes, and have found that they fit well inside a six-ring plotter binder if I punch them with three holes. What I plan to write about today, though, is Yamamoto’s “Paper Tasting” series. These relatively inexpensive sets of three bound notepads are organized by paper texture, color, and/or other properties such as translucency, and are released in different “volumes” as Yamamoto acquires new papers, and other papers are discontinued.

Among the most recent set of releases is this new set of “Gray” papers (Volume 4). I’m a fan of unusual paper colors such as gray and blue, as these tones add some visual depth to written correspondence and often showcase different undertones in fountain pen ink than standard white or ivory. The current Yamamoto “Gray” paper sampler comes with three different paper options: First Vintage Ash (B7 pad), Half Tone Color Abyss (A6 pad), and Kona Wrap Sky (B6). The latter two papers are blue-grey, so directly fall within my own personal preferences.

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When I test papers, I often choose fountain pens that will “challenge” the paper. Shown here is a Pilot Custom 823 ground to an architect nib, a very wet Parker 61 with a medium 14k nib, and a relatively wet Aurora 88 Sigaro Blu with an ebonite feed that delivers a lot of ink to the page.

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My two favorites from this sampler pack are the Half-tone Color Abyss (Top) and Kona Wrap Sky. I would probably flip Yamamoto’s descriptions in terms of fountain pen friendliness. All of these papers are indicated as working well with fountain pens, but I wouldn’t consider the First Vintage Ash (below) to be the best of the bunch. Again, there’s no substitute for your own experimentation.

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First Vintage Ash didn’t bleed through, but there was some feathering with the architect nib on this fibrous paper. I assume that Yamamoto values dry time over the lack of feathering, thus explaining why this particular paper received the highest marks of the three for fountain pens? This strikes me as a better pencil paper than anything, given the texture.

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The largest pad in this assortment (Kona Wrap Sky, in B6) will probably get the most use, as I will use it to write letters and for general notetaking. This paper showed zero feathering or bleedthrough, and it has a wonderful cool blue-gray tone.

So are these papers purely “samples”, or are they usable? It depends on how you use your paper. I’ve personally always found great practical usage for my Yamamoto Paper, and these particular papers are bound into pads so they are incredibly useful for things like short notes and even written correspondence, if you like the A6 and B6 sizing. I’ve also turned the smaller pads sideways and hole-punched them to add notes to my binder systems.

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

For me, trying out different papers, even one-offs or papers so rare that I likely won’t be able to find them again, is one of the most enjoyable parts of the stationery hobby. These Yamamoto Paper samplers are an easy way to do that. I appreciate that these aren’t just loose sheets of paper, and the fact that they’re bound into small pads makes them much more usable as notepads, writing tablets for letters, or even small sheets that you can hole-punch and add to your binder system.

As I noted above, we currently have seven different Yamamoto “Paper Tasting” Samplers available in the shop, alongside the packs of larger A4 looseleaf papers (which of course can be cut down to different sizes using a paper cutter). Patreon members should check this week’s Patreon feed or the “Announcements” section of the Discord for a special Yamamoto Paper Sampler offer.

If you’re ever in the Nashville, Tennessee area, please stop in and see us! We’d love to welcome you in store and answer any questions you may have. The Gentleman Stationer is open this week Thursday (1-4) and Friday (1-6) and Saturday from 10-4. Our site is entirely self-supported through the shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Plotter Walkthrough: How I Use My Plotter Binders (Video)

This one’s been a long-time coming. Readers have been asking me for more notetaking and organizational “technique” content, which I’ve discovered is pretty hard to do here on the blog. It’s much easier to show people how I use various notebook systems, and in-store customers have remarked that my store demonstrations and explanations would make compelling video content. I’ve previously done similar videos on Roterfaden and certain of the Lochby cases. Today I walk through three of my Plotter binders, including the Mini 5 (Pocket-size), Bible Size, and Standard A5. I’ve also written some about what Plotter is and how I use it, but in this video I actually flip through all of the notebooks and talk about the accessories and how they each fit into my workflow. I’ve also added Chapters so that you can jump to the specific notebook you want to hear about, but please do listen to the intro because it does provide a general overview of Plotter and the overall role it plays for me.

Note: We are not Plotter retailers, and have no affiliation with the brand other than that we enjoy using their products. I will note that many of the items we sell (including looseleaf papers and paper pads from Midori, Clairefontaine, Yamamoto Paper, Nakabayashi, and Iroful) can be trimmed and/or hole-punched to use in Plotter and other notebook systems, which is actually how I personally use much of the paper I consume.

We are supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Our brick and mortar shop will be open Thursday and Saturday this week, and this Friday by appointment. Typically we have regular Friday hours, but I need to finish upgrading some displays and plan to take the afternoon to do that work. Come see us on Saturday and check out the new look!

New Arrivals: The Most Nashville-Appropriate Notebook Ever? Blackwing x George Harrison

Ok, while this is definitely a niche product, I couldn’t NOT carry this in the store, right, given my location? In conjunction with the estate of George Harrison, Blackwing has released a songwriter’s notebook that’s inspired by Harrison’s famous hand-painted guitar, “Rocky,” and paired with a matching pencil that’s only available as part of the notebook set. Each notebook also includes stickers inspired by the paintings on the guitar, as well as a plastic guide that slides over a page and serves as a template for either a lined ruling or various forms of music notation, such as chord charts and tablature.

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The Blackwing x George Harrison notebook sets are available this morning in the shop, along with a wide range of Blackwing products including pencils and sharpeners. Blackwing’s limited edition notebooks are always extremely well-executed. If this one doesn’t interest you, check out the Bill Russell notebook that serves as a companion to the Volume 11 pencils, as well as the oversized (A4-ish) Volume 574 Ledger Notebook.

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

Levenger Freeleaf Paper: A Brand That Started It All for Me

Back in the early 2000s, Levenger was one of the more readily available sources of quality, yet reasonably priced, stationery and desk/reading accessories, and I fondly recall spending hours browsing their original factory store when my parents lived near Delray Beach, Florida. (I would also visit the old Tysons Corner, Virginia location when I attended the D.C. Pen Show at the old Sheraton location.) The Levenger Circa disc binder system still plays a role in my personal carry, and I love that I can hole-punch any letter or A4-sized looseleaf paper and organize notes by sheet, much the same way as I have used William Hannah.

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Levenger paper is more absorbent, so it doesn’t show off sheen or shading as much as coated paper. It does, however, dry fairly quickly. I love these pads for notetaking in meetings, using the ruled areas to take actual notes and the shaded “annotation” section to summarize talking points and follow-up questions.

While Levenger has long advertised their paper as “ballpoint, rollerball, and fountain pen friendly”, I’ve found it to be somewhat inconsistent over the years. I suspect they’ve changed the sourcing more than a few times. In the early 2010s, I acquired a large batch of Circa notebook refills, Oasis desk pads, and annotation legal style pads which I would describe as “relatively” fountain pen friendly. The paper was certainly usable (especially for the price point), but it still suffered from some feathering and pinpoint bleedthrough with especially wet pens and nibs broader than a fine, and sometimes a medium. The current generation of Levenger paper, I’m happy to report, performs much better.

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The grey-shaded annotation pads feature a monthly/weekly date function that allows you to date your notes by circling a specific day or a range. The color shaded annotation pads do not feature the calendar.

I’m still working through that original giant bulk order, sp I’ve not had much of a chance to sample any of Levenger’s latest releases until recently, when I acquired a large batch of their “Freeleaf” notepads from an estate sale. I’ve been using them for about six months or so, and have been so pleased with the quality that I not only bought more but decided to bring them into the shop. To me, what makes Levenger products fun to use are their diverse array of layouts, ranging from their classic “annotation ruled” paper (a version of Cornell-style formatting) to this new “Vintage Library” pad that looks like a giant library card. The annotation pads are definitely the most fountain pen friendly of the bunch, and I’ve had no issues with this paper bleeding or feathering even with very wet nibs and grinds like architects and kodachi/blade grinds that can dig into the paper a bit. I hope Levenger keeps this source and begins to use this paper across their entire product line, because in addition to performing well with ink it has a pleasant texture and tactile feel when writing.

Ever wanted to write on a giant library card? Well, now you can live that dream.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

As a shop owner, I’m constantly paying attention not only the best-performing paper, but paper that performs well at a price point that’s accessible to those of us who use it every day and, as a result, burn through a lot of it. While all the specialty Japanese papers out there can be interesting to use and often perform superbly with fountain pens, they tend to be too pricey for me to use on more mundane office tasks where the paper often has to end up in the shredder. The Levenger “Freeleaf” legal pads handle fountain pen ink quite well, and can cost as little as $8 on a per-pad basis, making them a great office resource. I love that the pages are formatted on both sides to maximize usability and minimize waste.

We currently sell the Freeleaf pads individually and in a pack of five, in three different layouts. We also carry a curated selection of Levenger accessories, including some newly arrived leather pen cases and canvas stationery pouches. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve tried so far, and definitely plan on adding as much as Levenger will make available to independent retailers.

Thank you for reading! The Gentleman Stationer is supported by the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you’d like to visit our in-person location, you can view directions and up-to-date hours here.

Unpacking the Fountain Pen Friendly Paper Sampler: Why a Sampler, and Why These Specific Papers?

I mentioned last week that a frequent request I receive for the shop is the sampler pack, namely fountain pen friendly paper and woodcase pencils. It’s somewhat counterintuitive: what’s the rationale behind paying $10 for 15-20 sheets of paper when you can get a full 50-pad sheet for the same price? The answer is that the “value” is in the money you don’t need to spend, something that really hit home as I’ve spent the past two weeks cleaning out my day job office as I prepare to go fully remote. I have multiple bankers’ boxes full of paper and notebooks that I purchased simply to test the paper - money I likely would not have needed to spend had there been readily available ways to test some of these brands and formats via sampler packs and pads containing different brands.

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For further reading on Fountain Pen Friendly paper, check out this post, which I try to update fairly regularly and which has a lively comments section.

I still have a fair number of our Fountain Pen Day paper samplers - I ended up making more than my originally intended 15 - and I’ll continue to make them available for purchase online and in-store as long as my current supply of sampler paper holds out. After that, I will consider whether to re-up on the current sampler and/or expand what I offer. For today’s post, however, I thought it might be fun to talk a bit about each of the papers in the current fountain pen friendly paper sampler, how I personally have used it, and why I chose to include it in this initial pack. (Note: These papers are discussed in the order in which they appear in the sample pack, not any order of personal preference.)

• Write Notepads Paper. While there have been supply constraints recently (it’s a very small company), Write Notepads still makes some of my favorite cost-effective fountain pen friendly paper. It also comes in a wide variety of formats, from writing pads to hardcover notebooks to spiral and pocket notebooks. I know that many products are showing as out-of-stock, but they are on order. Fingers-crossed for a restock in the near future!

• Life Bank Paper. Life Bank Paper is a classic, “professional” paper that is one of my favorite off-white options. The A5 Bank Paper pad is a favorite of many for letter writing (this watermarked paper just looks classy) and it handles fountain pen ink extremely well with reasonable dry times.

• Life Noble Note. With a different (smoother?) feel than the Bank Paper, Life’s “Noble Note” paper is their standard workhorse offering. While excellent for fountain pens, I also find it pleasant to use with pencils.

• Rhodia. I included Rhodia mainly for comparison purposes. A sibling company of Clairefontaine, the papers are slightly different, with Rhodia - in my experience - slightly less fountain pen friendly but rather cost-effective if what you’re looking for is paper that performs well enough to be usable without breaking the bank.

• Clairefontaine Triomphe. Known for their bright white, extremely fountain pen friendly paper stock, Clairefontaine is probably my “inexpensive” paper of choice, if I had to name one. The Triomphe pads are marketed as suitable for correspondence, but they are also just as useful for general writing and notetaking. Clairefontaine recently released a series of softcover A5 notebooks using the Triomphe paper.

• Standard Clairefontaine Looseleaf and French-Ruled Looseleaf. Clairefontaine makes relatively inexpensive looseleaf paper, which is one thing I love about the brand, especially since it’s available in the Seyes/French-Ruled variant. This is the same paper used in the non-Triomphe notebooks and notepads, so you can use the looseleaf sheets in the sampler to see how this paper works for you.

• Life Airmail “Onionskin” Paper. While this paper may not appeal to everyone, I went ahead and included it in the paper sampler because its an interesting, non-mainstream paper option that has some historical significance. Onionskin paper was used to reduce postage rates for “airmail” being delivered long distances, and while no longer necessary, it’s a fun throwback, and it’s frankly kind of wild to see how well this ultra-thin paper handles fountain pen ink. (You’ll also note that the paper is back in stock - I found my stash of onionskin that had “disappeared” in the move.)

When you compare the various papers in the sampler, you will definitely find that some work better for you than others. However, some of them are more expensive than others, and you may have to pay for “peak” performance. As someone who has used a LOT of paper in their job over the years, I’ve personally focused on finding everyday paper that is good enough to handle the fine and medium fountain pens I use most of the time. For me, that’s typically some combination of Write Notepads, Clairefontaine, and Midori MD (which I may feature in another sampler later on). While I may not get to it in 2024, given that the holidays are already upon us and I’m barely keeping it together as it is, I would love to continue to offer this and other samplers going forward.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. We recently opened a physical location, where we can see customers a few days a week and where you can test many of the papers discussed here in person. See the “About” page for updated hours, which are subject to change.