Shop Update: Paper for Letter Writing

Even though I failed to get my act together in time to participate in NaNoWriMo last month, I’ve tried to do better with my letter writing, especially now that I have access to a ready stream of paper that’s more appropriate for casual letter writing. I’ve never been one for dedicated “stationery sets,” other than correspondence cards that people have sent me over the years, preferring to rely on standard writing pads that offer more writing space. (Hey, when I do write letters, they tend to be longer.) If you’ve ever received a letter from me, you’ll know that I prefer three types of paper: Clairefontaine Triomphe, Midori MD Cotton, and standard 52gsm Tomoe River paper (which is currently hard to source due to manufacturing changes). What do I like about these specific papers? They’re all “standard” enough to be both readily available and reasonably priced, while still maintaining that classic “vintage stock” feel that’s nicer than a standard legal pad, for both the writer and the recipient.

We’re happy to carry most of these papers in the shop, along with a few other quirky options.

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Bright-white Clairefontaine Triomphe paper really shows off the ink!

Clairefontaine Triomphe

Available in both blank and lined formats, I would call Clairefontaine Triomphe my workhorse letter-writing paper of choice, since it’s both readily available, inexpensive, and ink-friendly. I love that it’s sold in bound writing pads, so you can use it for general writing and notetaking as well as correspondence. Available now in both A4 and A5 sizes, starting at only $5 USD.

Midori MD Writing Pads (MD Cotton and MD Standard)

If you favor more absorbent paper than Clairefontaine, or if you sometimes enjoy using pencils to write your letters, Midori MD Writing Pads are an excellent option. The unlined MD Cotton Paper has the best overall feel of any writing paper out there (in my opinion) and my only regret is that they don’t make it with a ruling. At the end of the day, I’ve simply adapted to using unlined paper. As I’ve mentioned before Midori MD pads are excellent for letter writing, and they can pull double-duty as a desk pad since they are bound on two sides and can be turned into a landscape orientation to fit beneath a keyboard. Available in both A4 and A5 sizes, starting at $10 for MD Cotton and $12 for standard Midori MD.

Life Noble Note and Bank Paper

While Japanese Stationery Company “Life” sits outside the stationery mainstream, receiving less attention than peers like Midori, many people find their paper equally as good and it’s developed a cult following. Their “Noble Note” 100-sheet writing pads come in blank, lined, and grid rulings. Personally, I find Life’s standard paper to behave closest to standard Midori MD, though perhaps with a bit more texture? If you favor toothier, more absorbent paper, check out their heavier, vintage-style Bank Paper. Available in A4 size, starting at $26 for a 100-sheet pad of Noble Note, and $28 for a 100-sheet pad of Bank Paper.

WMS & Co. ColorPads

Though color-coated paper is extremely hit or miss with fountain pens, I’ve had a lot of fun lately sending notes on the ColorPads from WMS & Co, mainly using ballpoint pen and pencil. (Colored Pencil looks exceptionally good on the grey paper.) I have one of the “Large Square” ColorPads on my desk at work, which I use for both taking notes and sending professional correspondence (thank-yous, cover notes, etc.). The best part is that all of the WMS & Co desk pads contain a minimum of 185 sheets of paper, so they’ll basically last forever. Available from $25.

WMS & Co makes writing pads in a variety of shapes and sizes. I’ve been using the large square ones (center) for work cover notes and casual correspondence.

Disclaimer: The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands shown here. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Introducing Life Stationery Writing Pads

The T.G.S. Curated Shop has always featured a wide range of luxury writing pads, including those from brands such as Write Notepads, Rhodia, Clairefontaine, and now, Life Stationery. We just received a shipment of Life A4 Noble Note, Letter-sized Bank Paper, and A4 Typewriter pads, all of which are available for purchase as of this morning. If you haven’t tried Life paper, it’s some of the most versatile Japanese paper out there, whether you’re looking for smooth (Noble Note), textured (Bank Paper), or lightweight (Typewriting Paper). The Noble Note and Bank Paper pads contain a whopping 100 sheets! Check out these and other Life Stationery products here.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold. By shopping with us directly, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

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A paper specifically made for typewriters? Count me in!

The Best Paper for Everyday Writing, Part V: Writing Pads, Notecards, and Even Some Looseleaf

I keep a wide assortment of paper products on hand beyond traditional bound notebooks. Because I generally think better on the page than on a screen, I maintain a large stash of what I think of as "brainstorming supplies": paper in convenient formats that I can pull out to get my thoughts down, which I can then shred, scan, or stick in a file or binder for later reference. The products I use for this purpose don't fall into a traditional category, so this final installment of the "Everyday Writers: Best Paper" series will seem like a catch-all - because it is. That said, the fact that I saved this particular article for last doesn't reflect its importance to my workflow. In many ways, the products listed here are among the most important that I use, particularly the Baron Fig Mastermind and Rhodia pads.

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1. Baron Fig Mastermind. At times, the Baron Fig Mastermind desk pad has been the most heavily used product in my rotation. I generally keep one on my desk at home, and one on my desk at the office. This versatile piece of stationery serves multiple purposes: an open canvas for mind mapping; a landscape-style dot grid pad for general note taking; and even a different format for handwritten drafts of longer writing projects.

2. Rhodia A4/A5 Pad (Grid/Dot). For many - and possibly a majority of - fountain pen enthusiasts, Rhodia pads are the default workhorse paper. It's inexpensive for good paper, widely available, and handles nearly any fountain pen ink with minimal feathering or bleed-through. Unlike Baron Fig paper, it's coated and relatively non-absorbent, so the primary drawback will be dry time but even that is reasonable and honestly depends heavily on the ink you’re using.

3. Doane Paper Writing Pad. Doane Paper's signature "Grid+Lines" ruling makes another appearance on my "Best Paper for Everyday Writing" lists, and their single-sided large Writing Pad is probably the Doane Paper format I use the most. Since this particular pad is only made to write on one side anyway, I don't worry about bleed-through, though the grid ruling is so small that I mainly use pencils and ultra-fine gel pens (and sometimes extra-fine or needlepoint fountain pens) on this particular paper. Great for making lists, flowcharts, and analog mind-mapping.

4. Nock Co. Dot-Dash Index Cards. Though I don't use index cards extensively, I will break them out when I'm having trouble organizing thoughts for a longer-form article or legal brief, or otherwise have a project with lots of moving pieces that I want to track visually. Nock's Dot-Dash cards work well with nearly all writing instruments, including most fountain pens, and their colorful orange ruling is visible enough to use but not so loud that it obstructs your writing. The cards also come in large bifold "Gigante" and smaller "Petite" sizes.

5. Clairefontaine Looseleaf. It pains me to have to put this last on this list, because it's arguably my favorite paper ever, but given how difficult it is to get your hands on Clairefontaine looseleaf sheets these days, I debated whether to include it. Oh well. I hauled enough packs of this stuff back from France a few years ago to last me until Armageddon, so I'm going to continue to use it, and hope that at some point Exaclair starts to distribute this paper to U.S. retailers once again. Since I only use the French ruled version, I expect that I'll have to make a restock run across the Atlantic when we're allowed to travel again, though Wonder Pens has it listed on their site (though as “Out of Stock”) and I’m hopeful they’ll bring it back.

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One product that we will likely never see in the U.S. are the French-ruled “Doubles”, or four sheet booklets of French-ruled paper used for notetaking in school. [EDIT: Turns out we now carry them!]

Takeaways and Final Thoughts

Given that this last installment is more of a "catch-all" list, there aren't any products on here that I would necessarily prioritize over others in my workflow in terms of importance - I use all of them in different scenarios for different purposes. That said, the ones I use most frequently, as measured by how often I have to restock, are the Baron Fig Mastermind and Rhodia pads. I order these by the dozen at the beginning of each year and typically have to place a restock order towards the end of the summer.

I hope you all have enjoyed the "Everyday Writers: Best Paper" series. Paper can be difficult to write about, since everyone has different needs and preferences and recommendations turn out to be highly subjective, but the best thing about today's market is the variety of products out there, which means that you will almost certainly be able to find something that works for you.

If you are interested in reading further, the rest of the “Everyday Writers: Best Paper” series includes Part I: Hardcover Notebooks; Part II: Slim Softcover Notebooks; Part III: Spiral Notebooks; and Part IV: Pocket Notebooks and Portable Paper.

New Products You Should Try: Custom Writing Pads from Blank Slate Paper Company

One new paper product that I’ve been using regularly is this new writing pad from Blank Slate Paper Company. If you’re unfamiliar with Blank Slate, it’s the brainchild of Dave and Kelly Rea, who set out to create a company that would allow stationery enthusiasts to design a “completely customizable writing pad” to their exact specifications. You can choose from dot grid, reticle grid, graph, lined ruling, or even a combination!

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For my first pad, I chose the HP Premium 32lb paper with orange dot grid.

When the company first launched last year, only single-sided pads were possible, but double-sided is now an option. Blank Slate offers two paper types: HP Premium 32lb and Domtar Bold 28. I prefer the HP Premium paper, as I’ve found it to be some of the most fountain-pen friendly paper in terms of minimizing bleed-through and feathering. It’s what I use in my printers at home.

Blank Slate products are printed and hand-assembled in Rochester, New York. Single custom writing pads start at $23.50 with a discount on purchases of three or more. Head over to the custom pad design tool - which Dave designed and built himself - and get started now!

Disclaimer: Dave was kind enough to provide me with a discount on the pad pictured here. This post contains affiliate links.