Paper choice for writing is important in many ways. It probably isn’t unimportant at all. The main point to paper is in it’s production. Deforestation due to many intervention needs is a massive concern.
https://paperontherocks.com/2018/11/28/environmental-impact-of-deforestation/
My wife has a massive amount of paper and cardboard packaging coming into her shop. She has to pay for two huge paper recycling bins located a good five to ten minute walk to get to an area outside and close to the back of her shop. I’ve took a few large ‘trolley’ loads full of cardboard around to those two bins and it isn’t easy. It needs very many visits a week, it’s a bumpy old trolley ride along the side street to rougher uneven land and both bins are always filled weekly. That is paper production from the packaged arrivals to one shop!
Back to writing on paper. Obsessive nature can determine the comfort involved in simply sitting down and writing. When writing, as a nurse, in the paperwork including files, care plans, record charts, handover sheets, etc. the paper qualities were the ‘luck of the draw’. Sometimes of an awful nature for a fountain pen. Sometimes tolerable. Never excellent. Sources from main central NHS supply to our office staff providing printer paper for our daily needs/inclusions. You wouldn’t be writing on Rhodia or Midori any time soon.
Please tap on any one of the below Gallery images to enlarge the photograph. They then present with forward/backward viewing choice.
Paper, ink, nib combinations are always of an interesting nature. Performance in their synergy showing so many thousands of combinations and results. So much to consider in this synergy choice. Also to add to the recipe of a two way exchange between yourself and the writing tools is what you are writing. A simple shopping list, a new pen experiment to how it performs or an intended long term or personal keepsake diary, journal, file, love letter or poem, etc. When the result is poor it affects the comfort in the therapy of writing for calming the moment. But doesn’t matter when it lists needs for bread, butter, tea, potatoes, etc.
An exercise of experiment versus an intentional result. An experiment where paper choice is so diverse that a single pen/ink combination on a few to a few dozen choices from handmade, artist sketchbook, watercolour pad, writing/script notebook, the actual paper company make and then paper weight (grams per square inch:GSM). Absorbency, paper coating, smoothness, roughness, dotted/lined/plain/graph designed, paper bag, postcards, etc. All are available to choose for intentional results. All affect the senses. And ethical self values too. Obsessive stationery purchasing is not one of my traits. Charity shop finds, wallpaper lining paper cut to manageable sizes for file inclusions and recycled paper are often my choice. A decent journal (well…..a dozen plus) are owned and ready to go. But will definitely be used in the future.
Last night? Four choices here were random. A charity shop 50p A4 find for simply ‘scrap after try out’ writing (Viking Direct), some ripped in half A3 to A4 size Akvarel Blok water colour paper to include in my go to Monograph clipboard choices, handmade Indian paper with floral petals/leaves imbedded and some ripped up to small note-let pieces from Khadi watercolour paper for a little handmade leather carry around source for grabbing for reminders, memos, shopping list, etc.
Last night I picked up the new addition Montblanc 3-44G pen (unknown ink inherent) and an Iridinoid dip nib with Parker Quink, Diamine Oxblood fountain pen inks and a Sennelier Sepia Shellac ink used. Also the intentional March choice pens which is a fun and interesting project by a fellow blogger. Link below.
This blog paper observation I am writing isn’t a true analytical one for paper choice. I simply thought about people new to fountain pens and first time writing with them. Another fellow blogger who is a photographer asked my advice re: decent paper choice for his new fountain pen interest. I replied that I am no expert, but gave a link and some small insights as above. It did get me thinking. People who use a fountain pen for the very first time could get put off with the synergy of choices coming out negatively. An initial poor experience could possibly lead to future avoidance, with a reluctance to use a fountain pen ever again. With plastic over use considerations nowadays and throw away ballpoints, rollerball, etc. choices? Surely a fountain pen is the ‘eco friendly’ way isn’t it? I refill cartridges from time to time from ink bottle supplies using a syringe and blunt needle. And yes, the syringe and needle are washed out and used multiple times too.
My grandaughter was sitting at the dining room table. ‘What you doing Grancha?’ ‘I’m checking out the fountain pens. Making sure they are writing ok’. Like my daughter, my granddaughter writes beautifully. She writes stories, draws and uses numerous notebooks bought with her pocket money. Loves ‘Flying Tiger’ stationery. I never realised that she hadn’t used a fountain pen. My daughter used one at school. I thought there may be a fountain pen kicking around their house. So my granddaughter tried about a dozen of mine. Not once did she skip a beat. The writing was amazing and she was hooked. Thing is. She holds her pen very close to the nib and soon had ink stains. Didn’t bother her at all. So I chose the Parker 45 Flighter pen and said it’s hers to keep. Best choice with a half hooded nib.
Paper is expensive, eco friendly considerations needed, recycling intentions of using anything to write on and can be a dream or a problematic writing experience depending on ink, pen, paper synergy.
Another fellow blogger doodle draws and writes on paper bags given with the shopping. David Hockney drew on a paper napkin in a restaurant café in Saltaire, Yorkshire. The restaurant got it printed on their daily napkin give outs. Paper is a very tactile and personal information source. It is also fantastic therapy for applied a Mindfulness. You don’t want it to upset the apple cart moments.
So. A bit of a rambler this blog. Get’s the old brain cogs tick tocking away nicely though.
Gray Summers 
Ooh you found my weakness. Maybe it’s just as well Paperchase has gone into Administration. I love stationery and have boxes of blank notebooks. You’ve also now just given me ideas for more outlets 😁 that said I will use the backs of letters, unused printing etc too so have a lot of scrap paper too. Also have been known to use old envelopes. As for pens … im afraid I’ll be adding to the plastic mountain, but am slowly returning to my fountain pen. Like your granddaughter, I do hold my pens quite close to the nib. I never thought anything of it, but I also rest the pen on my ring finger rather than middle finger
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I also love blank stationery, especially in TKMax offers, but don’t bite the bullet more often than not. Just walk away. I have given a few notebooks to the grandkids. And….I do watch how people write. From the days of deciphering Dr’s handwriting and, actually, other professionals’ handwriting too. Changed my style for writing as a nurse. None of the flowery nonsense. You weald your pen like ‘He who must not be named’ wields his wand! But upside down so they become good spells not evil spells! ‘Scuse the pun. 😊 All the best.
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Lawyers’ writing is worse than doctors in my experience – but they’re both bad
And yes, let’s write good spells – or good magic
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Gray, Thanks for the promo. BTW I’ve been looking at creating my own paper. The wife insists I purchase my own blender – can’t imagine why.
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Sounds like a plan. I didn’t realise you needed a blender. Haven’t looked into it for an age now. It was a thing I wanted to do too. Decades ago. Bought a book of how to do it. No internet back then, so yeh, was decades ago. But didn’t get a frame screen type set up. Was thinking of making soap too at the time. Your wife would probably get ‘mixed up’ and serve it up as soup. Your own blender sounds safer! 😊 BTW. Jetpack keep highlighting and inform they are being introduced on March 8th and, as you said, taking all the reader, stats, etc. May just go onto the internet system (use iPad) and work the way through. May miss loads of other people’s posts. But there are feedback entries on the app site when you look at it to download…..and the reviews aren’t positive. So still analysing. All the best.
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A blogger I follow is very much into making paper. Search for Quieter Elephant
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Will do. Thanks for the link. Paper making would be really interesting to get into. Could use the results for art form too. I uploaded a photograph of a faerie picture I have in my ‘Read the Room’ recent blog. It was on hand made paper. Looks really tactile. All the best.
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