Paper for Glass (or Fountain) Pens

[hollyking]

For my birthday last Friday a friend gave me a set of two glass pens and inks. I've never used glass pens before but my attempts at using Pilot Varsity pens has been less than perfect. I write slowly and the ink seems to soak into the paper and bleed which makes the edges all fuzzy if you know what I mean. Actually I seem to have a problem with most stationery I buy no matter what pen I use. I can't seem to find a happy medium where the ink dries without leaving pools that smear or the ink bleeds and the writing looks fuzzy.

So I'm hoping to get some suggestions on paper to use. What do you all use?

Comments

[sirriamnis.livejournal.com]

Crane has really nice stationery that takes fountain pen ink well.

Honestly, fountain pens and dip pens don't require you to move any more slowly than ballpoints. I have several. But a lot of cheap papers will not take fountain pen ink well. Most notebook paper bleeds like a mother fucker.

Most of Levenger's journals take fountain pen ink very well.

[randomdreams.livejournal.com]

That's been my experience as well: you want paper that's intended for fountain. Cheap pencil/ball point pen paper is spongy and the ink goes everywhere. Maybe try some inkjet paper while you're experimenting.

[hollyking.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'll give Crane a try.

It's not that the pens require me to write slowly. It's the loss of fine motion in my writing hand that makes writing a slow process.

[hrmortcia.livejournal.com]

i second this! i have used my glass pens on my (delicious lovely) crane paper to good effect.

[ladyallyn.livejournal.com]

Stationery; Crane -- or any other premium rag paper. I do handmade journals and music manuscript books with 80-85# rag paper. Paper Zone has many fine varieties for <$20/ream -- which will last a long time.

My other saving grace? (using either a dip or fountain pen) A blotter. Regular rocking blotter, with blotter paper.

[hollyking.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'll check out Paper Zone.

[cooncat.livejournal.com]

This will seriously date me, but I used to use a blotter when I had to use a fountain pen for my German class (for whatever reason, we'd get extra credit if we did). I haven't seen a blotter in an office supply store since I was a kid, though.

[hollyking.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I hear I can find a blotter at stationery stores.

[klicrai.livejournal.com]

Actually, I find glass pens to be much easier to use than my fountain pens. It's just annoying to have to stop, dip, blot, write. Have you tried them yet?