Posts filed under Paper Reviews

Yamamoto Paper Cosmo Note Notebook Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

The Yamamoto Paper Cosmo Air Light is known for its ability to make inks look their best, but every time I use it, I'm surprised at how well it works. Inks stand out so well on this paper that it makes me want to keep writing, even when I've run out of things to write.

This notebook from Yamamoto packages that experience in a nice, no-fuss minimalist book that ticks all of the boxes for a paper enthusiast.

The cover is a plain, grey cardstock that is flexible but sturdy enough to be a writing surface when needed. It's begging to be decorated with stickers, washi, or your own artwork. The spine is bound with a fabric tape with a minimalist brand stamped into the fibers. The sewn binding allows it to lay flat after a bit of training.

Insisde there are cardstock endpapers, and then 176 pages of excellent plain paper. There are no lines or words or numbers--it's just an open world of possibility. There is a line guide sheet included, which offers a 6mm grid or 12mm line if held behind the page you're using. This way, every page can be exactly the format you need, whether you're sketching, writing, or taking notes.

The paper is what really makes this notebook. Not everyone likes the texture of Cosmo Air Light (Brad), but there's no denying the way it makes ink stand out. If you want to show off shading or sheen, this is the best option out there, in my opinion. The cushy texture of the page is exacerbated by fine point pens, but medium and broad tips glide over it with no problem at all, which are generally what one uses when showing off ink properties, anyway. It also works fabulously with pencil, ballpoint, rollerball, gel, fineliners, even Sharpie--pretty much anything you want to write with. It's a finer, 83gsm paper, so there is ghosting, but not even the Sharpie bled through--not even a dot. The paper does have a long dry time, though, so patience or a sheet of blotting paper are required.

I've really enjoyed using this notebook. There's nothing extra about it--it's just a plain cover holding together a generous chunk of very nice paper. It's not too "nice" to use. The minimalism is inviting and utilitarian, and I find I keep reaching for it.

It's not inexpensive at $21, especially for a softcover notebook. But you do get a good page count for that price, so I don't think it's asking too much. There are certainly less expensive notebooks with paper that is almost as good, but the emphasis is on "almost." This is paper for ink lovers. Ink lovers with lots of writing to do.

(This notebook was purchased from Yamamoto Paper at the 2022 San Francisco Pen Show at regular price.)

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Posted on December 15, 2022 by Sarah Read and filed under Yamamoto, Cosmo Air Light, Paper Reviews.

Currently Inked on Ayush Paper and Sakae TP Iro-ful

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

I have been meaning to try Ayush Paper after getting a pad for review from Vanness Pens and then last week I just got a sample of Sakae’s new paper and I thought, it’s a sign! Let’s try them both out! I’m not going to go into the Ayush Paper too much since Susan already wrote an excellent review of it last year. But, just so I wasn’t biased, I deliberately did not read it until I finished using it.

The Ayush Paper I used for this review is from an A5-sized, lined, 100gsm paper that is spiral bound in a landscape orientation. The paper held up well to 32 different pens/inks, ranging from near needlepoint to broad nibs, stubs and even flex. There was no feathering, ghosting or bleedthrough on the other side which means you can definitely use both sides. The paper has a slight toothy texture to it, without any of the nibs catching on the paper. Shimmer from J Herbin Cornaline d’Egypte presented no problems, and both saturated and shading inks looked great on Ayush Paper. I was a little surprised to see some of the subtleties in inks like Robert Oster Bronze, which I had always assumed was “just” an olive green ink, but it actually shows a touch of brown on this paper. Sheen was also not a problem and showed up nicely.

I repeated the same exercise on Sakae TP (Technical Paper, not toilet paper, for those of you who are 12 and had that same initial thought as I did, lol) Iro-ful. Sakae’s Iro-ful webpage doesn’t have a lot of information on it, but says that it will perform well with color, vibrancy and showing off sharp lines. In addition it also has a “softer, gentler texture”, but softer and gentler than what, I have no idea. Iro-ful is 75gsm paper and is available in A4 and A5 loose sheets with a notebook currently in the works.

While writing on the Iro-ful, I couldn’t help but think that the sensation felt familiar. It definitely did not feel like Tomoe River, but rather, it felt slightly squishy, and it instantly reminded me of the Pen Addict Review (P.A.R.) that Brad did recently about Cosmo Air Light from Yamamoto Paper. In it, he said:

“Describing Cosmo Air Light is challenging, because it feels like each single page is made from layers: firm on both sides, squishy in the middle.”

And that is the same sensation I felt when writing on the Iro-ful. It is definitely fountain-pen friendly, produced nice lines and handled sheening, saturated, shading and shimmer inks like a champ with no ghosting or bleedthrough. I hadn’t intended to compare this to Cosmo Air Light 75 gsm but its similarity in feel to Iro-ful compelled me to find how similarly they handled fountain pens.

Sakae TP Iro-ful — *A playful design for the Iro-ful paper.*

Both feel very similar to the touch in terms of weight and texture/smoothness. I was easily able to use a guidesheet under both papers. The color of the paper is also very similar - slightly off-white. My writing felt and looked the same on both papers. If I didn’t know better, I would have guessed they are the same paper, though CAL is ever so slightly smoother than Iro-ful, but both feel slightly rougher than Tomoe River but less so than the Ayush.

Just for funsies and because I really needed to write some of these pens dry, I also wrote on Rhodia 80gsm Dotpad as well as 68 gsm Tomoe River paper. Here are some comparison photos.

Paper Whiteness — *Rhodia is the whitest paper of the bunch, followed very closely by white TR 68, then Ayush and both the Cosmo Air Light 75 and Iroful being the most off-white without being cream.*

Writing samples — *I just love all this color!*

If you really like Tomoe River, whether 52 or 68 gsm, you may not enjoy the Ayush paper as much because it is (1) a fair bit thicker and (2) has some slight tooth to it. I think it works best for medium and broader nibs as well as those that are more “buttery” because of the toothiness, which can help your nibs feel like they aren’t sliding all over the place. And for different reasons, if you are a TR fan, you may also not enjoy the Sakae TP’s Iro-ful (or Yamamoto’s Cosmo Air Light) because it isn’t as smooth as TR and has a bit of a squishy feel to it. Both Ayush and Iro-ful are great additions if you are more paper-agnostic like me and are happy to discover more options for good, fountain-pen friendly paper that show off ink properties well.

Ayush Paper is available in different sizes, formats and in dot, lined and blank formats, with most prices in the ranging from $7 to $17 USD range. Sakae TP Iro-ful will be available soon (if it isn’t already) on the Vanness website in 100 - A5 looseleaf sheets or 50 - A4 sheets for $14 and $15 respectively

(Thank you to Vanness Pens who provided both the Ayush Paper and Sakae TP Iro-ful at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes. The other papers were purchased by me years ago.)

Posted on June 24, 2022 by Kimberly Lau and filed under Ayush Paper, Sakae, Paper Reviews.

JetPens View Corona 52 gsm Paper Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

You can never have enough options when it comes to good paper, and I've been very excited to try out the View Corona 52 gsm paper from JetPens since I saw it arrive on the site. With specifications that reminded me of the classic Tomoe River paper, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this to see how it compares.

The JetPens View Corona 52 gsm paper is available in A4 and A5, as well as a white or light cream color. Every option is blank and loose paper — no lined or grid options, and no notepad options. The paper is extremely thin, but really strong. Trying to tear a sheet was pretty difficult, but it does just fine with a hole puncher if you want to make your own holes to fit these sheets into a notebook or binder system.

Writing with this paper is fantastic. Since it's so thin, you can lay it on top of a lined or grid paper for some guidelines on keeping your lines straight. The paper surface is pretty smooth but offers just enough tactile texture to provide good feedback and feel when writing. I threw everything I currently have inked at this paper, and the results are impressive. Regardless of the type of pen or ink, there was zero feathering or bleed-through. The show-through is pretty bad since the paper is so thin, so don't plan on using the back sides of these sheets. After trying all the pens and pencils I had nearby, I went for an ink swab to see how the paper could handle large amounts of ink. It took a few minutes for the ink to fully dry, and it managed to cause some wrinkles in the paper due to the amount of moisture, but I'm happy to report that nothing bled through to the back side of the page. That's impressive.

The writing experience with this paper is quite enjoyable. It's smooth without being too smooth, which I find makes it difficult to control my writing. That little amount of tooth allows me to write quickly but with great control and precision. I've used some papers in the past that feel like I'm writing with a soft stylus on a smooth glass pane. This paper is not one of them. It provides a fantastic writing experience.

The fact that this is only available as loose pages may be a deterrent for some, and that's okay. There are so many other great options for thin paper that handles all kinds of inks and pens, so you won't have any problem finding something that suits your needs. But, if you're looking for something that you can quickly punch holes in and throw it in your favorite planner or binder (or just keep loose sheets on hand), then this paper is a perfect option.

Assuming you're looking for loose sheets, I can recommend this paper as a great place to start. At just $9 for 100 sheets of A5 paper, it's a good deal for the quality and amount. The A4 is a little more expensive at $15.50, but you get a lot more paper with that size.

If you're looking for some thin paper that comes in some sort of bound format, your options are plentiful, and I recommend you try a few different types. There's always Tomoe River, but most Japanese notebook manufacturers have their own version of an ultra-thin fountain-pen-friendly paper, or they offer something with Tomoe River paper inside. One of my favorite alternatives is the MIO paper from Kokuyo, or anything from Stalogy and Hobonichi. Either way, it's great to see more ultra-thin papers on the market that work so well with fountain pens.

If you'd like to pick up some sheets of this paper, you can choose from A4 or A5 size, and white or light cream. If you're using or prefer loose sheets over bound format, let us know why and how in the comments!

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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