Tomoe River Paper now at JetPens

I heard about the mythical properties of Tomoe River Paper on various message boards and blogs earlier this year. Reading others thoughts and looking at sample pictures online I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The paper is so thin it is practically transparent, but over and over again people were touting how well it handled fountain pen inks.

A kind reader sent me a sample to try for myself, and I came away very impressed. It is the most unique paper I have ever used, handling the widest nibs and inkiest inks with ease. I even mailed a few sheets to friends telling them they HAD to try it.

Since then, Tomoe's following has grown in the US, but there hasn't always been a reliable source to order from. Now that JetPens is stocking it I hope it will be easier to acquire.

Tomoe River Paper is packaged as loose sheets in packs of 100 for $10. If you are looking for an amazing and unique writing experience I highly recommend you check it out.

Raymay Davinci System Tomoe River Paper Refill Review

The recently released Raymay Davinici System piqued my interest for one reason, and one reason only: The use of Tomoe River paper.

Tomoe River paper is something special. When I reviewed it earlier this summer I was taken aback. How could a paper this thin be this receptive to ink? I put it through the fountain pen ringer and it performed so well I started seeking out other products that use it. That was, and still is, a challenge.

The tide is changing though, and Tomoe River is starting to become more available. One of the new sources is the aforementioned Raymay Davinci planner system. I opted to pass on the full Davinci planner since I have a Hobonichi Techo on the way for 2014 (which also uses Tomoe River), but I wanted to give the paper a test run so I ordered the plain, pocket size refill pack.

As expected, the paper performed like a champ. It is very smooth with all inks, with only wider-tipped liquid ink pens like the Lamy Tipo and Pilot brush pen bleeding through to the back - barely. That is an amazing accomplishment for a paper this thin. The lone tradeoff is that inkier pens do take some time to dry. It's not as immediate as more porous paper.

I wanted to see if my first experience with Tomoe River paper held true when used in other products and it did with flying colors. This is not a paper for everyone, but if you want to try something unique - and quite frankly, amazing - search it out and give it a shot.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

Tomoe River Paper Review

I am rarely caught completely off guard by a product these days. Sure, there are plenty of surprises and disappointments along the way, but to be shocked is a rarity. Tomoe River Paper shocked me.

I heard many of my fountain pen friends sing the praises of this brand but I never dug in and learned more about it. Who knew how much I was missing. A kind reader emailed one day offering up samples (hi Rachael!) and before you know it they landed in my mailbox.

Since I hadn't done any previous research on Tomoe River I was nothing short of stunned when I opened the envelope. Did you ever use tracing paper when you were a kid? That is essentially the look and feel of Tomoe River Paper. It is thin, transparent, and crinkles with ease if you are not careful. There is no way fountain pens will perform well on this paper, right?

Wrong. In so many ways.

To begin with, Tomoe River Paper is very smooth when writing. Rhodia/Clairefontaine level smooth. No matter the size of the nib - from 1.5 mm stub nibs down to my Japanese EF nibs - they all glide across the page with no feedback at all. On top of that, there is no bleed or feathering. That is the real shocker to me. I'm not sure how a paper this thin manages that but it is the truth.

As great as it is there are some downsides to consider. With the Rhodia-level smoothness also comes Rhodia-length dry time. Lefties beware. You also will not be able to use the back of the page either. Remember my tracing paper comparison? That's what the back of the page looks like. And like I mentioned before, it is fragile, crinkling with ease if you bump it around a lot.

That said, I'm sold. The uniqueness and feel of the paper has me wanting more. Nanami Paper seems to be the main source at this time, and bookbinder Jesse Aston has journals available from time to time (reviewed here). Both sell blank Tomoe River Paper - where are my beloved grids?

I may not be completely out of luck if I want to branch out a little. Did you hear me butcher the name Hobonichi in episode 54 of the podcast? What I was referring to is the Hobonichi Techo Planner, which uses gridded Tomoe River Paper. I'm not a planner guy, but this might make me change my mind (see how the Japanese use their Hobonichi Planners). If nothing else, it gives me hope I will be able to get gridded Tomoe River Paper in the future.

To read more about Tomoe River Paper and see many more ink samples and dry time tests check out Azizah's review at FPGeeks.