New Leaf Premium 100% Recycled Banana Paper

March 9, 2012

I love banana papers. Here's an unlined one from Office Depot called New Leaf Premium 100% Recycled Banana Paper. The paper is rougher and more textured compared with most printer paper, and a lot more expensive. The Office Depot website says the paper is compatible with copiers and inkjet printers, though I have only ever used the paper for stationery with bottled inks. My recommendation is to use your wettest fountain pen/ink combinations on this paper, as the paper tends to wick the ink and feel quite dry to write on. Browns and burgundies seem to look the best. There is no show-through or bleed-through with this paper (the writing sample below was written on the back of the ink test sample). Glass pens work wonderfully with this paper! A real pleasure!

Details

Sheet size: 8 1/2" x 11"

Sheet thickness: 24 Lb

Fiber content: Made with postconsumer fibers and banana tree byproducts. Contains 100% total recycled content with 90% postconsumer recycled content. With flecks. Acid-free and chlorine-free.

Availability: Office Depot, in-store and online

Online Price: $12.99 for a package of 100 sheets

Matching #10 Envelopes (available separately): 50 Pack

Online Price: $12.99

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Envelope Package:

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Ink Tests:

RA = Rotring ArtPen extra-fine or medium nib

PP = Platinum Preppy eyedropper

P Plumix = Pilot Plumix

JH = J. Herbin Glass Pen

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J. Herbin Glass Pen Writing Sample (with FPN Noodler's Galileo Manuscript Brown ink):

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Compare with Gartner Banana Paper Notebooks from Target here.

Although I've never tried it, there is another similar product called New Leaf Premium 100% Recycled Palm Fiber Paper if you like textured papers with flecks.

Edited March 9, 2012 by fiberdrunk

March 10, 2012

I love the flecks of color in the paper!

Thanks for testing it with so many inks.

Price is a bit prohibitive, but the inks seem very well behaved with this paper..

March 10, 2012

I'm fascinated that you have so many homemade inks. What are Magic Color inks?

March 10, 2012

I'm fascinated that you have so many homemade inks. What are Magic Color inks?

Magic Color is an acrylic ink made in England, very similar (or perhaps identical, as I've always suspected) to the vintage Rotring ArtistColor acrylic ink. I'm able to use this in a Rotring ArtPen, a pen with a nib feed that can be completely taken apart for cleaning (very important if you intend to use acrylic ink in fountain pens). It's a highly permanent, pigmented, shellac-free, waterproof ink. I've done reviews of the ink on FPN if you'd like more information:

Magic Color scan of their colors

Magic Color Rust review

Magic Color Grecian Olive review

Lightfastness Scan (see how Magic Color held up to other brands of ink)

If you'd like the recipes for the homemade inks, you can find them on my Flickr account here.

Edited March 10, 2012 by fiberdrunk

March 13, 2012

I wanted to thank you for your wonderful paper reviews and in particular for including scans of the products that show country of origin. A lot of folks omit to mention where things are made and, other than the obvious wanting to know how it works with fountain pens and a variety of inks, where things are made is important to me too.

Thank you very much.

March 14, 2012

I wanted to thank you for your wonderful paper reviews and in particular for including scans of the products that show country of origin. A lot of folks omit to mention where things are made and, other than the obvious wanting to know how it works with fountain pens and a variety of inks, where things are made is important to me too.
Thank you very much.

You're very welcome! I've benefited greatly from FPN, so I like to give back when I can.