Is Tomoe River Paper Changing?

[D Armstrong]

We had an disturbing thing happen here a few weeks ago. A local wholesaler imported a shipment of Tomoe Rover paper directly from Tomoegawa, the manufacturer. The order was made from the Tomoegawa sample book, with a sample of Tomoe River paper I had provided, for comparison. This wholesalerer has a purchasing agent in Japan, and has specialized in the importation of Japanese paper since the 1980s.

The sizing used on the paper was a complete bust for fountain pens. Even a dry-writing pen bled right through. The weight, color, and feel was an exact match, but the sizing was totally different. Behaved almost like blotting paper.

We are investigating, and the wholesaler is checking with their agent. We know that Tomoegawa is a major paper manufacturer. They sell only in huge quantities. This means that a distributor like Rakuten has bought such a large shipment, and is slowly selling it off in 4,000 sheet increments to us.

The only reason I can think of for the difference in this local shipment, horrifying though it is, is that the manufacturer has changed the paper. This is something which happens relatively often in industry. The TR line of paper is specifically made for mail-order catalogs and technical manuals, where weight is a major factor. With this application, the amount of sizing would be relatively irrelevant, and might even be considered an extra expense.

So my questions are:

1. Has anyone recently had a fresh shipment of TR paper from Japan? Is it the same as the TR we all love?

2. Has anyone ever bought TR paper from a source other than Rakuten? If so, is it the same bullet-proof sizing that we all love?

3. Can anyone think of another reasonable explanation for a discrepancy in these shipments?

Thanks.

[Finalist]

yikes!

 

...and now I slowly push my book of TR away for safe keeping...

[MyriamV]

Oh no, please someone say this was just a failed batch and not the way this lovely paper is going to be! I'm not even in a position to buy a bunch of it before the good stuff completely disappear. This can't be, it simply can't be...

[stilllo]

I should probably hurry up and buy my TR right now before this wave of dubious paper makes its way to distributors, if it's actually been changed. That would be really sad if it were.

[swanjun]

Carp on a cracker.

[Ghost Plane]

Eep! Ack!

[GutSchrift]

Please be a hoax! or a fluke! or some other reality from another dimension...but please don't let it be true!

[Lyander0012]

Cue mass buying of TR paper old stock.

 

I just got 300 pages correspondence size from PaperForFountainPens, and I'm fervently hoping it's the old stuff. And if this finding isn't just a dud, by the way, then it's very likely going to be the last purchase of said paper. I've no idea whether this is the result of them wanting to cut down production costs or whatever, but it spells horrible news for fountain pen enthusiasts the world over.

 

Anyone up for a petition signing? Or paying them to keep making the old stuff? And how much like an addict did I sound like just then? )

... Bad time for levity, I know. Sorry.


Kevin

[TSherbs]

interesting

[alc3261]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[D Armstrong]

I know, I know. It's not my intention to spark a run on this paper, or to saturate what there is with tearful wailings. But if this is the case, we need to know sooner, rather than later.

 

And, by the way, if there are any vendors sitting on some dud paper, I promise complete confidentiality. If we can find out what's going on, with confirmation from multiple sources, we potentially have a direct line of communication with the manufacturer through my colleague here, for what it's worth.

 

Unfortunately we are a pretty small consumer group, industrially speaking. When I go to the Spicers warehouse in Toronto for my pitiful letterpress supplies, I realize how big the industrial paper world is. Spicers sends out semi-loads of paper at a time to hospitals, universities, and commercial publishers. Even hundreds of individual purchasers don't make up even a day's worth of sales for some of these companies, and I am very thankful they will sell on a cash-and-carry basis to little folks like me. So Tomowgawa? We'll see, if we can find out what's going on.

 

And it never hurts to try.

[EclecticCollector]

It appears that the panic buying has started, Paper for Fountain Pens' website is currently under heavy load.

Edited August 13, 2014 by EclecticCollector

[Fabienne]

Nuts. I was just getting into TR paper. I will keep an eye on this thread.

[Dalimar]

The only paper that comes close to my Tomoe River paper, in comparison, is Midori MD and that too is a difficult paper to buy in Canada. It is obvious from Tomoe and Midori that a "Oxford India" like paper can be produced for fountain pen use so it boggles why the high end stationary companies like Clairfontaine, Rhodia, etc. don't produce some for their lines. Life brand from Japan has a "Oxford India" like paper in their air mail pads, but they too are hard to find and I have only seen it at Nanami.

 

I recently bought 3 Seven Seas "Writer" notebooks from Nanami. It has become my fave paper within a week of using it. I think I may need to buy some more and stuff them in storage. I would get the Midori MD A5 lined notebook if they made them without that annoying heavy middle line.

 

Well...I guess the hunt for stationary is part of the fun of this hobby, yes?

 

Namaste,

Dalimar

[Lyander0012]

Well, that's vaguely reassuring as Midori MD is quite easily available here in the Philippines, since there's a distributor for Midori products that has a branch in a mall not too far from my place. Lucky.

 

May I know how close MD paper is to Tomoe River? I realize that there's not likely to be a perfect replacement for this noteworthy (punny, isn't it?) paper, but if it isn't too far removed in terms of feel and performance, well, it'll soften the blow somewhat.

 

 

Cheers!

Kevin

[adamsw216]

I look forward to getting to the bottom of this. Having just tried Tomoe River paper for the first time recently, it would be very sad to have to say goodbye to it so soon. Thank you for bringing this up, D Armstrong.

[blINK]

This would be really upsetting. I really enjoy the TR paper. Hopefully this is just a fluke.

[EclecticCollector]

May I know how close MD paper is to Tomoe River?

In my opinion the only thing they have in common is that they're both good quality papers from Japan. Otherwise they're not at all close.

[abstract49]

Add me to the newly introduced, and I do like the paper I have so far tried. I was planning to purchase more, as I seriously considered making it my go-to paper for most serious writing. Now, like other responders here, I wonder whether that will be wise.

 

I hope we'll see more about it here as the situation develops.

[The Good Captain]

Well, glad I stuck to QC and Ryman's Bank!