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I've been reviewing a few Diamine sheening inks (Diamine Hells Bells/ Master of Puppets [to be posted]). I've noticed: 1) That on super sheen/shading provoking papers: Midori/ Tomoe River 68gsm, sheen is minimal with natural light (unless ink is laid thickly). 2) On Rhodia and even Iroful sheen is invisible However with artificial LED light, the same page is a kaleidoscope of colours to the point that it's almost distracting on the above Japanese papers, especially Iroful ( I feel like a cat with a laser beam :D) ) and on Rhodia sheen is visible only on the generously written line. (in my case flex nib) If memory serves me right, with Organics Studios super-sheening inks (for ex. Nitrogen) sheen was even visible on crappy paper. My empirical conclusion, with medium sheening inks: 1) If you want to have sheen use Japanese paper (Iroful, Tomoe River, Midori, etc). Iroful even makes some non-sheening inks sheen under artificial light. 2) Use wet/ gushing pens, with M, B or flex nibs. 3) Work under artificial light, for maximum iridescence. Does this conclusion correspond to anyone's experience?

Hello! This is a review of Tomoe River Paper It is my very first paper review, so I hope I'm addressing every possible issue. It is available from Jetpens.com (No affiliation) $15 for 100 sheets. My girlfriend was kind enough to buy some for me to try out. The following is my handwritten review and it's transcription: Overview:http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3665/12402196403_8ea52c6edc_c.jpgDSCF6583 by makey95, on Flickr Under Warmer Lighting:http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2816/12402049045_bab0699cff_c.jpgDSCF6602 by makey95, on Flickr The Pens Used (In No Particular Order, Capped):http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7320/12402502594_e68e63b59d_c.jpgDSCF6598 by makey95, on Flickr (Ordered Left to Right and Capped):http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5535/12402197043_d0aac890f0_c.jpgDSCF6601 by makey95, on Flickr Pens and Inks: Pen No. 1: Pick Pen Company; Pencil Pen Combo; Fine 14k; Diamine Monaco Redhttp://farm4.staticflickr.com/3785/12402197673_cd66a948d1_n.jpgDSCF6595 by makey95, on Flickrhttp://farm4.staticflickr.com/3829/12402504324_f601b4c874_n.jpgDSCF6588 by makey95, on Flickr Pen No. 2: Ranga; Ranga with Eversharp Flex; Flex Fine 14k; Diamine Monaco Redhttp://farm4.staticflickr.com/3686/12402502834_069b206c03_n.jpgDSCF6596 by makey95, on Flickrhttp://farm8.staticflickr.com/7408/12402051005_473b2196d2_n.jpgDSCF6589 by makey95, on Flickr Pen No. 3: Pilot; Parallel Pen; 2.4 mm Steel; Private Reserve Shoreline Goldhttp://farm4.staticflickr.com/3689/12402049865_d058a24fc5_n.jpgDSCF6597 by makey95, on Flickrhttp://farm8.staticflickr.com/7429/12402504054_30127f19d3_n.jpgDSCF6590 by makey95, on Flickr Transcription: Initial Observations: The paper is extraordinarily thin and has a very pleasing texture. Feathering/Bleedthrough: No noticeable feathering or bleed through but a fair amount of show through. May be annoying to some. Tactile Feedback/Drag/Toothiness: Very smooth but slightly more feedback than Clairefontaine. Unusual Dry times: Takes as long as Clairefontaine generally. Appearance/Design/Durability. Though thin, it feels durable and it looks lovely. Fountain Pen Friendly?: Yes! Other Media: _X_ Pencil X?_ Watercolour _X_Markers _X_India Ink Value/Comparison: A viable alternative to Rhodia, 15 cents a sheet. Definitely one of the best papers I have used. Overall Conclusion:Recommended for those who like this paper and don't mind a little show through. Smooth, lovely, and attractive. I will use this as stationery. Other Media Tests:http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7324/12402503854_2f763959a3_n.jpgDSCF6591 by makey95, on Flickrhttp://farm8.staticflickr.com/7443/12402050715_d898b05b99_n.jpgDSCF6592 by makey95, on Flickrhttp://farm4.staticflickr.com/3795/12402050425_1008da4fab_n.jpgDSCF6593 by makey95, on Flickrhttp://farm3.staticflickr.com/2813/12402503324_7f201c5374_n.jpgDSCF6594 by makey95, on Flickr Final Words:I really enjoyed this paper and I think it looks nice. Flex writing can deform the paper a little (where the tines dug in shows) and of course wetting the paper also deforms it slightly. It is prone to creasing. I am not sure if the watercolors would work very well, but I have put samples up so that others may judge for themselves. I don't think it would be a good idea to try and do anything wet on wet with watercolors on this paper. Not shown in this review are some of the cheaper pens that I used on a previous sheet of Tomoe River paper. It's not just the fountain pens I used for this review that make the paper seem smooth. Other than the permanent marker, there is no bleed through at all on this paper. I think everyone should at the very least have a chance to try this paper. It's very different from Clairefontaine in a good way. The closest thing that I have ever encountered to this paper are some old memo pads from my High School, which the librarians were kind enough to give me.