Sugarmade Multipurpose Paper From Officemax

[AfterMyNap]

Wow! Thanks so much for this review, you sure have a nice collection of inks. A full case is a lot of paper for me, I wonder if we could talk Brian Goulet into parting it out into half reams so that more of us could try it before committing to it. Maybe I'll shoot him a note tomorrow.

[kronos77]

I got my monster size order of Sugarmade paper this morning and tested it out a bit.

 

Comparing it to Staples Bagasse is a bit difficult as Staple's paper has changed over the past year or two. I love the old, slick, crumbly Staples paper but the new stuff seems a bit cheaper and is not coated like the old stuff. Sugarmade is somehwhere in between. Smooth but not real slick. Not toothy at all though. No feathering. A bit of showthrough but not much. It is thin, which is a benefit as I can now fit more pages in my sketchbook than I could with my 28lb laser paper. I used a very light watercolor wash on it and it held up ok.

 

A good buy for what seems like very good fountain pen paper. Did I really need 5,000 sheets? I don't know, but I won't be fearful of sketching myself out of paper anytime soon.

[fourseamer]

Thanks for the review. I perused the Office Max site today when I noticed it on sale for $29.99 per case of 10 reams. Came here to see if anyone else had tried it already. Bingo! I'll add my impressions here after my order arrives.

[searcher18]

Nice tip. I ordered some. Thanks

[Scriptorium Pens]

Extra 5% off code: AAAOMX22

 

Thanks for this extra savings. I ordered a case today.

[kronos77]

After a full days use, I have to revise my comments a bit. I am not sure exactly how I feel about this paper. For simply writing with fountain pens it is great. If that is all you do, no problem. For sketching in different mediums, you may find it less than perfect. It is very thin, like the old version of the Staples paper, but it buckles much easier. Then again, sometimes it doesn't. Could be differences sheet to sheet or could be my waterbrush at any one moment. Also, I think this paper makes ink look darker than other paper I ahve used.

 

Still, a good buy.

[fourseamer]

At first, I wasn't so sure about this paper either, but I think I understand it better. Long story short, I think it's worthy of fountain pen use if you use one side, and most importantly, the correct side of each sheet of paper.

 

I tried several different pages from a couple of reams, and what I've found is that one side is smoother and more amenable to fountain pen nibs. Fairly nice writing experience on it though a little textured to this HP 32# fanatic.

 

The flip side of the sheet is a very grainy, textured, toothier-than-all-get-out surface that repels nibs and their ink. Think of your nib as more like a needle on a vinyl record player. If the paper were like this on both sides, it'd be relegated to laser printer duties only. No way would I condemn my writing to it.

 

Given the thinness of the paper, bleed/showthrough from wider nibs and more saturated inks could arise. Yet, ink seems to dry more slowly compared to other paper including Staples Sustainable Earth bagasse. Feathering and spreading are average depending on ink and nib width choices.

 

I agree that ink looks darker. Additionally, I find that it seems to narrow my writing somewhat. A broad nib looks much finer on this paper than it does anywhere else. Same for all nib widths. Once ink hits the paper, it is as if it sits atop the paper for longer and in one spot versus spreading a bit. Thus, absorption/drying is slower, line width appears narrower, and the ink looks darker. I don't know if this is caused by the paper's higher cellulose content, its coating, or what else, but this behavior is definitely noticeable.

 

Personally, I'd reach for Staples' Sustainable Earth bagasse paper over this. Much smoother and FP friendly on both sides of the paper, but alas, they don't have unlined paper such as this (I think). For $30/case, $3/ream, or $0.006/sheet, it's a good deal even for single-sided FP use. I see myself making a lot of staple bound pads, perfect bound books, and assorted notebooks on the cheap.

Edited April 20, 2012 by fourseamer

[kronos77]

Thanks Four Seamer. I didn't even notice the difference between the two sides. I'll have to check that out.

 

As I said, when Staples Bagasse was good, it was great. If it was still coated the way it used to be, I might use it lines and all. This stuff is better for my purposes right now, though I still might have been better off spending a bit more for the regular 27-28lb laser paper I have come to love.

 

If I decide against this stuff I may offer it cheap to whoever wants it. Still deciding.

[fiberdrunk]

fiberd does this 20lb version wrinkle like the thinner staples version?

do you think it could it handle being punched, and spiral bound?

 

I did finally get around to getting a stack of this paper spiral-bound. The resultant notebook is nearly two inches thick! It has held up well to being bound. No problem. I love this paper for homemade notebook paper.

Edited September 8, 2012 by fiberdrunk

[oshizemi]

Hm. I think I need to go pick some of this up to see if I can use both sides of the paper. It looks cheap enough and eco-friendly enough that I won't mind my toddler using some of this for "writing" and "drawing" too. Thanks for the reviews and comments everyone!

[plc123]

I've been using this paper for my work notebooks, and can write on both sides of the page with fountain pens. Note that I usually use japanese Fine pens, but even the Lamy 1.1 calligraphy works well with this paper.

 

Cheers,

plc

[fiberdrunk]

I've been using this paper for my work notebooks, and can write on both sides of the page with fountain pens. Note that I usually use japanese Fine pens, but even the Lamy 1.1 calligraphy works well with this paper.

 

Cheers,

plc

 

I've been able to use both sides of the paper, too, without any problems, and I tend to use medium and broad nibs.

[oshizemi]

I've been using this paper for my work notebooks, and can write on both sides of the page with fountain pens. Note that I usually use japanese Fine pens, but even the Lamy 1.1 calligraphy works well with this paper.

 

Cheers,

plc

 

 

I've been using this paper for my work notebooks, and can write on both sides of the page with fountain pens. Note that I usually use japanese Fine pens, but even the Lamy 1.1 calligraphy works well with this paper.

 

Cheers,

plc

 

I've been able to use both sides of the paper, too, without any problems, and I tend to use medium and broad nibs.

 

This is great to hear! I've been reading through the forum about this paper and I really want to purchase some now. I'll be keeping my eye open for a coupon. Thanks again for the information

[kronos77]

After trying this paper for a while, I have come down decidedly against it for fountain pen use. There is something uncomfortable about it, like a graininess or roughness. Maybe it is poor quality control. I have been through two packs and it is all the same.

 

So, I still have a few thousand sheets for making cheap copies. It may also work ok for pencil drawings and sketches, but not for fountain pens. Back to the 28lb laser for me.

[fiberdrunk]

Just a heads up that OfficeMax has a coupon code (type in BIGDEALS), good through Saturday 9/22. They also have free shipping for orders over $20 (this is down from their usual $50 minimum) for today and tomorrow only (9/17-18). It's a good time to get this paper.

Edited September 17, 2012 by fiberdrunk

[oshizemi]

The 20% off coupon is back! I think I missed the $20 ship day this time around, but I have a toddler that loves to "witing ledders" (has his own Lamy ABC fountain pen too )and "dawing" so we've been going through tons lately. I picked up two boxes today. I will report back with how well it works for us!

[fiberdrunk]

The 20% off coupon is back! I think I missed the $20 ship day this time around, but I have a toddler that loves to "witing ledders" (has his own Lamy ABC fountain pen too )and "dawing" so we've been going through tons lately. I picked up two boxes today. I will report back with how well it works for us!

 

 

How do you like the Lamy ABC fountain pen for kids? Is it pretty kid tough? I'm thinking of that or the Pelikano.

[oshizemi]

My son is about 2.5, and this pen can handle his abuse. I picked one up for him after he mangled of my EF Lamy Safari nibs. He uses it supervised of course, but the pen is managing VERY WELL. It writes at about a Lamy Medium, is very smooth even when he scribbles furiously and writes very well for him. He is learning to use it gently. It would be a breeze to use for older children. I've heard great things about the Pelikano for older children, but have no experience with it personally.

[oshizemi]

On the topic of the paper... ordered it yesterday afternoon and it arrived this morning very pleased by that.

 

The paper itself is EXACTLY what I've been looking for in a paper. It is lightweight and thin, but doesn't feel like it will rip or tear easily. I use primarily F and XF nibs, so bleed-through isn't an issue for me. There is show through, but not enough to prevent me from using the reverse side of the sheet. I also haven't has issues with bleed-through using my Ahab's and Nib Creeper flex pens using some of my wetter shading inks. No feathering with any inks tried, mostly various bulletproof Noodler's inks.

 

So far, I'm not getting any "lint" caught in my nibs, which my Noodler's flex pens tend to do. The paper is smooth, but not as smooth as Clairefontaine or Rhodia, so there is just a touch of feedback. I happen to prefer a little feedback.

 

It doesn't seem to be bright white, it has a bit of a creamy cast to it. I like that, but some people may not.

 

I am a HUGE fan of this paper now. I bought 2 cases, since I have a toddler, so I should be good for a while. I'm possibly going to bundle some with the writing and art supplies I plan to send out for Christmas I recommend this paper!

[fiberdrunk]

I'm glad you liked the paper, too. I've been using it as an all-purpose paper a lot since I first bought it and it's really worked out for me.