This A Pretty Common Effect With Moleskin Cahier Paper?

[KBeezie]

When I was posting in another thread I had a quick list written on a sheet from my large moleskin cahier (gridded) journal.

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/batch_03152014/write.jpg

 

I noticed that note only did some of the ink, such as the Noodler's Black eel out of my Sheaffer snorkel Admiral seem to have a 'raised' effect on the paper (once dried it's like I could rub my finger over it and literally feel each litter). Which is kind of nice in itself.

 

BUT, I noticed looking up and down the page I had a lot of little 'spikes' no matter which pen I used that I didn't notice on just regular old mead/cambridge paper (on those there would be some feathering depending on the ink, but not the 'spikey' look).

 

So decided to take a look under my macro lens:

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/batch_03152014/write_sample_1280.jpg

 

Full 10 megapixel image can be seen here: http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/batch_03152014/write_sample_full_res.jpg

 

It's almost like tiny individual strands of fibre are quickly sucking ink right down the path of the fiber giving the some of the slightly wetter pens the appearance that there was some erratic jerks of the pen writing, but that's not the case.

 

Not so much with the Noodler's Black Eel or Noodler's Bad Green Gator, but definitely from the Skrip Melon Red, 1670 Ocean Bleu, and Platinum Carbon Black.

 

The Scabiosa doesn't seem to do it at all, and the waterman intense black (in the pen using the 1.5mm stub nib) does it a tad less than the noodler's permanents. Don't think wetness is a factor cuz with the snorkel it's wetter than when I use the Goulet EF nib, as a result gives it that 'raised' feeling off the paper once dried.

[GabrielleDuVent]

Welcome to the world of feathering!

 

Yes, Moleskine does this. One reason it gets bashing as opposed to Rhodia. It's a nib/paper combo that's the issue, not really ink itself; thin nibs lay far less ink than wider nibs, and therefore are less likely to feather. (If you take a look at your sample, Hero 616 - the thinnest nib - does not feather at all.)

 

I use XF and F nibs, so I like Moleskine. But most who use wider nibs tend to stay away from the brand and head to Japanese manufacturers and Rhodia.

[KBeezie]

Welcome to the world of feathering!

 

Yes, Moleskine does this. One reason it gets bashing as opposed to Rhodia. It's a nib/paper combo that's the issue, not really ink itself; thin nibs lay far less ink than wider nibs, and therefore are less likely to feather. (If you take a look at your sample, Hero 616 - the thinnest nib - does not feather at all.)

 

I use XF and F nibs, so I like Moleskine. But most who use wider nibs tend to stay away from the brand and head to Japanese manufacturers and Rhodia.

Though if you look at the Waterman Intense Black, that's a very broad 1.5mm Stub Nib and it doesn't hardly feather at all compared to the medium of the Haushilai 2111, Baoer 507, or the somewhat 'fine' of the unbranded celluloid with the 14K gold nib. The Nemosine with the Jinhao medium and scabiosa isn't really feathering either.

 

But I guess it could also be a factor of just how wet is the nib/feed combo. Though my snorkel seems wetter than even the 1.5mm stub nib hence why the lettering just kind of floats 'raised' on the paper (which you'd think would be sucked up by the fiber like it does with platinum carbon black).

 

But ... now I know that I should probably stick with fine/extra-fine on the mole skin (ie: the X750 with the EF nib seems to be doing decent on it, snorkel does too but it's a bit wetter so takes longer to dry, both use the same ink).

 

 

 

 

Does Rhodia have different kinds of paper lines when it comes to stuff like squared notebooks? (also do they make loose leaf paper like for 3 ring binders?)

[KBeezie]

PS: I know what feathering is, but even on a mead notebook, or on say softer cambridge paper, it's usually pretty evened out rather than looking like crystal shard formations shooting out.

 

It's kind of weird how it works though, because the Kaigelu 363 with the Noolder's Bad Green Gator feathers like crazy on mead, but not at all on the moleskin, while still giving a medium line.

Edited March 16, 2014 by KBeezie

[KBeezie]

Figured I'd do some quick comparison of what I had around the house:

 

Basically I just wrote the pen/ink, some loops from fast to slow, then some 'slow writing' followed by a quick jot 'fast'.

Each of these are scanned at 300DPI with exact identical white balance and exposure settings.

 

Cambridge "Limited" Notebook with the "Gold Fibre" Paper
I hate using this for fountain pens, the paper is so soft I think I'm going to get some stuff stuck in the nib, but I'm using it for comparison.

 

Front / Back

 

Some regular old Mead 3-ruled notebook paper fill

 

Front / Back

 

Then the Moleskin Cahier Notebook paper doing the same list as above.

 

Front / Back

 

and an 800 DPI scan right down the middle of the moleskin.

[Inkysloth]

It might be interesting to read up on paper manufacture methods, which will give you more understanding of why some papers feather more than others.

 

There are a few variables that affect paper absorbency - fibre length, fibre composition, sizing, and calendering. This is a pretty good outline of the process: http://www.torraspapel.com/Conocimiento%20Tcnico/AboutPaperManufacturing.pdf

[JorgeC]

Yeah it's still feathering, as you suggested. It just looks different with those spikes because of how the paper is made. I've noticed as well on my Cahier's as well.

 

It's just the combination of the kind of fiber they use, the size, how it's laid out, compressed, uniformity etc. The ink catches on a certain strand/fiber that seems to be farther out on the surface (and horizontal to the paper itself), and travels horizontally before drying.