Staples Bagasse paper rules!

[joep01]

I went to my local Staples and got some. Nice!!!

 

I picked some up tonight, too, and was amazed. I'm in business school, and have been struggling to find FP-friendly paper that I could use to take notes on in class. I catch enough stares as it is for trying to take notes by hand w/ an FP rather than by banging away on my laptop (though I keep the computer open during class, tuned to the FPN classifieds in case someone lists something amazing), but this paper will make it worthwhile. My store only had the 2-pack legal pad presentation and the 100 sheet filler paper package. NO 12 packs of anything.

[Grwilliams86]

Funny, I've been using this paper for a while, and I just had something funny happen.

 

I love the small legal pads and the looseleaf, but I just bought a small spiral notebook and and 8-pack of the larger legal pads. I opened them up and whatdya know, 2 of the legal pads were perforated about an inch from the BOTTOM instead of the TOP!

 

I've noticed that they're paper orientation and perforations are very well controlled with this line. But, can't beat the FP friendliness for the price! Keep on supporting your local stores!

 

P.S. The sepia lines are TOPS!

[Treecat]

Dropped into my local Staples on Friday to pick up some of the legal pads (the 8-pack). Not a legal pad in sight. They had the composition books and spiral notebooks, but not legal pads. One of the clerks told me the store hadn't had the legal pads in stock for a few weeks. Bummer. Finding the legal pads in a store could turn into the next Piccadilly Notebook quest.

[Inka]

Dropped into my local Staples on Friday to pick up some of the legal pads (the 8-pack). Not a legal pad in sight. They had the composition books and spiral notebooks, but not legal pads. One of the clerks told me the store hadn't had the legal pads in stock for a few weeks. Bummer. Finding the legal pads in a store could turn into the next Piccadilly Notebook quest.

Many of the Staples stores are undergoing a semi-remodeling, in that the inventory is being shifted around to make room for new stock and many items are no longer where they used to be.

I found the clerks at my local store didn't know where the legal pads where kept; they kept directing me to the isle with notebooks, comp books, binder paper and envelopes; no legal pads on that isle.

The associates kept telling me "If it's not on that isle, then we don't carry it.", but they were wrong.

Once I'd walked down the far right isle, where the premium cotton paper and stationery is kept, there was an oval black sign with silver text hanging over the rack that clearly said "Writing Pads" and that's where I finally found mine.

 

@ Grwilliams86,

Yeah, I did notice the micro-perfs were located in different areas on different packs of pads; some right along the binding edge and some up to @ 1/4" away.

The pads I'd bought all seem to have the perfs right along the binder edge, almost looks like there were no perforations on the pages at all.

Mine tear out very cleanly, almost too easily as they begin to separate somewhat as I'm writing on the pads directly, no problems such as others here have mentioned.

Didn't notice any with the perfs at the page bottoms and that's one heck of an oversight/manufacturing error IMO .

P.P.S. back at ya; I too love the "sepia" lines on this stuff, gives the paper an older and more "vintage" look to it.

[Treecat]

Thanks Inka. I'll probably drop by again in a few days and do another. However, I don't think my store is undergoing that kind of renovation. All of the legal pads, from Ampad to Staples to grid pads, are on the same aisle. Also on the same aisle are composition books and spiral bound notebooks such as Black n'Red and small journals, like Markings. I toured the store and looked at the fine stationery display and didn't see them. The clerk was familiar with the legal pads and said they had just not been in stock for awhile. Perhaps I'll have better luck next week.

 

I checked the Staples sale ad for this week. The 12-pack of legal pads are on sale for $9.99. If I had $50 worth of office supplies that I need this week (to get free shipping), I'd place an order online and grab a pack.

Edited March 8, 2009 by Treecat

[Gothmeister]

...if only you could get it in the UK!

[Pengrump]

Decided to see what all the hoopla was about, so yesterday I hopped on the bus to the most accessible Staples, a tiny store that is mostly a copy center. Found only the loose leaf filler so bought a pack it and brought it home. Everything said in this thread is true! It really is good paper for use with fountain pens. Today I went to a different, slightly larger Staples and found a pack of eight notepads for $5.99. Did not see spiral books or any other books, though I did find more loose leaf filler (and bought another pack). I may start using is for my airmail letters. Nice and light. Wish some were available in a more stationery-like format though. Thanks for the tip about this paper.

 

[Gothmeister]

...if only you could get it in the UK!

 

Trouble is, when you go to the Staples.com site, it directs you to the UK site, which doesn't have the stuff. It seems you can't even order it thru' the US store for delivery to here.

 

[jbb]

Trouble is, when you go to the Staples.com site, it directs you to the UK site, which doesn't have the stuff. It seems you can't even order it thru' the US store for delivery to here.

Did you run through all the possible search words: eco-friendly, staples brand, sugar cane, etc.? I missed it on the U.S. site the first time I searched.

[antoniosz]

First of all, thank you for the heads up.

Lovely paper to write on and the price is awesome.

It is however thin, and even without any ink bleeding to the other side, it is not easy to use both sides as you can see through.

But the quality is amazing. No bleeding at all even with nibs that deliver ink like a hose.

[Gothmeister]

Did you run through all the possible search words: eco-friendly, staples brand, sugar cane, etc.? I missed it on the U.S. site the first time I searched.

 

Yes...they just don't do it.

 

However, I have e-mailed Staples UK to ask them how I can order it through them. Can I suggest that all the other UK-based FPNers do the same?

 

("No we don't stock it....there's no call for it! Funny, tho', you're the 50th person today to ask about it." Standard British response.)

[hamadryad11]

Did you run through all the possible search words: eco-friendly, staples brand, sugar cane, etc.? I missed it on the U.S. site the first time I searched.

 

Yes...they just don't do it.

 

However, I have e-mailed Staples UK to ask them how I can order it through them. Can I suggest that all the other UK-based FPNers do the same?

 

("No we don't stock it....there's no call for it! Funny, tho', you're the 50th person today to ask about it." Standard British response.)

Maybe they'll still get it. When I picked mine up, they told me they've only had it for about a week. And we don't seem to have the complete line here yet. It could just be taking longer to roll it out to the international stores.

[welch]

I bought some Staples "eco easy" paper Friday and here are some observations:

 

Negative:

 

- paper looks shabby. Rippled and wrinkled even before you unwrap it

 

- the notebook cover bows: both bend upward

 

- will hold a pencil mark, but it isn't over-happy with ball-point

 

Positive:

 

- "Made in Egypt". That won't thrill everyone, but there is something "just right"about a type of paper from the land of papyrus.

 

- Takes fountain pen ink as well as expensive paper (I'm comparing to Levenger's). There is no bleed-through, and no blotting. The nib floats across the surface of the paper. Sheets are thin, so you won't write on both sides, but I certainly wouldn't try writing, with ballpoint, of both sides of a Mead or other composition book. Only a Levenger.

 

- I'd bet that it does well will a fiber-tip pen, as well. Just not ball-point.

 

Conclusion: not perfect, but quite good for inexpensive paper. Quite good, and a fine step.

[DixieAmazon]

Is the wrinkling possibly due to too tight shrink wrap. I worked at a print shop and it is easy to over do it.

[welch]

Is the wrinkling possibly due to too tight shrink wrap. I worked at a print shop and it is easy to over do it.

 

 

That could be. I bought some three-hole loose-leaf, shrink-wrapped. That's the batch that looked awful.

 

Just looked at a notebook, and the pages are smooth. Covers are bowed, but pages do look good.

 

John

[Bill]

...Negative:

- will hold a pencil mark, but it isn't over-happy with ball-point...

 

Explain again how that is a negative. FPNers complain about paper designed for BPs; it's time for the BPPNers to get a dose of the same medicine.

 

I may never go to another staff meeting without Bagasse!! He! He!

 

Bill

[Inka]

...Negative:

- will hold a pencil mark, but it isn't over-happy with ball-point...

 

Explain again how that is a negative. FPNers complain about paper designed for BPs; it's time for the BPPNers to get a dose of the same medicine.

 

I may never go to another staff meeting without Bagasse!! He! He!

 

Bill

Well said, Bill; couldn't have said it better myself and I wholeheartedly agree!

I'll just add a few things; for one that even Richard Binder, well know Nib-Meister Extraordinaire, says fountain pens prefer a slick paper and I can attest to that.

I like that it's thin, don't mind seeing through the paper at all since it doesn't bleed and I have no problems writing on both sides [doing that all the time].

It's so thin I can actually use it as cheap vellum paper; even though it's not as thin and see-through as vellum is it's still great on a back-lit drafting table.

All my FPs, all my FP inks inks, even my collection of old and new stock Fisher Space Pens love this stuff.

 

I'm calling Staples Corporate again tomorrow and putting in another request for them to make and sell sugarcane bagasse in no-line format, for pen & ink drawing.

I'd love to have some of this stuff to draw on, no lines, especially since I'm still learning and need something inexpensive and reliable to do my sketching and drawing on.

[kaseygirl]

I may have to contact them myself. I would like to see spiral bound pads at the top of the tablet.

[digitalnative]

- paper looks shabby. Rippled and wrinkled even before you unwrap it

Okay, that explains a lot. I bought some last week and the unwrapped notebooks almost look like they had suffered water damage they were so wrinkled. The shrink wrapped notepads looked much 'neater'. It's hard to believe that paper so thin can take the wet line of a Pilot V-Pen or a Pelikano Jr. and not bleed through the other side.

Edited March 9, 2009 by digitalnative

[Gothmeister]

However, I have e-mailed Staples UK to ask them how I can order it through them.

 

Reply received from Staples UK:

 

"Dear Sir / Madam

 

 

Thank you for your recent enquiry

 

I regret that we do not stock the product described in your email, however, it maybe available through your local Staples store.

 

To find your local store, please visit www.staples.co.uk and visit the find a store section. I have included the link for you below

 

http://www.multimap.com/clients/places.cgi...t=staples_uk_sf

 

Should you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us via our web site, http://www.staples.co.uk, where one of our dedicated representatives will be available Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm.

 

Yours faithfully

 

Mark Kinsella

 

Staples Delivery Customer Care Team"

 

....and it turns out we have a large Staples store in Canterbury! So, guess where I'll be at the weekend (or even an evening during the week, they stay open till 8)?