PEFC – Writer's Bloc Blog

September 1, 2015August 25, 2015

Best Paper Tablets for Writing Letters with a Fountain Pen

R by Rhodia - Medium Size, Black Cover — R by Rhodia – Medium Size, Black Cover

Many of us that write with fountain pens still appreciate things like the value of good penmanship and how meaningful a handwritten letter can be. Since electronic communication has replaced much traditional correspondence that was previously written by hand, where does one still find a paper tablet worthy of a personal letter written with a fountain pen? In case you haven’t already discovered them, we want to introduce you to two paper tablets that will inspire you to put your fountain pen to paper and write a letter to a friend!

Clairefontaine Triomphe Stationery Tablet

Clairefontaine paper is considered by many to be the best paper in the world for writing. Their affordable Triomphe Stationery Tablets contain exceptionally smooth velin veloute paper that will make your fountain pen glide across the page. The calcium carbonate in the 90g paper minimizes any fountain pen ink feathering, bleed through or show though that can be a problem with other papers. The paper is bright white which allows your ink colors to really stand out. Clairefontiane paper is acid-free and made from pulp and wood by-products from sustainably managed forests. Triomphe Tablets have a sturdy back cover to give support while writing and the glue binding allows sheets to be easily removed. Each Triomphe Table contains 50 sheets of paper and is available with blank or ruled paper, in 5.75″ x 8.25″ or 8.25″ x 11.75″ sizes. Matching Triomphe envelopes are also available.

Clairefontaine Triomphe Stationery Tablet - Large, Blank Paper — Clairefontaine Triomphe Stationery Tablet – Large, Blank Paper

The paper contained in R by Rhodia Premium Notepads is manufactured by Clairefontaine so you know it’s going to be top quality! It is also a super-smooth 90g that is fabulous when paired with fountain pens, but instead of bright white it is a soft ivory color. These notepads are stapled at the top and each sheet is microperforated so that it can be removed from the notepad with ease. R by Rhodia Notepads have cardboard inside the back cover for extra support and the front cover is scored so that it folds back neatly. Each notepad contains 70 sheets, comes with either blank or lined paper, orange or black cover, and is available in the following sizes: 3.38″ x 4.75″, 6″ x 8.25″, 8.25″ x 11.75″. For more in-depth information about R by Rhodia read our previous blog posts: Introducing R by Rhodia and R by Rhodia vs Original Rhodia Notepads.

R by Rhodia Notepad - Medium Size, Lined Paper — R by Rhodia Notepad – Medium Size, Lined Paper

Do you like to snail mail hand-written letters? What’s your favorite paper writing tablet?

R by Rhodia Notepad - Medium Size, Orange Cover — R by Rhodia Notepad – Medium Size, Orange Cover

March 13, 2013February 7, 2014

New Rhodiactive Professional Business Collection – Meeting Book Review

(Large A4 Size Rhodiactive Meeting Book 90)

This year Rhodia introduces us to the Rhodiactive Business Collection: a new line of notebooks and notepads with a professional and contemporary look. They are designed to help you stay organized and efficient in the business world. So far, the Meeting Book 90 is the only part of this collection available in the USA.

Rhodia already has a Classic Meeting Book, so how is the new Rhodiactive Meeting Book different? The most outstanding difference is the paper – it contains premium 90g extra white paper that has superior opacity and strength. This means that you can write on both sides of the page without having significant issues with ink showing through or bleeding through the paper. If you are not already familiar with Rhodia paper, it is well known for having a smooth satin finish for effortless writing. It is also acid-free, pH neutral and PEFC certified. Besides helping you look classy and organized during business meetings, the Rhodiactive Meeting Book allows you to bring along your fountain pen!

(Rhodia Meeting Book with an Omas Arte Italiana Cruise Fountain Pen)

The cover of the Rhodiactive Meeting Book is also new – it is made of a sturdy, black 100% recycled polypropylene with a little bit of a linear texture to it. In comparison, Rhodia’s Classic Meeting Book has a waterproof coated cardstock cover that is available in both orange and black.

All of the Rhodia Meeting Books have the same pre-printed page layout with sections for Date, Notes and Action. This format is based on the Cornell note-taking system developed by Walter Paulk, a professor that worked at Cornell University. The “Date” and lined area at the top of each page are used to record the date, title or theme of a meeting or lecture and perhaps a brief summary. The large “Notes” area is for taking paraphrased notes during the meeting, and the smaller “Action” column is for key words and for your “to-do list.” If you are taking notes during a class, the “Action” column can be used to write questions relevant to the notes that can be used later while studying.

Interestingly, the number of lines on each page of the medium size Meeting Book and the large size Meeting Book are the same. The medium size page is just a shrunken version of the larger page – the medium size notebook having a line spacing of approximately 5.5mm and the large notebook with an 8mm line spacing.

Each page is micro-perforated near the wire spiral so that it can be cleanly removed from the notebook. Once the paper is removed from the large Meeting Book the page is A4 size – about 8.25” x 11.75”. The overall size of the large Meeting Book including the spiral is larger – about 9.25” x 11.75”. The medium Meeting Book is about 6.75” x 8.25” including the spiral and once the page is removed it is A5 size – about 5.75” x 8.25”. Both sizes of notebook contain 80 sheets/160 pages and the black double wire spiral is designed to prevent snagging.

(Rhodia Meeting Book with a Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen)

The Rhodia Meeting Book is definitely a useful tool for those that take notes during business meetings or classes. Have you used a Rhodia Meeting Book for taking notes? Do you have any tips you’d like to share?

February 27, 2013August 20, 2013

Clairefontaine Classic 3-Hole Punch Notebook Review

(Clairefontaine Classic 3-hole punch notebook)

Clairefontaine notebooks are well known for their exceptional paper quality. Even if you feel that these notebooks don’t look like much from the outside, it’s what is on the inside that really counts when it comes to your writing experience.

The 90g paper inside these notebooks boasts an exceptionally smooth satin finish and is bright white thanks to the calcium carbonate used in the manufacturing process. Clairefontaine manufactures their own paper from pulp and wood by-products from forests certified by PEFC to be sustainably managed. Clairefontaine is committed to minimizing their impact on the environment so their paper is chlorine-free, acid-free, pH neutral and is printed with natural inks.

Many writers who use fountain pens loyally use Clairefontaine paper because they feel that it is ideal for their writing needs! This fabulous paper eliminates or reduces troubles with ink that may feather or bleed through other types of paper and you can write on both sides of the page. The smoothness of the paper makes writing a dream! You can check out the performance of this paper by taking a look at the scanned writing samples below.

(Clairefontaine Classic 3-hole punch notebook paper fits inside a standard American 3-ring binder)

There are a few features that make the Clairefontaine Classic Notebook with the 3-hole punch stand out from other Clairefontaine notebooks. Since Clairefontaine is a European brand, most of their notebooks and paper products are metric sizes and might be a little different than what we are used to here in the USA. The Classic 3-hole punch notebook is standard American letter size – 8 1/2” x 11”. The 3-hole punch is sized to fit American 3-ring binders perfectly so you don’t need a special European binder to use this paper. Each page is microperforated so it can cleanly and easily be removed from the wire binding. In addition, most large size side wire bound or side staple bound Clairefontaine notebooks contain 48 or 50 sheets of paper. The Classic 3-hole punch notebook contains a generous 90 sheets of paper so it can carry you through a lot of note taking.

(Clairefontaine 90g paper writing test – front)

(Clairefontaine 90g paper writing test – back)

Clairefontaine Classic 3-hole punch notebook features include:

Ultra-smooth bright white 90g Clairefontaine paper
Excellent performance with fountain pens
3 hole punched to fit standard American 3-ring binders
Each page is microperforated so it can cleanly be removed from the notebook
Lined with margin – lines are spaced 8mm apart
Acid-free, pH neutral, PEFC certified paper
Contains 90 sheets
Laminated heavy stock cover
Variety of abstract cover designs and colors changes over time
Side double wire spiral binding
Standard American letter size: 8 1/2” x 11”

If the Clairefontaine 3-hole punch notebook is just what you are looking for and you want to stock up, Writer’s Bloc offers an additional discount for a set of 5 notebooks.

Do you use Clairefontaine notebooks too? Why would you recommend them to other writers?

May 13, 2008June 26, 2013

Clairefontaine’s Earth Friendly Paper

Before I started working at Writer’s Bloc I felt that all paper had pretty much the same impact on the environment and that the only thing we could contribute was to recycle as much as possible. Now I realize we can also make the choice to buy paper that is manufactured in ways that keep the environment in mind.

The Exaclair website mentions this about the mill where Clairefontaine paper is made: “The water is so clean when it leaves the facility local people can fish, swim and boat downstream within sight of the mill.” Wow! I was impressed.

It further states: “Made only with pulp from sustainable forests, Clairefontaine paper has been certified according to recognized international standards and independent third parties such as the PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and others. These certifications as ensure the protection of endangered wildlife habitats.”

I also learned that Clairefontaine supplies 80% of its own energy and has won environmental awards for its clean paper making technology. All of this combined with the fact that this paper has a blissfully smooth satin finish means that I will be a Clairefontaine customer from now on!

Other websites that mention Clairefontaine: Dolce Bellezza, Absolute Write.