@libroraptor A very special type of ink (this property of ink is called sheen) on a very special kind of highly non absorbent paper (tomoe river paper is the best)

@freemo @libroraptor What do you think of the new Sanzen version of Tomoe River paper? I may have panicked and bought a ridiculously large stack of notebooks from Nanami Paper when it was first announced that the original process had to be decommissioned. The Sanzen stuff's not bad, though, but some people REALLY don't care for increased level of tooth it has.

@knottedthreads

Please tell me all about this (seriously)... this is news to me...

@libroraptor

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@freemo @libroraptor Perhaps 2 years ago, Tomoegawa announced that the machinery used to make the original TR paper had aged WELL past end of life and could no longer be maintained due to lack of parts. They were just going to discontinue the TR products as I gather they've never been particularly profitable, but Sanzen bought the technology and worked with Tomoegawa to resume production.

The paper is necessarily different, as it's made on different equipment, but it's still 52 (or 68) gsm and still has the special coatings that work well with (most) fountain pen inks. The feathering and ghosting are different with some ink formulations, and the surface texture has a little more tooth than the original. Most retailers now specify if their TR products are "old" TR paper (that stock is nearly exhausted) or "new"/"Sanzen" TR paper.

I'm a fan of Japanese notebooks and stationery, so I watched this all play out in real time. I got into fountain pens because I like their sustainability vs. disposable pens. I'm not looking for luxe pens or inks; I'm after a practical writing solution that is archival and works reasonably well for a lefty. I typically only use Japanese Extra Fine nibs, so I'm used to a fair amount of feedback already, and I don't lay down enough ink for the feathering and ghosting to be of great concern. Since you're based in the Netherlands, misc-store might be a good bet for trying to acquire some of the new paper to test out.

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