(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
The category of sticky notes isn't an overly large one, even in the big box realm. Post-It notes are the name brand, and they have several sizes and colors to choose from. Every big box retailer has their own brand of similar products, but the paper quality of these items usually ranges from "meh" to "just okay." Since there aren't an abundance of options, the lackluster paper quality just has to suffice when you need a sticky note.
These days, there are a few more options available in the stationery world if you want sticky notes, and I've recently been trying out the Kokuyo Tack notes.
The notes I'm using are 75x100mm in size and they have yellow paper. They're a little wider than the "standard" Post-It note, but I think that's a good thing. There's plenty of room for jotting out quick notes and lists to stick on the wall or fridge.
The main perk of these sticky notes are the paper quality. They're much better than the paper most sticky notes use, which means you can use fountain pens in moderation. I say "in moderation" because this isn't Rhodia or Tomoe River paper. It's better than your standard Post-It note paper since it doesn't bleed and feather like crazy, but it's not supreme. In my experience, some fountain pen inks do great, but others smear easily due to the coating on the paper. If you do a little testing and determine which inks work well with the paper, you should be all set. Of course, given the coloring of the paper, your inks will look a little different than on a white paper, but that's normal.
Now, another important feature of any sticky note is the strength of the adhesive used on the back. Post-It notes are regarded as having the perfect amount of stickiness that also tends to hang around after several re-sticks of the note. With that baseline set, I'm happy to report that the Kokuyo Tack notes are adequate in this measure. They aren't Post-It note quality, but they're darn close. The adhesive is strong and pliable, giving you plenty of chances to move the note around without worrying about it falling off after a few hours. Even with the breeze of a fan flowing across, they stay put.
The Kokuyo Tack notes come in the 75x105mm size shown here, but they're also available in 74x52mm. Along with the two sizes, there are also several color options, like yellow, green, blue, and pink. The larger size will run you just under $5, while the smaller size costs about $3.
These Kokuyo Tack notes are affordable, colorful, and work really well. If you want sticky notes that handle fountain pen ink better than most, these are a great option.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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