With February’s InCoWriMo right around the corner, have you thought about what letter writing paper is in your arsenal? As an avid analog correspondence fan (Narrator: “That’s a lie.”) this is something I think about frequently. Ok, maybe not from a letter writing perspective, but from more of a “good stationery” perspective. Original Crown Mill paper falls into that category.
Founded in 1870, this Belgian brand is world-renown for its high quality writing papers. Their creations are specific, focusing primarily on written correspondence products, such as letter writing pads, cards, invitations, and envelopes. If you have visited a classic stationery store in person, you have likely seen Original Crown Mill prominently displayed.
Laid paper texture.
The Original Crown Mill Classic Laid Writing Pad is designed for letter writing. This A5 pad (also available in A4,) contains 50 sheets of Blue Laid paper. What is Laid paper? In short, it is paper with a ribbed texture throughout the sheet. Traditionally, this texture was due to the single-sheet pressing and drying process, prior to machinery becoming involved in manufacturing. In modern times, this effect can be created on purpose, giving pages such as these that classic look and feel.
On the surface-literally-laid paper seems like it would feel terrible to write on. That was my initial thought as well. Fortunately, I am very wrong-at least in the case of this specific pad.
Writing with a fountain pen nib is a joy on this paper. You barely feel the texture, and, importantly, the finish of the page is such that there is little to no feathering, bleeding, or ghosting on the page. I was shocked to be honest.
Everything was great, minus the 0.38 mm Signo DX.
Standard Sharpie show through.
Now, there is one downside of laid paper: the finer the nib, the less you will enjoy the feel of the page. This goes for both fountain pens and standard pens. Logically, it makes sense. Wide nibs glide over the ridges better, fine nibs bounce a bit more (on a micro level,) leaving more inconsistent lines. Standard Western fine steel nibs, and wider, worked great. Once I started getting into the extra fine range, it was less enjoyable, but still workable. My 0.38 mm gel ink pens were not good to use at all.
The darkness of Diamine’s 1854 Blue Black is the way to go. And I know you are wondering about the pen: Montegrappa Mirca Pink and Sterling Silver.
Two other interesting findings: one, shading and sheen showed up on the page better than expected. I assumed the page would be too absorbent for the sheen to set up, but I was wrong. Two, markers worked well on this paper. There was no feathering, and even the Sharpie barely came through the back side of the page. Now, this isn’t a paper you would normally use markers on, but they are a good test of the quality of the page.
The final comment is on the page color itself. Blue would never be my first choice for showing off ink properties, but it did well despite being difficult to photograph. It does dull-out brighter colors, so I would lean towards darker shades if I were writing to the Belgian Royal Family, but it is passable with other shades. I chose Omas Sepia as a mid-tone test, and the color represented well. The lighter the shade, the less accurate color representation you will have.
Luckily, this pad comes in many other colors, such as White, Cream, Pink, and Grey. I’m tempted to try the White sheets for something on the opposite end of the spectrum, because my experience with Blue has been so positive.
My overall experience with the Original Crown Mill Classic Laid Writing Pad has been positive. Surprisingly so, based on my pre-conceived thoughts. At $9.50 for 50 sheets of this quality, it is well worth the test. And in my case, a second round.
(OrangeArt Store, the US distributor for Original Crown Mill, provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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