Today it's time for "paper reviews with Killian" aka using fountain pens has made me utterly pretentious about what paper is in my notebooks. And since my favorite paper, Tomoe River, was discontinued at the end of 2021, I've been desperately searching for a replacement.
Which has lead me here! Endless Recorder is probably my favorite notebook on the market right now. The original uses 68gsm white Tomoe River paper, available in dot grid, square grid, lined, or blank- with a table of contents and numbered pages for all but the blank version. It's hard back with a buttery smooth cover, available in 5 different colors, and has two bookmarks inside. I prefer lined notebooks, which is much harder to find (compared to blank or dot grid) when it comes to Tomoe River paper, and they're just really well made notebooks.
BUT since the paper is getting discontinued, they switched to a new paper- 80gsm Regalia paper. Everything else is the same, but I'm very hesitant about change >_> The fountain pen community has touted Cosmo Air Light as a great replacement for Tomoe River, so I tried it...and absolutely hated it. So I've been very nervous about my favorite notebooks changing. Let's move on before I admit just how many of the originals I've hoarded...
New on the left, original on the right
The covers look pretty much the same - save for a font change - but the width is the first real sign that something's different. 80gsm paper is thicker than 68gsm, so the new Recorder is a bit heftier than the original. Same two bookmarks, though!
Original on the left, new on the right
The inside of the covers look almost identical, except for more small font changes. The ink seems more saturated as well, though I wasn't sure if that was just the lighting.
Original on the top, new on the bottom
The ink is definitely more saturated on the new paper. I'm not sure if it's because of the way the paper is made - I never promised to understand the science behind paper - but I do know it looks nice.
Original on the top, new on the bottom
The page numbers and lines are nice and crisp in both, and once again more saturated in the new version.
Original on the left, new on the right
And now, the actual important part: how does it write? I tested it with two pens & inks. The dark blue is shimmery with very little variation in color while the muted mint looks a bit different depending on how saturated it is. The pictures don't quite capture it (probably because I used my phone camera for all of this), though I can still talk about it.
For the most part, the new one behaved very similarly!! It's got just a bit more tooth than Tomoe River, though most papers do; TR is just incredibly smooth. The new paper is also wetter, somehow. I was using a broad nib in both pens, and while my TWSBI 580 is pretty juicy, it was particularly so on the Regalia paper. I'm not complaining, though- I like broad lines that show off as many dimensions of my inks as possible. It does mean that ink takes longer to dry- though part of the smearing also came from my sweaty hands. It was really hot the day I worked on this, and the air conditioning isn't working right in my house ><
So, I'm left-handed, which means I usually rest my hands on the paper in weird ways to avoid smearing wet ink. I've found that paper can hold onto oils from the skin and interfere with how ink lays on the page, and the amount it happens depends on the paper. It usually isn't that noticeable on Tomoe River paper, except in very dark inks (with obvious spots missing from words) and very light inks (where words can be much harder to read due to less ink being put down). My biggest issue with Cosmo Air Light was how prevalent this was. It was inescapable; it felt like if I even breathed on the paper, it would misbehave. Any time I want to use it, I have to rest my hand on a separate sheet of paper or risk angering the paper.
As for Endless Recorder's new paper, I am delighted to find that it doesn't seem affect it at all. I made sure to press my hand against the paper and write over it, and it doesn't mess with the ink in the slightest. It seems like such a small thing, but to me, it matters a lot.
Overall, I'm still fussy about having to change, but I'm looking forward to using Regalia paper more regularly- I just have to finish my current notebook. After that, I'm using my brand new Endless Recorder, and I'm hopeful it'll bring me just as much joy as the original.
Endless Recorder can be found on Endless Stationary, as well as many fountain pen friendly stationary stores. Their website currently has both the original and new version, but they won't be restocking the Tomoe River version once their current stock runs out.
