The world of fountain pens has been mourning the loss of Cosmo Air Light for the past few years. While it was never as popular as Tomoe River, it was beloved by many sheen enthusiasts. A little over a year ago, Iroful made its way onto the paper scene. I may be a little late to the party, but I’ve been using it lately and want to give you my thoughts on this paper. Is it something you should consider using if you liked Cosmo Air Light? Let’s find out.
Here’s a doodle I did on some Iroful paper
Here’s a look at the front cover information
First Impressions
Iroful notebooks are fairly unimpressive at first glance. They are basic A5 notebooks without any bells and whistles. The textured cardstock covers are pretty nice and give the notebooks a bit more of a quality feel when compared to student-friendly Campus notebooks. Each comes with a different binding color that correlates to the ruling style. The front and back covers also have an example of what the ruling is. For example, my notebook is dot-grid, so the cover has dots on it.
The cover of each notebook has an example of the ruling style
The paper is white with a slight tint to it. It is not cream or even off-white, but it is not a bright white. The surface of the paper feels like it has some sort of coating on it (very similar to Cosmo Air Light, if you ever used that paper). It is not super-smooth to the touch like Tomoe River or Clairefontaine.
The Details
Iroful comes in notebooks and loose-leaf sheets, so this review is mainly about the notebooks, although the paper is the same either way.
- Pages: 96, 160
- Paper Weight: 75gsm
- Binding: Stitch
- Page Style: Grid, Dot, Blank
- Size: A5 Notebooks and Loose-Leaf, A4 Loose-Leaf
Ink-handling characteristics (A table with the following properties can be found at the bottom of this post)
- Sheen: Very High
- Shading: Average
- Bleeding: Very Low
- Ghosting: Average
- Feathering: Very Low
- Dry Time: Very Long
Other features
- Lay-flat binding
- Textured cardstock cover
Actual Use
There’s not a lot to say about using these notebooks. As you can probably imagine, there’s not much more to them than opening them up and writing. Fortunately, the binding allows them to lay flat quite easily. They may need a bit of smoothing when first opened, but once that’s done you don’t have to worry about the notebook snapping shut again.
These notebooks lay flat pretty easily
These notebooks have a lot of small signatures
I mentioned the covers had a nice texture to them. It looks like a heavily-lined linen and gives these notebooks, which don’t have much to work with, a little something extra. The covers are fairly flexible and won’t do much to protect the writing within.
Here’s a look at the back cover of the notebook
Most people reading this review probably aren’t too interested in the features (or lack thereof) of these notebooks and really want to know about the paper. You probably saw my ink-handling characteristics at the top of this post and could figure out that this paper handles fountain pen ink really well. It is one of only a few papers that I’ve tested that have scored a perfect 5/5 in the sheen category, making this paper an immediate top choice for sheen fiends. High sheen typically means longer dry times and Iroful is no exception. Dry times are very long, so be sure to have a blotter handy when using these notebooks.
Other ink-handling characteristics are also on the positive side. I observed no bleeding or feathering when using this paper, even with heavy swatches of ink. Ghosting was average, meaning I don’t think that using both sides of a sheet will be a problem for most people. My one disappointment is that it only has average shading. It does still show shading in inks, but not as much as many other papers that I enjoy using that also have high sheen.
Iroful Paper Test: Front
Iroful Paper Test: Back
In the intro I mentioned that the paper has an interesting surface feel. This carries through to the writing experience and presents as a slight resistance as your pen nib moves across the surface of the paper. I don’t find it unpleasant and forget about it once I start writing, but if you’re looking for it it’s there. I’d imagine it is due to the sizing used on this paper that gives it such good ink-handling capabilities.
Conclusion
Iroful notebooks are not very fancy and don’t have many (or any) special features. I’d imagine the target audience might be anyone who takes notes and wants some nice paper to write on. The blank notebooks would also be great for doodling.
This is some fantastic paper and is extremely fountain-pen-friendly, but falls just short of being fountain-pen-fun. The closest paper I can compare it to is Cosmo Air Light, which is what I considered to be fountain-pen-fun paper, but Iroful is a little more tame and user-friendly. That doesn’t mean it is boring. This is probably some of the most exciting paper to come onto the scene in the past few years. If you’ve been looking for a new paper to try that is different than everything else on the market, consider picking up an Iroful notebook. If notebooks aren’t your thing, it’s also available in loose sheets.
Iroful paper comes in loose sheets
If you’d like a bit more information about how I test papers and notebooks, I wrote an article about my paper rating system.
Interested in trying this paper before buying a notebook? Head over to my shop and pick up a custom paper sample pack.
Comments 13
This has become my favorite paper. I use it for doodles (that I have learned here!), letter writing, and ink testing. I agree with you that the shading is disappointing, but overall, it’s a very good paper. Let’s hope at some point they put it into a nice journal with more pages.
And just to compare, I bought a Clarifontaine and Rhodia notebooks recently to use as my daily journal, but was not prepared for how much I would dislike the color of both of those papers. To me, the orange/cream paper clashes with my inks. I’d love to have a journal like either of those bindings with THIS paper in it!
Author
I would love to see this paper in some nicer notebooks, just like they did with Tomoe River and Cosmo Air Light. Let’s hope someone does it!
Exaclair (Clairefontaine/Rhodia) make both white and avoriate paper. Each is best for its advised use and with some areas of the colour range & specific inks; it is also of course a matter of subjective preference.
They cost less than half or half the cost of Iroful, and a comparison expecting them to be rivals won’t lead to much.
I haven’t tried one of the Iroful notebooks, but I am a dedicated fan of the loose sheets. Add a sticker or two and maybe some washi tape, and like magic: instant fancy stationery. The feel of the. paper, both to the hand and under a nib, is delightfully satisfying.
I’m so glad you are giving this paper some of the attention it deserves.
Author
I got the loose sheets first and then picked up a notebook specifically for this review. The loose sheets really are like nice stationery. I think I need to write some letters!
My broad nibs “sing” (read, squeak) annoyingly on this paper, no doubt due to the slight resistance you mention. It’s enough to put me off using it with my favourite pens, although I am trying to use up my package of loose sheets — I just have to be careful which pen I use. On the other hand, the advantage of using a finer nib is a somewhat reduced dry time.
Author
Ruth, I did experience this with a broad titanium nib, but no other nibs have done it so far. I’ll add a quick note to the review that says this in case anyone else might be put off by it.
I agree with your thoughts on Iroful. I have experienced one other thing and I wonder if you have too. I find that Iroful paper tends to thicken my line widths, e.g., make a fine closer to a medium, a medium closer to a a broad, etc. Has that been your experience?
Author
Ben, I have experienced this with a few different types of paper, but it didn’t stand out to me as something significant with Iroful. I probably wasn’t paying close enough attention, or maybe didn’t use the right combination of pen and ink.
I love notebooks. The problem is – I can buy them a lot faster than I can fill them. And then you come along and tempt me with another one. Not nice.
Author
It’s a problem we all have, Richard. But, as far as problems go, I could think of worse. 🙂
Very informative review. I love Iroful; it’s one of my favorites these days. Interestingly, I find it to be a better shading performer than you seem to. It’s certainly not the best ever on that front but I guess I’d give it an “above average” myself. Maybe I’ve just never used paper that’s primo for shading despite how many I feel like I’ve tested! I’m looking forward to getting a Paper Connoisseur pack, though; there are a few brands in there I’ve yet to try.
Author
I really enjoy Iroful as well. Don’t get me wrong, it’s got nice shading, but using my tests it was just average compared so some heavier-shading papers. Thanks for chiming in!