Blog · Fountain Pen Paper
The Best Paper for Fountain Pens, Tested
I don't run a lab test on paper. I put a group of fountain pens on one page, turn it over, and keep using the notebook. This is what that has shown me about the papers I write on.
The papers I reach for with a fountain pen are Tomoe River and Midori MD. Tomoe River is super nice with fountain pens, and when a notebook uses it, I write more with my fountain pens. Midori MD is one of my favorite papers to write on: it has a little more tooth, and it feels nicer in the hand. Rhodia is the smooth pad on my desk when I write-test a new pen. And if you carry Field Notes like I do, a fine nib with a fairly dry ink works on them, while a wet, broad nib bleeds through.
How I test paper
I don't run a lab test, and I don't score paper on a scale. When I recorded a voice memo about how I test, my honest answer was “I wouldn’t say I do a specific test.” I use my notebooks the way I like to use them, and I pay attention to what the pages do.
There is one routine I come back to, and I filmed it on Fountain Pen Day 2025. I took a Field Notes notebook, which uses a 60 pound bright white paper that is not made for fountain pens, and wrote a line with each of my fountain pens on the same page: my father's Montblanc, two TWSBIs, a few Kawecos, and a Traveler's Company fountain pen fitted with a Kaweco nib. Same page and same hand, so the differences come from the pens and their inks. Then I turned the page over and read the back, line by line.
On the back I look for two things. Ghosting is a faint shadow of the line showing through the sheet. Bleed-through is ink that soaks all the way through to the other side.
After that, I keep using the notebook for real. When I recorded that video, I had already filled 10 to 15 Field Notes notebooks, so the verdict came from daily use as much as from one page.
I also like to test fountain pens on paper that is not fountain pen friendly, because it shows what a paper can handle across different inks and nib sizes. The result always depends on the nib, its size and the ink in the pen, and even paper from the same maker can vary. So I write each result as a combination: this pen, this nib, this ink, on this paper.
What the back of the Field Notes page showed
| Pen and nib | On the back of the page | What I made of it |
|---|---|---|
| Kaweco Sport, fine nib, Kaweco ink (Palm Green or black) | Minimal ghosting, no bleed-through | The combination I use in these notebooks all the time |
| TWSBI, fine nib | A little ghosting, no bleed-through | Better than I expected |
| Montblanc, broad or double broad (my guess) | A little bleed-through | A very wet pen with a thick line, so no surprise |
| Kaweco Perkeo, fine nib | Bleeds through badly in places | Same line width as the Sport and a little scratchier. I don't know why it bleeds. |
So are Field Notes fountain pen friendly? It depends on the pen, the nib size and the ink. Kaweco's ink is fairly dry, which gives me clean lines, and the paper has just enough friction to feel good to write on. Don't expect a super inky fountain pen to work on it. The full pen-by-pen write-up of that video is in my Field Notes bleed and ghosting test.
The papers I write on
These are the papers I have real time with, and how I know what I know about each one. I add papers here as I write on them.
| Paper | What I found | How I know |
|---|---|---|
| Tomoe River | Super nice with fountain pens. I write more with my fountain pens when a notebook uses it. | Daily use in a Lochby pocket notebook, and the weekly planner I used for the first half of 2026 |
| Midori MD | One of my favorite papers. A little more toothy, and it feels nicer to write on. | Years of Traveler's Company planner inserts |
| Rhodia | Smooth. A fine nib with some feedback still feels good on it. | The pad I use for on-camera writing tests |
| Field Notes, 60 pound bright white | A fine nib with fairly dry ink works. A wet, broad nib bleeds. | The same-page test, then 10 to 15 filled notebooks |
| Kinbishi, in a Dialog notebook | Fountain pen friendly and nice in the hand. | A first look. Dialog sent the notebook to me. |
Tomoe River: the paper that has me writing more
My Lochby pocket notebook uses Tomoe River paper, and it is super nice with fountain pens, so I end up writing more with them. The vertical weekly planner I used for the first half of 2026 was Tomoe River too, and I filled it. I have also started making my own ring planner inserts, and Tomoe River comes as loose A4 sheets that you can buy in bulk for a lot less, cut to size, and hole punch.
Midori MD: a little more tooth, and I like it
Midori MD is one of my favorite papers. It is a little more toothy, and I like that: it feels like I am actually writing on the page instead of gliding over it. My Traveler's Company monthly and weekly planner inserts used MD paper for years, and it is one of the nicest papers out there. When the Traveler's Company passport size didn't work for me, the problem was the size, never the paper.
Rhodia: the smooth pad for pen tests
Rhodia is smooth paper, and it is the pad I write on when I test a pen on camera. In my Monteverde Innova Ti review, the fine titanium nib had more feedback than a steel or gold nib, and it still felt good on the Rhodia pad. I haven't shared a same-page result for Rhodia yet, so this guide doesn't claim one.
Field Notes: fine with the right pen
Field Notes are what I carry in my pocket, and their paper is not made for fountain pens. With a fine nib and a fairly dry ink they work, as the table above shows. I still wish Field Notes used a more fountain pen friendly paper, and I'm still looking for a pocket notebook that does, but I enjoy the covers too much to stop carrying them. Two pocket options with friendlier paper, the Lochby pocket notebook with Tomoe River and the Dialog notebook with Kinbishi paper, are in Best Field Notes Alternatives for Fountain Pen Users.
How to choose
Start from the pen, not the paper. If your pens run wet with broad nibs, pick a paper made for fountain pens, like Tomoe River or Midori MD. If you carry an ordinary pocket notebook, put a fine nib and a fairly dry ink in the pen that travels with it. Either way, put every pen you own on one page, turn it over, and keep using the notebook the way you normally write before you decide.
The gear worth a look
- Tomoe River loose sheets (A4, white): the paper that has me writing more with fountain pens, in sheets you can cut and punch for a ring planner.
- Midori MD Notebook: one of my favorite papers to write on, with a little more tooth.
- Rhodia Dot Pad: a smooth pad for trying out a pen.
- Field Notes: the pocket notebook I carry. Pair it with a fine nib and a fairly dry ink.
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Related reading
- Are Field Notes Fountain Pen Friendly? Bleed and Ghosting Test
- Best Field Notes Alternatives for Fountain Pen Users
- Why Fountain Pen Ink Bleeds Through Planner Paper, and How to Stop It
- The 10 Pens I Actually Reach for Every Day (Ranked by Use)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best paper for fountain pens?
For me, Tomoe River and Midori MD. Tomoe River is super nice with fountain pens, and when a notebook uses it I write more with them. Midori MD has a little more tooth and is one of my favorite papers to write on.
Are Field Notes fountain pen friendly?
It depends on the pen, the nib size and the ink. On the 60 pound bright white Field Notes paper, a Kaweco Sport with a fine nib and Kaweco's fairly dry ink showed minimal ghosting and no bleed-through. My father's Montblanc, a very wet pen with a thick line, showed a little bleed-through.
How do you test paper for fountain pens?
Write a line with each of your pens on the same page, turn the page over, and read the back for ghosting and bleed-through. Then keep using the notebook the way you normally write, and judge each pen, nib and ink combination instead of the paper alone.
What is the difference between ghosting and bleed-through?
Ghosting is a faint shadow of the line showing through the sheet. Bleed-through is ink that soaks all the way through to the other side of the page.
Updated October 30, 2026: an earlier version of this guide graded four papers on a fixed 1 to 5 test. I don't run that test, so the grades are gone, and every finding here comes from my own pages.