Rhodia Notepad Paper Comparison: Classic Pads vs Premium Pads

Customers ask us every day when purchasing a good pen “what paper works best for what pen?”  Hopefully this can shed some light…

For those interested in using a Fountain Pen, we know there are many of you out there. The Clairefontaine paper found in Rhodia Notebooks has an excellent quality reputation. This French paper has a smooth surface, and the Dot Grid Webnotebook tested had no bleed-through whatsoever. The ink barely even shows through on the other side of the page. 

The back of the pages shows no bleed through, except for brand new Sharpie ink, which we expected. Note that the sharpie even penetrated the next sheet of the classic pad on the left.

Side by side, LEFT: Classic pad RIGHT: Premium pad

We decided to dig deep and research several different pens on the two kinds of paper that the Rhodia Classic Notepad and Premium Notepad offer.  The difference between the two is quite noticeable and the paper in the Premium is actually a joy to write on.

The Premium Notepad has a “soft touch” cover, which immediately gives you the sense that you will be indulging into a luxury notepad.  It contains 90g ultra smooth ivory paper, comes blank or ruled with 70 sheets of paper and its Top Bound cover is scored to fold back neatly.  I cannot leave out the fact that the sheets are also micro-perforated as well for easy tear. 

The Classic Notepad has the original coated card cover and holds Rhodia super fine Vellum Paper 80g.  It is cardboard backed and also contains micro-perforated sheets.

If you use a lighter-weight paper (like the 80g Rhodia Classic) you may prefer using ballpoint pens, since rollerball ink will often bleed through. This is especially true in journals or other instances where you write on both sides of the paper.  Rollerball ink is less “sticky” than ballpoint ink, so it flows onto the paper with less effort from the writer, making the act of writing less stressful on the hand. On the premium paper, writing with a Retro 51 Tornado Rollerball is a real joy. 

Bottom Line:

Both the the Rhodia Classic has paper that is a very large step above ordinary office papers. You'll notice the difference immediately. However, if you want a paper that produces a real thrill when writing, the Premium notepad is somthing truly special. In this case, we have to concede, the name "Premium" is more than just a marketing ploy - it really is better.