Nice Stationary

[ada8356]

We have a few threads on nice journals and loads on nice pens.

What about nice stationery for 'old timey' letter writing?:wink:

I did a google search but was pretty overwhelmed by the number of returns. Can anyone give some good tips for good sites? brands? products? other suggestions?

tia

[Hoos]

Papyrus is a good place for formal stationery. Website:

http://www.papyrusonline.com/

They also have brick-and-mortar stores.

Crane is a good brand of stationery available in many stores. They also have a website: http://www.crane.com/

[Austin]

Claire Fontaine has very nice stationary.

[ScottS]

Levenger too.

[PotomacKayakGuy]

I really like Crane & Co. I have been purchasing their stationary for years.

http://www.crane.com/navContentProduct.aspx?NavName=AboutUs&DeptName=History

[farace]

I don't know that I'd call it stationery, because stationery to me implies something more formal, but I bought some of the handmade Amalfi paper. Comparing it to regular paper is like comparing a chocolate truffle to a Hershey bar. I still haven't found a use worthy of it. Maybe after my divorce goes through, if I ever find myself courting someone . . .

Oh, and I know I'm being anal, but if you remember that stationery is sold by a stationer, you'll remember how to properly spell it. Although I suppose if it's sitting immobile on your desk, it's stationary.:biggrin:

[Doc4]

I don't know that I'd call it stationery, because stationery to me implies something more formal, but I bought some of the handmade Amalfi paper. Comparing it to regular paper is like comparing a chocolate truffle to a Hershey bar. I still haven't found a use worthy of it. Maybe after my divorce goes through, if I ever find myself courting someone . . .

Oh, and I know I'm being anal, but if you remember that stationery is sold by a stationer, you'll remember how to properly spell it. Although I suppose if it's sitting immobile on your desk, it's stationary.:biggrin:

Perhaps that explains why the USPS wants our letters to sit still ... :001_rolle

[Doc4]

What about nice stationery for 'old timey' letter writing?:wink:


Be sure to get paper with rag content. (IE, there's cotton in it.)

I got some of that stuff back in my college days, and man it feels nice. You can visit your local stationary Staioner, and pick up a sleeve of 100 or 500 sheets, and voila, a blank slate for you to create your epistulary masterpiece.

[Bowcephalus]

Stationary stationery......Post it notes........

[L. Martino]

Hi All,
I'd echo another member and mention Crane for having some nice paper. Some of their products are fairly formal, but others kinda border on the 'elegant whimsy'. Hehe, I have a few stationary designs they make...very nice paper with varied embossed subjects. One box is note cards/envelopes, with a small, understated gold frog on each envelope, and the other box has a small gold turtle design. The inside of the envelope has gold foil, with large green turtles on it. I like both of those for certain occasions.
Martin

[Bowcephalus]

Gold foil?

Letters.


Write me bunches of letters!

[HoustonianYankee]

I don't know that I'd call it stationery, because stationery to me implies something more formal, but I bought some of the handmade Amalfi paper. Comparing it to regular paper is like comparing a chocolate truffle to a Hershey bar. I still haven't found a use worthy of it. Maybe after my divorce goes through, if I ever find myself courting someone . . .

Oh, and I know I'm being anal, but if you remember that stationery is sold by a stationer, you'll remember how to properly spell it. Although I suppose if it's sitting immobile on your desk, it's stationary.:biggrin:

Bob,

I believe you are a photographer...hope I'm not mistaken. Anyway, I've started exploring Alternative Process photography which makes great use of the kind of paper you reference. You ought to google it.

[farace]

Bob,

I believe you are a photographer...hope I'm not mistaken. Anyway, I've started exploring Alternative Process photography which makes great use of the kind of paper you reference. You ought to google it.

Oh, that sounds neat! Thanks for the heads-up, I'll go do a search. I'm going to guess that it might be something like a Polaroid emulsion transfer? I tried that on watercolor paper years ago, but never thought of it since.

[MikeLip]

I just use Rhodia paper, a nice Pilot or Pelikan fountain pen and Pelikan brilliant brown ink. Heck, I use that ink for everything that doesn't need to be indelible! :)

[HoustonianYankee]

Oh, that sounds neat! Thanks for the heads-up, I'll go do a search. I'm going to guess that it might be something like a Polaroid emulsion transfer? I tried that on watercolor paper years ago, but never thought of it since.

I just started with Vandyke process. The chemicals are rather inexpensive compared to Platinum/Palladium. I figure I'd "move up" if I like it.

As for Amalfi, nice town, isn't it. I visited that paper manufacturing exhibit when I was there a few years back.

[farace]

I just started with Vandyke process. The chemicals are rather inexpensive compared to Platinum/Palladium. I figure I'd "move up" if I like it.

As for Amalfi, nice town, isn't it. I visited that paper manufacturing exhibit when I was there a few years back.

I'll check it out.

I wish I could say I'd been to Amalfi, but I haven't yet. My grandfather came from a small town just a couple miles east of there, and I very much want to visit. I understand that I still have some family in the area (my grandfather left there in 1916).

[soapbox]

We have a few threads on nice journals and loads on nice pens.

What about nice stationery for 'old timey' letter writing?:wink:

I did a google search but was pretty overwhelmed by the number of returns. Can anyone give some good tips for good sites? brands? products? other suggestions?


I agree with other posts that Levenger is a good source.

Also, I have had very good results with polkadotpinwheel.com (http://www.polkadotpinwheel.com)
Disclaimer: my sister-in-law runs the website, but it's not like she reads these forums and I've really had great results with her work. Prices have always been competitive too. It must be working out well for her: she and her husband are starting a new Paper Affair (http://www.paperaffair.com/) in Illinois this Fall.

Jesse

[farace]

Be sure to get paper with rag content. (IE, there's cotton in it.)

For just a plain-old sheet of paper, the Southworth 32 lb. 100% cotton Résumé paper is really nice. I bought some for, well, résumés, but have used it for writing paper after printing my own letterhead on it.

[ouch]

a blank slate for you to create your epistulary masterpiece.

Man, I gotta create me one o' dem.




Is there anything you guys don't know about?

[ada8356]

Well so far I've picked up two different styles of Crane Co. with lined envelops.

I've also ordered some Amalfi writing paper w/envelopes (Angel watermark).

I've also got my eye on some German Zerkall paper.

[graphei]

+1 on the Cranes & Clare Fontaine.

Cranes, IMHO, is supreme, but they don't make notebooks like Clare does.


I was in Germany over the weekend and a friend, who is a teacher, informed me that German school children learn to write with fountain pens. As a result, their notebooks and paper have to be able to handle the ink. Do a few searches through google and you might be able to score some big bargains on some top quality German paper.

[Nancy Boy]

I really like Crane & Co. I have been purchasing their stationary for years.

http://www.crane.com/navContentProduct.aspx?NavName=AboutUs&DeptName=History

I worked in commercial lithography for over 10 years, for one of the best in Los Angeles. You can't go wrong with Crane. Very elegant. and if it's engraved, all the better.

[graphei]

They're having their semi-annual sale right now. If you write a lot of letters or want to stock up, check out their bulk section in the business section.

[soapbox]

I worked in commercial lithography for over 10 years, for one of the best in Los Angeles. You can't go wrong with Crane. Very elegant. and if it's engraved, all the better.

Sweet Jesus, $2.00 apiece for personalized notecards?! OW.

I expect they can afford to be quite the best in the world for that price.

Jesse

[graphei]

Barnes & Noble sells sets of Cranes for a reasonable price. I always stock up on the thank you cards that have 'thank you' in 4 languages on the front.

[Doc4]

Is there anything you guys don't know about?

... shaving.

[soapbox]

Is there anything you guys don't know about?

What, there are like 9000 users on here? Since every post-pubescent guy (more or less) is eligible to shave, there's no specific subset of the English-speaking male internet population that does or does not shave, it's expected that we'll have a pretty representative cross-section of knowledge bases and experience.

Those opinion polls on the news networks can claim "plus or minus" 4% with just a carefully chosen 1500 or 2000 people.

Jesse

[ada8356]

The Amalfi came into. Talk about incredible paper. I don't think I write well enough to justify using it. (I'm talking both in appearance AND content)

[behrendprof]

Try Pendemonium:

http://www.pendemonium.com/

They have Clairefontaine, Rhodia, and Lalo. No Crane, which is also good stuff.

[farace]

The Amalfi came into. Talk about incredible paper. I don't think I write well enough to justify using it. (I'm talking both in appearance AND content)

That's how I feel. I look at it sometimes wishing I had something to say to someone that is worth putting on that paper. It will happen, and I'll have the paper ready. And a wax seal.

[ada8356]

That's how I feel. I look at it sometimes wishing I had something to say to someone that is worth putting on that paper. It will happen, and I'll have the paper ready. And a wax seal.

Bob,

Where did you get your seal and what wax have you used? I picked up a seal and some wax from letterseals.com for my wife, but we haven't had much luck from an ease of use perspective. She's gotten some nice seals but it's taken some work.

[farace]

Bob,

Where did you get your seal and what wax have you used? I picked up a seal and some wax from letterseals.com for my wife, but we haven't had much luck from an ease of use perspective. She's gotten some nice seals but it's taken some work.

The seal came from Michael's; it's not very fancy, just an initial. There are places on line with much nicer, fancier (expensive) seals, and some places will make you custom seals for family crests, etc. I got some wax in an old desk I bought!

From what I understand, there are two kinds of sealing wax available these days, the traditional, harder stuff, which won't likely make it through the postal system intact, and a more flexible type, which can actually be applied with a hot glue gun, and with which people have had good luck in the mail.

I'm hardly an expert on this; I've used sealing wax rarely. There are some very in-depth discussions of sealing wax and seals at The Fountain Pen Network. (http://fountainpennetwork.com) Some of the folks there are obsessive about wax and seals, and I think a couple have even made their own sealing wax.