I went to Flax Art looking for some paper that would work nicely with pens. Ideally it would work nicely with the Sakura Pigma Micron pens. But, like always I couldn’t find what I was looking for: nice smooth, pen friendly paper in a wire-bound pad. Sure, there are plenty of expensive papers made specifically for pens and markers. This paper is great, but it never comes wire-bound. And, like I just said, it’s also on the pricey side.
On my way out I passed the pens section and what did I find? A cheap pad of wire-bound paper for pens. And not just any pens, it says on the cover that it’s recommended for use with Sakura Pigma Micron Pens! And it’s only $5.25 for 50 sheets of 8.5 x 11! Oh Bee Paper Company, you read my mind.
I brought it home to test and, sure enough, it works great with the Microns, both fine tip (01) and broad tip (08). There is some visible feathering with the UniBall Vision Exact pens that I love, but it doesn’t bleed through at all. And for $5.25, I’m really happy with this.
The other thing I should point out is that there is some obvious watermarking on the sheets of paper. It’s lightly embossed with “HAMMERMILL PAPER.” I didn’t notice this in the store, but it was pretty obvious once I got home. But, considering the price and how well it works with the pens I want it to work with, I’m fine with that. Beggars can’t be choosers.
Hi Erik,
I’m Phil from Bee Paper. Every once in a while I surf the web to see what artists are saying about our paper. We listen closely to this kind of feedback and try to keep our artists happy! Thank you for your honest review of our Pen Sketcher’s Pad, one of our most popular selections. We are glad you appreciate the features and value we built into it. We keep the artist in mind and try to produce a product that is competitive or superior to anything out there, but at an affordable price.
I’m sorry you came across a watermarked pad. I suppose it could be considered a “collector’s edition”! It is a rare anomaly found in a select strain of our runs on that pad. The issue has long since been resolved, and you will not likely come across such a pad in the store again.
Anyway, I was thinking how disappointed I would be if I started doodling (that’s about all I do as far as art goes these days) and noticed the interference of a noticeable watermark. I’d like to correct this unfortunate and unlikely predicament. I know it’s been a while since you wrote this, but if you email me your mailing address, I’d be glad to send you a replacement pad with no watermark!
In addition, if you have some pen sketches or other drawings on Bee Paper, we’d love to see them. We have a budding community of artists on Bee Paper (facebook.com/beepaper), and a place to submit artwork for inclusion in the photo gallery here: http://www.beepaper.com/gallery/upload.asp