Versus
Rhodia vs Clairefontaine
Two French mills, one family tree: the fountain-pen default pad against the smoothest mainstream paper made.
Option A
Rhodia
Pick Rhodia for the everyday surface — 80–90 gsm vellum that dries fast, resists feathering, and tears off clean. The dot pad is the hobby’s scratch paper.
Option B
Clairefontaine
Pick Clairefontaine for the glass-satin experience — 90 gsm Triomphe is the letter-writing paper, where nibs glide and ink color deepens.
The decision table
| Rhodia | Clairefontaine | |
|---|---|---|
| Surface | Smooth vellum, slight tooth | Satin-coated, near-glass |
| Dry time | Faster | Slower (ink sits on the coating) |
| Sheen showcase | Moderate | Strong |
| Formats | Pads, dot grids, Webnotebooks | Notebooks, Triomphe stationery |
| Lefty-friendly | More | Less (dry time) |
| Best for | Daily notes, testing, drafts | Letters, journaling, savoring ink |
The bottom line
Same corporate family, two textures. Rhodia is the pad on every reviewer’s desk (including ours); Clairefontaine is what you write the letter on.
The specimen press
Original nib & ink art, made to order.
The first pull is on the press.
Ink-swatch charts, nib-anatomy plates, and the “Piston Fill” cutaway are being lettered now. Join the desk letter to hear when they land.