R by Rhodia No. 18 Lined Notepad

-Handwritten Review-

Specs: 

• 8.25″ x 11.75″ Top Staple Bound Pad
• Lined ruling
• 90g ivory, acid free, ph-neutral paper
• Micro-perforated for easy removal
• 70 sheets (140 pages)
• ~$13.00 USD

Review Supplies: 

• Pilot Metropolitan – Medium Nib
• J. Herbin: 1670 Bleu Ocean – Ink

Notes: Before trying this pad out, I had no idea that there was different paper in it. Turns out I was missing out. A lot. I went pretty in depth, so I’m going to keep the notes section light. Enjoy the review!

Appearance and Construction:
The R by Rhodia line is marketed as a higher end, premium pad. After finally handling one, I understand why. Available in black or orange, the R by Rhodia pads are adorned with a premium soft-touch cover. The ultra smooth, almost rubber-like cover is a nice preview for the exceptionally smooth paper that’s inside. It’s almost like neoprene rubber and feels much like the “soft-touch rubber” on the sides of my Nexus 4 (phone). The R by Rhodia feels great under the hand and great to the nib. The construction is solid, and I have no concerns of durability. I didn’t try, but I believe the cover has some water resistance, and could easily survive a quick carry through the rain. I can appreciate the small details like the micro-perforated pages, the foldable cover, and the soft-touch treatment on the outside of the pad.

Performance and Feel:
This notepad is marketed as “premium” and I totally understand. The R by Rhodia line uses 90g ivory paper, whereas the standard Rhodia pad uses 80g bright white paper. I believe this paper is smoother than the standard Rhodia pad (which is saying a lot). The paper provides a smooth writing experience. Something else I immediately noticed was how smooth the paper felt under my hand while writing. The pad performs wonderfully under everything from an Extra Fine Nib to a 1.5mm Italic. There’s no show through, no bleed through, and the ink settles into the page reasonably quick.

Color & Ruling:
Another characteristic that sets the R line apart from the standard line of products is the use of ivory colored paper. It’s a nice shade of ivory that is easy on the eyes, and doesn’t appear to be too yellow. It compliments most inks very well, but I still wouldn’t use it for ink reviews, as the ivory does change the appearance of ink a little bit. It’s miles above a yellow legal pad, and looks much nicer too. The color of the ruling is also different from the rest of the Rhodia line. The light violet lines are replaced with a subtle grey, which compliments the ivory paper better than a violet one would.

Overall Thoughts and Recommendation:
The No. 18 R by Rhodia notepad is great. The 90g ivory paper is very smooth, and is as fountain pen friendly as it gets. There’s no feathering with this ink, very slight show through and no bleeding. I can appreciate a paper where both sides can be used. The soft touch cover is a nice detail that helps differentiate the R by Rhodia line. If you’re already a fan of Rhodia paper, you have to check this one out!

Disclaimer: This pad was given to me free of charge by the fine people over at Rhodia. Huge thanks to Karen at Exaclair (the US distributor of Rhodia) for the paper goods! Even though the pad was provided for this review, I still stand by everything I have said in my review 100%. I have been, and will continue to be a Rhodia user, it’s some of the best stuff out there.