I recently responded to an advertisement from the paper company Smythson of Bond Street in England. They were offering to send samples of their paper, so I asked for some in order to compare them to my standard paper, Clairefontaine. I ended up exchanging emails with a person from the company, who contacted me to ask what type of paper I was looking for. I described to him that my paper use was for handwriting letters using vintage fountain pens, many of which have wet, flexible nibs. He said he would put together a sampling for me. I've actually use some Smythson before, because my wife's cousin swears by them. In the case of what he sent me, I wasn't impressed as I remember the paper feathering.
I received from Smythson one sheet each of 12 different colors/weights/styles, ranging from a low of 26 pound to a high of 39 pound. I thought this was somewhat heavy, as Clairefontaine is 24 pound paper. But on I went with the test, which was to write the same sentences with a 1925 Parker Duofold with a wet, flexible nib, and let the ink dry on its own. You'll find the results below. I won't provide any additional editorial content, as the scans pretty much tell the story. I hope you find this information useful.
