Let's Talk Paper

Loving letters, I've grown very particular about the paper on which I write. If you've received a letter from me in the last year, chances are it was written on ivory G. Lalo Vergé de France laid paper. It is hands down my favorite paper to write one. I like it so much, when I got my first job out of law school, I ordered 250 pages of it with matching envelopes for writing thank you notes.

The Vergé de France is a luxurious French paper. Differing from the American preference for 100% cotton in premier papers, the French prefer a blend. I read some time ago the French prefer 30% cotton and 70% wood pulp in their premier papers, as the cotton fibers add a nice feel to the paper but, because of the long fiber length, 100% cotton paper is too limp for French sensibilities. By blending cotton fiber with wood pulp, the French produce a stiff paper with a fine feel.

Possibly because of this unique composition, I believe Vergé de France is 25% cotton 75% wood pulp, the paper takes fountain pen ink very well. Ink dries on the paper almost immediately, even when applied with the wettest of nibs. 

As it's sold through several online stores, popular with the fountain pen crowd, I thought everyone knew of the Vergé de France. And, naturally, I assumed everyone loved it the way I do. So, when I began listening to the Fountain Pen Geeks Podcast (which I highly recommend), I was confused when they gave all their devotion to Clairefontaine and Rhodia paper. I was also thrown when the hosts expressed their displeasure with J. Herbin inks. 

So, I took it upon myself to write the Geeks a letter. To make a point, I wrote the letter on Vergé de France with J. Herbin Cacao du Bresil, using my favorite pen. I noted the paper on which I wrote, and as to the inks, pointedly asked, "What gives?"

Well, I was positively tickled when the Geeks read my letter on the air. It spawned a ten minute conversation on the Vergé de France and J. Herbin ink. The consensus was: the ink is awesome, and the paper is superior to Rhodia and Clairefontaine for writing letters. Appropriately, the Geeks gave away a pad of the Vergé de France during the show. To top it off, Geek Eric sent me a response, written on champagne Vergé de France, in a matching envelope, with Cacao du Bresil, which he purchased after receiving my letter. Please forgive the Charlie Sheen reference, but: #WINNING.

More Vintage Stamps from eBay

I won this whole sheet of bicentennial celebration stamps commemorating the importance of the printing press during the American Revolution. I'm not sure if I'll frame them... they're kind of awkward in dimension. They would fit in an 8.5" x 11" frame, but I would have to detach from the sheet two of my favorite squares:

I just get a kick out of that little postman. On top of all this, the company that I purchased the stamps from mailed them to me in an envelope with, you guessed it, awesome vintage stamps.


It's not too often that you see a $1 stamp, let alone a vintage one.

Stellar Stamps

These out-of-this-world-stamps came to me on a piece of business mail! I couldn't believe what a class act this company was for using such great stamps.

Dear Congresswoman

In addition to serving as a fantastic medium for communicating between friends, snail mail letters also have the power influence those with the power to make the changes we wish to see in this world.

I am strong proponent of writing to Congress and the President. Whenever there is an issue of importance to me, I write a short and direct letter on where I, as a constituent, stand. I couldn't urge you more strongly to do the same.

An e-mail can be boiled down by a staffer to a sender's name and a subject line. A letter, at the very least, must be sorted, manually opened, read for content and identified with a real person by way of a signature.


Today I mailed a letter on an issue involving education. I printed the letter on Southworth 24lb 25% cotton linen finish paper and handmade an envelope from another sheet of the same paper. It is my hope that the time and effort I put into not only writing, but also professionally packaging, paying for a stamp, and walking to a mailbox, add weight to my message when it reaches the office of my Congresswoman.

NOTE: The poignant stamp in this post came to me by way of the Missive Maven.

Multiple Postage Stamps

One of the most overlooked ways to spice up correspondence is postage. Although many people do purchase stamp designs that they like, I rarely see stamps used in combination (with the exception of 1 or 2 cent postage to accommodate rate increases).


In this case, I was mailing a piece of business mail. So I wanted to keep it professional. But instead of metering the envelope, I used a combination of stamps to total the $1.22 postage fee.

I think it adds a bit of a personal touch to the otherwise plain manila envelope.

Secure Addresses with Beeswax

Use this inexpensive tip to expand your addressing options beyond black sharpie or a layer of scotch tape. Because I like using an ink that suits the contents of my envelope or package, and don't care for marking the front of my envelopes with tape, I rub my addresses with beeswax to make sure that they don't smudge or smear in transit.

In these photos I chose Waterman black ink in an Esterbrook with a 9668 nib to address an envelope for business purposes.

In this photo you can see the clear layer of waterproof wax laid down by a quick rubbing:

Blocks of beeswax can be purchased in many different types of stores, I purchased mine in a hardware store where it was being sold as a drawer lubricant. As an alternative, I have also heard of people rubbing with a white candle.