I think we all remember where we were when we first encountered Tomoe River paper. It was 52gsm version that did it for me. The velvety texture. The way it unlocks the uninhibited beauty of even the least interesting of inks. And that crinkly-thin tactile experience. This was during the halcyon time of 2016 and it was a revelation as to what Japanese stationary could be. 😍
At the time I felt like a total weirdo, hoarding all the 52gsm I could get my hands on. Turns out my hoarding was prescient in ways I could not have predicted. You see, during the last couple of years the future of Tomoe River has been murky at times. Twists, turns. Drama! I think we all wondered ...I don't even want to say it. Tomoe River was a bit of a lost soul.😔
Let's focus on the now. Here we have "Sanzen" Tomoe River, 52gsm. But IS IT, really? You run into old acquaintances and sometimes ...they've changed. 🥺
I'll break it down:
✅ Velvety? YUP.
✅ A showcase for inks? YUP.
✅ Crispy and crinkly? YUP.
✅ Handles any ink perfectly? YUP-ish.
Writing tests were all quite good. Great, in fact. Liberally applied swab tests were also great, with the exception of feathering courtesy of, you know who, Bay State Blue. That's almost expected. And frankly BSB wasn't even that bad. Overall I tried a nice medley of inks and I got sheen, chroma shade, vibrance, nice shimmer and everything in between.
Oh, hey! Tomoe River 52gsm? I thought that was you! Hello old friend...it's been too long.🍾🤝🤗
