Testing the New Tomoe River

When production of this beloved Japanese paper moved to a new company, fans worried it wouldn't be the same, and they were right: it might be even better now.

- AZIZAH ASGARALI

If had to pick one paper to use for the rest of my life, it would be Tomoe River paper (TRP). This paper is much loved in the fountain pen world, and with good reason. It's the first thing I recommend to anyone who approaches me asking for paper suggestions. It boasts many qualities that make pen lovers swoon, it is very fountain pen friendly, and it also works well with other writing tools and mediums. Its features offer a very pleasant user experience that accentuates the enjoyment of writing with fountain pens and exploring fountain pen inks.

Production of Tomoe River paper has a somewhat long and complicated history. Tomoegawa Paper Co.. Ltd., was founded in 1914 and was originally involved in manufacturing electrical insulation. The company diversified and began producing paper on the Shizuoka Office No. 7 paper machine. This original thin-leaf Tomoe River paper was what made me fall in love, and it was my number-one paper choice for many years.

Although Machine No. 7 TRP was widely adored in the pen community, Tomoegawa claimed paper sales were declining, that they were operating at a loss due to increased supply costs, and that they wished to restructure and shift focus moving forward.

Tomoegawa continued to manufacture Tomoe River paper on Machine No. 7 until December 2019 in spite of the growing losses, at which point the production was moved to the No. 9 paper machine at the Shizuoka Office. Tomoegawa ensured it would do its best to provide a stable supply and a quality paper product, which was comforting for many TRP enthusiasts who were concerned about the future of their choice paper.