Posted 12 August 2014 - 23:47

We had an disturbing thing happen here a few weeks ago. A local wholesaler imported a shipment of Tomoe Rover paper directly from Tomoegawa, the manufacturer. The order was made from the Tomoegawa sample book, with a sample of Tomoe River paper I had provided, for comparison. This wholesalerer has a purchasing agent in Japan, and has specialized in the importation of Japanese paper since the 1980s.

The sizing used on the paper was a complete bust for fountain pens. Even a dry-writing pen bled right through. The weight, color, and feel was an exact match, but the sizing was totally different. Behaved almost like blotting paper.

We are investigating, and the wholesaler is checking with their agent. We know that Tomoegawa is a major paper manufacturer. They sell only in huge quantities. This means that a distributor like Rakuten has bought such a large shipment, and is slowly selling it off in 4,000 sheet increments to us.

The only reason I can think of for the difference in this local shipment, horrifying though it is, is that the manufacturer has changed the paper. This is something which happens relatively often in industry. The TR line of paper is specifically made for mail-order catalogs and technical manuals, where weight is a major factor. With this application, the amount of sizing would be relatively irrelevant, and might even be considered an extra expense.

So my questions are:

1. Has anyone recently had a fresh shipment of TR paper from Japan? Is it the same as the TR we all love?

2. Has anyone ever bought TR paper from a source other than Rakuten? If so, is it the same bullet-proof sizing that we all love?

3. Can anyone think of another reasonable explanation for a discrepancy in these shipments?

Thanks.