My Design Within Reach FAF Notepad arrived, a wonderfully large, lightweight metal notepad with 200 sheets of paper that can be refilled. I was very surprised to see the Exacompta label and two familiar-looking pine trees.
Per the website:
FAF Notepad
A nod to the days before iPhones and PDAs, the FAF Un Bloc Pads are a classic desktop design. Available in two sizes, these durable and minimal pads stay put on your desk or table. Brass washers secure 200 sheets of unlined paper on a steel backing, which has rubber feet to prevent slipping or damage to surfaces. Made in France.
I will have a review of this soon, but just a quick take on it: the paper is not 90 gsm like Rhodia and Clairefontaine, the design is fabulous and sleek, it looks and feels both contemporary and old-fashioned (like a larger metal version of a wooden pad holder from the turn of the century)
Quite an interesting item from Exacompta, I'm wondering if these are available anywhere else and if the pads (which like the FAF are on the higher-priced end of the spectrum) are sold somewhere in NYC as well.
I've never seen these before and am looking forward to your review.
ReplyDeleteThey look kind of retro/Scandinavian?
Why do you make the point about the weight of the paper?
Hi memoryhookmarketing,
ReplyDeleteExacompta is the French company that produces the Rhodia and Clairefontaine paper lines, among other things. Their paper is exquisite, 90 gsm minimum from what I've seen and it is among the smoothest, silkiest papers available (especially for fountain pens). So I was surprised that this paper is just slightly thicker than onion skin. For the price of the pads, I'd like a sturdier paper.