Review: Exacompta Index Cards

While preparing for my October Proprioceptive Writing workshop, I used several different brands of 3 x 5" index cards, including Levengers, Oxfords and hand made index cards made for me by a generous FPN member and made by me from some cardstock I had in my stash but no longer identifiable.

So with all the talk at the Fountain Pen Network about index cards and their uses, I was curious to learn about index cards I hadn't used.

Exacompta 4 x 6" Index Cards

I received some Exacompta index cards to sample from Karen Doherty at Exaclair. They come 100 cards to a pack in assorted colours (blue, yellow, white, pink and green) and three (3) different sizes (4 x 6", 5 x 8", and 5 3/4 x 8 1/4"). Karen graciously sent me a pack of the 4 x 6" assorted cards.


They are fabulous!

Tested: Diamine Woodland Ink in a Lamy Safari 1.1 nib
& Pilot Iroshizuku Yama Buda Sailor Sapporo Music Nib
on Green Exacompta Index Card

The cards, in grid format, are 205g (translated to approximately 54lb) probably similar in weight to the others I used, but with a crisper, smoother feel and a perfect writing surface--no bleeding, feathering or smearing.

Tested on Reverse Side:
Caran d'ache ink, Sailor M1911 Zoom nib on Green Exacompta 4 x 6" Index Card

And as I love all things paper and often wonder about process, I asked about the manufacturing of these cards.

The Exacompta index cards are generally produced at Alamigeon, a paper mill in France's Poitou-Charentes region or occasionally at Papeteries de Mandeure, one of several paper mills that produces heavy duty paper for the Exacompta Clairefontaine Group.

Several things stroke me as I looked at the map of the Poitou-Charentes region.

Poitou-Charentes Region, France

And after pursuing the Alamigeon site, it appears the index cards may be either Bristol, often used in board for watercolour and other painting applications. Bristol is one of the smoothest of surfaces I've used in my art work and feels like a baby's puckered belly.

I highly recommend these index cards to anyone who takes notes of any kind and uses a fountain pen or any writing instrument for that matter.

For more information about Exacompta products check here and print out the pdf file on Index Cards.