Bachuan Paper vs Sanzen TRP Paper and Ink Test | The Stationery Junkie

[@anicame2]

I do not have a cat…but my dog Luna totally uses Tomoe River paper! She’s bougie.

[@Staceysheartandplans]

Ooooooh Ann! you broke this down fabulously! I learned so much from this video. Thank you for such great research and a great video. And yes, everyone and their cats are using Tomoe River Paper 😂

[@thestationeryjunkie]

@@Staceysheartandplans haha thanks, Stacey. ❤️

[@tantuplingthoughts]

Thank you for this video! I guess with the inconsistencies in quality with the 2025 Sanzen paper we are trying to search for alternative to the legendary TR paper. I refuse to call the Sanzen paper 'TR paper' since it tarnishes the original TR paper legacy! Have you heard of Crena 星火紙 (Spark paper) ? There was a recent video that introduced me to this. Apparently it is only available on Taobao and so difficult for me to get my hands on it. Would appreciate your thoughts on this paper in comparison with the above 2 (Sanzen and Bachuan) if you do get a chance to obtain it!

[@thestationeryjunkie]

@@tantuplingthoughts Thanks for mentioning this. I'll try to see if I can get a hold of this type of paper from Taobao and test it out. Not a lot of people may see this as an issue, but most of those who got their Hobonichis aren't too happy given the recent launch problems. But I think it's good to think of options.

[@tortagialla]

I also find it hard to believe that Bauchan is Tomoe River paper… at least not exactly. Even if a company tries to duplicate the recipe - it won’t be the same thing even if it’s a close dupe. I also think if sanzen has been inconsistent in their paper production, all the designers using the paper in their notebooks are just ordering the paper and you don’t know which batch you are getting… so in general, I think we can no longer give a blanket statement that it’s tomoe river like in the old days and be confident it will perform exactly as intended and always the same. Just as how hobonichi has a special recipe for their paper order even if it’s sanzen. I realize this doesn’t help anyone - you just have to try the paper and see if it suits you!

[@thestationeryjunkie]

@@tortagialla I completely agree! Which is why I have a hunch there will be a big shift in the community and people may look for an alternative to TRP. Not saying everybody will shift, but there will be changes for sure.

[@tortagialla]

@@thestationeryjunkie It does seem like many people have already shifted because of the issues - or at least everyone is more open to other options. There are probably so many other kinds of paper out there that just aren't well known because they perhaps exist in a specific country only. But people use fountain pens everywhere - in fact, I've always heard how students might use fountain pens in certain countries - whereas in the USA it's more of fancy thing or hobbyist niche... I'm personally not too bothered by all the issues popping up, but I can understand the frustration if you planned to use a certain pen/ink and now it doesn't work in your expensive hobonichi planner!

[@thestationeryjunkie]

@tortagialla I am a bit bummed about this because Hobo is not cheap. The sad thing is that the paper issue also happens not just on using FPs but even with normal gel pens and highlighters. I don't know why Hobo decided to do 47gsm in 2025. It might be the reason because other planner shops using TRP use 52gsm and there are few issues. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@tortagialla]

@ I think ever since hobonichi switched to sanzen it has always been 47gsm or at least they always have a special recipe but it’s the inconsistency that is weird. People at least expect the same book from last year to be the same… but it does seem some books have quality issue. Regarding kinbor, I do think it’s still lower quality because the construction of the book is not the same, sometimes the pages are cut a little off center… in the past they have had spelling mistakes as well - I have the a6 kinbor techo and the month is misspelled in one spot etc… they are not deal breakers but I do see the difference between the quality of the books!

[@thestationeryjunkie]

@tortagialla I am more forgiving of Kinbor because you get what you pay for. But 60 USD for a planner with paper that bleeds through with Mildliners? Hard nope.