(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
It's easy to forget just how wide the definition of stationery really is. Your immediate thought is likely pens, paper, and ink - and that certainly covers a majority of the stationery out there. But there's all sorts of good stuff in the margins that make the stationery world so diverse, colorful, and interesting. I never would have thought that having a writing pad would be that beneficial, but I've been pleasantly surprised by just how useful they can be.
The Kyoei Orions Writing Mats (the A5+ and A4+ sizes are featured here) provide several features for writing on loose paper or even in notebooks and notepads. At just 2mm thick, they're easy to pack in a notebook or bag, but thick enough to provide a luxurious cushioned feeling when writing on top of them. And, of course, the more obvious benefit of these writing pads is the grid that adds visual structure to blank paper.
Let's talk about the obvious feature first: the grid guide lines. This is really useful for writing on blank paper when you want to make sure you're writing evenly across the page. There are two grid guides on the pads — the bold lines are 10mm apart, while the thinner dotted grid lines are 5mm apart. For me, the lighter 5mm grid isn't visible through the paper, so it's really not there. The bolder 10mm grid is really easy to see through the paper. When using the writing pad, it looks really similar to notebooks I've used that have an atypical "white lines" ruling. It's visible enough to provide an easy guide for writing in a straight line, but also light enough to fade into the background if you want.
While you're writing in a perfectly straight line, there's also a comfortable cushion under the paper that makes any pen feel about 25% softer and smoother without changing the feel enough to disrupt your normal writing style. What I mean by that is that the added cushion enhances the feel without making it difficult to write like you normally do.
Another benefit that caught me by surprise is how well the writing pad keeps loose paper in place while you're writing and sliding your hand across the page. There's just enough grip on the writing surface to magically suck the paper onto the surface like there's thousands of tiny suction cups pulling the paper down. I've trained myself to be really careful when writing on a cardstock-style line guide because the paper slides around so easily, forcing you to stop and carefully realign your writing to the lines under the page. This just doesn't happen with these writing pads. Once you situate the paper into the correct alignment, it doesn't move under normal writing circumstances. If you need to move it, that's easy enough, but it only happens if you intentionally move it. I love this feature so much.
While I've mostly used these writing pads with loose paper, they also work well with notepads and notebooks. When using the pad on top-bound or spiral-bound notebooks, it's really easy to slip the writing pad under the page and write away. It's a little tricky with sewn or glued side-binding notebooks, but you can make it work as long as you remember that the pad doesn't extend all the way to the binding. This isn't a problem for me when in terms of writing, but it did feel a bit weird since the page was abnormally taught in the small gap between the writing pad and the binding. In most cases, though, you can use these pads with a notebook without any major problems.
If you look at the specifications for these writing pads, you'll notice that there's a plus sign after the size, like A5+. The pads are just a few millimeters larger than the paper size so that there's no paper hanging over the edge of the pad, even if the paper deviates slightly from the standard size. I'm glad they added this extra bit of size so that you don't have to worry about paper hanging over the edge when writing.
The pads are flexible and pliable, and the backs have a grippy surface to prevent them from moving around while you're writing. It's pretty interesting to see how just 2mm of a firm foam can change the way your pens feel. For me, this is a positive change, but I'm sure it's not for everyone. For my writing style, the pads don't alter the writing feel enough to make detailed work more difficult, but this might be the case for some. If you're looking for either a great grid background for blank paper or a luxurious writing pad, then these are great options.
The A5+ writing pad is $9.75, and the A4+ writing pad is $11. They're both 2mm thick and offer the same grid pattern and black background. There are other options as well (both colors, sizes, and thickness), so be sure to look around if you're looking for something a little different. I've really enjoyed using these writing pads to add gridlines and a cushioned writing surface over the past few weeks. These are things that I don't use all the time, but they're also stored in a convenient spot because I've been reaching for them at least a couple times every week. Having a couple of common size options has been great for my use. I love finding seemingly mundane stationery items that actually pack a lot of joy and utility!
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