The Origami Forum

Hi,
I recently was at Ichi Ban Kan (a japanese supplies store) and came across a pack of 8.5x11 calligraphy paper. It was 80 sheets for $2, an excellent deal (I bought two packs). Calligraphy paper is meant to absorb ink, so I assumed it would be good for MC or wet folding, or both.

When I got home, I tried folding Nguyen Hung Cuong's eagle. The paper was super thin (about 1/400 of an inch). However, it felt like paper on one side and cloth on the other, which is both good and bad. It was bad because it made sharp creases a lot harder to make, and when it absorbed sweat from my fingers it became springy, like folding a kleenex. However, it was good at the same time because it absorbed mc really well. Also, the clothy side has fibers visible and the paper side is shiny like a receipt.

Here is the first model I folded: Eagle by Nguyen Hung Cuong. If you've ever folded this model, you will know that mine is done slightly incorrectly. The paper was getting a little damp and hard to work with at the end after absorbing my fingers sweat for a while, so I waited over night and improved it the next day.


I hope anything from this review helped you out!

Japanese Calligraphy paper (32gsm) is one of my favourite Origami papers. I like to colour it with an airbrush before folding. That way I get a super thin duo colour paper in exactly the colours I want. The acrylic colours also make the paper a little less water absorbent, so that the moisture of the fingers is less of a problem when folding. I actually think that this paper stays in form perfectly well without further treatment of MC and I like that it is possible to fold complex models super exact from just a small sheet, where you would otherwise need a far bigger sheet.

Here is a picture of the bird on a branch by Katsuhisa Yamada, that I folded from self coloured Japanese Calligraphy paper.

Bird on a Branch by Katsuhisa Yamada by origami_8, auf Flickr

I like it too. Its strong enough, folds well, takes MC and like the texture. I primarily use it for test folds, learning models, and well just goofing around.

Good tip about painting it with an airbrush Anna, thanks!

Just wanted to add, that 80 sheets for 2 $ is an excellent deal. I get a 100 sheets for 5 € right now, and that's already pretty good. https://www.gerstaecker.at/Sales/Herbst ... apier.html

origami_8 wrote:I get a 100 sheets for 5 € right now, and that's already pretty good. https://www.gerstaecker.at/Sales/Herbst ... apier.html

Anna, do you have any idea or experience, whether the paper you refer to is comparable with Wenzhou paper: https://www.gerstaecker.at/Chinapapier- ... ollen.html

According to Wikipedia, Wenzhou paper is made from mulberry bark, so it should have similar properties as Unryu (Faserseide/Strohseide in Germany), but comes in big rolls.

Sorry, I don't know the Wenzhou paper, but Faserseide is definitely very different to Calligraphy paper. The Faserseide does have thick visible fibres and is very inhomogeneous. The Calligraphy paper is completely uniform, like, lets say, printer paper. But it is very thin. It is shiny on one side and matt on the other. The matt side has a little bit of a grid structure, whereas the shiny side is completely smooth.
I don't really consider Faserseide foldable, although I know, that some people do use it for Origami. Because of the inhomogeneity you have some parts where it is almost not existent, while other parts might be too thick to be folded at all.

Thanks for the detailed info on Calligraphy paper. I'll probably give it a try.

I personally wouldn't consider Faserseide (Unryu) as unfoldable. Currently I'm folding quite a lot with it. Indeed, sometimes the fibres are relatively thick and may make folding it a challenge. But that is also what makes this paper so interesting and unique. It's especially suitable for animals due to it's felt like texture.

Of course you have to treat it accordingly. Usually I use MC on a single sheet or to combine it with another sheet of Faserseide or tissue paper to get a color change. Glueing it to foil is possible as well and gives it a very interesting metal look.

But that's going off-topic now and everybody has a different fondness for folding paper.