Non-Folders Reactions to Your Origami

[Harpseal]

I have that too! It's horrible!
I get asked to prove it, and i have to say i can't, which makes them think i'm rubbish.

[Razzmatazz]

yes, that's exactly what i mean. especially when you are folding something kind of simple (for example no good paper at hand) and you can't tell them that you can do better because you don't have your paper :\

Honestly, it's not the paper's fault. You don't understand the things some types of paper can do. Spend your whole life folding from printer and lined paper--then you will see what I mean.
There are plenty of folders on the forums that fold incredible things out of cheap, inexpensive paper.

[cowburger13]

Well one time I was folding my lizard design with kami (that was the best paper I could find in public). The base was fine, but when I got to the shaping, I couldn't get the tail to fold in half, and stay curled, nor could I shape the model properly, so in the end the model ended up looking like crap.

[Razzmatazz]

And if you folded it constantly out of kami, you would learn the strengths and weaknesses of that type of paper.
Slowly, you should see that you will make certain tweaks to the model or fold it in a new manner, or slower for that matter, in order to be successful.

[Baltorigamist]

^ Exactly. For a long time, the only medium I had available was copy paper, and so I learned how to utilize the strengths of that particular paper (ie, durability, ease of folding) to overcome its weaknesses.

[origami_8]

There are papers that are more and some that are less suitable for certain models. You won't ever be able to fold a display model out of a ripped to square lined or chequered paper out of a college block or paper from a flyer. You may manage to get a decent looking model but not display quality, just because the paper looks crappy. For some models you need paper with special properties and sizes. This paper needn't be expensive but most probably you won't find it lying around in a public place. Some models also depend on larger or thinner paper than the one you might easily find.
I agree that paper needn't be expensive, but I disagree that you can fold every model from every paper. Some papers are just crap.

[Langko]

I agree that paper needn't be expensive, but I disagree that you can fold every model from every paper. Some papers are just crap.

Absolutely agree!!

[malifold]

For example: I have folded most of Origami Insects And Their Kin with 21 cm sheets of 60 gsm printer paper. The legs got thick, and they were a bit sloppy, but good enough to impress my friends. I once tried folding Mark Kirschkebaum (hope that's how you spell it) biplane from the same paper, it was a disaster. You can't do everything with printer paper, but you can do a lot.

[Harpseal]

The only time i don't use printer paper is when i'm making a display model. It's really annoying, because the model made in printer paper would be horrible, but i'm not used to the new paper. It normally turns out okay though.

[Carsen]

I'd say about 80% of my models are out of printer paper. I only find printer paper hard to use when it gets too thick or the paper is just too small for the model. I find that it works great for simple, small tessellations.

[Razzmatazz]

I agree that paper needn't be expensive, but I disagree that you can fold every model from every paper. Some papers are just crap.

Majority of models can be folded well from the most common of papers.

[camicazi]

Razzmatazz, are you sure? most of the harder models aren't diagrammed, And from the models that I have seen on this site the majority wouldn't be folded well with normal printer paper, or that is at least what I think. They can be folded, yes, but the result wouldn't be good.

[Razzmatazz]

As I've stated before; you will have to make tweaks in order to do some of them. Especially box pleats. But most models will work fine with a paper the quality of letter paper.

I think the only issues that would ever arise deal with size of the paper. If you had letter quality paper that came in rolls like kraft, maybe a lot of you would change your minds. If you use 15cm of kami and 15cm of origamido; you won't be able to fold ryu jin at all that well no matter which one you choose. That's just a matter of the size. I am referring to the quality of paper.

[TheUnChosenOne]

Yes, good point razzmatazz. i guess the quality of paper doesn't matter all that much (but lets see you fold ryujin from letter paper, you choose what size ) but size counts. in any case, the original problem still came from not being able to fold something because of the paper. so therefore, size counts too

[Razzmatazz]

I guess you can still persist with blaming the paper if you want.

But if only I could fold ryu jin...