Kraft paper in the UK

JamesMunro · Post by **JamesMunro** » June 9th, 2010, 8:08 pm

I've read a few posts on the forum relating to kraft paper and opinions of it seem quite mixed.

From what I can gather there are various 'grades' of this type of paper, some suited for origami, other not (e.g. recycled kraft).

Has anyone sourced any decent kraft paper in the UK for folding test models? How you found it in large widths? Or on very long rolls at a good price? Or of a very low gsm but still workable?

nonkelgans · Post by **nonkelgans** » June 9th, 2010, 8:34 pm

Try to locate shops that deliver goods to shops, bars,restaurants and the like, they will almost certainly carry kraft paper for wrapping. You can also search the internet but then you will have to buy a big roll of this stuff. And concerning the length and width, the ones I buy here in Belgium are like 120cm width and 10 meters long, they are cheap. you can also buy them from 60cm and up and most rolls are from 100m up to 300m.

JamesMunro · Post by **JamesMunro** » June 11th, 2010, 9:10 am

Has anyone tried paper from Staples? They have a few variations of widths and lengths of rolls of Kraft paper, for example:

http://www.staples.co.uk/office-supplie ... 50mm-x-25m

InsomniacFolder · Post by **InsomniacFolder** » June 11th, 2010, 1:09 pm

I have tried paper sold labelled as "Kraft Paper" from the Staples store in Slough.

It folded reasonably, but not noticably any differently to any generic heavy-ish brown parcel wrapping paper.

I was not wet folding or adding glues to the paper (size, MC etc)

It held for simple models, but for more complex models was quickly quite thick.

Kawahata's Yoda was fine, Lang's Black Devil angler did not hold it's shape well - I've folded both models on multiple occaisons with much better reults from standard ruled notebook paper.

I don't know if this is "real" kraft paper.

Considering the results obtained around the world with the real thing, I can only assume not - though my vast lack of comparable skill may be the determining factor there.

Overall I did not find the paper worth re-investing in.

bethnor · Post by **bethnor** » June 11th, 2010, 1:57 pm

it is "real" kraft. as i have said before, though, the problem is that kraft is actually a highly heterogeneous product, and they do not routinely print the weight of the paper. at one time, nicolas terry sold kraft that was clearly two different weights; one was ~ 30, the other ~ 75.

InsomniacFolder · Post by **InsomniacFolder** » June 11th, 2010, 3:10 pm

bethnor wrote:the problem is that kraft is actually a highly heterogeneous product ...at one time, nicolas terry sold kraft that was clearly two different weights...

A fair point - I was, and am, unsure as to whether the "Kraft Maufacturing process" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kraft_process - yup, that's my exhaustive research) made a noticable difference to the final properties of the paper

I suspect (without any categorical proof) that some vendors are selling generic brown paper as "Kraft", when it may not have undergone that explicit process, and thus may not have the properties favourable to origami that may be be accrued.

If indeed there is any!

I'm not even sure that to be "Kraft" paper that the paper has to undergo that process - I have no idea what properly qualifies paper to that title.

All of which is far more information than anyone wanted to know.

I should have said, "From my experience, I can't recommend the Kraft paper I purchased from Staples in the UK"