TOPS Docket Gold Writing Pads, 8-1/2 x 11-3/4, Legal Rule, White Paper, 50 Sheets, 12 Pack (63960)

*UPDATE Nov 20, 2014:* After using these pads for about four months, I have to say that I love them even more than when I first purchased them, and I thought they were great to begin with. I truly do love the stiff cardboard back, but please note you only get the thicker cardboard back with the "Premium" and "Ultimate" versions. Also note that the thicker 20 lb paper is also very nice, but that the thicker paper is only in the "Ultimate" versions. So there is no doubt that the "Ultimate" version of these pads are exceptional, but it will be up to each person to determine if they are worth the price, since cheaper legal pads can be found for much less money, but at a lesser quality than these.Please note this review is for the 8.5"x11" "Ultimate" TOPS Docket Gold Writing Tablet. This is extremely high quality. The cardboard back is definitely rigid enough to hold in one hand and write with the other without a clipboard, but to give you a comparison, you can certainly bend the entire tablet and cardboard back if you purposely tried to do it. So in other words, it is not indestructible, but it will definitely hold up until the sheets are all used.***ONE IMPORTANT NOTE:DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE "EVERYDAY," "PREMIUM" AND "ULTIMATE" *** Since I did not purchase the "Everyday" or "Premium" versions, I cannot say for sure, but it does appear that the Everyday and Premium versions use the thinner paper. As far as I can see, the only difference between the Everyday and Premium is the cardboard back. The Premium one is stronger. I did not care much about the cardboard back at all, since I would either be using a clipboard or writing directly on the desk. So the reason I decided to get the "Ultimate" version was not because of the stronger back, but because of the thicker paper.**PAPER QUALITY AND THICKNESS:*** Yes, the paper definitely feels thicker than most standard legal pads and notebooks. In fact, I still keep licking my thumb and middle finger to try to separate what feels like two pages when I flip through it, but in fact, it is just one page. So it actually feels like you have two pages in your fingers until you get used to it. Don't get me wrong, this is not overly-thick. You will be able to fold, tear and cut it. It is not card stock or even very thick "resume" paper, but it is noticeably thick.Many people writing reviews for this product have mentioned their need for a thicker paper so that their fountain pen does not bleed through to the next sheet. I do not currently use a fountain pen, but I do use a very high-end pen that is a gel rollerball and it lays the ink down very thick. The ink has never bled through to the next page, even when I pause in my writing and the ink builds up a bit at that location. My black ink does not typically show up on the back side of the page except if I pause my writing, but a "shadow" of the writing can be seen through the page. This means, in my opinion, you can write on both sides if needed and it shouldn't be too much of a problem. However, my black ink, which lays on heavily, can still be slightly seen through the page.The ink from the red double line on the left margin and the blue in for each line does not appear to have any of those "blotches," where apparently the ink splashes during manufacturing and you get small dots of ink on the paper. I have flipped through a few of the pads and haven't noticed anything like that. The brightness of the white seems ideal to me; not as white as a TV preacher's teeth, but not too dark either.***PAPER TEARING AT SPINE:***The paper tears beautifully from the spine. That is because the perforations are just below the "binding" at the top of the page. So when you tear it, you don't have to pull it out of the "binding." It tears just below the binding. This is also very nice because if you are going to keep pages on the tablet after writing on them, you can flip them over and slide your finger across the perforation so that it easily stays out of your way and not flop back down while you are writing on the next sheet. I have not had them long enough to say if folding at the perforation will eventually lead to the pages starting to tear on their own, but my gut instinct is that they will stay in place even after folding them at the perforation and flipping the pages back and forth over and over during the use of the tablet. Hopefully I explained myself well in this paragraph.In summary, it boils down to how much you want to pay for the thicker paper. I am a computer programmer and electronics designer and I like to still make almost all of my notes on paper by hand. I need to keep these notes for future reference for upgrading the systems. So I spent the extra money to get the thicker paper and I am happy that I did. Besides, I will probably only need to purchase a 12-pack of these every six months or so, and maybe not even that often. So although the difference in price (currently $11.59 for the Everyday and $19.69 for the Ultimate) is significantly different as a percentage, the $8 bucks or so every six months isn't going to break me. So I will continue to use these pads and pay for the Ultimate version again without hesitation.

I wrote a review about the Amazon Basics Pads of the same type. I had used those pads for several years, and it suited my purposes well, and they were a great value. However, on the last order of two packs of 12, none of the sheets on ALL 24 pads would tear off (I tested them all), and so I looked at the Tops Pads. I just received these, and the paper is much thicker, I actually would prefer the thinner paper, but is far more important that the sheets tear off which these do, readily and evenly. The paper is not rough as some reviewers have written, and takes ink fine (writes on smoothly and evenly). The lines (pink and blue) are darker than on the Amazon Basics, but not distractingly so. I will buy these pads again, unless I find that the problem with the Amazon Basics pads has been fixed, in which case I would buy those because of price.

The “Ultimate” is an extremely high-quality pad. The paper is very thick and weighty, so ink doesn’t bleed through, and the pages do indeed tear off perfectly, though it might take a little practice to achieve it. The first pad I used began to accumulate paper at the top from pages torn off so that the remaining pages began to tear off jaggedly. I found that if every time you tear off a page you run your finger along the back of it a few times where it meets the top of the pad, then gently tug it when you flip it back over, it will tear off perfectly, even if there are other pages above it.This may seem like a lot to go into, but I write a great deal by hand and often need to put what I’ve written into three-ring binders or file it. I was using Staples pads, but they tore extremely jaggedly, so badly they were essentially worthless. I‘ve also tried spiral notebooks with perforated pages but haven’t found any that tear at all well - by the time you’re near the end of the notebook quite a lot of the page gets torn off when you’re removing it. Having these TOPS pads keeps taking notes and organizing them extremely simple for me. I use a portfolio for the pads, which works very well, creating an easy and effective system for notetaking. I’m really glad to have found a company that still makes high-quality pads.

Paper is really nice quality and thickness. Only complaint is how hard to tear off, and it's hard to get the line straight without tearing the page unevenly

Fountain pen user random review. I have had great luck with this paper - I have literally everything from this paper and 20lb copier paper to "you name it" - I have way to much paper (enough to last a lifetime) - many people in this "hobby" will totally understand this. Depending on the pen and ink used - the TOPS Gold is good for fine to medium nibs. You can still use it for extra fine, broad, double broad - but except very mixed results. This is my daily use paper, along with 20lb copy paper. I have only one extra fine nib (Sailor 1911L) and it's terrible with this paper, but that probably goes without saying - this paper just isn't smooth enough. Broads, Coarse, Double Broads are usable, just expect feathering, etc. I have ordered this paper in both sizes, multiple times, and it works well for notes, work, etc.If I am looking to do a letter, or anything I am going to keep, I will use higher quality paper/notepad.

The paper has nice weight and feel. It is smooth, but it bleeds through a lot so I cannot use it with fountain pens as I had planned.

I was quick to judge when I first received these based on the price compared to what I had previously purchased from Amazon Basics and Staples. Now that I am using the pads, the quality and thickness is much better and they tear off easily unlike the other cheap note pads. Will buy again and apologize for my original review.