Paper compatibility with pens is really a multivariable problem of paper x pen nib x ink choice, BUT I think you may also underestimate how crappy mass-market p

Paper compatibility with pens is really a multivariable problem of paper x pen nib x ink choice, BUT I think you may also underestimate how crappy mass-market paper is in the US. Fountain pens are exclusively hobbyist items. Children are never taught with them, and that kind of penmanship hasn't been a normal part of childhood education in the US at any point in my lifetime. If everyone is using a ballpoint with paste ink, the paper can get progressively crappier and crappier for a long time before anyone notices. When I buy notebooks in the UK, though, I find that lower-end notebooks tend to be nicer than their apparent equivalents in the US.