Summary: The Roaring Spring 100-sheet green engineering pads are every bit as good as the corresponding National pads I used 20 years ago. The paper is good quality, resilient, new fiber content made in the U.S.A. (see below for why that's an important distinction). This is now my engineering pad of choice.
Details: I used National's green engineering paper pads for over 20 years, with great results. Then I took a long hiatus (almost 20 years) to do other work, for which I used much brighter, heavier (24 lb.) paper. About a year ago I returned to engineering work for which the same 3-hole-punched green engineering pads are suitable. I still had some of the old National paper left, but when I came to Amazon to order more of it, I found that it was far more expensive than other brands like Tops and Ampad. I ordered some of the el cheapo pads, and ordered some of the present-day National pads for comparison.
The cheap brands were delivered quickly, so I started using them. It was immediately obvious that they're inferior in qualityAlas, after a couple of weeks of "Sorry, your order has been delayed" messages re. the National pads, I finally received a message from Amazon saying that the National pads were unavailable.
So, I still don't know whether the National pads are as high-quality as they were 20 years ago, but I do know why the low-cost pads are so much less costly; they're inferior in quality. The paper in those pads is flimsy, crease/wrinkles/tears easily, and absorbs water like a sponge. I use non-permanent fountain pen ink (on purpose), and if any water gets on the cheap pads, the ink quickly runs into illegibility. The backing cardboard is too flimsy to allow the pad to be used on its own without a clipboard, especially when the pad is less than full.
By comparison, the Roaring Spring pads are far superior. The paper is thicker, less flimsy, more water-resistant, less prone to creasing or tearing, and the backing cardboard is stiff enough for use without a clipboard if necessary.
The "new fiber content made in the U.S.A." is an important factor. I work in environmental engineering, and I've had industrial clients who make recycled paper. The process of reclaiming the usable pulp does great violence to the fibers, with the result that they're shorter than new natural fiber content. The recycled end product is weaker, flimsier, tears more easily, and is generally of inferior quality. By making their paper in the U.S.A., Roaring Spring can more easily ensure the quality of the source material.
There are other reasons why recycled paper is actually less "environmentally friendly" than paper made directly from new pulp. That's especially true with paper products made in countries that are notorious polluters, but you can research that for yourself. For the purposes of this review, it will suffice to say that if using quality paper and supporting best environmental practices are important considerations, Roaring Spring pads satisfy those criteria.
Update: 2022-05-29 - I switched to the buff-colored paper pads (100 sheets) because I prefer the heavier/thicker 20 lb. buff paper over the lighter/thinner 15 lb. green paper. Still the same great Roaring Spring quality; there's just more of it.
| Manufacturer | Roaring Spring Paper Products |
|---|---|
| Brand | ROARING SPRING |
| Item Weight | 1.62 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 8.5 x 0.75 x 11 inches |
| Item model number | 95589 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Color | Green |
| Cover Material | green |
| Material Type | paper |
| Pre-printed | false |
| Binding Edge | Top |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Size | Gird-to-Edge (200 Sheets) (Pack of 1) |
| Ruling | Graph |
| Sheet Size | 8.5"x11" |
| Paper Finish | Smooth |
| Number of Holes | 3 |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 95589 |
