I am looking for a paper to replace Somerset black velvet , no longer in production. I use oil pastels, and need a paper of substance...

Hello and thanks for getting in touch with us. I believe we answered this offline but just in case....here are three great 100% cotton choices as a replacement:

Revere Suede Black 250gsm http://www.legionpaper.com/Revere/
Stonehenge Black 250gsm http://www.legionpaper.com/Stonehenge/
Arches Cover Black 250gsm http://www.legionpaper.com/arches-cover/

I don't know about Arches but the Stonehenge Black is not soft like Somerset and does not have the same grain. I used SV for gouache painting and the Stonehenge does not have the same effect. I will try arches but I am devastated that the SV Black is gone. I wish I had known, I would have bought as much as I could afford. I also used the SV for embossing and the Stonehenge cracks with too much pressure.

Has anyone tried the revere suede?

Would you like us to send you a sample? Email us your shipping address offline to info [at] legionpaper dot com