Traveling the World of Paper

I love visiting the paper sections of Sam Flax and Binders. Multitudes of colors, shades, weights, patterns, envelopes, die cut cards, and folders spark all kinds of creativity. Paper Source can even be sensory overload sometimes for me! Being the paper nerd that I am, I even love a trip to Office Depot or Staples. Legal pads, Sharpies, and Manila Folders are such iconic items in the world of paper, they are still exciting to me.

So, while I'm traveling around the Atlanta circuit of art supply stores, my brother-in-law Tyson is really traveling the world of paper. He is officially in Manila, Phillippines, the namesake of Manila Folders! Yep, that's right folks, the manila component of the name comes from manila hemp or abacá from which Manila Folders were originally made. Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is one of the main producers of abacá.

I never knew the connection myself. I wish the best of luck to Tyson, exploring the city of Manila for the next 3 weeks, knowing that you will find and see many more interesting things than the native Manila Folder. If you do come across the real deal, feel free to bring one back for me.