Rouketsu Paper Review

Folding Star of David Tessellation II was the first time I folded Leathac Rouketsu paper. Classified as 105 gsm, it is quite thick and rather stiff, especially in the direction perpendicular to the grain. The back side is smooth while the front features an interesting texture which resembles leather. Against the light, it is translucent, with the texture clearly visible. While this paper has a slightly plasticky feel, it kept its geometry well, and I was able to precrease the model precisely. However, this paper is rather suited for large grid spacing: its thickness and a big difference in bending resistance between two perpendicular directions make folding small details difficult.

Collapsing the model went well, largely because of the paper’s stiffness. It felt like it could be really good for corrugations. However, when I had to squash-fold the tips of the stars’ rays in their bottom layers, I found the stiffness to be a bit of an issue. Zoned wet folding might help in this case, but I didn’t try it. I also recommend using a bone folder to fold this paper if you care about clean creases (this probably matters much more for tessellations than it does for animals).