All-weather paper you can write on in the rain — made in Tacoma, Washington since 1916.
✅ Made in USA
Where Rite in the Rain products are made
Manufacturing
All-weather paper and notebooks made at the company’s own Tacoma, WA plant since 1916.
Materials
A proprietary water-shedding coating is applied in-house; pen ink cartridges are U.S.-made by Fisher.
Range
Bound books, loose-leaf and printer paper; some accessories (e.g. mechanical pencils) are imported.
FTC note: This is a qualified Made-in-USA story: the signature waterproof paper and notebooks are American-made in Tacoma, while a few accessory lines — notably mechanical pencils — are produced overseas.
The story
Rite in the Rain traces to 1916, when Pacific Northwest entrepreneur J.L. Darling saw loggers struggling to keep written tallies on rain-soaked paper. He developed a coating that shed water, and he and his wife Mary hand-dipped and hung the first sheets to dry at home.
More than a century later the company — now JL Darling LLC — still makes Rite in the Rain products in Tacoma, Washington, used by surveyors, scientists, first responders and the U.S. military (about a third of sales). The company says it has turned down outsourcing because its quality demands require domestic partners.
Rite in the Rain has been made in Tacoma, Washington since 1916 — because the quality can only be achieved with domestic production.
Why they matter
For more than a century, Rite in the Rain has kept a specialized manufacturing process — and the skilled jobs that go with it — in one American city rather than chasing cheaper overseas production, explicitly turning down outsourcing. Its waterproof paper is a genuine American-made product trusted by foresters, field scientists and the military — proof that niche, expertise-driven manufacturing can still thrive in the U.S.
Featured products
A selection of Rite in the Rain products available through the Buy American Store.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rite in the Rain made in America?
Its signature all-weather paper and notebooks are — made in Tacoma, Washington since 1916 — and its pen cartridges are U.S.-made by Fisher. Some accessories, such as mechanical pencils, are made overseas.
Where are Rite in the Rain products made?
The core paper goods are made at the company’s facility in Tacoma, Washington.
Who owns Rite in the Rain?
It operates as JL Darling LLC. After decades of family ownership, a majority stake was acquired in 2025 by a private-equity firm owned by the Chickasaw Nation; it remains a private company.
