Disc-Bound Notebooks - Are The Refills Etc Interchangeable?

[Plume145]

Staples Arc, Rollabind, Atoma, Levenger Circa...what are the main differences between all of these? If I get the punch for one, can I punch papers for all?

 

Also, are there any brands missing from the above list? I know Clairefontaine and Martha Stewart also do disc-bound notebooks, but I was under the impression that they were partnerships with a company that makes them - for CF maybe Atoma (CF puts the paper, Atoma the discs & punch) and for MS probably Staples or maybe even Rollabind.

 

I've noticed this seems to be very much SOP for Martha Stewart brands - they get together with a specialist company and MS provide the concept and aesthetic approach (including MS colors, logo, etc), the specialists provide the design and manufacturing know-how, and both have a hand in distribution (eg MS + Avery for labels, MS + Lyon Yarn for a knitting loom, MS + Plaid of Mod Podge fame for craft paints and finishes, and so on). So I'm guessing it might be the same for Clairefontaine too, and possibly others who do disc-bound notebooks, in which case refills should be interchangeable if they're the same dimensions, and punches should DEFINITELY be useable for both systems. Right?

 

 

I'm sort of semi-idly wondering how various notebook/binder hybrid systems compare to each other - the various disc bound systems, the Japanese multi-hole binders and thin notebooks like that Kokuyo one Jetpens stock, and the Lihit Lab Twist Ring, which I tried on the smallest size and loved to bits. So far between the latter two it's a case of six of one, half a dozen of the other, but the disc bound stuff seems to be a lot more well developed, with a strong DIY dynamic attached to it.

 

What-all do you guys know about this stuff? Opinions, preferences, thoughts?

EDIT: In a whole day I'd gotten zero replies and barely any views, which is highly unusual for FPN! So I reconsidered the post and thought maybe the thread title was too obscure, so I decided to change it - hope that's okay. I didn't make any substantial changes to the post itself aside from clarifying the first sentence which no longer made sense with the new thread title. The original title was 'Staples Arc Vs Rollabind Vs Atoma Vs Levenger Circa'

Edited September 12, 2013 by Plume145

[PenRaider]

I have both the Circa and ARC systems. I've tried ARC paper in a Circa binder (approximately 1 year ago), and it fits, but the pages don't turn as freely as they do with Circa paper. I guess the fitting is a little tighter with the ARC paper. It's not terrible, but I could see pages getting damaged when you're in a hurry or just not turning as quickly as needed.

[Ceilidh]

Yes, Staples & MS are made by Rollabind. I haven't used a notebook with the circa disks; I have Arc notebooks, but I got a levenger circa punch on ebay and it seems to work fine with the Arc discs. I think those two are interchangeable, although I've seen some comments here before about there being ever so slight differences. PenRaiders post seems to bear that out.

Edited September 19, 2013 by Ceilidh

[WirsPlm]

Those notebooks from JetPens look great! The only thing is that I can't find a compatible punch - do you know of any punches for making refills?

 

The disc-based systems have their problems (notably with securing paper, when I tried one in the store it definitely wasn't up to my usual use), but they almost always have punches.

 

If you're looking for another alternative, the Mead Flex notebooks work pretty well. They're 3-rings, so I think a regular 3-hole punch works, easily available in the US, have good capacity and a light weight. The only things I don't like so far are 1) they only come in standard 8.5x11 notebook size, and 2) the Mead paper is thin and tears (this problem will probably go away once I get some heaver paper into it).

Edited September 19, 2013 by WirsPlm

[Plume145]

I have both the Circa and ARC systems. I've tried ARC paper in a Circa binder (approximately 1 year ago), and it fits, but the pages don't turn as freely as they do with Circa paper. I guess the fitting is a little tighter with the ARC paper. It's not terrible, but I could see pages getting damaged when you're in a hurry or just not turning as quickly as needed.

 

Have you tried it the other way round? Circa paper in Arc binder? I'm pretty unlikely to end up with Circa because Levenger are being rather unreasonable about shipping to where I am, but it'd still be nice to know just for research purposes, lol.

Yes, Staples & MS are made by Rollabind. I haven't used a notebook with the circa disks; I have Arc notebooks, but I got a levenger circa punch on ebay and it seems to work fine with the Arc discs. I think those two are interchangeable, although I've seen some comments here before about there being ever so slight differences. PenRaiders post seems to bear that out.

aaah, I see :-) So, if I understand both of you well, basically you have your Staples/MS/Rollabind on one side, as one system, then you have your Circa on the other, which is probably purposely designed to be separate and only sort-of compatible with the other system on the US market. Enough that you could, say, put a handout punched on Circa in your Rollabind if you had to, but not so much that you'd be tempted to use Rollabind paper with your circa covers all the time. Right?

 

What about Atoma and Clairefontaine's Clairing - does anyone know where those fit in the above scheme? I understand Myndology is basically just Atoma repackaged, but what about Clairefontaine? As a company they're certainly big enough to have their own in-house setup making the rings, big punches, and so on, but it's just as likely they've gotten together with Atoma. Does anyone know what's going on there?

 

Those notebooks from JetPens look great! The only thing is that I can't find a compatible punch - do you know of any punches for making refills?

 

The disc-based systems have their problems (notably with securing paper, when I tried one in the store it definitely wasn't up to my usual use), but they almost always have punches.

 

If you're looking for another alternative, the Mead Flex notebooks work pretty well. They're 3-rings, so I think a regular 3-hole punch works, easily available in the US, have good capacity and a light weight. The only things I don't like so far are 1) they only come in standard 8.5x11 notebook size, and 2) the Mead paper is thin and tears (this problem will probably go away once I get some heaver paper into it).

They are pretty fun, I definitely recommend them! Adding paper or making your own refills IS a bit of a hassle, but it's not as desperate as it seems at first glance!

 

Starting with the Kokuyo, there is actually a proper hole punch (does about five sheets at a time, so a lot like a small desk punch for a regular binder). It's made by CARL and you can get it from Jetpens too. Problem solved! Not cheaply, but solved Besides that, I dimly remember a single ebay listing a couple of years ago that featured a portable version of the above punch - like this, but for 20/26/30 hole binders. Not necessarily CARL, but yeah. Never saw it before or since, no idea where to get one (I've looked! everywhere, lol) but still, it was there!

 

For the Lihit Lab, things are a bit more convoluted yet oddly more exciting (well, if you are a paper geek, at least). First off: Kokuyo and Lihit Lab papers are not interchangeable. Bummer right?

 

Second, there is actually a punch for Lihit Lab Twist Rings, too. But, it's hard to get your hands on it if you can't navigate a Japanese site - Rakuten English is pretty much your best bet, which isn't that great as not everything in the transaction is translated. Also, it's a lot dinkier than the CARL: it only supports one sheet at a time (and only light-weight - no punching business cards etc), and it only punches about 9cm's worth of holes in one go. IOW, it's only a viable option for one-off inserts, such as a handout no more than 3 or so pages long, stuff like that - not for making your own refills. On the bright side, this does make the punch extremely portable!

 

BUT - and this is where it gets interesting. I have the A7 notepad version in the Lihit Lab, and use this size of top-bound wire notepads a lot in general. And I recently discovered that some wire-bound notebooks have holes that are sized and most importantly spaced right to be useable with the binding mechanism on my Lihit Lab notepad! So you just liberate the paper from the wire binding and use that as your Lihit refills, which gives you a lot more paper to choose from.

 

And now for the shameless self-promotion: I actually created a thread with a tutorial on how to do that. Nobody bit, but the thread is still there! I've ordered a B5 Lihit Lab and some likely-looking B5 notebooks to break apart, but they're not here yet.

 

As is probably clear by now, I'm sort of obsessed with these notebooks, lol. It started with a cute little Kokuyo 20-hole binder that I had in the last year of HS, which I got rid of soon after graduation because getting refills was such a hassle. Turned out to be one of the few items I've ever regretted giving away!

 

As for binders - thanks for the Mead recommendation! I These look really cool and I wish I could find some more detailed pictures of them. I DO like binders, they're definitely the grandaddy of all interchangeable note-taking systems, and they're still way ahead of everything else when it comes to the sheer selection of accessories available for them! I mean, you can get every kind of pocket, divider, and paper imaginable for binders.

 

The only problem I see with them is that they take up a lot of desk real estate, and I rarely have that to spare. I'm often working on small coffee shop tables, sometimes with the notebook on my lap or on the chair next to me because I need the tiny round table for my computer. A binder takes up twice as much room as the paper because the covers don't fold back like with a ring-bound notebook :-/

[Ceilidh]

So, if I understand both of you well, basically you have your Staples/MS/Rollabind on one side, as one system, then you have your Circa on the other, which is probably purposely designed to be separate and only sort-of compatible with the other system on the US market. Enough that you could, say, put a handout punched on Circa in your Rollabind if you had to, but not so much that you'd be tempted to use Rollabind paper with your circa covers all the time. Right?

 

 

I don't have any circa notebooks or paper, so I don't know how well it works to put the Arc paper in circa notebooks. I only have Arc notebooks, because the Levenger stuff is just so much more expensive and the Staples is very nice for the price. I got the Levenger punch on eBay because I wanted to use any paper or pads and add it to the notebooks. Staples hadn't introduced their punch yet, so at the time I bought the Levenger punch, it was the only option unless I wanted to buy the prepunched paper. Punching your own paper is more budget-friendly in the long run.

 

The paper from the circa punch works fine in the Staples notebooks. They seem interchangeable to me. So far, I haven't had any trouble with the paper falling out. I use a wide elastic to hold the notebooks closed when they're in the bag I carry to work. I expect there is a finite number of times the pages can be moved before they get loose, but so far no problems.

 

 

 

[WirsPlm]

snipetty

 

Ooh, detailed instructions! Thanks for the tutorial. I've got a ton of notebooks atm (B&N was having a bigger sale than anticipated, oops), but I'll bookmark that for later.

 

Re: Mead Flex

Actually, you can completely fold the cover over. It's built like a regular plastic notebook, just with 3 large rings instead of many small ones. The rings are 100% plastic, so they're even a bit flexible and are more comfortable than metal rings.

 

I'm going to dig out my camera and try to put some pictures up soon, because honestly it's pretty neat.

Edited September 20, 2013 by WirsPlm

[Plume145]

 

I don't have any circa notebooks or paper, so I don't know how well it works to put the Arc paper in circa notebooks. I only have Arc notebooks, because the Levenger stuff is just so much more expensive and the Staples is very nice for the price. I got the Levenger punch on eBay because I wanted to use any paper or pads and add it to the notebooks. Staples hadn't introduced their punch yet, so at the time I bought the Levenger punch, it was the only option unless I wanted to buy the prepunched paper. Punching your own paper is more budget-friendly in the long run.

 

The paper from the circa punch works fine in the Staples notebooks. They seem interchangeable to me. So far, I haven't had any trouble with the paper falling out. I use a wide elastic to hold the notebooks closed when they're in the bag I carry to work. I expect there is a finite number of times the pages can be moved before they get loose, but so far no problems.

 

aaah, I see what you mean. And yeah, the circa stuff is a lot more expensive, which is understandable when it comes to the leather covers but then again, those are a luxury. not a necessity. But I know what you mean about having the punch - I think you can't put any binder to good use without the punch that goes with it - and that's pretty much what these are, a more evolved sort of binder. Even if you have no reason to make your own refills, because you're happy with the quality/selction and you don't go through paper so fast that it starts to become expensive, that still leaves the issue of adding handouts or various documents you collect. If you can't do that, it defeats the purpose, kinda. Okay, you're still able to rearrange your own notes and remove what you don't need, which is obviously a major advantage over bound notebooks, but not being able to add things that aren't pre-punched is a major drawback.

 

About the paper falling out, I'm actually rather surprised to hear that. The only disc-bound notebooks I've used so far are a simple local line called Magic Clips - they're dirt cheap and not really a system in the sense that there's no accessories whatsoever to go with them (you can't even buy refill paper, you have to buy a new notebook), but I've never had the paper slip out of the discs or anything.

 

Ooh, detailed instructions! Thanks for the tutorial. I've got a ton of notebooks atm (B&N was having a bigger sale than anticipated, oops), but I'll bookmark that for later.

 

Re: Mead Flex

Actually, you can completely fold the cover over. It's built like a regular plastic notebook, just with 3 large rings instead of many small ones. The rings are 100% plastic, so they're even a bit flexible and are more comfortable than metal rings.

 

I'm going to dig out my camera and try to put some pictures up soon, because honestly it's pretty neat.

Wow, yeah, it definitely sounds great! IT seems to be the best of both worlds, because let's face it, if you look only at carrying capacity, the average binder leaves the other three in the dust! I'd love to see those photos

[balson]

i had a drawing class that had us pick up a rollabind notebook that was put together by someone. i opted to also buy a punch and some disks so i could play around with other papers and making my own notebooks. i liked the pre made notebook i got, it had some problems but it was good overall, but most of the notebooks i made i did not care for.

 

the cons:

i had some problems with 20lb paper falling out easily. lacking any firm cover the lightweight paper can fall out from the rings twisting. it was often tough to flip a page. i found that the page i was trying to move would hold the disk in place while every other page turned. the notebook i bought had two thin plastic sheet that was punched for the covers. that cover worked well and kept the notebook in fair shape but i was never able to find another equivalent cover that i was able to punch to make notebooks myself. there is also a limit to how many times one page can be moved before the tabs that hold the paper in no longer work.

 

The pros:

i had great results making small sketchbooks from old watercolor drawings i cut up and drew on the back of. i really enjoyed being able to add a new sheet of paper in. if i wanted to clarify a sketch it was easy to add in a piece of tracing paper or vellum to restate an idea i liked. if i wanted to use a reference image it was easy to insert one on the opposing page and then remove it when it was done

 

 

at this point if i need the kind of functionality that rollabind offers i just use 3 ring binders. they are cheap, they are functional, and they are reliable.

[Plume145]

I see what you mean about using binders, problem is they can be pretty bulky and then there's always the problem I mentioned earlier about not being able to fold back the cover so it takes up less desktop space (well, except for the Mead Flex that WirsPlm mentioned, and even that seems to only come in the larger size, if you want something A5-ish you're out of luck).

 

Meanwhile, I got an Arc that a member sent me! It;s pretty cool, the paper is good, but those rings - maaan, they;re huge! What possessed them to put rings that big on this thing?! That said, it's definitely obvious how much potential for customization these things actually have. Mine even came with multiple covers that you could swap out - four to be exact, with both sides useable (one side haa a colorful design, the other has a solid color, so it's perfect to put a solid color for the back cover and a design for the front). I will see if I can get more stuff to customize it with - it will be interesting to see whether Rollabind ships outside of the US/North America. Staples don't, obviously, but since Rollabind makes the Arc for staples, I should be good. We'll see

 

I'm still in the dark about Atoma and Clairefontaine, but maybe that will be resolved soon enough

 

Thanks everyone!

[chefz]

I can't weigh in on Atoma and Clairefontaine's systems, but I am devoted Circa/Staples Arc user. I've used a letter-sized Levenger notebook as my "brain-dump/voicemail/meetings log" at work for almost 10 years now. I've also managed to convert several coworkers to using the same system - how I wish Levenger had a commission system!

 

Anyways, what I've discovered is that some elements are more interchangeable than others, because they work great together, but in some areas quality becomes an issue. The Staples Arc notebooks are a fantastic deal and come in great colors. I've bought them just for the covers alone, which are way cheaper but look just as nice as Levenger's pricier alternatives. I am really impressed by the paper quality in the new Staples Arcs too - it works great with my fountain pens. I've also used nicer paper to create my own refill templates lots of times for planner pages and the like. The rings on the Staples notebooks however, are complete (bleep), IMHO. The pages do not turn easily, and snag more, causing the paper to fall out easily (which, paper falling out easily is often a criticism of the system, but I just don't overload my notebooks and am mindful how I use them, and I've never really had issues with that). Back to the point, I've taken Staples notebooks and used the covers and paper but thrown away the rings. I adore Levenger's aluminum rings - they are wonderful and worth the price and shipping.

 

I also don't like the accessories offered by Staples for the Arc line - the quality and style seems to be somehow lacking compared to Levenger. But the Staples punch is super affordable and works great, I've both the old Levenger metal punch and the new Staples, and actually prefer to use the Staples punch.

 

Just some feedback comments on the two - I lurk on Ebay a lot to see if I can find any good deals on Levenger rings or accessories, you can sometimes find some good discounts for new planner goodies there.

[Erica Kline]

Hi All,

I use the ARC/Circa system too and I'm looking for nice covers (but not expensive as Levenger) and tab inserts.

 

I have an ARC "Junior" size notebook with tab dividers and I use both ARC and Levenger paper in it. I tried a Levenger bookcloth binder but it's just not robust enough, it was stained and worn within a week. I would like a binder with a cellphone pocket on the outside and maybe a closure (elastic or tab), for a reasonable price.

 

I also use a Compact Circa notebook for misc. notes at home, and I have the cheap plastic cover that came with it. Levenger doesn't even sell dividers so I had to DIY dividers for it. I'd love a nicer cover for that one too.

 

Anyone have a source for nicer covers for these (other than Levenger)?

 

Thanks,

 

Erica

[wikeh2004]

Hi Erica,

 

Levenger sells tabbed dividers for Circa in a couple of styles, as well as pocket folders, and various bits. Unfortunately for you, Levenger has pretty much phased out the Compact size Circa. I bought a few Compact items when they were clearancing it out some years ago. There are just a few items in that size remaining in their catalog. Everything else is in their Junior or Letter size. I've standardized on the Junior size.

 

Levenger has a folio style leather Circa cover that will hold a cell phone, etc. A bit pricey though.

http://www.levenger.com/Journals---Folios-579/Folios-302/Circa-smartPlanner-Folio-12993.aspx

 

They have broadened their Circa line with more covers and products. They have some quite reasonably priced covers now. Check their site. If you register for their newsletter, they'll notify you when they have Circa sales. I sometims find good deals in their Outlet page on their site. I've bought Circa items at discount from Levenger's eBay outlet site. Sometimes they have really great deals. I bought outdated Circa Agendas from Levenger to get cheap covers and discs. I recycle the outdated agenda pages for notes and refill with my homebrew pages. In my experience, you can often find Circa compatible things elsewhere cheaper, but seldom of better quality. Levenger stuff is more expensive, but the quality is higher, IMHO.

 

If you have a desk or heavy-duty disc punch, you can make your own covers. I've made some small notebooks using Oxford plastic index card dividers (good for 3x5 index cards or biz cards). One could also use flexible plastic cutting boards or other materials like heavy cardstock. You could combine flexible plastic (for the area where the punches are made) and other materials to make laminated covers.

 

Levenger's Circa brand pages have larger "mushroom" holes than the standard Rollabind holes (I figure that includes ARC and other brands). That makes a significant difference in how easy it is to turn the pages. The current Circa punches that Levenger sells makes the larger Circa holes. Punches by other brands make the standard size holes, based on my experience with a Rollabind punch and the older Levenger Circa punch.

 

I find that the weight and quality of the paper you use for filler makes a big difference in how well it works for disc binders. The cheap 20# recycled photocopy paper is lousy. The holes get torn or folded over too easily. I'd use 24# or higher to make refill pages. Plus, the better papers are usually FP friendly too. :-)

 

Hope that helps.

Edited October 8, 2014 by wikeh2004

[Anne-Sophie]

I hope it is ok to mention this, but D.I.Y planner (diyplanner.com) is full of people who are forever hunting for the best planner and notebook system.

 

There are a lot of Circa enthusiasts there.

 

I believe that Atoma which is Belge makes, I believe, the plastic components of U.S based Myndology and French based Clairing from Clairefontaine, the grooves of the disks are deeper than than Circa, they come in different colors but not different sizes, I think.

 

Myndology and Clairefontaine use their own paper.

 

I handled a Clairing notebook, a long time ago, when the disk binding craze started, and the disks felt very much like Circa ones.

But now, when I look at Clairefontaine web site, they look more like Myndology's.

 

 

Both notebooks were Junior/A5 size.

I wanted to use Circa, in the same manner, you plan to use them.

To replace letter size notetaking systems for cramped places.

 

Everybody was impressed, Circa was the thing to have, Levenger made a bundle, they sold/sell fountain pen friendly paper, but you know fountain pen and paper planners enthusiasts.

 

They/we wanted to make their/our own calendar templates and their own page formats (Cornell ruling, Seyes or others).

 

For that, one needs a punch. Circa had a couple, a tiny travelling one and a big metal desk one (the latter was pretty penny).

 

Then Staples came to the fray with cheaper plastic components for the notebooks and a cheaper metal desk punch.

 

They called their system Arc and they also had a huge professional size punch machine, so there was another craze and people bought punches and guillotines to make their own Circa/Arc hybrids.

 

Not to be undone, Levenger changed the shape of the Circa mushroom/smurfs to make the page turn easier, so they made a new punch. There was plenty of debate on FPN and D.I.Y Planner about the merit of each metal desk punch.

 

I didn't have a local Staples during the craze, so I missed out on the debate. However, Office Depot has just started their own line, Foray / Revolution.

 

The consensus seems to be that Circa disks are of a much better quality than Arc or Foray, it might also be true of the other plastic component, covers.

 

I know from experience that Myndology disks are very smooth and I believe the smoothness of the rings and the ability to buy an affordable punch is what makes or breaks this system.

 

 

 

I personally think that Myndology disks are more secure, and the colors of the notebooks are, hem, cuter. But, the junior size notebooks, I handled locally, were only offered with lined paper.

 

They now have grid and blank paper. In their website, they have an online store and a list of local retailers.

 

I ended up going for another system, which I still love, but is a bit bulky for everyday.

Edited October 9, 2014 by Anne-Sophie

[wikeh2004]

I'll vouch that Levenger Circa discs are better than Rollabind, because I have both. The Rollabinds were cheaper, but the discs were not as well finished, having rough edges and mold marks requiring me to trim them with a knife and smooth them over with sandpaper for acceptable performance. Out of the box, they weren't very good. The Circas were always well finished and smooth, but more expensive.

 

Franklin-Covey briefly had a line of disc bound notebooks and accessories, and I bought some before they discontinued the line. Again, quality was nowhere near Levenger's level.

 

Have not tried Atoma/Myndology. Their holes have rectangular, rather than rounded ends, but they're roughly compatible because the spacing is the same and dimensions close enough.

 

Levenger reduced the price of their metal desktop punch, and brought out a heavier duty desktop punch as well. I still prefer theirs because the larger holes facilitate page turning. I replaced an old Levenger punch (which was identical to a Rollabind punch) with one of the newer ones because of that.

 

I was shocked at how much more expensive the Myndology punch is than the Levenger punch. On their site, it was listed at $160! The Levenger desktop punch is $49 and their heavy duty one is $79 (even cheaper on Amazon). Rollabind still sells punches too, comparable to Levenger prices. I think the Levenger punches are the clear winners because of the difference in hole size.

 

The Myndology discs are cheaper than Circa and come in a wide variety of colors, but they only list one size. Circa is available in a wide range of sizes, which for the DIY'er, is important for custom projects. Rollabind discs are likewise available in various sizes and colors, but the quality is lower.

 

I've even seen a Rollabind type disc notebook on sale at a CVS Pharmacy, under their own brand. I tried some of the paper they sold, and it wasn't all that great for FPs, but not terrible. The notebook looked cheaply made and didn't appeal to me.

 

I looked at the OfficeDepot Revolution notebooks at a local store, but they had only rather bright colors or floral designs. Maybe their more conservative appearing designs were sold out, although when I asked a salesperson, he said that's the only ones they got. Less expensive than Circa certainly, and cuter, but not my style. :-)

 

BTW, if you use translucent covers, you can back it up with inner covers of your own design. I do that to personalize them. Then I usually slip the notebooks into a compatible leather cover.

 

No Staples stores in Hawaii, so no experience with the ARCs. :-(

 

Here's a comparison of the ARC to the Circa, FWIW.

http://officesupplygeek.com/notebook-review/disc-binding/staples-arc-notebook-system-and-levenger-circa-comparison/

 

I love disc-bound notebooks and continue to use them for work and home. I roll my own with Levenger covers and discs and printing layouts on high quality paper. (I use the old style DIYplanner templates) Everybody has their preferences, but these work for me. :-)

Edited October 10, 2014 by wikeh2004

[Conan the Grammarian]

I've used both and, for practical purposes, they're pretty much interchangeable. The punch-outs on the Levenger paper are slightly larger, so they're a bit easier to turn.

 

The Arc notebooks are cheaper, but don't really look it. And, if you want to actually use it or carry it back and forth, it's going to get scuffed, etc. The Circa notebooks are too expensive to use anywhere but a home office. I have a scuff mark on my Compact that bugs me every time I see it (and I see it a lot because I've been using my Compact a great deal lately).

 

Which brings up another point. There is no Compact size for Arc. There's a small notebook, but there's no logic to its sizing.

 

I've had mixed experiences with Circa. The old Junior (before the re-sizing) notebook I bought worked smoothly and perfectly. The two letter sized ones I bought always seemed off - the punching on the two covers didn't line up. The four Arc notebooks I've bought (two Junior and two Letter) don't have that issue.

 

Staples never has the paper I want (graph) and has darker lines, so I usually end up using Circa paper in Arc notebook. The variety of papers punched for Circa that Levenger offers is fantastic (Letter, Junior, Compact, business card, etc.).

 

I have an old Circa punch with the smaller punch-outs, so I don't punch my own paper yet, but will soon buy a new punch and probably start doing that.

 

I just bought the top-punched Arc and don't know what I'm going to do with it, but I liked it too much to pass up.

[wikeh2004]

I guess I'm oblivious to the scuffs and scratches on the Levenger covers. Wrinkles, scars, scratches - just add character.

 

(Convenient to think that as we age)

[dgturner]

I have also used both Arc and Circa -- if I had a Staples near me,I might utilize more of the Arc line. I have a Levenger desk punch at work, and it sees extensive use with calendars, documentation, and the like.

I have purchased Arc, Circa, and Rollabind discs -- buy the Circa discs, the quality is much better (though the cost of shipping has definitely contributed to a shortage of Circa disks in my inventory). There is hope, Levenger is now selling on Amazon, and many of the Circa products are Prime eligible!

[wikeh2004]

I agree, the shipping can be prohibitive, especially since they don't include Hawaii and Alaska in their occasional free shipping offers.

 

I wait until they have sales, so I can at least save on the product. Nonetheless, their products are usually of outstanding quality.

 

What's your opinion on ARC vs Circa? Are my observations of Rollabind discs applicable to ARC? Does Staples sell DIY supplies like separate discs and covers?

 

I have also used both Arc and Circa -- if I had a Staples near me,I might utilize more of the Arc line. I have a Levenger desk punch at work, and it sees extensive use with calendars, documentation, and the like.

I have purchased Arc, Circa, and Rollabind discs -- buy the Circa discs, the quality is much better (though the cost of shipping has definitely contributed to a shortage of Circa disks in my inventory). There is hope, Levenger is now selling on Amazon, and many of the Circa products are Prime eligible!

Edited October 12, 2014 by wikeh2004

[cpmcnamara]

I have a circa bomber jacket system. Yes, arc is cheaper but these feel way nicer to me and definitely worth the additional price (if you can find one on the levenger_outlet ebay store).

 

I punch paper from HP Premium 32 lb and it feels much better than the circa paper that came with it. I don't think the Clairefontaine refills are worth the levenger cost considering your paper styles are limited. If you use it regularly investing in a punch is a better bet.