Maybe I'm Too Cheap For This Hobby? Journal Costs!

[Bookman]

You don't need a bound journal volume to journal, especially if you think you'll throw it all out later on anyway. You certainly don't need Tomoe River paper or anything pricey. You don't even need a Black n' Red journal. Use any loose paper that can be 3-hole punched if it isn't already punched. If you normally keep notebook paper around the house, use that. If it isn't FP-friendly, start buying Made-in-Brazil notebook paper (Norcom, Staples). If you have copy paper around the house, use that. If it isn't FP-friendly, start buying 22lb Staples Multipurpose paper or 24lb HP Laserjet or Double A. Spend a few bucks and buy a 3" or 4" binder for archiving. Eventually you'll buy another.

Edited October 9, 2014 by Bookman

[Octo]

Pelikan/Cross inks are usually dry, but check individual reviews.

 

I like composition notebooks from India and Brazil The size suits me. Inkstainedruth uses Markings, I think, and says they handle FP well. Those are available several places and aren't expensive considering the page count. I've seen them at WalMart and Staples. You might find comments on them on FPN.

[Art]

I got a bunch of composition books at Staples for 50 cents each. They're great for FP use.

[WaskiSquirrel]

A couple ideas spring to mind. None of these are true journals, but they will serve.

 

I really like the Apica notebooks. If you buy the cheaper versions, they aren't bad.

 

The other that springs to mind are the Kokuyo Campus notebooks. I use them for most of my writing. Quite nice, and decently priced.

 

A final option is laserjet paper, especially the stuff with a higher weight: it performs surprisingly well with fountain pens.

[ac12]

As for your ink, try Pelikan ink.

It is a dry ink, matched to the wet pen.

Or the other way around; the wet pen is matched to the dry ink.

 

gud luk

[prf5]

So, I've never really kept a journal, but I thought it'd be fun to start up since I have a lot more going on in my crazy life, what with kids and trying to finish my degree while working full time...anyway, I've finally got a decent pen (Pelikan M205 in med nib) and have had really wet lines from it no matter what ink...I don't want this pen to be a "journal only" pen, so I will continue the search for a good "all around" ink that will allow me to use it on as many kinds of paper as possible.

Help?

 

It is possible that your problem is not with the paper, but the pen. Before you buy more ink, experiment by using a ballpoint and an inexpensive (i.e., under $20.00) fountain pen with a F or EF nib on the paper that has been causing you trouble.

Edited October 10, 2014 by prf5

[jsolares]

I've had good experiences with Tops notebooks, had to buy them for school got a pack and all of them handle fountain pens well and cheap too.

 

http://www.tops-products.com/note-book-10-5x8-3-subject-college-rule-white-120sh.html

 

Not exactly journals but they could be good for just writing. The ones i have were made in vietnam.

 

 

If you do go the DIY route, try and print some test pages in a laser printer, i've heard that the process itself has made bad paper good, i think it's the heat and the rollers that bind the fibers more so it doesnt absorb as well.

[eperdu]

I use the Bullet Journal technique instead of just journaling. I keep one notebook as my "brain". I'm a full-time student, work full-time, active in two social clubs, plus my own hobbies. It's a lot to manage but with my BuJo, it's a bit easier since it's all in one spot. I can spend the $20 on a higher-end notebook but know it's going to be used a lot which makes it more worth it to me.

 

I would echo what prf5 said that it might be your pen because a medium nib will generally drop a lot of ink, no matter how good the paper is.

[sirgilbert357]

As for your ink, try Pelikan ink.

It is a dry ink, matched to the wet pen.

Or the other way around; the wet pen is matched to the dry ink.

 

gud luk

 

I'm using Pelikan Edelstein Topaz right now and it still bleeds through. Even bleeds through the copy paper at work. Gonna go to Staples this weekend and get some really heavy duty copy paper and try that.

Edited October 10, 2014 by sirgilbert357

[sirgilbert357]

 

It is possible that your problem is not with the paper, but the pen. Before you buy more ink, experiment by using a ballpoint and an inexpensive (i.e., under $20.00) fountain pen with a F or EF nib on the paper that has been causing you trouble.

 

This is possible. I won a Pilot 78g in fine nib in the Pay It Forward thread, so I will try that one out when it gets here...come to think of it, I haven't heard from the guy doing the giveaway since I sent him my address, so I don't know if its en route or what...

[sirgilbert357]

A couple ideas spring to mind. None of these are true journals, but they will serve.

 

I really like the Apica notebooks. If you buy the cheaper versions, they aren't bad.

 

The other that springs to mind are the Kokuyo Campus notebooks. I use them for most of my writing. Quite nice, and decently priced.

 

A final option is laserjet paper, especially the stuff with a higher weight: it performs surprisingly well with fountain pens.

 

Thanks, I will check out the Apica and Kokuyo notebooks. I have a lot to research!

[erpe]

 

Is it being too white just a preference or is there something else about that quality that conflicts with FP usage?

Too white is just a personal turn of, I still use Oxford for the pocket notebooks (cost about 1/4 of Moleskines) but for desk writing and notes I prefer slightly less bright like Clairefontaine Triomphe or the ivory Rhodia R which is my default paper.

Oxford Optik is perfect for FP use in all aspects.

[GTVi]

I'm in Australia (not sure if this applies to other countries) Esselte make a Spirax notebook from Recycled 70%. A4 spiral bound Note Book N0. 810 works perfectly with most of my fountain pens. 70GSM. and for only a few dollars. I use them for my work journals.

[Elyptic]

They may be slightly above your price range, but I've been pretty happy with the TWSBI journals (available on their website). I use the "large" size, and find it's about perfect for journaling. They've also been able to take a ton of ink (very very wet Goulet 1.1mm nib) without bleedthrough.

 

If you're really looking for cheap, go ahead and pick up a ream of 24lb copy paper and a 3-ring binder (and a 3-hole punch if you don't have one). Sum total < $25 dollars and you get 500 sheets of paper (and the punch should last). Print some lines or dot grid on it and go from there. I really liked this idea for me, but found that the writing surfaces I had available to me on a regular basis were not compatible with such a large journal.

 

Good luck! You'll find something that works!

[sirgilbert357]

They may be slightly above your price range, but I've been pretty happy with the TWSBI journals (available on their website). I use the "large" size, and find it's about perfect for journaling. They've also been able to take a ton of ink (very very wet Goulet 1.1mm nib) without bleedthrough.

 

If you're really looking for cheap, go ahead and pick up a ream of 24lb copy paper and a 3-ring binder (and a 3-hole punch if you don't have one). Sum total < $25 dollars and you get 500 sheets of paper (and the punch should last). Print some lines or dot grid on it and go from there. I really liked this idea for me, but found that the writing surfaces I had available to me on a regular basis were not compatible with such a large journal.

 

Good luck! You'll find something that works!

 

Yeah, I was playing with printing lines on paper last night and it would seem to be a little large for a journal. I'll probably still do it, but I think 7.5 x 9 would be about perfect for me. I write big, so college ruled is too cramped and if I use anything too small, I burn through pages quickly because I'm not fitting as much on a page...I'll keep searching to find a good balance. And I know the right notebook or journal is out there, just gotta find the size I want with compatible paper in it...

[sirgilbert357]

And, just looked at the TWSBI journals...hmmm, very nice, clean look to them. And almost my perfect size! I like...might be worth it to try one out, especially if they can handle wet writing pens. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

[sandy101]

Oxford Notebooks work well enough.

 

In addition, I've found "let's pretend we're moleskine" journals from the supermarkets work too.

 

Many bookshops and stationers have their own "brand" which quite often are passable too.

 

You don't have to spend a fortune, but there is a bit of trial and error involved.

[Twsbisaurusflex]

Mentioned already was Piccadilly. I picked up a leatherette journal with ivory 100gsm paper for $7. It has performed beautifully, I even over-primed an Ahab I was borrowing and the resulting ink blotch didn't even bleed through. If you have a Barnes and Noble nearby, look in the discount section for them, just be sure it actually says 100gsm or you're likely to get the ones that most people associate negatively with this brand. For reference, the msrp is $14.99, ISBN 978-1-60863-137-7.

[Lothianjavert]

I've had good luck with the inexpensive wirebound notebooks from Brazil (and composition books), except for this year. They seem to be feathering and the paper seems rougher/thinner than previously. Maybe I just got a bad batch. I did snag a bagasse wirebound notebook (Staples) that is surprisingly nice. That should do for the next month for use at work (the office supplies the worst paper/notebooks, so I get my own). I've been debating getting a ream of decent 24 lb copy paper and hole punching it to use. I understand about keeping the cost down as I go through a 100 sheet notebook roughly every month at work which means that Rhodia and Clairefontaine are just too pricey. I prefer broad nibs and wet writers, so your mileage may vary a bit and what feathers or bleeds for me may be fine with a dryer writer.

[Vlad72]

I'm on my phone and can certainly search later for in-depth instructions, but: how do you make the covers and the binding?

Cover: a thicker sheet

Binding: staples. I made myself a mask so I know exactly where to press my open stapler. I used to staple fanzines in the Nineties and I stuck to the same way.

 

(…) I won a Pilot 78g in fine nib in the Pay It Forward thread, so I will try that one out (…)

I just got one too, in fine. It's quite dry, so you may want to put a very wet ink in it.

For now, I'm ok with it's Pilot black, but I tried Quink as soon as I had it in my hands: bad idea, too dry. Anyway it's very easy to clean, and the fine is so fine that even on very poor paper it draws a very slim line, finer than some ballpoints,

And no bleeding, no show through, no feathering whatsoever, I tried it on very poor copy paper. Actually I like the Pilot F better on poor paper than on good paper.