[illiteratti]

I've spent countless dollars trying to find the perfect notebook, and always found some with great attributes, but always seemed to fall short of being one that I would consistently use...

Moleskine- the perfect pocket notebook design, but very poor materials, namely the paper. It would be fine if I used ballpoint pens, or maybe even a gel pen. But the bleed through and feathering is just not to my liking.

Xonex ru- Decent paper, good design, but the cover is just not so good. The cover bends and folds, warps in the heat, and really doesn't protect the pages. Not a good Idea for a "pocket" notebook. The paper does work very well with all my fountain pens and different inks, I did have some very minimal feathering, but hard to notice.

Miquelrius- Great paper, almost the perfect smooth white paper for fountain pens, but I do wish they had other options than grid. As thick as the notebooks are, it's very difficult to write on both sides of the page. I did come up with a way to deal with this issue, though...write on one side of the page all the way through the book, and then at the end, flip the book over and start from the back to the front writing on the back of the pages. The paper is every bit as good as the Rhodia, though.

Rhodia- Great paper, but no offerings other than the grid. I could live with the grid if I could get that paper in a design more like the simple black looks of the Moleskine, but the plain orange just doesn't do it for me. I would be happy with this notebook if I could get it in a traditional book opening rather than the reporter style, and maybe even a leather cover like I've seen for the Rhodias
ility
I've looked into countless others, but none of them had any of the good qualities that the above have, until I found the Filofax!

Yeah, the binder is expensive, and the regular paper writes as if there's a wax coating to them...fountain pen ink just seems to lay on top of the paper for a while, then dry, leaving a "beading" of the ink look. But the paper of papers is the cotton cream refills. This is my favorite notebook paper. It does have a cotton content, it's very expensive, and has a beautiful pale yellow color that I love so much. Fountain pen inks absorb beautifully into the paper, there's no feathering, and no bleed through. I love this paper.

Combining the paper with the binder, the ability to take pages out to write, the shuffle them back in the binder where I like them, the file them again later, as many times as I want is just a great plus, enough for me to overlook the non-pocketability of the book. Now, I don't really use the calender pages, or anything other than the lined notepaper, and looking to get some dividers, but now it's exclusively a notebook with a calender. (I do have to admit, I was inspired by an article that I found on PigPog, what a great site!)

I do love my new notebook, but I will always be looking for a wonderful little pocket notebook, and until then, I'll be writing in my filo...

[Russ]

Thanks for the review of various notebooks. It was a helpful, quick summary!

[Jared]

I've spent countless dollars trying to find the perfect notebook, and always found some with great attributes, but always seemed to fall short of being one that I would consistently use...

Just wondering, but have you tried the Black & Red notebooks, sold at Office Depot or Staples? I just picked up a small notebook the other day as it had been recommended here. I have yet to try it out, but it looks nice...

Jared

[Pendragon]

Moleskine- the perfect pocket notebook design, but very poor materials, namely the paper. It would be fine if I used ballpoint pens, or maybe even a gel pen. But the bleed through and feathering is just not to my liking.

Then you might consider the Stifflexible notebooks. Unlike some of their competitors, Stifflexible notebooks are actually made in Italy.

www.mazzuoli.it

[illiteratti]

Moleskine- the perfect pocket notebook design, but very poor materials, namely the paper. It would be fine if I used ballpoint pens, or maybe even a gel pen. But the bleed through and feathering is just not to my liking.

Then you might consider the Stifflexible notebooks. Unlike some of their competitors, Stifflexible notebooks are actually made in Italy.

www.mazzuoli.it

No, I have not tried these notebooks yet...They look like one that I read about some time ago that really peaked my interest, but I read that they are not being made anymore...but it looks like they are! I'm gonna have to try one! Thanks for the link!

[gregamckinney]

I find Black n' Red notebooks to be very good. I use two different sizes of notebook, a small shirt-pocket sized notebook, and a larger model for work. The small(est?) Rhodia 3x4 notebook is great for a shirt pocket. I haven't found anything better. The Apica notebooks are very nice, too, and while I like the fact that they are very slim, I prefer to have perforated sheets.

For the last several years, I've been using Levenger Notabilia notebooks for my work notes, but these were discontinued a while ago, and I only have a couple left in my stash. As such, I've been looking for a new "work standard" notebook. The Red n' Black casebound models are very nice. The paper is excellent, and the styling of the cover (black with red binding) is sedate enough for the office.

Now if I could just find a place to buy the Science Ruled Black n' Red notebooks in the US...

greg

[aprilquilts]

Do you have any idea what this would be equivalent to in non-filofax terms? I'm wondering how much cotton content is in the cotton cream? I would like to get some of this to print my own planner refills. Thanks much,
April

[rosey]

I have heard the praises sang of the Filofax before but I've not been able to afford such a notebook. Maybe someday I'll be able to but until then I will have to stick with my Rollabind planner/notebook.

Last summer I purchased a Rollabind planner which I have used as my business planner and am loving it. The paper paper probably isn't as good as you have described, but it does fine for me. It also has the removable pages which I love.
Here is the link to the website if anyone is interested.
Rollabind

[pauw13]

I have heard the praises sang of the Filofax before but I've not been able to afford such a notebook. Maybe someday I'll be able to but until then I will have to stick with my Rollabind planner/notebook.

I think you can look for a cheaper binder, and insert the filofax papers in there. The sizes pocket and personal are standard sizes and binders are being made by all kinds of companies. It is worth a look at your nearest office suplly store, especially at this time of year as they often sell cheaper stuff for school uses. You can use this, and then save up for a real filofax. They are worth the price, I love mine.
Hope this helps.
Paulien

[Treet]

I've spent countless dollars trying to find the perfect notebook, and always found some with great attributes, but always seemed to fall short of being one that I would consistently use...

Moleskine- the perfect pocket notebook design, but very poor materials, namely the paper. It would be fine if I used ballpoint pens, or maybe even a gel pen. But the bleed through and feathering is just not to my liking.

Xonex ru- Decent paper, good design, but the cover is just not so good. The cover bends and folds, warps in the heat, and really doesn't protect the pages. Not a good Idea for a "pocket" notebook. The paper does work very well with all my fountain pens and different inks, I did have some very minimal feathering, but hard to notice.

Miquelrius- Great paper, almost the perfect smooth white paper for fountain pens, but I do wish they had other options than grid. As thick as the notebooks are, it's very difficult to write on both sides of the page. I did come up with a way to deal with this issue, though...write on one side of the page all the way through the book, and then at the end, flip the book over and start from the back to the front writing on the back of the pages. The paper is every bit as good as the Rhodia, though.

Rhodia- Great paper, but no offerings other than the grid. I could live with the grid if I could get that paper in a design more like the simple black looks of the Moleskine, but the plain orange just doesn't do it for me. I would be happy with this notebook if I could get it in a traditional book opening rather than the reporter style, and maybe even a leather cover like I've seen for the Rhodias
ility
I've looked into countless others, but none of them had any of the good qualities that the above have, until I found the Filofax!

Yeah, the binder is expensive, and the regular paper writes as if there's a wax coating to them...fountain pen ink just seems to lay on top of the paper for a while, then dry, leaving a "beading" of the ink look. But the paper of papers is the cotton cream refills. This is my favorite notebook paper. It does have a cotton content, it's very expensive, and has a beautiful pale yellow color that I love so much. Fountain pen inks absorb beautifully into the paper, there's no feathering, and no bleed through. I love this paper.

Combining the paper with the binder, the ability to take pages out to write, the shuffle them back in the binder where I like them, the file them again later, as many times as I want is just a great plus, enough for me to overlook the non-pocketability of the book. Now, I don't really use the calender pages, or anything other than the lined notepaper, and looking to get some dividers, but now it's exclusively a notebook with a calender. (I do have to admit, I was inspired by an article that I found on PigPog, what a great site!)

I do love my new notebook, but I will always be looking for a wonderful little pocket notebook, and until then, I'll be writing in my filo...

I agree, the Filo has some great paper, with nice color choices also! Have you checked out philofaxy.blogspot.com and the filofax flickr group?

[La Couronne du Comte]

Moleskine- the perfect pocket notebook design, but very poor materials, namely the paper. It would be fine if I used ballpoint pens, or maybe even a gel pen. But the bleed through and feathering is just not to my liking.

Then you might consider the Stifflexible notebooks. Unlike some of their competitors, Stifflexible notebooks are actually made in Italy.

www.mazzuoli.it

No, I have not tried these notebooks yet...They look like one that I read about some time ago that really peaked my interest, but I read that they are not being made anymore...but it looks like they are! I'm gonna have to try one! Thanks for the link!

And this succesful notebook is still being made! We carry the complete Stifflexible line and can deliver from stock.

We welcome you to our webstore at:

www.lacouronneducomte.nl

La Couronne du Comte delivers worldwide.

Please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions at all: we would be more than willing to help in any way we can.

Dennis van de Graaf

[jamesem]

Hi,

I have the Rollabind letter size Scrapbook system with cardboard covers prepunched, the cheaper punch and use my own paper. Originaly I was looking for a hardback notebook, something that would travel with me, sit on my lap and allow me to write without fighting with a cover and the notebook bending too much making it hard to write. I found nothing in the stores that was affordable and suited me. But this works perfectly, I can roll the paper underneath and it is very compact.

For a pocket notebook I have the small pocket sized Moleskines, the kind that come in a three pack for about $6.00 or so. Though the ink does bleed through, sometimes, very slightly, I love these little books. I carry one in my front shirt pocket and is there anytime I need it. I know some people have an issue with the paper but I have not had any problems with two sets of these books nor the larger hardback pocket sized book I carry sometimes. I gues it is a hit or miss with Moleskine.

Thanks and have a great day!!

James E. Merritt

[jimhughes]

Hi,

I have the Rollabind letter size Scrapbook system with cardboard covers prepunched, the cheaper punch and use my own paper. Originaly I was looking for a hardback notebook, something that would travel with me, sit on my lap and allow me to write without fighting with a cover and the notebook bending too much making it hard to write. I found nothing in the stores that was affordable and suited me. But this works perfectly, I can roll the paper underneath and it is very compact.

For a pocket notebook I have the small pocket sized Moleskines, the kind that come in a three pack for about $6.00 or so. Though the ink does bleed through, sometimes, very slightly, I love these little books. I carry one in my front shirt pocket and is there anytime I need it. I know some people have an issue with the paper but I have not had any problems with two sets of these books nor the larger hardback pocket sized book I carry sometimes. I gues it is a hit or miss with Moleskine.

Thanks and have a great day!!

James E. Merritt

All:
Stifflexibles are available in the US from Bromfield Pen Shop in Boston. Mine came in a couple of weeks ago, and are working out fantastically. No problems with using a Parker Duofold Jr and Waterman Blue-black ink. Google them on the web and order them direct. No affiliation just a very, very, happy customer. Jim

[lucentstreak]

Miquelrius- Great paper, almost the perfect smooth white paper for fountain pens, but I do wish they had other options than grid. As thick as the notebooks are, it's very difficult to write on both sides of the page. I did come up with a way to deal with this issue, though...write on one side of the page all the way through the book, and then at the end, flip the book over and start from the back to the front writing on the back of the pages. The paper is every bit as good as the Rhodia, though.

Just an update on your point about Miquelruis - I was just browsing through a bookshop earlier today and came across a small moleskine pocket notebook lookalike except for the words "La Buena Aventura" down the front. Flipping over, it had Miquelruis debossed into the back.

Looking at the small selection there (there weren't more than 10 books tucked in that corner), it comes in both grid and plain notebook in two colours - brown and black.

Unfortunately, the cost of each of these books were nearly comparative or more expensive than a pocket moleskine and they were all shrink wrapped thus rendering it impossible to look or feel the paper.

If you need/want more information - I found this website though it's in spanish.

[tawanda]

[Stifflexibles are available in the US from Bromfield Pen Shop in Boston. Mine came in a couple of weeks ago, and are working out fantastically. No problems with using a Parker Duofold Jr and Waterman Blue-black ink. Google them on the web and order them direct. No affiliation just a very, very, happy customer. Jim
[/quote]

I had a look on their website but could only see Clairfontaine. I even did a search but it turned up nothing.
Cheers
Tawanda