I decided to post my first review since I have found limited info on Fiorentina journals on the web.

I've been on the hunt for a good fountain pen friendly journal. I've been using a Moleskine journal for taking notes at work - I like the size and layout but as has been pointed out numerous times on this site, the paper is terrible for feathering/bleedthru - I've used Private Reserve, Noodlers and Namiki inks with no success.

I saw the Fiorentina journals at Barnes and Noble - they were "handmade" in Florence Italy. The paper looked to be a higher quality and heavier weight than the Moleskine. I decided to take the plunge and try one of the journals. I decided on the brown journal with a bead tie:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearc...402853746&itm=1

I've tried 4 different kinds of ink with excellent results - no feathering and minimal bleedthru. It feels like the pen just floats across the paper. Noodlers' Blue has the least amount of bleedthru but even the other inks are good (at least by my standards)

Also all the inks dry very quickly! This includes Private Reserve American Blue which I understand to have issues with drying time (it definitely takes a while to dry in my Moleskine). I used to carry a blotter page with my Moleskine - none needed with this journal.

Also, Barnes and Noble also sells a refill version of the same journal for $7.95
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearc...402899560&itm=4


The picture below shows the various inks that I tried (using a Namiki Vanishing Point and Waterman Phileas):


The picture below shows the back page - with the minimal bleedthru


Overall, I am very happy with this journal and would highly recommend it to anyone. It's a little pricey at $24.95 but I feel well worth it.


Mike

Thanks for the review!

I was wondering, though, how do black inks hold up? I use almost exclusively Noodler's black for taking notes. The cheap composition notebooks I use now don't feather too badly but bleed through like a hemorrhage.

I'm a full-time college student and therefore take a ton of notes everyday. I run through about 5 one-subject notebooks every semester for class notes ~ 10 every school year. This of course does not include loose leaf paper for assignments (yeah, I use a FP for math and science problems, too). Basically, I demolish way too much paper to be able to consistently afford such nice notebooks with high quality paper.

It seems almost a punishment to have pens that write so well only to have the final product look like a mess because the paper stinks. Oh well, Christmas is around the corner. "sigh"