I am in a country were art equipment are rare and expensive?
One of the 3 art stores I have seen sells Moleskines and Clairefontaine notebooks.
Moleskines cost $20 and clairefontaine notebooks cost around $10(for a decent sized one)
Yes unbelievably pricey but it is the only thing available.
Is it worth it to buy them at these prices.
The reason I am asking is that the commonly sold notebooks here suck when it comes to fountain pens.
In fact, I use loose leaf paper in a binder as a notebook for college.
Are they worth buying??

In terms of quality and experience, yes, they are.

If terms of one's current financial situation and the ability to spend that on a notebook, only you can say. Personally, I try to make the cost of Black n Red (6 for A4 70 sheets) my max, becuase I am in college and money is generally not something I have too much of. I have even taken to printing graph paper note templates on HP 32#, and I think that is how I am going to contiune for the next 4 years of notes.

Also, get the clairefontaine. If tehy are about the same size, it is cheaper in your case, and will always be better paper.

-Nkk

EDITED: Clarity

worth it for what? What are you planning to use them for?

For college notebooks, I'd say no. Looseleaf in a binder is more versatile and given the sheer volume of notes, probably more pratical.

For an everyday journal, maybe, depending on how much priority you put on durability, paper quality, etc.

$20 is pretty steep if you're talking about a pocket moleskine - I think I would pass on that one. Have a look at some of the moleskine threads here - sometimes the paper will suck for FP use just as much as commonly sold notebooks.

$10 for the Clairefontaine sounds like a much better buy, depending on size and type of cover and binding. Clairefontaine is usually much more FP friendly than moleskine paper, too, so consider that.

I like both, but if I had to choose one, I'd pick the Clairefontaine, hands down. The paper is smoother, whiter, and - without doubt - more consistent in quality. Sounds like it's also a better deal for you.

You said art supplies. Are you planning on these notebooks for art or writing?

Is it possible to order online writing notebooks or art type books and have them shipped to you? Some FPN members maybe able to suggest good companies for you to use for fast, cheaper shipping.

As you see we have lots of questions for you. Give us some idea of what purpose you will use the paper/notebooks and we have tons of experience to offer.

Moleskines are variable and def not worth it. Clairefontaine on the other hand are awesome. Their paper is thick and pretty. But they are coated with something I believe.

Then you end up with ripped sheets of paper and at the end of the semester you've just got a ton of paper and no binding. I much prefer some type of spiral notebook since you don't get ripped sheets and after the semester is out you have a bound set of notes.

I hole punch HP 32 # paper. It is so thick, it is hard to accidentaly rip like regualr looseleaf. And in a binder, it is much more accesible than in a bound book. You can take a sheet out, copy it to study, and keep the original safe.

Then again, you are talking to the person who scans all of his notes for safety. A little OCD. Just maybe.

-Nkk

Clairefontaine is definitely worth it. A truly fountain pen friendly paper.

Where do you get HP 32 # paper? And is it ruled?

Also, scanning in notes = OCD.

I have not been pleased with Moleskines at all, in any size.

I'd say get over to ebay and pick up some Apica notebooks from taylorintherockies. I have some and they are less expensive and have better paper.

Kurt

I get it in an office suppy store, and I actually print a grid on it, with my name (it looks nice and neat). You could very well print lines on it instetad.

It is just HP 32 pound premium laserjet printer paper. About $15 to 17 per 500 sheets (i.e. cheap), and extremely fp friendly.

-Nkk

oooooookay. Well, I have a degree's worth of looseleaf notes, and several courses worth of grad school prep, on looseleaf paper, and it seems OK to me - even the courses I took for my first degree 25 years ago - and referred to quite a bit while I was out in the workforce. I suppose YMMV (to the max, as RevAaron would say )
I have used spiral notebooks too - sometimes that works out better, it just depends on the course.

Again, it depends on what the OP wants notebooks for - art or writing? school or personal journal? sitting at nice big lecture hall counters or horrible chairs with the fold-up writing surfaces? sketching while standing up, without a table? The intended usage is ultimately what determines which journal is worth it.

I'm thinking of doing this, actually, so I can have the ruling and line spacing I want. Is HP 32# FP friendly on both sides? I'm also trying to figure out whether it would be cheaper to have it printed out on my own printer, or take it somewhere to be copied.

Less expensive, yes. Better paper--depends on what fountain pens and ink you use! I've used both, and I prefer Clairefontaine, because some of my inks (mostly Noodler's bulletproofs and the occasional J. Herbin) feather a bit on Apica paper. Also, my XF nibs write more like F with some inks on Apica, which annoys me--this never happens on Clairefontaine paper. But YMMV--that's just my experience!

they are more expensive here in london at least for the moleskine... i got a moleskine diary and paid 14 pounds (no dollars) for it. clairfontain are cheaper but maybe about 7 or 8 pounds here... not cheap but worth quality. i would say yes go for it.

I don't think Clairefontaine paper is coated, but rather has that smooth shiny surface from a process called calendering where the paper is pressed through hard rollers.

Can't you buy on-line? I think it's worthwhile if you gather some orders to save shipping costs.

gonna agree here as I've still got some of my highschool notebooks written on loose leaf paper in binders that are just fine- no ripped sheets and if you keep them in the 3 ring binder it is bound. If it is such an issue vis. binding then just take a classes worth and take them to Kinko's and get them bound together. a 3 ring lets you have as much or as little paper for a particular class. I use to use a single thin book for note taking then would take the sheets and move them to 'master' binders.

Kurt

Yep YMMV. as I've not seen the same thing on Apica but then again I do not own any Noodler's inks.

k

Clairfontaine is sized (coated) the same as vellum for drawing. that's what makes it so smooth.


K

yep there are lots of people selling online. Only question is with costs to ship and import fees

K

I am going to be using the notebooks as a personal journal where I will also be sketching.
For the first time, I will be trying out both and decide for myself (everyone has a different taste.
Just a question of curiosity, which do you think is more suited to be used as a journal(for both sketching and writing)?

I would say a small size moleskine. I've found that with journal/sketch it is better to have one that is small enough to carry and make notes/ sketches while things are happening since journaling after the fact can lose some details.


k

It is friendly on both sides. There is a definate difference from one side to the other, but it is small and does not change smoothness or bleeding or feathering of anything. There just is a difference.

What type of printer do you have? If it an inkjet, then perhaps you should get it made elsewhere, or put your printer on draft mode. That is what I have to do, becuase otherwise the ink never is totaly absorbed into the paper, and your lines or gridding smear. But draft wuality fixes that quickly, and it does not change quality, as they are lines, not an intricate picture.

-Nkk

i dislike moleskin

i have my first clairefontaines - and they are fab

considering the price to me there is no comparison - clairefontaine everytime.

I have even bought a looseleaf clairefontaine to make my own journal...... great paper with a hardback of my choice and without the hardback costs

nkk is there a template that you use to print the grid, and is there any significant bleed through?

http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/plain/

There is the link, and there is absolutley no bleed through. It is heavy paper.

-Nkk