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Rhodia Weekly Planner Review


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Hi to all !



I've decided today to share mu review of my new Rhodia Weekly Planner 2015 with you.


First of all, I had (almost) a hard time to find it here in Montreal. This is because according to Rhodia (or QuoVadis) web site, this weekly planner is not distributed in Canada.


I was indeed looking for a new agenda, surfing here and there to may be identify something to change my Prenote. Not that I was bored with it, but, who know... lurking for something new ;)

I began to look at the Note 27, but the lines where buging me... and Tadaa! The Rhodia Weekly Planner seemed to be the One.

I was happy to have the oportunity to try something new when I realized that I was surfing on the US site. Switch to Canadian one... no trace of the Rhodia.

Big, big sight.


Before being completly depressed, I decided to go have a look at Nota Bene, a really nice place in Montreal, rue du Parc.

I mention the address because the place is really the one if you want to find anything special. The welcome is fantastic, too, and people there very friendly.


So... Here it was. The Rhodia Planner. Either in Black or Orange. I've decided to put some color in my life, so... let's go this the orange one !


First impression : I love the elastic band to keep it closed. Small enough (6"x9"), not too heavy, but enough room to write down "things".


I was really concerned about this paper being FP friendly. And the people at Nota Bene offered me to test that ! So... we did a test. (then we talked regarding some FP models they have, with a lot of tries, but this is another story ;) )


Back home, I took some pictures of the planner, just for you to have a better idea if this planner is on your radar.

Hope they will help.


Hum... after having completely mixed up the pictures :( , having no idea how to have my text under a pic. Now, I'm just not allowed to use "that" extension :crybaby: Which one ?



So... Well, euh... hum... :blush: :blush: :blush:



On the front page, the "2015" is impressed.


On the back, "Rhodia" is impressed.


The paper band, with some info.

:excl: I would like to mention that the 6x9 version has 90g paper, while the smaller version (not sure of the dimensions), has only a 64 g. paper !!


One week per page, notes with the "famous" Rhodia squares on the opposite page.


The bottom of the note page, with the current month, current week being highlighted, previous month and next month. This is a truly helpful feature for me. I love it.




So... How FP friendly the paper is?



Test with my Sheaffer Prelude and my Twsbi...

No feather. This was my biggest concern. B)



After 20 may be 30 seconds, I swept my finger on the line. No surprise : the TWSBI, very wet, is still not dry, using Black-Blue ink, from Noodler's.


Ican see a slight ghost of the other page. My Prenote, using the Sheaffer, was doing the same thing. At Nota Bene, the person told me that this is a regular issue with white paper, as I was saying that I was expecting a result similar to my QV Habana (so no ghost). He pointed out that the Habana was Ivory paper. Sounds logic.



Finally, the paper seemed a little bit light. The Habana seems really thicker. But the results show no feathering, and not so much ghosting through the page.



Overall, I'm pretty happy to have that one in my hands. I didn'd mention about overall quality of the planner. This a typical Rhodia product, robust, with QV maps at the end, all kind of info as the Helsinki temperature all the year around (Hi to FP lovers in Helsinki... :thumbup: )

The orange is bright enough so I should forget the planner on my office desk and feel naked the rest of the day.

Oh ! I should have mentioned that, after managing all my appointment on my Android, I'm switching back to a paper Planner. Why ? Well, I really believe that writing down on paper something helps you to remind the info, while writing it on a computer or a cell phone doesn't. I don't know why. I was noticing this for myself, when I run into some articles here and there stating the same point. Sooo...



Oh yes ! There is a very funny page ! The one where you write down all your very personal and sensitive information, as Social Insurance Number and so on. Just to be sure that if you loose your planner, your identity can be stolen, too.




So now, I just dying to be the 8th of December so I can began to write down "things". (and I had a really hard time to attach these pix..)


Thanks for reading. And sorry again for the lack of pictures.


Any question or comments ?


I'll be happy to answer ! But not sure to be able to post pictures of my agenda. :wacko:
Edited by e17
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Thanks for the review e17... was wondering if the Rhodia planner was still available. Couldn't find one last year, and really missed it's format.

Paradise Pen said they expected to have it before January. Have yet to see it listed on any US pen world sites.

Sounds like I want the 6x9 for the heavier paper this time.

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I know it is listed on the Rhodia US web site as I saw it there.

 

So you were using it for years ? Was this planner fitting your needs ?

 

The 90g is definitively a good choice. The size is bigger, sure, but you then have more room to write.

 

 

Hope you'll find it. I know online it is available.

 

Now that I can post pictures, here are some...

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post-77443-0-70686100-1416773992.png

post-77443-0-20480200-1416773993.png

post-77443-0-74205800-1416773993.png

post-77443-0-51093400-1416773994.png

Edited by e17
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  • 2 weeks later...

I have this planner in the 2014 version and I'm getting it again for 2015. By far and away my favourite. Love the paper, love the size, love the functionality. I had a Hobonichi as well but didn't use it.

Wouldn't it be great if Nakaya used TWSBI piston fillers instead of Platinum cartridge converters?

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I just asked a local bookstore - that stocks Rhodia - if they had any and they told me none had been brought in to New Zealand, but they would try to get some in. Apparently I wasn't the first person to ask. Looking on the Japanese market site Rakuten I find that there are 3 sizes for the planner and 3 colours in each: A4, A5 and A6, and black, orange and silver. The A5 size was priced around $22 and the advert stated the paper was 90g.

 

Something to think about.

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@Inkpete: Indeed, too sizes. But the small one as a 64g paper.

 

@Cryptos: a silver version and a pocket in the back cover (translated via google translate, because my Japanese is inexistant) ??

 

I'm curious to know more about it, as 1- silver is not an "official" color from Rhodia, and 2- mine don't have that pocket, and I don't see that pocket mentioned on any site/description, etc.

Could it be a fake ?

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I'm curious to know more about it, as 1- silver is not an "official" color from Rhodia, and 2- mine don't have that pocket, and I don't see that pocket mentioned on any site/description, etc.

Could it be a fake ?

 

Have a look here, e17, this site, bureaudirect in the UK, is 100% legitimate and it has the silver planners.

http://www.bureaudirect.co.uk/2015-rhodia-diaries/c621

Wouldn't it be great if Nakaya used TWSBI piston fillers instead of Platinum cartridge converters?

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@Paulmamanus: I'm curious to see if I prefer this Rhodia to my usual QV agenda (Prenote). I mean in term of room to note "stuff". I have the feeling the Rhodia will offer me more flexibility than QV, as the note section is free from any subcategories as "Money spent", "Phone calls", etc.

 

I begins next week... I'm dying to use it ;)

 

 

Oh ! a silver one! But it states a webplanner, when I have a Weekly planner. Not much of description this said. What about the pocket? I have to dig that ;)

 

Thanks for pointing this out to me.

 

 

edit: it seems a web planner has a grid of 18x22 when a weekly planner has a 28x38 one. I assume I was counting the same size of planner...

Edited by e17
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Looking at that other site the A5 Webplanner grid is 28 x 38 (hard to see on a small image) but the layout of lighter and darker lines is not regular, i.e. it seems to have a plan to it. Not sure why.

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Does this planner have those silly pages with world time zones, foreign shoe sizes, & other fluff of no use? Thanks.

 

Don't start vast projects with half-vast ideas.

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Yes it does.

 

At the begining of the planner, you have a page where you can write all your very personnal and sensitive info (;) ), then the "International telephone access code". Followed by :

- Minimum and maximum monthly average temperature in the world,

- Chart of International Holidays

 

At the end, after the 2016 planner, you'll find :

- North and South Amercia map

- Europ and Australia ans New Zealand map

- Africa and Asia

 

Then the phone book, which I personnally never use.

 

So, No time zone, no foreign shoes sizes ;)

Does this planner have those silly pages with world time zones, foreign shoe sizes, & other fluff of no use? Thanks.

 

Don't start vast projects with half-vast ideas.

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Dear e17,

 

Thanks for your response. Rhodia makes great note-books but the calendar is not for me. Years ago Brooks Brothers sold the best pocket calendar I ever saw. It was a calendar only, with no (as in zero) pages devoted to international average temperatures or other silliness. I bought one every year until they changed it & added fluff. I wish someone would produce a calendar like this again, calendar pages only.

 

Don't start vast projects with half-vast ideas.

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Minty,

 

I understand (and agrees) 100% what you are saying. Except for maps (I love maps), the rest is useless. All the info (including maps, I know), is available on the internet. And regarding the phone book, you still use it if you have a cell phone ?

 

I share the same wish ;)

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I am a bit disappointed with this year's planner. I have the 6x9. I am upset about the lack of a back pocket. I used this all the time for items like business cards and important post-its for work. I also miss the ribbon that is not in this year's edition. I know the corner tabs of each page can be removed but it was easier to use the ribbon. Even with those big upsets it is still a good planner. I really like the layout and the gird paper on the right side. The maps and all the extra stuff don't bother me but I don't use it either. I feel like the missing features should be noted to make the buyer aware.

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Thanks for the review e17... was wondering if the Rhodia planner was still available. Couldn't find one last year, and really missed it's format.

Paradise Pen said they expected to have it before January. Have yet to see it listed on any US pen world sites.

Sounds like I want the 6x9 for the heavier paper this time.

Third visit to Paradise Pen. This time my favorite salesperson was there, but attentively busy (a good thing) with another customer. No notice by the other two employees. One appeared annoyed that I was reaching around to see if the Rhodia planner was on the shelf. Finally got off of seat and moved away with no offer of help. Once the friendly saleperson was available, inquired about Rhodia, and was told there had been no plans to get it in this year, so the earlier misinformation from another cause three wasted visits, and during Holiday shopping crush. Skully products were available but no other trading up suggestions made. (I had noted on an earlier visit I had a leather Skully holder from previous years). I also intended to purchase ink. Perhaps it was an off, difficult day, but this was an unsuccessful third trip, with no alternate trading-up suggestions.

 

I asked the mall concierge if there was another store with stationary journals/planners, and Papyrus was mentioned. I'd recalled others here noting some success with Papyrus, so unwilling to leave the chaotic scene in utter defeat, (literal hour + time investment to find parking), I pressed on. Papyrus had 20+ customers vs Paradise's two, but easily pointed me to their planners. Moleskine which is not ink friendly, and few that had poor layout for my intended use. But then I saw the leatherette Papyrus brand, which met all visual and usage expectations, with the single question being, is it "ink friendly". The manager was quick to state that even if written in, should it be less than ink friendly, she guaranteed return with no questions. Not inexpensive But, as of today, 40% off, making this 5 x 7 weekly planner/journal less costly by $1-3, than the smaller sized 6 x 9 Rhodia weekly. Which I understand per reviews has left off some positive attributes since my last Rhodia purchase.

 

In using my new Papyrus upon return, with two entries, two inks, two nibs, so far I'm extremely pleased. If that changes I will update.

 

Here is a link to my review in Market Watch:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/280704-papyrus-2015-weekly-journal-40-off-sticker-price/

 

edited for speeling error

Edited by pen2paper
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I am upset about the lack of a back pocket. I used this all the time for items like business cards and important post-its for work.

Do you know any agenda with a back pocket? I will include this in my next year research ;)

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