Tips For Off-White Fp-Friendly Notebooks..?

[TheDutchGuy]

Hello paper friends,

 

I do lots of writing at work, averaging 6 or 7 densely scribbled A5's a day, with Kaweco, Sheaffer or Cross fountain pens with F or M nibs. The standard notebook in the office is from Foray, which is not bad, but it doesn't work well with fountain pens: the paper is a little bit too smooth and seems coated. The ink huddles together on top of the page. It's an unpleasant writing experience and the result doesn't look good. Too bad, because I like the colour of the paper in those notebooks. I've had similar issues with other notebooks. On the other hand, cheaper notebooks tend to suffer from feathering.

 

And, contrary to most FP-fans, I need off-white paper. Totally white paper is unpleasant to my eyes.

 

Any tips for off-white FP-friendly notebooks?

 

Thanks!

[Chrissy]

My favourite would be Seven Seas Writer Journal that is Tomoe River paper. I also have a nice Gallery Leather Desk Journal. I've asked them what paper is in there but they won't say. It's a really classy journal though, especially if you can get it at a bargain discount price. I suggest you look around and see what's on offer, then check them out to ensure they are FP friendly before you spend your hard-earned cash.

[TheDutchGuy]

Thank you, Chrissy! I'll look into those.

[dcwaites]

Rhodia make their Premium ColoR pads with what they call Ivory paper. A bit more expensive than the normal Rhodia paper, but very nice to write on.

 

This is them, from an Australian vendor. - https://milligram.com/rhodia-premium-r-pad-16-color-series-ruled-a5-15x21cm-soft-cover?default=16933

 

They might be cheaper where you come from.

[tealeaf_egg]

Midori MD journals are a nice cream and handle ink perfectly. You can get them on amazon or from a Japanese stationery store.

[TheDutchGuy]

Nice ideas, thanks a lot!

[Bookman]

I'm late to the party, but might I add Designworks Ink notebooks to the list of those with FP-friendly paper that's off-white or off-ivory, depending on whether you're a glass-half-empty or glass-half-full kind of person. The company has only been in business since 2015, so you might not have seen its products before. Here in the U.S. one can find them these days almost everywhere notebooks are sold, including Barnes & Noble and Target. They can be bought directly from Designworks Ink online and from Amazon. Of the two or three dozen models Designworks Ink makes, I own three, including three of the middle notebooks:

 

L-R: A5 "Solid Moderns" ($15 USD); A5 "Standard Issue Notebook No. 3" ($15 USD);

semi-B5 "Seafoam Book Cloth 'Big Ideas'" ($16 USD)

 

All three have hard covers. The semi-B5 Seafoam Book Cloth is fully cloth-covered. The A5s have 192 lined pages. The semi B5 has 200 pages. The ruling is 6.5mm in all three. The paper is the same in all three notebooks: roughly 32 lb/ 120 gsm (my estimate) and indeed FP-friendly, smooth, with no feathering but occasional show-through with some pen-ink combos. All three have similar page layouts (the semi-B5 is slightly different):

 

 

The Standard Issue Notebook No. 3 has a sewn binding and a fabric-covered spine so it lays flat. Notice it has a pen/pencil loop and three ribbon bookmarks.

Edited May 26, 2018 by Bookman

[Karmachanic]

Thanks for Designworks Ink Bookman!

 

Masuya Monokaki

Life Noble

Digbat

Scribbles That Matter

Namiki is out of Writers at present but Crossfield is in stock

 

≈

[gmax]

Taroko Breeze notebooks also use A5 off-white Tomoe River paper, and may be easier to get within the EU, compared to Nanami which ships from the US. The Taroko notebooks have a lightly printed dot grid and numbered pages, and will fit into a Midori A5 cover.

[almoore]

Hi

 

If you have a Tiger (aka Flying Tiger) store near you I picked up an A5 (soft black PU cover and 'rainbow' printed edges); it has cream paper, lined to around 8mm and when I tested it it is FP suitable.

 

No bleed through, I tested using Blackstone Uluru red, just a light shadowing on the reverse but not enough to stop you using it - this may vary depending on the ink you use.

 

 

They are £3.00 so probably 3 euro's, I thought they were a nice affordable A5 for everyday use.

 

Hope this helps

 

Al

[mhguda]

SOHO (Small Ocffice Home Office) makes some nice offwhite notebooks. Not sure where you'd find them near you, but I got a few at the Albert Heyn store in Curaçao some time ago, and now see them in the book /office supply store here. The paper is reminiscent of Tomoe River, although it is heavier and not quite as glossy. They were relatively inexpensive. Pity is AH no longer carries them (and the b/o s wants much more for them). Plus they now only come with lined paper, not my preference. But there you go.