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*This is my first review, and I know my pictures and scans aren't up to par with some of the review heavy hitters on here. But I'll do my best. :-) I've been using the Seven Seas journal for a week now, and I figure that I've had enough time with it to write a bit of a review. Full disclosure: I bought this product with my own money and the review is entirely my opinions based on my experiences. I judged the notebook on 5 criteria - portability, durability, value, writing experience, and details. The details are all the little extra things that make a product extraordinary. An otherwise perfect notebook that has nothing special (no "soul," if I may) could only get, at best, a 20/25. And with that, onto the review! Scores: Portability 4/5 Durability 5/5 Value 4/5 Writing Experience 5/5 Details 3/5Total: 21/25 Portability A5 is a bit big for a notebook to be carried around all the time, but any smaller and it would probably not be as pleasant to write in. The slim thickness also helps to keep it from being unwieldy, so overall the size works for me. Durability After a week of being toted around with me everywhere it still looks brand new. No problems with pages crinkling/tearing. Currently using the cheap plastic cover, but I plan to buy the Gfeller leather cover once it comes back in stock. The thread binding seems like it can take a lot of abuse, but I'm babying it anyway. Value These journals are not cheap, but you get a lot pages, durable binding, and quality paper. For what you get, I would say the price is more than fair. Writing Experience It's Tomoe River paper, need I say more? Edit - there is significant ghosting (which you can see on the scans) and ink does take a bit longer to dry, but I have yet to have any bleeding or feathering and the ghosting doesn't bother me at all when it comes to actually writing in or reading from the notebook. Details I absolutely love the color of the paper and lines, two page ribbons, rounded corners, and the line spacing. I hate the color of the cover (personal preference, so no points lost there). I wish it had numbered pages, options for blank/grid lines, and maybe a pocket in the back.Overall I really like this notebook. To the point that I've decided this is the only journal I ever want to use (at least for a while). I definitely plan to buy a few more soon, probably once I can get a cover too. :-) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I highly recommend this product. I am one of those people who just couldn't find the perfect journal and now I've found it. Even though I just use it a bullet journal, the wonderful experience of writing on that paper keeps me coming back throughout the day. Also, Dave is awesome. My journal took a bit of a roundabout trip to get to me and got a bit lost for a few days, and he was very reassuring when I emailed him about it. Thankfully everything worked out ok (actually, later that day it resurfaced on the tracking info). And now, a few gratuitous, poorly lit pictures: Also, in case you were wondering, the pen/ink used to write the review is a Pilot VP broad, inked with R&K Scabiosa. :-)

Hey guys. The Topic Title pretty much says it all. And yes, I've searched through the forums, but I'm an information hog and need MOAR DATA before I make a decision on where to spend my precious $20. (That might not seem like a lot to users of $250+ pens, but cash is not exactly flowing like water in the Black Crow household). Specifically looking for something that will support a semi/flexi pen (a.k.a. an Ahab), on the relative cheap. And yes, I've seen the reviews of the Rhodia Webnotebook and the Clairefontaine journals etc. I'm scouring in other places. Does anyone know where or whether a lowly end-user can get paper samples from any of these makers? I'd really like to test and see whether particular papers are going to be FP-friendly, esp. with flexi/semiflexi/maybeflexi nib. I know Seven Seas is much-beloved by many and uses Tomoe River paper, but does anyone know if one can just get a few sample sheets to test out? 480 pages and $30 is a BIG leap of faith.... Ecosystem--how is the bleed-through? I know it's all recycled paper; does anyone have problems using the back side of the page (the. . . verso, maybe? The back, posterior side. Dammit, why can't books be anterior/posterior or dorsal/ventral or something? ) for writing? There's a separate Paperthinks thread, but has anybody seen or used an actual notebook from them yet? I haven't found any good reviews online related to FPs. Shinola looks nice, American-made, but it uses 60# stock (which I'm pretty sure is the same thing as 24# copy paper). Has anyone had any successes or failures with this particular brand? I've seen the one thread about it, but do we have any other happy/unhappy customers hiding in the woodworks? Thank you all in advance!

Our Tomoe River Notebooks are now available. Made in Australia in collaboration between JustWrite and Olive and the Volcano Letterpress featuring 120 blank, white pages of famous Tomoe River Paper, a soft cover made of 450GSM black cardstock, machine stitching, rounded corners and blind embossing on the front and back covers. A5 $AUD19.00 A6 $AUD11.00 Flat Rate $6.50 delivery per order within Australia. Shipping to the US, UK and New Zealand. International Delivery Charges A5 Notebooks: US and UK: 1-3 books - $20.10 4-8 books - $35.70 9-12 books - $48.55 12 + books - $71.75 New Zealand: 1-3 books - $16.55 4-8 books - $27.15 9-12 books - $35.55 12 + books - $55.45 International Delivery Charges A6 Notebooks: US and UK: 1-5 books - $20.10 6-13 books - $35.70 14-20 books - $48.55 20 + books - $71.75 New Zealand: 1-5 books - $16.55 6-13 books - $27.15 14-20 books - $35.55 20 + books - $55.45 Delivery charges for mixed quantities of A5 and A6 notebooks will be automatically adjusted. International orders are sent by Australia Post Pack and Track International.

Hi Everyone I am a lover of the Tomoe River paper as many of you are, but wanted to explore other similar types of paper. I have heard a lot about Quo Vadis, but never used it, partly due to UK availability, although I have noticed it on Amazon recently Could you please share your experiences to date of Quo Vadis and how it compares to Tomoe River? Is there a clear winner for overall FP use? I am thinking the drying times might be a little quicker on the Quo Vadis paper? Your thoughts are most welcome! Thanks Izzy

My pen and paper website, PenPaperInkLetter.com, is turning 1! I wanted to give away something special so the first giveaway is for one of these coveted Hobonichi planners! Enter To Win Here http://penpaperinkletter.com/wp-content/uploads/slide_3-500x281.jpg

There seems to be a lot of interest in Tomoe River paper in the EU/UK... I have a classified ad on FPN for A4 loose sheets of Tomoe River. I have several thousand sheets in stock of both cream and white. Shipping anywhere in the EU/UK is 6,15 Euro for 100 sheets, and 8,80 Euro for 200 sheets. In France, shipping costs are 3,55 for 100 sheets and 4,65 per 200 sheets.

Background - and Disclaimer! A little over three months ago now (in April 2014), one of my local (Australian) online pen stores began stocking Tomoe River paper for the first time. I’d heard so much about it, I wanted to give it a try – but hadn’t been prepared for the cost of importing paper myself – so as soon as it became available in the online store (www.JustWrite.com.au), I placed an order. AU$16.50 for 100 A4 sheets, that’s not exactly cheap… but then again, this is a very unique paper. In conversation with Kevin Watson, the ‘proprietor’ of JustWrite Pens, I discovered that he’d linked up with a printer by the name of Jo Olive – proprietor of ‘Olive and the Volcano’, a local letterpress studio – and commissioned her to produce a line of notebooks using Tomoe River paper. These arrived instore last week – and Kevin offered me the privilege of receiving a couple of sample copies, in return for an impartial review. Let me stress from the outset, I have no relationship with JustWrite Pens, nor with Olive and the Volcano, other than as a customer – and a periodic recipient of JustWrite products for review. That said, it’s hard to understate how thrilled I am, not only to have access to Tomoe River paper from an Australian supplier, but now to have access to these beautifully presented notebooks as well. With no further ado, on to the review: Packaging The notebooks arrived in a cardboard container large enough to hold 2-3 of the A5-sized books – and to protect them against bending, folding, or creasing – a decided advantage if your only way of obtaining these books is through the mail! On opening the container, I found two Tome River Notebooks – one A5-sized, and one A6 – each with a beautiful paper wrap-around advertising the product: “Handwritten Letterpress Notebook – Tomoe River Paper”. Each notebook was also wrapped in a plastic bag, fitted to size, that provided additional protection while in transit. http://i.imgur.com/13g9ea3.jpg The Paper The paper used to make these notebooks should be familiar to anyone who frequents the Fountain Pen Network (and/or Fountain Pen Geeks!). Made in Japan by Tomoegawa Co Ltd, the paper is extremely thin and lightweight (52gsm, compared with 80gsm for normal laser paper, and 90gsm for Clairefontaine) – and yet one of the most fountain-pen-friendly papers going around. Even with the wettest of pens, Tomoe River paper is feather-resistant and bleed-through resistant –and though the translucency of the page makes ghosting inevitable, even this is not much of an issue, unless you’re holding it up to the light. There is a trade-off though: the dry-times for fountain pen ink tend to be a little longer than usual – though maybe comparable to Clairefontaine? In terms of colour, the paper in these notebooks is too pale to be called ‘cream’, but not ‘light’ enough to be called ‘pure white’ – so I’ll go for ‘off-white’. Its texture is beautifully smooth, allowing for just a hint of ‘feedback’ between paper and pen. http://i.imgur.com/KoXByIR.jpg If you want to know anything more about Tomoe River Paper, you’ll get a better idea of its properties from some of the other reviews on this site. Suffice to say, it’s a beautiful paper that works extraordinarily well with almost any fountain pen / ink combination – as long as you’re prepared for the slow dry-times, or prepared to use a bit of blotting paper. Each notebook has 60 sheets / 120 pages – compared with a Clarirefontaine A5 Cahier or a Staplebound Duo (9x14cm), both of which I purchased from my local OfficeWorks store… and both of which contain 48 sheets / 96 pages. By way of comparison, I’d say the Tomoe River notebooks are about 2/3 the thickness of the Clairefontaine, despite the larger number of pages in the former. I should also point out, the paper is unlined. I’ve suggested to Kevin that future shipments could come with a lined backing sheet – for now, buyers will have to make their own. The Cover – and Quality of Construction The JustWrite Tomoe River notebooks are presently available in two sizes – A5 and A6 – but the cover, the binding, and the finish on each are identical. The cover is made of black, 450gsm cardstock. That’s thinner than the comparable Clairefontaine products – I’d say the Cahier and Staplebound Duo were closer to 600gsm – but thick enough to provide some protection, and thin enough to be easily folded back. http://i.imgur.com/NtQoNI8.jpg Clairefontaine Stablebound Duo (Left) vs A6 JustWrite Tomoe River Notebook (Right) The notebook has been bound together by machine stitching – black thread to match the card stock cover. In terms of the ‘look’ of the product, that’s probably my only quibble: at the centre of the notebook, the black thread stands out starkly against the white paper – I wonder whether staple binding would have been a little less obtrusive? But the only time you’ll notice the threads is when you’re sitting right at the midpoint of the book – so maybe I’m being too picky! The machine stitching is regular and secure, and double-stitched at top and bottom, so there’s no risk of this product falling apart! http://i.imgur.com/phLT7n2.jpg Lightly embossed on the bottom right of the front cover of each book – and subtle enough that you could miss it if you weren’t looking for it! – is an embossed enscription (or should that be ‘debossed’? The imprint goes inward:) NOTES . TOMOE RIVER Paper Likewise on the back page, you’ll find the following inscription: A HANDCRAFTED NOTEBOOK A COLLABORATION DESIGN AND LETTERPRESS OLIVEANDTHEVOLCANO.COM JUSTWRITE.COM.AU http://i.imgur.com/F7Bh7It.jpg http://i.imgur.com/QH2rOwz.jpg The other thing that strikes me as I look at the notebooks is how beautifully finished the edges are – both for the cover and for the sheets. Although these notebooks are hand-crafted, the edging is very precise: the cover and the paper line up perfectly, and the corners of both have been rounded off. These notebooks are well-made, the cover is a good thickness, the binding is very secure. And again, the embossing is impressive - just deep enough to be visible, but faint enough not to be a distraction. The Verdict As I mentioned earlier, I’d been waiting for these notebooks to be completed with a sense of eager anticipation – and have not been disappointed. I’d hoped to be ‘first cab off the ranks’ in terms of purchasing one or two of these books – and was hesitant to accept them free, for fear that might create the perception of bias when it came to writing up a review. I can honestly say, though, I’m really impressed with these notebooks – so much so that I’m hesitating to write in them just yet (I still have a fair few loose A4 sheets of Tomoe River paper!) – but I wanted to get this review up online, particularly for Australian buyers, so you know what you’re getting if you place an order. (OK, OK, I caved - see writing sample below...) These handcrafted books are well-made, simple yet elegant, and beautifully finished – with one of the most fountain-pen-friendly papers in the world. [Late-breaking news: as I prepared to put this review up online, I received notification from Jono at www.pentorium.com that he’d just published a review also. Haven’t only skimmed it, but I direct the reader to his website for comparison - and some writing samples!] http://i.imgur.com/MoQinMl.jpg At the time of writing, the A6 books (which will easily fit an inside jacket pocket) are retailing for AU$11 plus postage, while the A5 books (my preferred size, personally) will set you back AU$19 each. That might sound a bit steep - but remember, Tomoe River paper is expensive to purchase - and even more pricey to import in any quantity! I should also mention, these notebooks are also available for international delivery – check the relevant product page on the website (www.JustWrite.com.au) for delivery charges. My thanks again to Kevin from the JustWrite Pen Company for providing me with review copies (1 each) of the A5 and A6 Tomoe River Notebooks – I’ll be looking forward to buying more of my own down the track… Any questions about the product, pop them into the comments below - I'll do my best to answer them.

We've just received a new shipment of Tomoe River paper and next week we hope to release our new Tomoe River Notebooks, so we thought it might be a good time to give away some free samples for Aussie fountain pen enthusiasts who have never tried it. Now you can try it out for yourself before you buy and make up your own mind about whether it lives up to it's reputation and is worth the cost. Just place an order for the 'Tomoe River Paper - Sample - 3 Sheets approx 210 x 100mm - White' and quote your FPN Username in the comments section during the checkout. You won't be charged for the paper or delivery but you MUST quote your FPN Username - that's the only condition. Click HERE to go straight to the free samples page. If you see a message "Sorry, we are not accepting payments from your region at this time." - Just ignore it and click on "Continue Checkout"

So I've been really struggling with finding a journal that works well for both me, and my fountain pens. Perhaps I'm being too picky, but I'm looking for a journal with the following characteristics: Lined Pages, 7mm or greater - For a journal, I need lines. And if the lines are too narrow I find I start to write very small and illegibly.A5 format - give or take. It needs to be large enough to write comfortably, and small enough to carry with me.Paper that won't bleed through. I don't mind some shadowing on the back, in fact, I find I somewhat appreciate it. Relatively white paperDurable - I carry this thing everywhere I realize that this is somewhat specific, but here's what I've tried so far that hasn't worked quite right. Moleskine Grid Notebook (5" x 8.25") - Loved the form factor. Hated the grid -- too narrow to write legibly. Also, all of my pens bled through Leuchtturm1917 A4 Thin Master - Great quality notebook. Love the page numbers. Thought I'd like the size, but find it a bit unwieldy. Lined rule (~6mm) is just slightly too narrow for me to write with anything but really fine nibs which limits my creativity a bit. Rhodia A5 Webnotebook - Got the lined version, and the lines are just a bit narrow again (~6mm). Paper is nice, but dry time for some of my pens & ink is long (could be fixed with blotting paper). Overall though, I just am not a fan of the yellowish paper. I'm currently looking at the Nanami Seven Seas Writer notebook. I've heard great things about Tomoe River paper, and these notebooks are supposed to be top quality. I also like the 7mm lines. I'm just worried it will be a bit too fragile to be chucked in my bag every day. What other notebooks should I consider! All suggestions are welcome!

Hi there, Looking to try some new paper for my fpens and read some great reviews about Tomoe River paper. Almost all reviews mention getting it from JetPens and whereas that would be a good option, I am wondering if there are any shops in New York city that may stock this paper (or generally stock writing paper ?). Have already aclled a few art supply stores like Pearl and also AI Friedman and they do not catrry this paper. Any help would be appreciated !