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  1. Hello, I was just wondering if it’s just me or do you guys have a specific pen for a specific notebook? This ink color for this pen color only? I use my pilot kakunos (M,F,EF) with colors black, gris nuage, diamine grey, respectively, for my midori notebook journal. My kawecosport (BB) in the shade earl grey for midori everyday journal. 2 Kawecosport (EF) using Vinta in the shade perya and ubi for midori and rhodia notes. Kaweco perkeo (M) using smokey grey for random scribbles and midori travel journal. Am I the only one? Lol
  2. First a disclaimer…I am fairly new to the forums…joining only in March. And perhaps this topic has already been written to death. But I’ve been writing cursive italic for 40 years. Everyone seems to rave about Tomoe paper for writing with fountain pens. But it’s not my favorite writing paper. I know this can vary from person to person, depending on many different things, the pen, the nib, the ink, whether you prefer some “tooth” or not. Today, I was writing a letter on Tomoe 68 gm paper. I often use an italic fountain pen for my writing….and I write in cursive italic. But I seem to find it difficult to write on Tomoe paper with my italic pens. I was wondering if others had as difficult a time writing on Tomoe as I do. The paper is super thin, which doesn’t particularly bother me. But I think it is the extreme smoothness (almost slipperiness) that gives me trouble. It is so slick that it is difficult to form proper italic letter shapes (I’m talking quickly written cursive…NOT formal italic) and I am not able to get the nice thick and thins that I get with a “toothier” paper. So I got out 6 different types of writing paper that I have on hand: 1. Strathmore Series 400 Calligraphy writing paper 75 gm 2. Rhodia High Grade Vellum Paper 90 gm 3. Tomoe 68 gm paper 4. Triomphe Clairefontaine Vellum paper 90 gm 5. Md Midori Loose leaf paper 70 gm 6. Strathmore Premium Writing Paper 25% cotton 90 g I took out several different pens with different nibs…from extra fine to medium regular nibs to italic extra fine to double broad. I wrote the same sentence on all the papers with all the various pens and nibs. I would say both Tomoe and Rhodia paper produced the most “saturated” colors with a higher sheen. Both are very smooth papers. It is difficult for me to control the uniformity of my handwriting as well on these papers. I just don’t have the control of my pens that I would like to have…especially my italic pens. They simply just don’t “feel” as nice to write on as some of the other papers. The ink lines are slightly thicker on both of these papers. The next smoothest paper was the Triomphe Clairefontaine. I felt I had more control over my pens on this paper. It is slightly “toothier” than the Tomoe and Rhodia. My pens grabbed the paper better, so I had more controll over my pens. The italic pens seemed to work much better on this paper also, providing nice thicks and thins. Next for me was the MD Midori paper. Very similar to Triomphone Clairefontaine, but just slightly toothier. Writing on this paper was perhaps the best for both regular fountain pens and my italic pens with italic cursive. The ink flowed very well, it was nice and saturated. Next was the Strathmore Premium Writing Paper 25% cotton. Actually, I really liked writing on this paper also, especially with my regular nibs. The “toothiness” made control of my regular nibs very easy. My italic nibs did not write as well on this paper, since it is rougher than the other papers. Formal italic would work fine but cursive italic handwriting is a little more difficult. My regular fountain pen nibs worked well on this paper. Nice saturated ink and dried quickly. The last paper, Strathmore Series 400 Calligraphy Writing Paper 75 gm is a bonded paper. So there are very small ridges running through it. Regular fountain pens again worked very well on this paper. But italic cursive writing was the most difficult on this paper because of the ridges in the paper. This paper would be OK for formal italic. The paper itself is the prettiest paper of all 6 that I tried. Since ALL of the paper I tried is “writing paper,” I really did not have any major problems with bleeding or feathering. Comparing the ghosting from best (least show through) to worse (most show through): Best: MD Midori Rhodia Strathmore Calligraphy Paper Triomphe Clairefontaine Strathmore Premium Writing Paper 25% Cotton Worst: Tomoe 68 gm paper My conclusions regarding these papers for the way that I write, and the pens that I use: For both regular nib fountain pens and italic nibs, I prefer both the Midori and Clairefonatine. These 2 papers work the best (FOR ME) as all around writing paper. For formal italic, I would normally use specialty papers….but the strathmore calligraphy paper, as well as the Midori and Clairefontain could also be made to work okay for formal italic. If I’m only using regular fountain pen nibs (not italic), then all of them EXCEPT Tomoe and Rhodia. The Tomoe and Rhodia paper are simply to slick for me. I don’t like how my pens feel when I write on these papers, and I am not able to control my pens well. I suppose you could say they are “too buttery” for my taste. Sorry about the pun. I like to be able to have control and “feel” my pens working on the paper. And I do NOT have a heavy hand when I write. I know most people will probably disagree with me, but that’s just my opinion based on my experience with these papers. In time and with more writing experience, this could change. I’d be curious about how others feel; especially in regard to using italic nibs for cursive handwriting. What paper do you prefer? Which nibs on which paper. And why?
  3. Hello! I'm new to the forum and searched as best I could but didn't see much talk about the new version of the Midori Brass Fountain Pen. I'm purchasing it from the shop in the link, but I was curious if anyone had any experience with the pen? I'm assuming it's a Japanese nib so it'll run on the dry side? With that in mind, should I go for a wet ink? There just doesn't seem to be much info about it online. Thanks so much!
  4. Hey all, we all love fountain pens and we all want to write with them. So at one point we need to find ourselves some nice paper. In my case I also wanted a nice notebook which contains the paper. Eventually I discovered the Midori Notebooks and loved them. Simple design but a very thought through, cool looking little system. The problem that I had was the price. I just did not want to (and shouldn't at the time) spend 50$ for a notebook. So I had the idea to google a little bit and see, if there were people who made their own versions of that Traveler's Notebook. And I was lucky. I found , which explains in detail how to cut the leather and this website, which teaches you how to make your own refills and provides printable templates (if that's something you want to do). I could tell you myself how I did it, but I think these two sources are doing a pretty good job explaining everything. I just would repeating it here. I liked the passport-size, but I did not wanted to be dependent on Midori refills. So I changed the format in the way that now I can refill with small Moleskine or FieldNotes notebooks. After that, I bought some nice leather on ebay together with a cheap leatherpunch and was ready to go. Here are the first four I made. http://i1367.photobucket.com/albums/r799/manoart/PhotoGrid_1381243254004_zps0c384e16.png I must say, I'm pretty pleased with the end result and I hope you try it yourself if you have the time and the passion. It's also great as a gift if you can't or do not want to spent the 50$ or more and it comes with this special self-made charm. Enough rambling. Have a good day, Manuel
  5. Ace Hotels collaborative events in Los Angeles and New York. A special edition TN cover will be available. The events will be held in Downtown Los Angeles on 10-12 November, and in New York on 17-19 November. In addition, new collaboration items will be introduced. TRAVELER’S notebook™ Ace Hotel Collaboration Model Camel A leather cover with the logo of Ace Hotel pressed on the back, and a grid printed kraft paper refill is set together. This time, a camel color will be newly released. We made this with the hope that travelers can use this as a backpack in which they can store their travel memories http://www.travelers-company.com/topicsinfo/topics-2017/ace-hotel-la-ny
  6. I've been doing my research on traveler's notebooks and gearing up to purchase one. In doing my humble research it's hard to miss the Traveler's / Midori notebook and I know it has a huge community. I've also stumbled on a bunch of custom ones on Etsy. I've been able to whittle it down between two products. The Traveler's / Midori The Wanderings https://wanderersway.com/products/the-wanderings-notebook According to Wanderings site; it can take all the inserts and accessories that the Midori one can so I wouldn't worry about that. I'm curious if anyone has purchased The Wanderings one and if so are they happy with their purchase or wish they would have spent the extra money and the Travelers / Midori Notebook? Feel free to chime in with any and all insights between the two or even other ideas as well.
  7. A year of travel with my regular brown MTN (Midori Traveler’s Notebook) has gone by and I could not resist an urge to get another, this time perhaps a more portable one. Not the ultra portable (thumb drive kind) 10th Anniversary Notebook Mini (below), which stupendously completes itself within a span of 5 centimetres. This one had to be a passport, possibly with the recent branding of Traveler’s Company, Japan. If you would prefer a blogger view and enjoy pictures, do click on the below link: The Traveler’s Notebook Review You can find a review of the regular sized MTN here. Or should I say TN! Midori as many of you know is in fact is a 66-year old Japanese company specializing in paper products and creative design stationery. You may also bump into MD Paper, while searching for quality paper products across the Asian market. If you are not very familiar with the Traveler’s company brand, I can rest assure you that it is a rather recent development of 2016. The traveler’s notebooks which were marketed earlier under Midori brand of products, have been rebranded under Traveler’s Company, Japan. Additionally this Traveler’s Company is hosting a few other older product lines including spiral notebooks, kraft paper envelopes & the usual brass stationeries. The core part of the notebook i.e the paper is manufactured in Japan whereas the leather cover is finished by hand in the old city of Chiang Mai, Thailand. The Traveler’s Notebook comes in two different sizes – Passport & Regular. Though it used to come across two standard colour variants i.e black & brown, there is a third Camel colour available now, which was released as limited runs before. Also a few other limited colour runs (say: Blue) are released by Midori from time to time. DESIGN & PERFORMANCE (6/6) Multi-tier packaging. Not expensive, but Differentiated! A polyethylene plastic wrap, diaphanously enclosing a package wrapped in traditional brown paper, increases the excitement of unwrapping a gift. And you can also use the brown paper for a bit of nib smoothing! A note on the front of the package in traditional Japanese paper, reveals that the leather cover ages with time and use. Another at the back pictorially explains the four enclosures inside - Cotton Bag, Leather Cover, Blank Refill & Spare Rubber Band. It also makes a promise that the paper of the enclosed refill (notebook) is resistant to bleed-through (although there is some ghosting), but you can say that there is always a tomoe-river refill available, to simultaneously feel & enjoy ghosting to the maximum! On opening the brown envelope, you can find the notebook enclosed within a white cotton bag. You get two spare rubber bands (green & brown). You can also remove the brown one from the enclosure, to use it with the TN. Now the TN Passport is unveiled. You are right, it’s the Camel one . The leather enclosure is secured by a matching orange rubber band going through a perforation at the back, expresses both sense and simplicity in design. The cover is made of cowhide, ensconcing an elemental texture and I can say from experience that it acquires character over time. It’s supposed to scratch, change colour over time to transform into your signature dated companion. A note explains that the leather has been naturally dyed to retain the texture and wetness could result in coloration of immediate things touching it. To remove blemishes, you can use a normal leather cream (the white one), the one you might have used on your shoes/belts. The TN carries a single stitched notebook with blank pages (Refill#003). Two strings running across the notebook and the leather cover through multiple perforations are anchored by a small tin clasp, placed at the top-left end of the notebook system. The rubber band fastens the notebook and the rather loosely held non-elastic one is meant to be a bookmark. As stated in the other review, the economy of this notebook is primarily based on an Add-On model: base + spares, like the Gillette razor-blade model or a Sony PS. But again, Sony too sells its PlayStation at a loss and makes up for the same with the entire gaming economy. So, the ecosystem for the traveler notebook consists of two categories of refills – Notebooks and Accessories. Notebook refills primarily come in 64 pages (both sides) across lined (001), grid (002), blank (003) and lightweight Tomoe-River paper (005) variants. You can accessorize your traveler with pocket-sticker (022) or a camel color pen-holder (015/016), once you purchase the refills, but your only concern could be regarding the price which ranges between $4 to $10. There are several other inserts that are available for the TN. Some older ones have been discontinued. You can find a complete list of refills for the passport sized TN here. I had ordered two passport sized refills along with this TN - Refill#002 & 005, both have a simple wrap with a coloured stamp conveying the necessary details including the type of paper and number of pages in it. Adding a refill notebook to TN is pretty easy, by using one of the spare elastic bands to connect the new notebook with an existing one. The elastic band needs to be secured & adjusted around the spine of both these notebooks. Embossed at its bottom-left corner of the back cover is the newer 2016 branding of TRAVELER’S notebook & TRAVELER’S COMPANY, JAPAN & MADE IN THAILAND instead of just the usual MIDORI & MADE IN THAILAND. And that is the only visible change. PHYSICS OF IT (4/6) – RELATIVELY SPEAKING The dimensions of the TN Passport size are 10 X 13.5 cm , with a thickness of 1.2-1.5 cm with two standard 64 page passport refills. A passport is quite portable compared to a regular sized TN. However, I am more at ease with the regular size, given my writing style and preferences. The TN Passport could score very well for other who have a smaller handwriting size. ECONOMIC VALUE (3/6) The traveler notebook and two 64-pages refill cost me around USD 46, with shipping from Japan. While the price might still be low for a comparative analysis (with other shops), it’s still a notebook and a rather small one for me. And once you are locked in, you might have to purchase refills typically costing anywhere between $4 to $10. That’s TN’s formulae for gross margins. TN is also facing increasing competition in e-com from newer & newer faces like 1, 2 and many others. OVERALL (4.3/6) Exquisite Design. Yes. First Mover. That too. MD paper is nice, thick and smooth for all your beloved nibs & inks. I tested a medium nib of Pilot Custom 823 running on Iroshizuku Yama Budo ink inside. And it ran smoothly leaving behind the right amount of ink for shading. The thickness and texture of the MD paper makes even a relatively wet ink dry up pretty fast (less than 18 seconds). Although there is a bit of ghosting. It’s a subjective opinion and you might like the passport more than the regular. I find the regular handy. Then on the inside cover of each refill you have a midori styled passport page to note down your passport details. It’s illogical to travel with this & without your passport, but I still like that act. So if you have already developed a similar cerebral logic and love the style, then get it! Else wait for a year or two and get a limited run to add to your pen & paraphernalia collection. Thank you for going through the review. You can find some more pen & paraphernalia reviews here. REFERENCES MTN Regular Review Traveler’s Company, Japan 10th Anniversary Notebook Mini Midori Passport Refills Leather Maintenance for TN
  8. Ok, I couldn't resist, after having the brown one for about a year with the Midori N°13 insert with its beautiful fountain pen paper, I had to get the camel when this color finally was available again... Here is the link to my unboxing: I hope the link works! JS
  9. Geekbrewer

    Lamy And Midori Question

    So I am new to fountain pen usage, and loving it. I have a Lamy Safari pen. I like to use it in my Midori traveler's notebook, but I have an issue with how long it takes the ink to dry. I have to keep a piece of paper between the pages when I close my Midori to keep the ink from transferring. Then if I write one day, and come back to write again the next, the ink will smudge on my hands and fingers as I hold my notebook. So my question - is there a different kind of ink I can get to use in my pen and not have this issue?
  10. Before I start this post let me just say I am new to fountain pens and paper and all of this stuff, but I've watched a plethora of YouTube videos, browsed a large amount of websites, and done all I can so far to educate myself as to how all of this works. I have a fountain pen already that was a gift from my girlfriend (Parker Sonnet, Medium 18K nib), since then I've forced myself to relearn cursive handwriting and it has paid off. i think I'm ready to take the next step and buy a proper notebook for everything I write, as I've started to hand-write things much more than I used to prior to receiving this pen. After some research I've decided I want to buy a traveler's journal... Or rather, I think I want to buy one. I could really use both the passport size and the normal size, as I'd use both for a different purpose. That's when I came across fauxdoris, cheaper alternatives to the Midori. I came across this product in particular, and was wondering if anybody here on FPN has any experience with these? Two of the main reasons why I am considering this product is because A: The price and B: The dark green color option. Now here's where things will get slightly more complicated - I've not even made up my mind as to whether or not I even want a traveler's notebook. I've been looking at Rhodias as well, and they seem practical for fountain pen use. Currently I'm using a cheap 99 cent store notebook and the bleed through is so terrible it's unbearable. If I buy a fauxdori and eventually buy some Midori inserts, how does the paper quality compare in terms of bleedthrough etc. to other brands? If bleedthrough and feathering are minimal I believe that this may be an acceptable buy.
  11. I love my TN, I love Tomoe River paper. I want to be able to use both at once. Has anyone found any source of Traveler's Notebook regular-sized inserts made from Tomoe River paper? I've been Googling, but the only things I've found are tutorials for binding your own inserts - unfortunately I am a giant klutz and can be guaranteed to gratuitously mess up any attempt at cutting and sewing paper I start. (Believe me. I've tried.) Now, I'm pretty sure the answer is "no, nobody is making such a thing" - but I'd love it if you could prove me wrong!
  12. I'm a fresh spring lamb to fountain pens (I own a Lamy Safari and a Pilot metropolitan, purchased as of February), much less purchasing inks for them and I'm looking for a happy marriage for my F nib Pilot Metropolitan and my recently ordered Midori lightweight insert. I have yet to receive it, I'm just plotting on how best to utilize it. I'm looking for a quick drying ink, preferably colorful, that will play nice with the lightweight insert. (And with minimal chances of me closing it like an idiot before the ink has a chance to dry and ruining everything.) Doesn't need to be waterproof or any other qualities really, as I won't be using it for anything outside of writing. Has anyone bought this particular insert and had good experiences? I am trying it at the recommendation of a friend, and I want to get full use of it to plan and take notes concerning my tabletop campaign plus day to day notes.
  13. Sakura FP Gallery

    Midori Notebooks !

    It is not my goal to become a Japanese store but I added the Midori notebooks and TN's in the Sakura Fountain Pen Boutique ! They are gorgeous to look at, they have a great feel and they are super to work with. I hope you like them too ! Catherine http://www.sakurafountainpengallery.com/en/boutique/notebooks-amp-paper
  14. JohnSparegrave

    X17 , The Missing Link

    Hi, This is my first post here though I have been reading a lot of reviews and talks as I was bed stricken the last months. I'm a stationery lover and this is my video review of the X17 which in my opinion is one deal of a notebook since it has both the advantages of the Midori leather notebook and the comfort of your regular A5 notebook. Paper is not very fountain pen friendly but there is no showthrough, it is just that I like my pages smooth. The notebook itself though is gorgeous. Here is the link to the video since I don't know how to put it there : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54ehCgOsbO4 I hope you'll like it as much as I did. Also I love the fact that they are a small family size company. John
  15. Hi Folks, As a lover of the MTN, I'm in the process of designing a planner for the system. I will later run a campaign in Kickstarter to fund the cost of publishing it. I'm writing this post to ask for support of experienced and heavy users of either planners or MTN system. If you like to have fun while designing the best planner for the MTN system, send me a PM. Many thanks in advance. Best regards, AM
  16. Hello community, I have a problem here. I have been using a Midori Traveler's Notebook for some time now and got myself a Montblanc pen recently...perfect combination, I thought. However, I am experiencing some problems here: the paper does not accept the ink every now and then. The nib slides across the paper and it seems like the paper was coated so that nothing wet stays on it...weird thing to desribe but I hope you understand what I mean. The effect is not everywhere on the paper...there seem to be some spots on a page where this occurs. Here are some facts about my "equipment": Montblanc 145pMidori refill #005 (Free Diary)Ink: Montblanc Toffee BrownHas anyone here ever heard of these problems? I though, Midori was a very ink-friendly paper...
  17. Just noticed a boatload of the new Midori tamenuri is currently on sale at Iguanasell.com.... I think this new finish (not the all- over midori, just at the seams) has some link to the recently discontinued Ao-tamenuri. They have some Ao-tameniri's there too!
  18. Midori Traveller’s notebook; Pan Am edition I used to fly Pan Am, back in the 80’s… Clear zipper pocket- ideal for stashing those tiny Filofax (Hobonichi!) stickers. Post- it notes always come in handy... Midori Craft envelopes. Plain paper insert pictured on right. Midori Passport size notebook Although I prefer the look of the larger Pan Am edition MTN, I actually find the passport size far more useful. For one, I never forget where my passport is, I can stash Euro’s in there way in advance for those emergency airport taxi’s, i can keep tickets and other sundry items, and its very pocketable, much lighter, and mine has a leather pen loop too. The great thing about these travellers notebooks is that you can add or takeaway as much as you want. It doesn’t sound that useful, but once you have it, you find it becomes indispensable. Those over- priced plastic inserts are especially useful. I wouldn’t bother with the fake- Midori (faux-dori?) inserts that people make at home and sell on etsy. They don’t look quite right and don’t fit quite right, so I wouldn’t bother. As printed on the back, these are actually made in Thailand, not Japan. Here featuring my pen loop and Pilot Custom 823
  19. This is a short review of a A5 sized MD notebook. I have also replicated the content with some additional pictures in my blog, as the images are/will be reduced to a small thumbnail after a short-while by the image hosting service. Below is a link to the same: Midori MD Notebook Review After falling in love with my MTN and the entire ecosystem part of it (Some of the ecosystem elements and their use are most eloquently covered by Pavoni in this post.), I wanted to have the same fountain pen friendly paper, sans the panache of an MTN. And it’s closest cousin seemed to be an MD notebook. I went for a A5 sized one, as it was quite readily available. PRESENTATION (6/6) The entire package rests within a polyethylene plastic wrap, and a tracing paper enclosure keeps you happy with the very process of unravelling. There is a bottom band of blue branding wrapped over the notebook, which covers essential product specifications/branding in English and certain things in Japanese. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/MD%20Notebook/md%20004-pres_zpsimpj0jp5.jpg MD ELEMENTS (6/6) The notebook is thread-stitched and a weaved cloth is glued along the outer-spine, perhaps as an embellishment for a classical literary look. You would feel at ease, to write on a MD Notebook, as it remains completely open, thanks to the stitching. Clever! A ribbon/bookmark can be found in the middle, and I feel it is quite well-thought of, in case you choose to mark something essential. The cover is made up of card stock usually meant for business cards, post cards or catalogue covers. On the front, it carries the branding of ‘MD PAPER, Made in Japan’, in a subtly embossed format. As an ecosystem refill, a clear PVC cover is also available for each of the notebook sizes, in case you are planning to use a particular size regularly. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/MD%20Notebook/md%20007_zpspcyizqpy.jpg There are four stickers to label your notebook. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/MD%20Notebook/md%20008_zpsg1cxy2bt.jpg The inside cover has a box of particulars with a bit of MD branding. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/MD%20Notebook/md%20010_zpsqixbbaqv.jpg PHYSICS OF IT (6/6) – RELATIVELY SPEAKING Quite a compact one with dimensions - L(21 cm) X W (14.8 cm) X H (1.1 cm), it does get a bit wider and shorter, than a standard parker A5 notebook or even an MTN. It has 88 leaves with square grids (of 0.5 cm) on both sides. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/MD%20Notebook/md%20012%20dimension_zpsjuv4kq7z.jpg ECONOMIC VALUE (6/6) It cost me a pretty decent USD 9 with some combined shipping from Japan. I ordered it online on Rakuten global. OVERALL PERFORMANCE (5/6) I love the understated looks of the notebook. A Pelikan fine nib glides along the paper with a wet line although it takes around half a minute to dry. I did observe a minute amount of feathering and a decent show-through after writing on the first page. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/MD%20Notebook/md%20015_zps94mvpqqw.jpg Unlike the MTN refill paper, these pages are quite thin and the show-through is visible on the other side of the page. Although from a personal context I feel that you can write on the other side too, but YMMV. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/MD%20Notebook/md%20016_zpsawmj9km7.jpg I hope you enjoyed this short review and it helps with your next notebook purchase. Best, Sonik
  20. Finally, giving in to all my desire, I went for a midori traveler's notebook. This is a regular sized notebook with a brown leather jacket. I have also replicated the content with some additional pictures in my blog, as the images are/will be reduced to a small thumbnail after a short-while by the image hosting service. Below is a link to the same: Midori Traveler’s Notebook Review Lately, along with a fair bit of travel, my focus has shifted towards acquiring various paraphernalia, genetically consistent with the core fountain pen ecosystem, while the pen themselves are in transit . Having used parker notebooks with the usual ivory coloured paper, for my travelogues; I was fascinated by the idea of a notebook enclosed in a traditional manner within a leather jacket. To my limited knowledge and much elation, the Midori Traveler Notebook came out to be much more than that. I came in touch with the Midori brand, when I had got myself an aluminium multiple ruler. As per their website, Midori is a 65-year old Japanese company specializing in paper products and creative design stationery. You may also bump into MD Paper, while searching for quality paper products across Asia. From the perspective of paper, the company also makes stitched notebooks along with the flagship Traveler Notebook. And the core part of the notebook i.e paper manufacturing remains with Midori, Japan. Traveler Notebook comes in two different sizes – Passport & Regular acorss two standard colour variants – black & brown. (Additionally a blue - special edition is being released in April - 2015). The one being reviewed here is a regular sized traveler notebook. PRESENTATION (6/6) One of the enchanting parts of the notebook is the multi-tier packaging. Nothing expensive, but enticingly ‘differentiated’! A polyethylene plastic wrap, diaphanously enclosing a package wrapped in traditional brown paper, increases the excitement for unwrapping the gift. A note on the Traveler’s notebook in traditional Japanese paper, reveals a consistent purpose and description. It does reveal that the brown leather jacket is handmade in Chiangmai, Thailand, whereas the notebook is manufactured in Japan, thus referencing and embellishing quality http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/mtn/mdn%20001_zpsn3bkbpwx.jpg At the backside of the package, rests some information regarding manufacture of the notebook and the leather jacket – from the countries of JAPAN and THAILAND respectively, along with product/bar codes and other compliance details in Japanese script. The brown package is fastened with a reddish-brown elastic band. Opening the package, unveils a notebook enclosed in a white cotton bag. Additionally, one spare elastic band (orange) is provided in a poly-pack. You can also remove the reddish-brown elastic band from the outer enclosure. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/mtn/mdn%20005_zpsvgrigln6.jpgI had also ordered a 64-page refill along with the notebook (Refill#001), which has a simple wrap with a coloured stamp conveying the details of it. DESIGN (6/6) A leather enclosure secured by a single brown elastic band going through a perforation at the back of it, expresses the sense and simplicity part of it. The cover is made from cowhide leather, with an elemental texture and it acquires grace with time. It’s supposed to scratch, acquire colour over time to transform into your signature companion. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/mtn/mdn%20007_zpsbewykgcf.jpg The enclosure carries one single stitched notebook with blank pages (Refill#003). There is a series of two strings running across the notebook and the leather cover through multiple perforations on the it and those are anchored by a small tin clasp placed at the top-left end of the notebook system. The elastic band fastens the notebook while the rather loosely held non-elastic one is meant to be a bookmark. The only embossed mark on the leather jacket is at the botton-left side of the back cover, which states MIDORI & MADE IN THAILAND. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/mtn/traveler%20ends_zpsgtncgrzr.jpg So, the primary ecosystem for the traveler notebook consists of two categories of refills – notebook and accessory. Notebook refills come in 64 pages (both sides) across blank (003), lined (001), grid (002), monthly planner (005), lightweight paper (128 pages, 013) and kraft paper (014). Accessorizing your traveler with sticky notes (022) or film album (023) or a pen-holder (015/016) is pretty easy once you purchase the refills and they may be priced between $4 to $10. There are several other inserts that are available for the traveler. You can find a complete list here. The design of the notebook is primarily based upon an Add-On model: base + spares like the Gillette razor-blade model. But again Sony too sells the PlayStation at a loss and makes up for the same with the entire gaming ecosystem. PERFORMANCE (6/6) The enclosing elastic band can be replaced with another by pulling it out from the inside of the back-cover. Adding a notebook is easy, by using one of the spare elastic bands to connect the new notebook with the existing one, which needs securing the band around the spine of both these notebooks. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/mtn/mdn%20014_zps6pujgcto.jpg PHYSICS OF IT (4/6) – RELATIVELY SPEAKING A very portable one, the dimensions (13 X 21 cm) match closely with the standard parker notebook. However, given the availability of pages (192 in parker) and an absence of a pen-holder, the parker does score some brownie points here. If you are looking for pure table-top writing experience, then parker can be more appealing, given its solid frame. The leather cover does offer a lot of flexibility when you are travelling and it’s meant for traveler. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/mtn/mdp%20comp_zpswhmmm4aj.jpg ECONOMIC VALUE (4/6) The traveler notebook and a 64-page refill cost me around USD 35, with free shipping from Japan. While the price might still be low for a comparative analysis (with other shops), the economic value of the notebook does not do very well against the likes of competition - parker costs less than one-fourth of the same. Then again, you have to purchase refills typically costing anywhere between $4 to $10. That’s midori’s ecosystem for making money. The Add-On model! OVERALL (5/6) The design and vogue part of the traveler is exquisite. And yes, the MD paper is nice, thick and smooth for all your beloved fountain pens. Since, it was another Japanese product, I tested a Sailor Pro Gear Sigma Slim (Medium) with it. And it did run like a dream, laying quite a fine wet line. The thickness and texture of the MD paper makes even a relatively wet ink dry up pretty fast (sailor jentle ink dried within 6 seconds). However, that again comes with an little although unnoticeable bit of feathering, unlike the parker notebooks . However, there is no bleed-through for the paper. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/mtn/mds%20001_zpstbof40zu.jpg It was fun reviewing the Midori Traveler Notebook. Hope you enjoy the review and find it useful. Thanks, Sonik
  21. For some time now, I've been using leather notebook covers made by a UK-based craftsman, Fenner Benedict. Made from a variety of traditional materials, they are well-finished and of the highest quality. And of course, available easily in the UK. However, I decided that having already got the Explorer 2 which I use with Moleskine Cahiers and Field Notes, I thought I'd try the latest Explorer 3 in Midori Passport size. Good call! As can be seen from the photograph below, the two covers are virtually the same, apart from the size of course, and I chose the black leather for the Midori-sized one. The Explorer range come with a cleverly laid-out set-up where a single piece of bungee cord is threaded through the cover to give four bands straight away, so that number of books or inserts can be used immediately. But, Midori refills are a little on the expensive side for me, to use all the time so I decided to use the excellent (in my opinion) Clairefontaine 1951 pocket notebooks (9cm x 14cm) and trim down to the Midori size. Basically, I just trimmed about 7mm or the top and bottom of the notebook and it fits just fine. Because the Clairefontaine books have more pages than the Midori ones per se, I made the cut-down version a fraction shorter so that it wouldn't be difficult to fit into the cover. I also make my own notebooks for both, especially if I want a 'disposable' one with perforated pages - shopping lists etc. Using thin card for the cover and either QC or Ryman's Bank papers for the pages. Very simple to produce. I realise that there are loads of similar options out there, from many different countries but at least I thought you should be aware that the Clairefontaine notebooks, and of course any similar stapled ones, can easily be trimmed to fit the Midori-sized covers. I wouldn't recommend trimming ones like the Moleskine Cahiers though, because they are stitched! Goodness-knows what would happen then...!
  22. An Enthusiast’s notebook(s) Like most, I suppose I enjoy the feeling of being organised. I like the action of writing things down and having those written notes to hand. I have never thought myself sufficiently disciplined for a personal diary but I have, for the past 30 years, used a paper-based agenda system (Calendar and To Do List) for work, which is supplemented by my desktop MS Outlook and the calendar on my Smartphone. Of course, having to use a paper-based agenda for work, despite being surrounded by technology, I have the daily opportunity and mental excuse to use my fountain pens. My agenda is a trusty black leather A5 Montblanc affair. It is fit for purpose and, rather like me, somewhat formal in appearance and intention. Whilst organised for work, I have been after a notebook for some years: not too big, not too small but something that would comfortably fit into my jacket pocket(s), that could carry fountain pen-friendly paper and, that I could whip out and use in a given situation (coffee shop, airport, waiting for my wife to finish shopping or to finish trying on/buying yet more clothes/shoes, etc). My thought was to use such a notebook to practice and record my lettering (alphabet – a small obsession! ) and anything else that I was currently studying or interested in. I am therefore not sure of how I first became interested in the Midori notebook, it was however relatively recently. Now, if you saw me, you would instantly recognise that I have never followed fashion. Nor am I the sort to rush to adopt the latest celebrity endorsed craze or fad. In all honestly, I am admittedly the same typically boring 54-year old that I was at 12! Everything that I had read about the Midori notebooks seemed to point to Midori possibly being the answer to my need for a specific type of personal notebook. My interest increased after reading numerous accounts of how Users enjoyed both the simplicity and charm of the Midori notebooks and how this appreciation for these notebooks seemingly improved over time! Two weeks ago, whilst in London on business, I took the opportunity to try and see whether I could find a shop selling Midori notebooks. This proved extremely difficult and I was fast concluding that I would be forced to resort to the Internet. I therefore started towards the train station. First however, needing to answer a call of nature and in need of some refreshment before my 2-hour journey home, I dropped into Foyles bookshop on Charing Cross Road. To my absolute surprise and delight, I found that they had a small collection of Midori items, including two passport-sized notebooks. So, I enquired. After a brief chat to a rather keen sales assistant, herself a Midori user, I purchased one of the notebooks together with a spare refill and spare bands. I then dashed to the nearest Cafe Nero, bought myself an espresso and set about unpacking and setting up my new notebook. Now, we are talking about a notebook, a simple, little, leather covered, notebook. Despite knowing this, despite my supposed maturity, I became instantly hooked from the moment I held that little notebook. And it really is as simple as that! The proportions of the notebook are as if I had designed the thing for myself, specifically for my particular needs. The leather is.................well, I am afraid I don’t have sufficient skill or eloquence to do it justice. You really do need to hold and feel it to properly appreciate it. I can however say that by comparison, my Montblanc Agenda, costing nearly 10x more, feels and looks incredibly plain; boring in fact, whilst the Midori has a curious personality of its own and, it already feels old! . This week, having made the feeble excuse for another “business” trip to London , I rushed back to Foyles and picked up another......................well, two actually . I couldn’t help myself. Well, I could but didn’t want to. Within seconds I had already justified the purchase of the two remaining passport versions Foyles had in stock. I bought these together with some Midori brass label plates. Following my, by now, normal notebook opening routine, I made my way (rather excitedly)back to the usual Cafe Nero, bought an espresso, found myself a quiet little corner, and began setting up the two new notebooks I now have a notebook for my lettering, the second for my notes on numbers (another small obsession , and the third for languages (currently Hungarian). OK, I accidentally on purpose bought something else. . However, just to show that I am not totally selfish, whilst this particular new notebook arrived on Friday morning, I purposefully saved the unboxing for you . Arrived from The Journal Shop. Notice the elastic that keeps the box secure? Well, pull it through and voila, it is a spare for use with your new notebook. The new notebook comes in its own white canvas bag. It is admittedly hard at first, not to keep the shiny new notebook safe in the canvas bag! This however would be a mistake because the notebook looks far better the older it gets, scratches and marks included My old computer can't really show you the true colour of this particular blue but it is cute! The notebook comes with one refill. However, when ordering, always order a spare. These notebooks always seem to look better with two refills inside. I got a few additional Midori goodies, such as the brass pencil, pencil and rubber/eraser refills, a metal ruler, spare elastics and of course a spare refill. Thanks for watching. For a full and proper review of the standard Midori notebook, please see soniknitr’s rather excellent review at: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/286953-a-bookish-review-of-the-midori-travelers-notebook/ Pavoni
  23. I mentioned in my Hobonichi unboxing post that I had found a way to carry around my 2015 Hobonichi with me and still “use” it even though it hasn’t started yet. This is that way. YellowPaperHouse (which I shall henceforth abbreviate as YPH) is a mother/daughter team that creates inserts for Midori-style notebooks and Filofaxes and sell them through Etsy. Everything is designed and made by them, so you are getting a totally original product. I found out about them I think from Instagram. Anyway, no affiliation, just to get that out of the way early on. As of right now they offer 26 different styles of these notebooks, each one being available in 4 sizes (full size Midori, passport, cahier, and Field Notes/pocket) and many being customizable with a choice of 19 paper colors and 6 inside rulings. Whew! That is a lot of options for customization! As the title of this review implies, the style that I purchased was one modeled after the Hobonichi format with white paper inside. I chose the Field Notes size because it easily fits inside of my original Hobonichi cover. I’m sorry that all my photos are very blue - I think it’s because the paper is white and I was using early morning light. I would try to adjust it, but it winds up looking funky no matter what I do… Most of the page is dominated by a grid that, upon measuring just now, contains 3 mm squares. At the top of each page is a place where you can fill in the date by coloring in the bubbles that match the day, month, and day of the week, as well as indicating moon phase if you are into that and the weather. As you can see, I have been marking the date by coloring in the appropriate bubbles with a colored pencil. I’m not one of those people who gets all artsy with their journaling - I primarily use a planner for actually planning my day and then capturing little things that happen throughout the day. I’m not saying that “scrapbook journaling” is bad, but it’s certainly not for me. This is how my pages usually look: I’m also going to try out dividing the page vertically similar to the Hobonichi so that I have a place that’s divided up by the hour to write appointments and then a place to write little thoughts and musings. I’ll perhaps update on that later. In case you were wondering how I’m fitting this into my Hobonichi cover, I just slip the back cover of the notebook into the long back pocket of the cover (the one that has the little “Hobonichi 2015” tag on it). I also have the Hobonichi itself only inserted into the from cover right now, so I don’t stretch out that backside of it. Perhaps a picture will explain it better: Sometimes it can be tough to write on the side that opens onto the Hobonichi with this configuration, but in that case I just slide the notebook out and write and then slide it back in. It adds barely any bulk to the cover, so I’m really enjoying the setup this way. Well, we are now at that stage where I have given some background, so now I can talk about what I like and dislike. Things I like Having this available in an undated format is wonderful. I’ve gone through and filled in all the dates, but it could be particularly useful for someone who wants to log things that don’t happen on a daily basis.It’s a little thing, but I like that the header on top is mirrored across two pages. I also like the weather option and I keep thinking I should use the blank space next to that to jot down the high and low tempsThe corners are rounded. Another small thing, but so importantThe paper strikes the perfect balance between being fountain pen friendly (at least for F and not-too-wet M nibs) while still having fast dry times. I don’t think I’ve noticed any bleeding with either my pens or my highlightersThere are so many options, so you can pretty much get exactly what you want and we all know how hard that is nowadaysOther than the band that comes around it, there is no branding. I think this makes for a very clean looking notebookIt’s an original product, and I really like that. I dated a graphic design major in undergrad and I know how much work they put into their designs so I try to honor that as much as I can Things I dislike The cover is a bit flimsy. This isn’t really a big issue for me since I’m using it inside another cover and I know it’s designed to be that way, but it would definitely get worn fast if used just by itselfI wish the grid ruling for this particular design was a bit bigger. I think if it was 4 mm then I could do one line per box (I think the Hobonichi is 3.7 mm but Tomoe River paper makes writing look finer too), whereas now I kind of have to take up two boxes in height per line of writing And now something that falls into both categories for me: the price. The price changes depending on which size you get, so for the two notebooks I got it was $12. To me this was totally worth it because after paying a decent chunk of cash for the Hobonichi itself, what’s another $12 so I can start using it right now? And it was going to be a one-time purchase for me, at least for the foreseeable future. From that standpoint, the price was pretty good because it solved a problem quickly and neatly. However, if you are a Midori style notebook user and you are going through a lot of notebooks, this is probably not the most efficient way to do it. Each of these books contains 38 days (there is no printing on the very front and very back pages, so 40 pages = 38 days), so if you wanted to use these for an entire year that would be 10 notebooks and run you $60, plus shipping. Whether it’s a good deal then is entirely up to you. Overall, I think these are high quality, uniquely designed notebooks that are worth checking out if you use any of those four sizes of notebooks I mentioned earlier. While I don’t have plans to buy any more (because I’ll be starting my Hobonichi when these run out, eek!), I will definitely keep an eye on this shop and return to it in the future if I have a need they can fill. I purchased this product with my own money and I am not being compensated in any way for this review. All opinions above are my own and you are free to disagree with them if you like.
  24. Hi! I'm looking for options to put in my Midori-style leather cover. It's Moleskine/Field Notes-sized, but I would like better paper to suit fountain pens. Preferably also thicker than Rhodia - I like to draw. I live in Norway, so the physical stores don't cover my needs. It would have to be an online shop with worldwide shipping. I have a Banditapple Carnet on its way, I just would like more options. Thank you.
  25. For a while there in 3rd/4th quarter of 2013 and early in 2014 I saw what seemed like a lot of interest in the Midori TN products. Was this a flash in the pan that has now fizzled? If so, was it driven by factors other than cost -- a lot of the past discussions did seem to mention the relatively high cost of this system. Just wondering...





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