Daiso A5 20-Ring Looseleaf Review

[ZebraPenguin]

If there's nothing else to say about Daiso, 'variety in all forms' would be my best comment. For those new to this chain of stores, Daiso is one of the largest Japanese 100yen store brands, with a surprising international presence. It carries pretty much everything, ranging from the 100-yen items (the vast majority) to items upwards of 2000 yen (ie an attache case that lasted me quite well for several years).

 

I was introduced to the brand when I lived in Japan, and it quickly became a household staple, both for the sheer utility and the absolutely Japanese-style quirky items you can find there. Engrish abounds. This is another example of cheap Chinese manufacture, but with the occasional winning items.

 

Paper is -- usually -- included in this preferred category. After using up the last of the 7mm-ruled A5 looseleaf, I procured a pack of 6mm-ruled paper from the local Daiso in Seattle. $1.50 (plus tax) for 90 sheets.

 

Caveat emptor.

 

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Here's the Daiso paper versus the smaller Clairefontaine Triomphe tablet. The Japanese information on the package further lists that it's B-ruled and 20-hole. The bits in the lower left margin refer to recycling.

 

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I started my usual writing tests on the new 6mm-rule paper out of sheer habit. Am I glad I did! This new paper has the same slight tooth to it that my older 7mm paper has, but that's where the similarities end.

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3300/3609269797_9bec4a0bb2.jpg

 

I could just *feel* the extra ink getting sucked into the paper, and the feathering started within a few seconds. Bah and humbug! This was nothing like the last batch.

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3628/3609270129_b3321fb3e7.jpg

 

Hopefully you can see some further details of the feathering.

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3647/3609269865_3ba6254fcd_o.jpg

 

Here is the same general test on my older 7mm-ruled paper. Very, very little feathering. Again, there is a slight tooth to the paper with a Lamy extra-fine nib, but it works well enough and dries remarkably quickly. One can finish a page, take a breath or two, and turn over a new leaf without an issue.

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3360/3609270035_3eb9b8d5b2.jpg

 

Behold the horrendous bleed-though on the left (6-mm ruled)! Keep in mind that either sheet is *at best* 20-lb (75.2 gsm), being generous.

 

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The reverse of the new, 6mm-rule paper.

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3321/3609270231_56c18659b8.jpg

 

The reverse of the old, 7mm-rule paper. The only true bleed-through occurs with the Noodler's Manjiro Nakahama Whaleman's Sepia (Bulletproof) in a Lamy Logo with a Fine nib. Not even the feather-prone Private Reserve Copper Burst nor the PR Velvet Black (Aurora Medium) has ever given me any real issue here. I'm quite fond of this paper.

 

Oh, and before I forget:

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3587/3610083182_5f9f2516a5_o.jpg

 

Just for the sake of it, here are the pens I used -- sans the 2 Lamy Joys at left (1.1mm and 1.9mm). From left to right: Lamy Joy 1.1mm (PR Black Velvet), Lamy Joy 1.9mm (PR Black Velvet), Lamy AL-Star EF (PR Burgundy Mist), Lamy Logo F (Noodler's Manjiro Nakahama Whaleman's Sepia Bulletproof), Aurora Style M (PR Black Velvet), and Visconti Opera Club F (PR Copper Burst).

 

The notebook to the right is actually a quadrille Clairefontaine notebook with a dust-cover I made out of some leftover lokta paper. It gives the spiral-bound notebook a bit more structure, a pleasant texture, and a completely different personality at first glance.

 

End result? Not the end of the world. I'm out for less than a Starbucks beverage and I now have an excuse to go back to the Daiso and try out some more paper. In the meantime, I'll put the new pack of paper to other uses. I have some left-over Daiso B5 paper for the remainder of the next few day's notes, and a big fat stack of used printer paper that's begging to be made into a A5-ish desk pad. Usually I cut them into A6-ish quarters for scrap notes. The laser paper I have is bright, sturdy and takes FP ink surprisingly well, but I'm not a huge user of full, letter-size stationery.

 

I use these types of paper (20-ring A5 and 26-ring B5) because I have a few notebook binders with the ring system left over from the Japanese days. They're great for combining the best qualities of loose-leaf and ring-bound formats, and -- with luck -- I can continue to get decent quality paper for them. Just... not this time!

 

When the paper from the Daiso is nice, it is *quite* nice and at a reasonable price point -- even with the added import costs tacked on. If there's one near you, I highly recommend getting out to it if for no other reason than to quirk an eyebrow at some of their stock. For me, it's quite 'natsukashii' (nostalgic).

 

If people are interested, I could try out a few more Daiso-brand stationery items over time. It really can be a blind-guess game at times, but the 'loser' paper is just more happy fodder for my pencils :-P

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this review and I hope it helps someone out there!

[TMLee]

Thanks for your review.

 

A little tip for you

 

Next time you go DAISO, look carefully for info on where the product is made in.

The 'Made in Japan' mark is infinitely superior to others such as 'Made in China' or 'Made in Korea' or 'Made in Indonesia' for DAISO.

 

The 'Made in Japan' is hard to find.

It's almost like 95% of the stock is from non-Japan sources.

Its there somewhere, but you have to be patient. Sometimes you find it, but it's not in your desired format.

 

Over time, if not already, you should be able to identify Japanese made paper thru touch.

The notebooks or loose paper from Japan feel smoother compared to those from elsewhere.

Like your sample above, you can feel the slight 'tooth' in the paper, and sometimes you can see the transparency of the paper.

 

In my experience, very very few papers can match Japanese paper standards of quality.

They are amazingly consistent.