Seeking Recommendations On Journal

[tdahnert]

I'm new to fountain pens, but looking to start journaling to my kids (they are young now, but to give to them when they are older). I have five kids so I need these notebooks to be reasonably priced (Around $30 each). I'm hoping the kids enjoy them enough to keep them around for a while so I'd like acid free paper, a reasonably attractive cover and binding that will hold up over time. This is probably asking a lot for my price range, but hoping to get some recommendations from you experts before I just buy the best reviewed notebook on amazon in my price range. Thanks for any/all recommendations.

[rabiosocorazon]

I can make some personalized journals, if you want. Also, mi girlfriend is a bookbinder. If you are interested, I can send you the catalogue.

Here is an example: http://gatzbcn.blogspot.mx/2012/11/melies-in-journal-melies-encuadernado.html

Edited June 28, 2013 by rabiosocorazon

[N2theBreach]

It depends on what you picture when you think "journal". Hand-tooled leather? Antiquey looking images of famous places on the cover? And so on. I like the look that was popularized by the Moleskine journals. However, many people find the Moleskine paper isn't as good as some when it comes to writing with an FP.

 

The Rhodia Webnotebook is the journal I use as my personal journal, i.e. my "good journal". It should be in your price range. The paper is Clairefontaine, one of the better papers. The cover is padded leather (I believe,it could be imitation). It has the obligatory ribbon marker, a thin pocket inside the back cover, and a piece of elastic to keep it closed. If you haven't used good paper, I think you'll be impressed by the smoothness Clairefontaine paper.

 

I also like the Leuchtturm 1917. It's less expensive. It's cover is not leather and the paper isn't quite the calibre of Clairefontaine. It adds a "table of contents" in the front to note important pages, discrete page numbers so you can use the ToC, and a dedicated place at the top of the page to write the dates. I use one at work for notetaking, capturing thoughts, and so on--a work journal.

 

There are other journals out there, and I'm sure you'll get more suggestions.

 

Good luck!

 

Almost forgot--Welcome to FPN! .

Edited June 28, 2013 by N2theBreach

[Runnin_Ute]

Okay you want to spend up to $30 per unit. Acid free paper, size? (A4/A5 - something else?), How many pages are you looking for.

 

Black n' Red has in the A4 size case/clothbound 192 pages of a good quality 90 gsm (24 lb) paper. They also have a ring bound version only I believe it is only 140 pages. But they can be had for about $10. (the paper is actually Oxford Optic) On sale I got them at around $6 at Office Depot.

[K. Cakes]

The only ones available on Amazon that I can think of would be Black 'n Red, as Running_Ute suggested. If you weren't stuck with Amazon I would recommend Paperblanks journals, as they look nice enough to keep around for decades. Great idea btw. I'm sure your children (and eventual grandchildren) will cherish them.

[mm1624124]

I started my perfect journal quest about two years ago and found the whole thing duanting. Too many choices and too many opinions about what was good/not good. There is no consensus simply because we love our inks, pens, and papers and will do what it takes to keep that keenly pleasureable. We do not agree about what is "good" paper because our personal tastes and tolerances as so diverse.

 

I suggest testing out several different types of paper before deciding on the journal itself. Goulets offer a very nice sampler pack of paper to try.and there is the paper swap here at FPN. If you have a particular interest, don't be shy about asking if anyone can send you a few sheets to try. You'll discover like I have and many others, this is a very considerate and generous lot.

 

What I discovered was I had several priorites that would not budge no matter what the majority thought and how many reviews said I might do better. My suggestion is to think carefully about what is most important to you and then see if such a journal exists.

 

For instance, I absolutely cannot tolerate even a hint of feathering or bleeding (sorry but I remember the days where this wasn't even an issue and have cheap paper to prove it). The ink lines have to be crisp and true to the nib size. I can accept some show through if the paper is light weight. I prefer thin paper over stiff, thick paper--the exception is some laid papers are heavier, but I like the texture so I compromise. I like some feedback when I write. I prefer off-white instead of ivory or cream. The notebook or journal has to lay flat. That was a deal breaker for me when i thought I had finally settled on Epica with laid paper. The binding is so stiff that it will never flatten out without breaking the spine. I wanted about 100 sheets in one notebook. I wanted but did not really require a table of contents, a header line, and pagination yet did not want a date line. I purchased several bound books with a TOC and pagination just to discover that the paper performance didn't pass mustard. For my criteria, it came down to do I pick the notebook with paper I love, the size I love, the austerity I love or lower my standards for paper performance so that I could have a TOC with pagination? Well, you get the idea of the process I've gone though and I am just now making my final decision. My perfect journal still eludes me but I chose one where the total cost is around your targeted price range. I'm very satisfied with my choice, so your journal can be had with some careful research.

[DrCodfish]

Before you leap, go to Goulet Pen Company (google it) and do some home work. They carry a range of products and give fairly detailed descriptions, shold start you thinking. If that gets you wondering, then check out their you tube vids, they have many and you can then actually see the notebook in action.

 

Serarch here for "Notebooks", that should occupy you for an afternoon.

 

Or, ... just go with the herd and get what the crowd here suggests, it's only the rest of your life.

 

PS: Are you talking about posting in 5 journals concurrently? Man, you have ambitions.

Edited June 28, 2013 by DrCodfish

[tdahnert]

Thank you for the advice everyone. Yes, 5 concurrently. Just small stories and thoughts about each of my kids. I've got a really poor memory so if I don't write these things down, they're gone.

[Lisya72]

I've used the Black n Reds and Quo Vadis Habana. The casebound Black n Red journals don't lie flat, at all. I didn't think I would care about that, but I discovered that I found the hump difficult to deal with. The paper is great, and it's easier to find than Rhodia, Clairefontaine or Quo Vadis, though.

 

Given a choice, though, I'd go with the Habana or a Rhodia product (both use Clairefontaine paper). Excellent paper, your choice of blank, grid or lines, both lie flat when open, both have elastic closures, ribbon bookmarks and pockets inside the back cover. I believe the Habana has more color options for the cover than Rhodia. Both are well within your price range.

 

Another thing to consider, even though they're more expensive than the Black n Reds, I've gotten nearly three times the mileage out of my Habana as I did out of the Black n Red journal. Day for day, line for line, word for word, I've found the Habana to actually be more cost-effective.

[N2theBreach]

...your choice of blank, grid or lines...

 

...or dots. The dots are kinda cool. They are faint, and placed in a grid pattern. Barely visible, they keep your writing regular and even

[foodee]

Hi, I just posted my findings from my 6 months of obsessive research:

 

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Are you looking for an affordable fountain pen friendly journal that does not cost an arm and a leg? What about a beautiful leather cover for the journal? Here are my recommendations based on my obsessive research for the past 6 months.

TOP JOURNALS

• Rhodia Webnotebooks (A5 size) - These are the most highly rated notebooks by fountain pen aficionados. However, at $20 - $25 a book, these are just a bit too rich for my low budget. If you want to buy 2 at a time, JetPens has them at 2 for $38 with free shipping (see http://www.jetpens.c...Sheets - Lined").

• Pro Art Sketchbooks (5.5 X 8 size) - I found these to be the best bang for the buck at about $7 from Amazon. You can get them even cheaper at DickBlick if you buy many to average out the shipping charge or go to their brick and mortar store and avoid the shipping charge altogether. Did I mention they are fountain pen friendly??!! There is no feathering or bleed-through even with my Noodler Konrad Flex Nib pen (about a medium nib). This paper also worked well with my Lamy Safari extra fine and Hero 626 fine nib pens. There is a very slight texture but no sheen for the paper. Ink drying time on the paper is just a few seconds. You can definitely write on both sides of the page without worrying about bleed-throughs. The cover is very plain with some texture so I highly recommend a journal cover (see the next section).

TOP JOURNAL COVERS

• Renaissance Art - You can measure the exact dimensions of your journal and have a custom-made journal cover for $35 to $48 depending on the style of leather you desire (see http://www.renaissan...6/category.aspx). I ordered the $10 leather samples to check out the quality of their leathers. They are thick and beautiful! I have no doubt that they'll last me a lifetime. When you place an order, Art will refund you the $10 sample charge so it's worth it to check out the leather samples before ordering your cover!

• Oberon Designs - Oberon Designs offers handmade leather refillable journal covers with beautiful designs (see http://oberondesign....n-journals.html). This is my review of their Cloud Dragon journal (http://www.amazon.co...howViewpoints=1). Each cover comes with a blank journal. However, this journal is not fountain pen friendly with significant feathering. Thus, I used a gel pen with this journal. Once I used up this included journal, I replaced it with the fountain pen friendly Pro Art Sketchbook.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Depending on your preference, I have suggestions for three different types of users:

• Budget Beginner - If you are just starting out on a very limited budge, you can just buy the Pro Art Sketchbook for $7 and skip the journal cover.

• Paper Snob - If paper is of utmost important to you, you can go with the Rhodia Webbie with or without a journal cover.

• Leaving Options Open - For me, I bought the Oberon Designs Cloud Dragon and switched out their journal which was not fountain pen friendly with the Pro Art Sketchbook. Now, I have a beautiful leather journal that I can refill with either the Pro Art Sketchbook or the Rhodia Webbie. I may get a Renaissance Art cover for traveling as I love its rustic look and the nearly indestructible leather.

Edited July 10, 2013 by foodee

[timjthomas]

Check out TMLee's journals here on the forums!