Opinions/recommendations On Binders/paper Holders?

[Ipsum_Dolor]

Hey there!

School is approaching quickly, and with it the need for new supplies! I (think/hope I) have my pens covered, with my soon to arrive Pilot VP (practicality at its finest), but I'm still in dire need of some paper to write on.

Although the simplest option is to just have a separate notebook for each subject, I'm worried about the practicality of toting around 6 near-identical notebooks, and attempting to differentiate between them. For this reason, I'm craving something that can hold all of my notebooks, or fountain-pen friendly paper, in one convenient school-friendly booklet-esque thing.

The closest example of what I'm looking for is the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter (http://www.roterfaden.de/), but at a steep price of $150 + Shipping, tax & customs this is a tad too expensive. It is essentially perfect though.

To get to the point of this post, could someone please recommend me a binder or brand that fits the my specified needs? Opinions on such are greatly appreciated.

If no other such thing exists, allow me to change the topic and ask; What are some low-key (Think: Opposite of the garish Rhodia orange), fountain-pen friendly & relatively inexpensive notebooks?

Thank you!

EDIT: Immense formatting issues. I'm sorry.

I live in Ontario, Canada. Closest pen store being Phidon Pens (http://www.phidonpens.com/).

I've also heard what I'm looking for called 'Folios'.

Edited June 29, 2014 by Ipsum_Dolor

[da vinci]

Sorry the link doesn't work so I am not too sure on your criteria, however you may want to have a look at the Staples ARC system and hole punch.

 

HTHs

[Wolverine1]

Ipsum- where are you located at? Your location might help FPN members to help you.

[WirsPlm]

I think you're worrying too much over a small thing, it's really not that hard to distinguish notebooks that you use every day (you can get each one in a different color, put covers on them, write the subject name on the front, all kinds of things).

 

If you want to try a multi subject notebook I suggest Miquelrius as a good bet, it's a company in Spain, the paper is relatively FP friendly but it's also pretty coated so the dry times can be long and there's lots of choices for notebook color including black, or any old binder will work if you want one place to hold all your notes, just put divider tabs into in it (I prefer the Mead Flex binder because it's lighter and built like a regular notebook).

[macaddicted]

Go to Levenger www.levenger.com for a Circa punch, covers and discs (similar to the Arc). Got to http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/ to get a template for the type of layout you want on your notebooks. Pick the paper you like, print the layout, punch the pages and put together the notebooks the way you want.

[wallylynn]

At the end of my life in school, i.e. halfway through college, I completely gave up using binders and notebooks. Instead I went with a clipboard and plain sheets of paper. Paper was taken from the recycling bin next to the printer.

 

Note taking is a skill. I took notes based on the Cornell method (plenty of margins for summary and extra notes).

 

Sheets are labeled, numbered and dated, stored in a simple manila folder.

Never did I ever have to refer to previous notes during class, it was always taking new notes. That means no toting anything around except a dozen sheets of paper at a time. When study times comes, just pull the proper folder.

[aawhite]

I have always used the Japanese made, Kokuyo binder and paper. Fantastic paper for fountain pen users with a very reliable notebook binder.

 

I have their cheapest binders that have lasted 10 years of constant use.

[Notebookish]

+1 for Levenger circa system. It's as flexible as any binder but feels like a book and isn't bulky. You can pretty much put any paper in any format you want in it, + add pocket dividers for your handouts and plastic tabs to separate your subjects. I've used it for the last two years of school and it really felt like my "holy grail" solution for lectures, i.e. once I used this system I no longer felt the urge to look at anything else. I use a "nice" leather cover for everyday carrying about. At the end of the semester I remove the nice covers and replace them with the cheap plastic covers and archive that semester's notebook.

[wikeh2004]

Have you considered a 3 ring zipper binder? You can keep enough pages to handle 1-2 days of note taking, separating subjects with tabs. When you get back to your room, you can organize your notes by class into their own binders. I've seen some recommendations for fountain pen friendly filler paper elsewhere on the site. I know it sounds somewhat pedestrian, and the rings get in the way if you try to write on the backside of the pages (for righties), but you can get almost anything to fit in a 3 ring binder.

 

I also used wire bound notebooks, one for each subject. Wasn't that hard to keep them organized, but had to make sure I packed the right notebooks the night before class.

 

The Japanese (Kokuyo etc.) multi-ring binders and paper look good, but I haven't tried them. The paper is supposed to be good for FPs.

 

For work nowadays, I prefer to use a Circa type disc-bound notebook, but the cost of such a system might be off-putting for a student.

[prf5]

At the end of my life in school, i.e. halfway through college, I completely gave up using binders and notebooks. Instead I went with a clipboard and plain sheets of paper....Sheets are labeled, numbered and dated, stored in a simple manila folder.Never did I ever have to refer to previous notes during class, it was always taking new notes. That means no toting anything around except a dozen sheets of paper at a time. When study times comes, just pull the proper folder.

 

You can save a lot of money by following this advice. I did something similar to what's described here. If you use unlined paper, you can turn pages on their side (landscape) for tables and drawings. If you use cheap paper, you won't be concerned about conserving it. I wrote on one side, then used the back of the previous page for notes and comments. I stored class notes in a manila folder, but you can also put the previous week's notes in a 3-hole notebook. A Pilot VP is a good choice, but fountain pens run tend to run out of ink at the wrong time, so I suggest that you also check out some inexpensive ballpoints and felt tips now and settle on one or two models, then buy a dozen, and be sure that you take along a couple to your classes. If you want to use more expensive paper, you can save it for composing outlines and drafts at your desk.

[Ipsum_Dolor]

Ipsum- where are you located at? Your location might help FPN members to help you.

Updated

 

I think you're worrying too much over a small thing, it's really not that hard to distinguish notebooks that you use every day (you can get each one in a different color, put covers on them, write the subject name on the front, all kinds of things).

 

If you want to try a multi subject notebook I suggest Miquelrius as a good bet, it's a company in Spain, the paper is relatively FP friendly but it's also pretty coated so the dry times can be long and there's lots of choices for notebook color including black, or any old binder will work if you want one place to hold all your notes, just put divider tabs into in it (I prefer the Mead Flex binder because it's lighter and built like a regular notebook).

For a student-on-the-go with at least four classes at all times, I'd like to just be able to tell which subject's notebook is which at a glance. That is, of course, if I'm forced to use the notebook system. The cover thing, to be honest, sounds like it won't look very good, and is work. (I'm an exceptionally lazy person)

 

I checked out the Miquelrius, and while it's a very nice looking notebook, it's still a notebook I may have to order one in the future though. "Any old binder" is what I've currently been using, and while they're practical, they're not at all aesthetically pleasing. I also have a strong irrational hatred for Mead products.

 

 

Go to Levenger www.levenger.com for a Circa punch, covers and discs (similar to the Arc). Got to http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/ to get a template for the type of layout you want on your notebooks. Pick the paper you like, print the layout, punch the pages and put together the notebooks the way you want.

 

Interesting idea, and while I do enjoy the thought of using mine own customized notebook, it's still a notebook. And an expensive one at that, especially after the punch & materials are purchased & shipped. Although I do enjoy the availability for customization of these notebooks, what with the disks, paper, & notebook cover. I do believe I will look into purchasing one of these, eventually.

 

At the end of my life in school, i.e. halfway through college, I completely gave up using binders and notebooks. Instead I went with a clipboard and plain sheets of paper. Paper was taken from the recycling bin next to the printer.

 

Note taking is a skill. I took notes based on the Cornell method (plenty of margins for summary and extra notes).

 

Sheets are labeled, numbered and dated, stored in a simple manila folder.

 

Never did I ever have to refer to previous notes during class, it was always taking new notes. That means no toting anything around except a dozen sheets of paper at a time. When study times comes, just pull the proper folder.

Ah, I frequently revisit my notes on a day-to-day basis. Especially in the more theoretical classes, I'll review the previous day's notes in the spare minutes before each class. Sometimes I'll have to revisit notes from months or weeks before to remind myself how to do something. The paper & clipboard method, although rustic, is kindof tacky. I also have the good luck to be enrolled in an education system where students are situated at desks, thus negating the need for the clipboard. And of course, recycled paper just won't accept the ink from my pens

 

I am a fan of the Cornell method though. I will definitely be employing it into next year's classes.

 

 

I have always used the Japanese made, Kokuyo binder and paper. Fantastic paper for fountain pen users with a very reliable notebook binder.

 

I have their cheapest binders that have lasted 10 years of constant use.

 

These are closer to what I'm craving, but still seem to look too much like the generic student's binder, especially with the see-through plastic on some, and the garish colors on others. I also noted the saddening lack of leather . Thank you for the suggestion though. +1 for Japanese made things

 

+1 for Levenger circa system. It's as flexible as any binder but feels like a book and isn't bulky. You can pretty much put any paper in any format you want in it, + add pocket dividers for your handouts and plastic tabs to separate your subjects. I've used it for the last two years of school and it really felt like my "holy grail" solution for lectures, i.e. once I used this system I no longer felt the urge to look at anything else. I use a "nice" leather cover for everyday carrying about. At the end of the semester I remove the nice covers and replace them with the cheap plastic covers and archive that semester's notebook.

As noted above, I do believe I will look into getting one for the future. I do like your method of archiving previous notes, I may steal that

 

Have you considered a 3 ring zipper binder? You can keep enough pages to handle 1-2 days of note taking, separating subjects with tabs. When you get back to your room, you can organize your notes by class into their own binders. I've seen some recommendations for fountain pen friendly filler paper elsewhere on the site. I know it sounds somewhat pedestrian, and the rings get in the way if you try to write on the backside of the pages (for righties), but you can get almost anything to fit in a 3 ring binder.

 

I also used wire bound notebooks, one for each subject. Wasn't that hard to keep them organized, but had to make sure I packed the right notebooks the night before class.

 

The Japanese (Kokuyo etc.) multi-ring binders and paper look good, but I haven't tried them. The paper is supposed to be good for FPs.

 

For work nowadays, I prefer to use a Circa type disc-bound notebook, but the cost of such a system might be off-putting for a student.

I have considered the 3-ring, and while they're common (I've used one for nearly my entire schooling career) I dislike them. The rings do get in the way, as you mentioned, and the quality of paper I can (easily) find for them is atrocious.

 

It appears I've found what I've been looking for at my local pen store - A nice leather 'Folio' that strongly resembles the image at the bottom of this post (But a couple larger pockets for extra pads). I thank all of you for your assistance & recommendations.

 

http://leatherportfolio.us/images/lefty-british-tan-leather-convertable-portfolio-large.gif

 

- Ipsum Dolor

Edited July 6, 2014 by Ipsum_Dolor

[prf5]

"The cover thing, to be honest, sounds like it won't look very good, and is work. (I'm an exceptionally lazy person)...The paper & clipboard method, although rustic, is kind of tacky. I also have the good luck to be enrolled in an education system where students are situated at desks...And of course, recycled paper just won't accept the ink from my pens."

 

-- It occurs to me that there may be less going on here than meets the eye.

[Ipsum_Dolor]

-- It occurs to me that there may be less going on here than meets the eye.

I'm not sure I'm understanding what you're implying.

Edited July 6, 2014 by Ipsum_Dolor

[Retro-user]

When I was in graduate school, I used spiral notebooks that had a bad habit of catching the threads of my backpack and unraveling them. So I created the perfect snagless environment. I took notes on yellow legal pads and after each lecture, placed the loose sheets in an accordion file divided for each subject.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

My approach was quite different - I didn't take all my notes around with me.

 

Mostly I carried blank paper, then put that day's notes into simple lever arch binders once I returned home.

 

To quote a prior post, "Last but not least: Prior to a lecture I read the material to be covered, and made notes. That greatly reduced the amount of notes I took during the lecture. I could then detect the deviation from what I’d read to what I heard, which allowed me to ask relevant questions; and determine the presenter's personal emphasis, which allowed me to better prepare for exams. I had no sympathy for those madly scribbling away trying to transcribe a lecture, and did not make eye contact with the presenter: too busy writing to listen."

 

Bye,

S1

[Mister5]

I think back in law school I just carried around two or three legal pads for each of the subjects I was taking. Every day I would add my notes to an outline for each class (on a Psion 5MX ... keep in mind this was 14 years ago).

 

Now I think I would use the Kokuyo Systemic which can hold 3 Semi B5's, and probably a laptop to enter the outline. Or the Japanese ring binder in B5, but I'm leaning towards the systemic.