Really Disappointed In Leuchtturm 1917 A5 Hardcover..

[gamingoodz]

I have been wanting to try out bullet journaling for a while so I went and did some research on which notebook people recommended, the Leuchtturm 1917 hardcover came up constantly. I figured if people were recommending this notebook that it must be good right? (Btw even people using fountain pens were recommending this)

 

So I bought one for $20 (which is a good amount of money for someone in college btw) and couldn't wait to start writing in it. The notebook itself seems great but as soon as I started writing in it I was immediately disappointed in the paper quality. I was getting bleed through and severe ghosting even using my fine tipped fountain pens. So I thought maybe it was just fountain pens, so I tried a needle tip sharpie and that bleed and ghosted like crazy. So then I tried my Retro 51 with the standard black refill and that was just as bad..

 

I'm really disapointed that I spent so much on this notebook. If I would have known about the Rhodia webnotebooks I would have got one of those instead for sure, I at least know that Rhodia has great paper.

 

So now I'm stuck with a $20 notebook that I can't stand using..

 

http://i.imgur.com/1G6E7CAl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/U0vwnH2l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/tzixVxrl.jpg\

 

 

What notebook would you recommend? The Rhodia Webnotebook seems like a good choice? Are there any others?

 

 

Thanks

[carlos.q]

The Rhodia webnotebook is great but is also expensive.

A good, and much cheaper alternative, are the Black N Red line of notebooks.

[da vinci]

Midori MD notebooks are meant to be pretty good.

[inkypete]

Clairefontaine are hard to beat and the quality is very consistent.

[gamingoodz]

I forgot to mention It needs to be dot grid and would prefer something similar in size like an A5 and hardcover would be best I think. Basically something that would make a nice bullet journal. Thanks.

I think Rhodia's webnotebook meets that but I'm not sure about the others

[T4TEXAS]

If it bleeds on everything, you can try to return it. The retailer should take it back.

Edited September 5, 2016 by T4TEXAS

[Kenlowe]

Perhaps try a nice mechanical pencil.

[DrDebG]

I understand completely! I was hoping that the Leuchterm notebook would be the best, but I was so so disappointed with the poor quality of the paper. Well actually if you use a ball point or gel point, it isn't too bad. But it is terrible with fountain pens. I think the Leuchterm is only slightly better than the Moleskine.

 

I am currently using Tomoe River paper from www.paperforfountainpens.com. Unfortunately it is blank - no dot grid. You might check out Goulet Pens. I have heard they are carrying Tomoe River notebook in the A5 size in a dot grid. I haven't checked it out myself yet.

[gamingoodz]

If it bleeds on everything, you can try to return it. The retailer should take it back.

 

They probably would but I don't want to make them do that, They were really nice and its not their fault. I just think the Leuchtturm notebooks are too hyped up for what they are.

 

I understand completely! I was hoping that the Leuchterm notebook would be the best, but I was so so disappointed with the poor quality of the paper. Well actually if you use a ball point or gel point, it isn't too bad. But it is terrible with fountain pens. I think the Leuchterm is only slightly better than the Moleskine.

 

I am currently using Tomoe River paper from www.paperforfountainpens.com. Unfortunately it is blank - no dot grid. You might check out Goulet Pens. I have heard they are carrying Tomoe River notebook in the A5 size in a dot grid. I haven't checked it out myself yet.

 

I seen that Namanipaper.com sells their Seven sears crossfield notebook with Tomoe River paper. Its pricey but comes with a ton of pages. I was wondering tho how bad the show through would be since its very thin paper. I know there won't be any bleeding but I'm curious about show through.

[DrDebG]

Tomoe River does have some see through when I use my stub nibs with a really dark color - no bleed through, but there is some see through. But, for me, the advantages of shading and sheen, together with the smoothness is worth it.

[migo984]

 

I seen that Namanipaper.com sells their Seven sears crossfield notebook with Tomoe River paper. Its pricey but comes with a ton of pages. I was wondering tho how bad the show through would be since its very thin paper. I know there won't be any bleeding but I'm curious about show through.

 

Or you could try the dot grid Enigma notebook from Taroko. Still on the expensive side but has the slightly heavier-weight 68gsm Tomoe (as opposed to Nanami 52gsm), so show-through is reduced. Cover is not hardback (it's the same as Nanami's) but notebook is really well made & I'm very happy with mine.

 

https://tarokoshop.com/collections/a5-notebooks/products/taroko-enigma-a5-notebook

Edited September 5, 2016 by migo984

[Bookman]

On my travels through Amazon Prime I came across this journal. I hadn't heard of it, haven't used it, but I read the blurbs and a few pages of the buyers' reviews. A lot of satisfied customers, including people who bought it specifically for bullet journaling, and including FP-users who say there's no bleed-through, minimal show-through, and the journal lies flat when open. The pages are ruled, but the lines are dotted and supposedly the dots are rather faint. FYI.

Edited September 6, 2016 by Bookman

[SpecTP]

I use the Nanami Seven Seas and it's excellent. There is no bleed through at all. You can see thru slightly. It's also twice the number of pages (480) as other notebooks and half the physical profile.

Edited September 7, 2016 by SpecTP

[kg4wrm]

If you can do without the dot grid, the Apica CD-15 works well for my bullet journal. The notebook has horizontal lines and dots every cm across the top and bottom lines.

 

The notebook is paperback so it packs well in my backpack. It is thin, but has enough paper for plenty of journaling. The cost is cheap and the paper handles my fountain pens admirably.

[richila]

I am on my 4th Bullet Journal using the A6 version of this notebook from Amazon. You will have to number your own pages.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Grid-lined-Notebook-Large-Journal/dp/1441311335/ref=pd_sim_229_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MGZ7CHT7NYR75E3HG7TM

Edited September 8, 2016 by richila

[dompred]

If you want to keep it, you could try using an IG ink on it.

 

I use a Jinhao X450 (generally a wet pen) on my Moleskine notebook (really bad paper, it feathered and bleed on any pen & ink compo I've tried) filled with Diamine Registrar's IG ink and it works like a dream!

No feathering, no bleedthrough and I could say drying times are on the short side.