Which Notebook Do You Use?

[Sailor Kenshin]

I tried some Vietnam composition books, and found them to be unusable.

There was no bleed through or feathering, but they made all my pens write like an extra fine and then dry up after a few lines.

Using them again on nice paper made them immediately return to normal writing.

I really wanted to use these compostition books because had just got my leather cover, and at that time the Vietnam ones were the only ones I could find in stores near me.

I tried every combination of pens and inks that I had, all with the same result.

I have no idea how a paper could cause this dramatic loss of performance, but they went straight in the trash.

Luckily I have now found some Brazilian made composition books, and the difference is night and day - very fountain pen friendly paper.

 

I've had BAD paper like that. It,s tempting to throw it out, but I use them for shopping and daily task lists...written in pencil or gel pen.

[Sergio 46]

Rhodia A6 plain, and generally when there are sales on Amazon, with 50% discount!

[oldrifleman]

Normally a Black and Red wire bound 8X11 lined.

[matteob]

For everyday use cheap Silvine exercise book and Noodlers X feather ink works well. I have a Paper-Cuts Tomoe River A5 journal and a handmade Italian leather bound journal from La Stamperia in Siena for my travel diary. But the Silvine paper is not too terrible and they only cost a few pounds.

[bigkahuna]

Maruman Mnemosyne 194 (B5 size) for my primary/work notebooks and 196 (B6 size) for my organizer. To a lesser extent, I also use my Clairefontaine, Rhodia, and Kokuyo notebooks. Haven't tried Apica yet but I've heard good things about them.

[ENewton]

I use many different notebooks, but my favorites are:

 

• The Hobonichi Techo planner for my calendar
• The regular size Midori Traveler's Notebook for notes
• A Rhodia tablet for drawing
• A Midori MD notebook for other writing

[Pichak]

Here are mine. I also use other 2 cheap note books too and now I am looking for a midori traveler's notebook.

 

Edited February 15, 2017 by Pichak

[Aeltar]

Planner: Leuchtturm1917 Bullet Journal

Journaling: Nanami Seven Seas, lined

Jotting: Rhodia #12 DotPad (I like the #14 size, but I like dots more and I'm willing to put up with a smaller pad)

 

I love Tomoe River paper, but it has too much ghosting for my planning needs. LT1917 isn't quite as nice, and certain inks feather, but it's heavier so there's very little show-through.

 

Rhodia DotPads are perfect for quick notes - the perforations at the top especially make them convenient. I just wish #14 was available in DotPad form. The graph lines are a little bit too obtrusive to me.

[displacermoose]

I use Kokuyo for most note taking and general use (notebooks or looseleaf depending on the application) and Apica for my fiction writing. I keep my commonplace book in a Midori notebook. I used to use Maruman Mnemosyne notebooks, but I find spirals tend to get more best up than I'd like.

[ducatisteve]

Midori passport Traveler with the TRP inserts.

Seven Seas Standard

 

I love the Midori, and how pocketable and personal it is, but it is so small I am having a harder and harder time finding a purpose for it besides shopping lists. I think my next will be a larger softcover Leuchtturm.

[Pendimonium]

I tried these

 

* Quo Vadis Habana: cream paper, feels cheap and flimsy, bad binding

* Franklin Christoph Firma-Flex: nice cover, but some quality issues and paper is not as good with some feathering

* Nuuna Voyager: anti fountain pen paper, overpriced, extreme feathering, nice (soft) cover

* Rhodia Webnotebook: cream paper, cover is a bit too large/thick for my tastes

 

and for now settled on

 

* Apica Premium CD notebook A5 (hardcover): the Apica paper is super nice, ultra slick, perfect off white color. The cover fits very flush with the pages, with just 1mm overhang and it is a super nice feeling material. Exceptional binding, lays ultra flat. Only downside for some use cases is that it's not available in B5 or A4 and I love B5 so much, so:

* Apica Premium CD notebook B5 (softcover): same paper as above, but in the perfect size for my needs. Only downside is the cover, too soft and thin, feels out of place (though still of great quality, like everything Apica).

Edited February 15, 2017 by Pendimonium

[Mister5]

I have too many, but here are the ones in use:

Diary: Stalogy A6 365 pages (always in back pocket)

 

Writers notebook: Maruman Mnemnsyne 184 (5mm grid, top ring)...

 

Sometimes a Clairefontaine top ring Papier... Looks like it may be about a B6 if I estimated the size.

 

Work: Kokuyo B5 cover note

Franklin Christoph Firma Flex A5 dots

 

Novel writing, outlining, etc: Kokuyo Color Palette B6 26ish rings. Not sure what paper I have in it, I think it's Kokuyo 6mm ruled. I like the hard cover on this one but sometimes the rings get in the way.

 

Kokuyo (?) Systemic that comes with a wirebound notebook. You can fit 3 thin B5s in this but I have been able to put a 100 page Life notebook in this. I think if I had to stick with one notebook I'd go for this.

 

More writing: Franklin Christoph leather cover pocket notebook. I got this at the Philly Pen Show and it's great! It works with Field Note sized notebooks but I'm using Franklin Christoph's. I actually put two notebooks in this... Let the left cover hold one and the right, the other. I have a Travelers Notebook type but don't use it that often, this is probably a replacement. I think I'll use this to replace the Stalogy and the small Mnemosyne writers notebook when I'm done with those. I like this quite a bit and will probably get another.

 

 

Leuchturm A5. A great notebook but I'm a horrible Bullet journaler. Planners always tempt me (also have a costly failed attempt with Filofax).

 

Probably forgetting a few others.

Edited February 15, 2017 by Mister5

[Runnin_Ute]

For scribble notes that only I see at the office? Made in BRAZIL composition books.

I also use Red n Black in an A4 lined size

Leuchtturm 1917 in A5 (hardbound)

Apica CD5N - perfect size for a shirt pocket.

Of course, I have some Rhodia pads- both Orange cover blank and black cover dot pad. (A4)

I found a note pad at the office a while back with the company name on top that was surprisingly good. No idea where they got them. Roughly A5 size.

Franklin planner system

Edited February 16, 2017 by Runnin_Ute

[mikefromsac]

For several years I used Rhodia but after trying Life Noble A5 notebooks recently, I made the switch. The are just as nice as Rhodia for fountain pens but much better with pencil, and since I use both ...

 

There are also nice leather covers made for these. - Mike

[Miriel]

Finally, I get my Rhodia.

 

This is the optimum choice in terms of price and quality in my situation. I satisfied with Rhodia, and beige color is strongly suggested.

[Newjelan]

My planner is a Hobonichi Techo A5 and notebooks are "Paper for Fountain Pens" B5 and Nanami Crossfield A5. (I'm addicted to TR paper)

[markh]

Since everyone was discussing notebooks, I thought I would add my 2c worth:

 

On my way to visit family from the L.A. Pen Show, I stopped at Daiso in Sawtelle Japantown. Daiso is a Japanese dollar store - $1.50 actually. All of these notebooks were $1.50.

 

 

Manufacture, from top left clockwise - China, China, Japan, China.

In my experience, Daiso paper made in Japan is always excellent with a fountain pen, while paper manufactured somewhere else (usually China) is not as consistent.

 

In this case, I would grade all of these at B+ or better. Meaning that they work just fine with black Quink in fine point pens - no feathering, no bleed. With a heavy flow flexible nib pens, slight bleed, still no feathering.

 

For me, these are all perfectly usable, and even better - cheap.

 

 

 

.

Edited February 24, 2017 by markh

[sail1942]

Clairefontaine 21 x 29.7 100 pages/50 sheets. Wire bound, opens flat, no bleed through. N. 68142C

[MHBru]

Interesting question as I am in the process of deciding myself. After years of pencil in basic composition books I said heck with pencils and started useing my pens... suddenly the comp books showed their true unflatttering colors. Had an old moleskin laying around and I like the form factor but the paper is meh for the stupid $$ they charge. Black n Red is on deck. My basic criteria are decent quality, appropriate cost, A5, ruled with thread or stapled binding. Those wire coils make me crazy and don't slip in and out of a backpack very easily. Next will be clarfontaine or Rhoda.

[Orpilorp]

 

Do you use it as a lined notebook and just ignore the vertical ruling?

 

Very sorry for this FOUR MONTH 😳 late reply.

 

Just as some sketchers will ignore lined paper and draw on top of the lines, so too I ignore the vertical lines and write across them.