A5 68Gsm Tomoe River Journal - What Are My Options?

[CoolBreeze]

I've been playing around with the Endless A5ish hardcover journal. I really like the 68gsm Tomoe River Paper but I hate that it's not true A5 (I really miss the space). Are there any other options for true A5 68gsm Tomoe River journals? Ideally hardcover and ideally white paper but I'm will to be flexible if the price is right so please don't hesitate if you can think of something! Thank you!

[katerchen]

BOND Travel Gear Tomoe River Notebook

 

I bought mine on Amazon a while back, but they don't seem to carry it anymore.

 

(for reference, but again : out of stock https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FYDQL9S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 )

[DrDebG]

https://bondtravelgear.com/collections/write/products/field-journal?variant=8134495305822

[Karmachanic]

Taroko Enigma

[XYZZY]

I'm very pleaded with the Bond Travel Gear notebook, but they're currently redesigning it. I sent them an email when they disappeared from Amazon, and the response said "We're working on getting some new A5 notebooks later this year, but it'll be a slightly different form factor. They'll still have the 68 gsm Tomoe River paper, though.". I have not inquired beyond that re time frame or what "different form factor" might be. My favorite part of this notebook is how effortlessly it lays flat. With other "lay flat" notebooks I have to run my hand down the center to make them go flat, with the Bond it just just falls flat with no effort.

 

I'm also pleased with my Taroko Enigmas, they are well made. But lots of glue in the spine so you have to mash it down to get it to lay flat. Don't get me wrong, you don't need any heroics to make it flat, this is just one of those things that irrationally bothers. But next time I am out of notebooks I will have no problem ordering a Taroko if Bond isn't shipping yet.

 

I recall that Hippo Noto (sp?) is working on a "true A5", but that's all I know. Their original journal was too narrow for my taste, and at 500 pages I think it's way too thick.

[Karmachanic]

I'm also pleased with my Taroko Enigmas, they are well made. But lots of glue in the spine so you have to mash it down to get it to lay flat.

 

Randomly open the notebook until the covers touch. Do this three or four times and it'll lay flat going forward.

[XYZZY]

 

Randomly open the notebook until the covers touch. Do this three or four times and it'll lay flat going forward.

 

Yep, did that. I took inspiration from the YT video that Nanami has for breaking in their 52gsm notebooks.

 

Seriously, I don't want to give the impression that these are hard to open. They're not. No harder to get these to lay flat than a Leuchtturm, for those with experience there. It's just one of those things that bugs me.

[DrDebG]

While I have not had the opportunity to compare the Bond Travel Gear A5 notebook (68 gsm Tomoe River) with my Nanami Standard A5 notebook (52 gsm), I must say that if you do not mind the lighter paper, the Nanami has many more pages and is less expensive than most A5 notebooks with high quality paper. I love mine. But in keeping with comparing A5 notebooks, I have ordered the Bond Travel Gear A5 notebook directly from Bond. I like the fact that they are a veteran owned and run business.

[myfpstory]

I also second the Bond Travel Gear A5 notebook. They currently have a sale that includes the case plus the notebook from their website directly. They seem to be low in stock on some items. Many are out of stock. I'm hoping they'll be back soon so I can grab some more.

[da vinci]

I think maybe the GLP Author fits the criteria?

[CoolBreeze]

Thanks for all of the replies so far. Taroko Enigma wasn't on my radar so that is interesting to check out. Not hardcover but more paper which could be a interesting trade off and one I would be willing to make no problem. I remember a thread about the Bond notebooks on here and should have bought one when they were like $17 on amazon. Now they are $30 and come with a notebook cover I wouldn't use. I hope after the redesign that just the notebooks become available again at the lower price.

 

As for 52 Gsm - I love the way the ink looks but not sure about dry time. I might even be pushing it a bit with the 68 GSM in that respects. I am going for post graduate work and need to take notes in a classroom like setting and am worried about the dreaded "smear"!

 

I contacted GLP last week and there notebooks are not true A5 nor do they have plans on making them in true A5. They said, the narrow notebook was more portable. I am not sure I would agree that I would notice it in respects to portability but I do notice it when not having the extra space for writing.

Edited August 15, 2019 by CoolBreeze

[XYZZY]

I think maybe the GLP Author fits the criteria?

 

How many pages are in there?

 

It's not quite A5. 8.25 x 5.25, which sounds kinda like US-Letter sheets folded, bound, and trimmed. A5 is 5.8" wide, and personally I really appreciate that extra half inch of width.

[CoolBreeze]

 

A5 is 5.8" wide, and personally I really appreciate that extra half inch of width.

 

Me too!!!!

[CoolBreeze]

 

Yep, did that. I took inspiration from the YT video that Nanami has for breaking in their 52gsm notebooks.

 

Seriously, I don't want to give the impression that these are hard to open. They're not. No harder to get these to lay flat than a Leuchtturm, for those with experience there. It's just one of those things that bugs me.

I love notebooks that lay flat - It bugs the heck out of me to when they don't. I appreciate the comparison about that with the Bond vs. Taroko - while not a deal breaker, its nice to hear of a notebook that does it effortlessly. That being said, if I have to coax the Taroko, as long as it gets to the point it stays flat, I would probably would be happy.

[XYZZY]

Thanks for all of the replies so far. Taroko Enigma wasn't on my radar so that is interesting to check out. Not hardcover but more paper which could be a interesting trade off and one I would be willing to make no problem. I remember a thread about the Bond notebooks on here and should have bought one when they were like $17 on amazon. Now they are $30 and come with a notebook cover I wouldn't use. I hope after the redesign that just the notebooks become available again at the lower price.

 

As for 52 Gsm - I love the way the ink looks but not sure about dry time. I might even be pushing it a bit with the 68 GSM in that respects. I am going for post graduate work and need to take notes in a classroom like setting and am worried about the dreaded "smear"!

 

I contacted GLP last week and there notebooks are not true A5 nor do they have plans on making them in true A5. They said, the narrow notebook was more portable. I am not sure I would agree that I would notice it in respects to portability but I do notice it when not having the extra space for writing.

 

The Enigma's "soft" cover is more than card stock. It's rather heavy, with a texture on the outside. It's certainly not a hardcover, but I think "flexible" would be a better description than "soft". As with most soft-cover books/journals the cover is trimmed flush with the pages so there is zero protection of the sides getting dinged up, if that concerns you.

 

I don't recall 52gsm dry times, but it sounds like you've already read enough to think that the 68gsm is a bit better. I'm a left-handed overwriter and sensitive to smearing. For journals I am very happy with 68gsm TR paper. My most common ink is Iroshizuku which is not fast drying (nor slow), and when writing full width across the paper the ink dries before my hand rubs over it. Of course that's dependent not just on dry time, but also how fast one writes, how many lines per inch, and just how "over" the over-handed grip is.

 

But I would never use this paper for class notes, because I rarely write full page width paragraphs in class notes: shorter lines means working down the page faster and then I smear. I usually make a morning Todo list in my journal and I have to be super-careful not to smear that, but more often than not I have a smudgy todo list.

 

Anyhow... for class notes I reach for Leuchtturm1917 A5 journals. The paper isn't is nice, but it's more absorbent which makes the dry time work for me. And LT is easily found in local shops, so if you forget to order your next batch of notebooks and need to get one more in a hurry you can do that.

 

But to be clear, I do not seek out inks known for really fast dry times, so if you want to go that route then TR may be great.

Edited August 15, 2019 by XYZZY

[Karmachanic]

Stalogy makes a high value notebook. Definitely worth a try. Not TR, but very close in performance

[DrDebG]

Another thought. Since you are doing post grad work, you may also want to consider something less expensive. I can recommend the Personal Notebook by Letterbox. It is larger than A5 - around 8 3/4" x 10". The paper is good quality, heavier than TR and reminds me more of Midori type of paper. But the paper is definitely fountain pen friendly with little to no feathering, even with broader nibs (I use broad and stub nibs), and little to no bleeding or showthrough. I use these almost exclusively for my consulting work. I keep a separate notebook for each client, so I go through notebooks fairly quickly. I am always surprised how nice these are for the price.

 

And about the price - Costco sells these. When they have them in stock it is usually 3 for $11 or $12. I usually buy a dozen of them which will hold me for a while. Both of my local Costcos sell them. I was recently in Portland, and found them there as well. But I have never seen them sold on Costco.com or on Amazon.

 

I did a quick review of several notebooks with different papers. Here is the link if you are interested. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/346167-review-of-6-different-a5-notebooks/

Edited August 17, 2019 by 5Cavaliers

[CoolBreeze]

 

The Enigma's "soft" cover is more than card stock. It's rather heavy, with a texture on the outside. It's certainly not a hardcover, but I think "flexible" would be a better description than "soft". As with most soft-cover books/journals the cover is trimmed flush with the pages so there is zero protection of the sides getting dinged up, if that concerns you.

 

I don't recall 52gsm dry times, but it sounds like you've already read enough to think that the 68gsm is a bit better. I'm a left-handed overwriter and sensitive to smearing. For journals I am very happy with 68gsm TR paper. My most common ink is Iroshizuku which is not fast drying (nor slow), and when writing full width across the paper the ink dries before my hand rubs over it. Of course that's dependent not just on dry time, but also how fast one writes, how many lines per inch, and just how "over" the over-handed grip is.

 

But I would never use this paper for class notes, because I rarely write full page width paragraphs in class notes: shorter lines means working down the page faster and then I smear. I usually make a morning Todo list in my journal and I have to be super-careful not to smear that, but more often than not I have a smudgy todo list.

 

Anyhow... for class notes I reach for Leuchtturm1917 A5 journals. The paper isn't is nice, but it's more absorbent which makes the dry time work for me. And LT is easily found in local shops, so if you forget to order your next batch of notebooks and need to get one more in a hurry you can do that.

 

But to be clear, I do not seek out inks known for really fast dry times, so if you want to go that route then TR may be great.

 

 

That's great insight into the Enigma's "soft" cover. I sometimes write on my lap which is why I like hard covers so the harder the better. I also appreciate the insight into whether the pages are flush with the cover. Unfortunately, that is something I am going to have to live with if I go this route. Its also one of the reasons I do like hard covers. That being said, the corners look rounded so that is a plus.

 

Don't get me wrong - I don't dislike 52 GSM but as you stated, you are not always using all of the page to write neat paragraphs and dry time is what I am primarily worried about. I honestly don't know for sure.

 

Thanks again!

[CoolBreeze]

Stalogy makes a high value notebook. Definitely worth a try. Not TR, but very close in performance

 

 

Another thought. Since you are doing post grad work, you may also want to consider something less expensive. I can recommend the Personal Notebook by Letterbox. It is larger than A5 - around 8 3/4" x 10". The paper is good quality, heavier than TR and reminds me more of Midori type of paper. But the paper is definitely fountain pen friendly with little to no feathering, even with broader nibs (I use broad and stub nibs), and little to no bleeding or showthrough. I use these almost exclusively for my consulting work. I keep a separate notebook for each client, so I go through notebooks fairly quickly. I am always surprised how nice these are for the price.

 

And about the price - Costco sells these. When they have them in stock it is usually 3 for $11 or $12. I usually buy a dozen of them which will hold me for a while. Both of my local Costcos sell them. I was recently in Portland, and found them there as well. But I have never seen them sold on Costco.com or on Amazon.

 

I did a quick review of several notebooks with different papers. Here is the link if you are interested. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/346167-review-of-6-different-a5-notebooks/

 

Thanks - I'll totally check these out. Didn't even know about them! Thanks again!

 

ETA - how does the ink look on these? I love the way ink looks on TR paper. I don't necessarily mean sheen. I just like that it looks kind of liquidy - it kind of glows to me. Does that make sense?

Edited August 19, 2019 by CoolBreeze

[Karmachanic]

 

 

 

Thanks - I'll totally check these out. Didn't even know about them! Thanks again!

 

ETA - how does the ink look on these? I love the way ink looks on TR paper. I don't necessarily mean sheen. I just like that it looks kind of liquidy - it kind of glows to me. Does that make sense?

 

I have Taroko Enigma 68gsm, Nanami 52gsm and Stalogy notebooks., The Stalogy is close to the Taroko in weight and performance.

The Stalogy cover is thinner than the Taroko. I have very nice, reasonably priced Chinese natural leather covers on both (deep sleeves), from different sources. The Taroko is 18mm thick; a common cover won't fit