Elia Note - First Impressions

[Firecrest]

It took a little while to arrive, but earlier this week my package from Malaysia materialised on my doorstep, my first experience of the famed Tomoe River paper soon to follow. The process of opening and discovering was a delight in itself right down to the handwritten message from the seller graciously thanking me for my custom. Small touches like this really warm the heart and give a human dimension to what could have been another impersonal transaction. The protective Elia Note box is a beautifully designed thing in itself with its tree motif and title being simple and pleasing on the silk finish article- pleasant to the touch and sight. And then the journal itself. I went for the lined version but with all three styles (dot, plain and lined) you get an astonishing 496 sides of 52 GSM TR paper. I'd never seen this stuff before, of course, so didn't really know what to expect. It didn't disappoint: clean, fine-grained sheets, delicate but resilient - a gorgeous block of hot-pressed paper and all bound in an attractive, no-fuss maroon cover. I immediately got to work on it writing my first TR diary entry. I write with a Sailor medium nib with Diamine Aurora Borealus ink. Just lovely to put pen to paper as it were. Yes, some ghosting but not intrusive enough to prevent writing on both sides of this fine paper. The ink really took to it and no feathering of course. As satisfying an aspect as any of the above was the way the volume fell flat in front of you making it so easy to write on. Early impressions but entirely positive. I was a bit annoyed at the extras I had to pay in its delivery bring it way above the £36 odd it cost originally. But it's so nice I'm just happy to have such a special journal (having looked for this perfection for over 30 years!).

[jamwrite]

Thanks for sharing your impressions! Beautifully described. Agreed completely on how special the paper is, and also on the quality of the Elia Note. It's right up there in quality with the Nanami notebooks (as mentioned in https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/344101-nanami-seven-seas-standard-a5-notebook-review) and is a worthy addition to anyone's collection of notebooks/journals. And I think the Elia Note box is actually a little nicer than the Nanami box BTW. (Plus I prefer Elia Note's 6mm rule to Nanami's 7mm rule, but I understand I'm in the minority on the old 6mm vs 7mm debate.)

 

And if you place it in a nice leather cover, it's even more special! If you haven't already, you can get great A5 leather covers that will fit the Elia Note from Etsy -- specifically, leather covers for the popular Hobonichi Cousin A5 planner will also fit the Elia Note, so there are plenty of options out there. They are almost identical in dimensions. You can also buy two great covers from Nanami -- the HERZ A5 and Gfeller A5 covers are both lovely, and fit the Nanami Seven Seas A5 notebooks, the Hobonichi Cousin planner, and of course the Elia Note A5 notebooks like a glove. Just don't get an A5 leather cover specifically sized for the Midori MD A5 notebooks, those covers are designed for thinner notebooks, and don't quite fit the Elia Note (or Hobonichi Cousin or Nanami A5).

 

Anyway, enjoy it and welcome to the magic of Tomoe River paper. I don't know of another paper that inspires more superlatives, lol. It's a little bit of magic and worth every penny.

[DrDebG]

Thank you so much for the great review! I haven't tried the Elia Note yet, but hope to in the near future. I am very glad that it exceeded your expectations.

[arellano81366]

Hello there!

I got some about the same time than you wrote this review and let me say this as a compliment to the notebook: are almost identical to the famous Namani which I love too. I think I bought 2-3 and are still unused except for the test pages. I love TR.

[Karmachanic]

Thank you for helping me decide. I've been thinking about making an order. I prefer dot (out of stock at present), but I can live comfortably with the 6mm lined version. I'll order three.