PDA

View Full Version : Muji High Quality Smooth Paper Note A5



Pinkys.Brain
August 21st, 2012, 08:57 PM
Here a short review of the Muji DinA5 notebook made for fountain pens. Well, it does not say, that it was made especially for fountain pens, but that you can use fountain pens. At the Muji homepage these are listed as "High Quality Smooth Paper Note A5" notebooks. There's also a DinA6 version.

Cover: Black, softcover. The spine is covered with black bookbinding tape
Pages: 72 sheets
Paper: lined (6mm), "smooth paper", light beige. I do not know the weight, but I guess about 80g/m²
Binding: the signatures (sewed binding) are glued.

Smoothness: quite smooth. Good for fountain pens.
Feathering:There is some when using juicy pens or flexing
Showthrough: Some, but not too bad
Bleedthrough: only with wet writers
Drying time: quite good.

Overall the paper is not too bad. The notebook looks quite slick, and I will use it at work (because of the looks). It costs 350 Yen which is okay, I guess. A very positive thing is that the notebook lies almost flat because of the glued binding.
Unfortunately there is better paper out there. The Maruman Mnemosyne 80g/m² is better when it come to bleedthrough and showthrough, but it is more expensive. Tsubame notebooks are not as smooth as the Muji notebook, but they provide more options: Grid, lined, blank, Japanese grid for Chinese characters, vertical lining, diary, etc.). Tsubame paper is also thicker (83g/m²) so there's even less showthrough/bleedthrough. But they look like school notebooks.
So the Muji takes the third place behind the Maruman Mnemosyne and the Tsubame.


p.s.: I am moving more and more away from Clairefontaine/Rhodia as they are harder to get buy here in Japan and are much very expensive. I also prefer the shorter drying time of the Japanese notebooks as I am a left-handed.


http://i48.tinypic.com/v5vivk.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/35auidw.jpg

http://i50.tinypic.com/2dkmpmd.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/14nzfxx.jpg

KrazyIvan
August 21st, 2012, 09:02 PM
Does not look half bad. I keep forgetting about Muji until someone else posts a review.:cry:

Pinkys.Brain
August 21st, 2012, 09:11 PM
They now also have dot grid notebooks. But they are not labelled as made for fountain pens and also include 5% recycled paper ("High quality recycled paper)... I will have to get one the next time I enter one of there shops.

Here's a link to their dot grid paper, but it is hard to see the dots as the pictures are very small:
http://www.muji.net/store/cmdty/detail/4934761797007

KrazyIvan
August 21st, 2012, 09:25 PM
They do specifically advertise the high quality paper as for fountain pens. They also raised the price and made a wire bound version since the last time I was on the Muji USA site.

Pinkys.Brain
August 21st, 2012, 09:55 PM
The dot grid paper and the paper of the notebook I reviewed are not the same. Only the reviewed one is specifically labelled as fountain pen friendly (at least in Japan). That was the reason why I did not buy the dot grid one.
They felt similar, though, so maybe the paper is the same. At least the color was different: The dot grip appeared to be whiter than the fountain pen paper.

It is actually strange where they lay the focus in advertising the notebooks:
The reviewed run is advertised as "High quality paper that provides a smooth writing experience". The Dot grid paper on the other hand is labelled as a "notebook made of high quality recycled paper that is easy to open (= lies flat because of the glued/sewed binding).

Bogon07
August 21st, 2012, 10:08 PM
Thanks for the review. It is good to see some of the Japanese stationery being showcased.

Maybe Muji will popup in the Sydney Kinokuniya.

KrazyIvan
August 22nd, 2012, 08:47 AM
It is nice to see the fountain pen friendly distinction in the advertising. So often you have to guess if a notebook will work with fountain pens. If you have a chance to touch the paper beforehand it helps, but even then I sometimes get it wrong.

Pinkys.Brain
August 22nd, 2012, 06:24 PM
It is nice to see the fountain pen friendly distinction in the advertising. So often you have to guess if a notebook will work with fountain pens. If you have a chance to touch the paper beforehand it helps, but even then I sometimes get it wrong.

This notebook is actually the first one I have seen here in Japan that specifially targets fountain pen users. No other (Japanese) notebook I have seen here so far was labelled as fountain pen friendly. Fountain pens are in no way mainstream here in Japan, so targeting their users does not seem to be that important... ~_~

KrazyIvan
August 23rd, 2012, 03:38 PM
I have no way of basing this on fact and it is pure conjecture on my part. I can be very conspiracy theorist minded at times, so take this with a grain of salt.

A while back a thread popped up on these notebooks (the old version) at FPN. The fountain pen friendliness was put out there. Shortly after, they sold out. A person on FPN started selling them and I suspected they were the ones that cleared the Muji USA site out. I wonder if anyone at Muji came across the FPN thread and decided to use the fountain pen friendliness angle.

Pinkys.Brain
August 23rd, 2012, 08:38 PM
I just thought that since they offer a fountain pen it would be the sensible thing to complement it with a fitting notebook...

manoeuver
August 24th, 2012, 09:18 AM
I have no way of basing this on fact and it is pure conjecture on my part. I can be very conspiracy theorist minded at times, so take this with a grain of salt.

A while back a thread popped up on these notebooks (the old version) at FPN. The fountain pen friendliness was put out there. Shortly after, they sold out. A person on FPN started selling them and I suspected they were the ones that cleared the Muji USA site out. I wonder if anyone at Muji came across the FPN thread and decided to use the fountain pen friendliness angle.

I should hope so. If a certain population is latching on to a product and the manufacturer doesn't make it easier for them to find or acquire it, that's just a waste.

Bogon07
August 24th, 2012, 05:26 PM
I should hope so. If a certain population is latching on to a product and the manufacturer doesn't make it easier for them to find or acquire it, that's just a waste.
Also stupid. Why deny your business extra sales.

john
May 11th, 2013, 10:40 AM
I've bought a few note books from Muji last week. When I wrote with my M nib146 , the paper seems like friendly with the fountain pens. But I found that the ink will not dry until it evaporated. The paper is smooth, not breeding through and feathering. I'm not sure if there is plastic content in the paper or not. Take more than two minutes for drying that make me crazy.

xewepi714
May 5th, 2023, 08:43 AM
Tires are an essential investment for any vehicle owner. They are responsible for providing a smooth ride, ensuring safety, and maintaining control on the road. However, like any other component, tires require proper maintenance and care to ensure they last as long as possible. you can look here (https://tiresscan.com/best-tires-for-rain-and-snow/)

Peter Kim 2023
June 22nd, 2023, 10:54 PM
I purchased few ceiling lights and switches from the seller https://goldberg-home.com/ early this year for my house renovation. My family and I liked the items so much due to its design, highly recommended if you wish to purchase electrical appliances.

Karlvay
June 23rd, 2023, 04:12 AM
The name of the brand-new state-of-the-art Marina Shores https://dubai-marina-shores.ae/
complex contains the main idea of its creators – from the windows of the apartments, there will be a brain-blowing view of Dubai Marina and the water surface of the Persian Gulf. In addition, residents will receive ultra–comfortable conditions for elite living in the community - everything is within walking distance and of high quality. Emaar Properties, a well-known Dubai developer, is ready to offer this to its clients. The author's collection also includes a luxury 5-bedroom penthouse. There is a nice bonus for residents – free access to the Dubai Marina Promenade.

Peter Kim 2023
July 20th, 2023, 01:38 AM
I purchased few ceiling lights and switches from the seller https://goldberg-home.com/ early this year for my house renovation. My family and I liked the items so much due to its design, highly recommended if you wish to purchase electrical appliances.

Cyril
July 22nd, 2023, 07:36 AM
I smell spam all over !!! Peter Kim you smell !!!