Kokuyo Campus High Grad MIO Paper

[naimitsu]

Hello Everyone! If memory serves me right, this will be my first paper review, so bear with me as I stumble my way through this.

When I first started this hobby in December of 2014, I didn't know what I was getting into. It started out with only a few inexpensive pens. Then came the realization that most paper does not like fountain pen ink. Then came the search for paper that will play nice with the bountiful options of fountain pen inks. Then came the start of "Hmm, I think I like this better than that" list.

Long story short, my two favorite papers became Apica and Tomoe River.
Which got me thinking, if I like the two best known Japanese papers available for FPs, what other Japanese papers are out there and are any of them good? Thus began the search on JetPens for paper. How did I determine if it was Japanese? By the oh-so-scientific method of "does the name sound Japanese?"

I found 5 brands that "sounded" Japanese to me, and then threw in one more that didn't quite sound Japanese in for good measure.

So here's the first of 6 reviews I will be doing.

Specifications from JetPen's website:
Model Number KOKUYO NO-GG108B
Weight 6.0 ounces
Manufacturer Kokuyo
Binding Glue
Cover Material Cardstock
Cover Type Softcover
Features Archival Quality, Fountain Pen Friendly, pH-Neutral
Line Spacing 6 mm
Number of Lines 28
Number of Sheets 80
Paper Weight 60 gsm
Perforated No
Refillable No
Sheet Style Lined
Size - Depth .7 cm
Size - Length 21 cm
Size - Width 14.8 cm
Standard Paper Size A5

Monetary Considerations:
Cost $6.75
Cost per Sheet $0.08

The Good:
So far I like this paper. It is very smooth to the touch and the nib glides over it rather easily, even the sometimes touchy Esterbrook 2048. However, there was still enough feedback from the paper that it still felt like you were writing on paper. Anything glass smooth would make writing on it unmanageable.

The rule lines are a nice soft grey. It is easy enough to see, but also easy enough to overlook when reviewing the writing. The page itself is what I would consider a soft white. There is enough pigment to make it easy on the eyes, but pale enough that it did not seem to alter the color of the ink.

It displays the same ink haloing that I like on TR and Apica. There was very little to no feathering, and the spread looks true to size. There was very little bleedthrough on the page, and the bits that did was due to multiple passes, slight nib scoring with the Esterbrook flex, or when my nib decided I needed a nice blob of ink.

The overall construction of the notebook is pretty good. The binding bends, but so far, I do not see any breakage when I fold it completely open at any point. Also, the binding tape is a textured silver foil that gives it a nice bit of pop without being absolutely obnoxious.

The Bad:
The cover is really flexible, which normally isn't an issue for me. However, with it being a relatively thick notebook, there is little to no support under the page on the short side. Also, the notebook will not lay absolutely flat when open. Due to the style of binding, it has a bit of bubble/curve near the spine.

There is also a fair bit of showthrough which can be distracting. If writing on the back is a must, it might be a good idea to invest in either a dark sheet of cardstock or print out a black field to minimize the visibility of the showthrough.

The Ugly:
There was nothing truly "ugly" about the notebook. None of the grievances listed above were deal-breakers for me. However, this might change as I use the notebook more. I'll try to return to this post in the future if I find any unacceptable issues with the notebook.

Pictures:
From JetPen's Website


Writing Samples

[rdcalhoon]

I always welcome paper reviews. I am looking forward to the rest of the series.

[Lady Onogaro]

Thank you for your review. I like these notebooks and my findings basically agree with yours, though I mostly use EF and F nibs.

[Laura N]

I like this paper. I bought some Kokuyo ring binder notebooks, with the same or similar paper, after they were recommended by an old FP friend. I very much like the notebooks. They are a great size, lie flat when opened and have a thick cardboard cover. There are two different line-spacings available. I write on both sides of the paper, and I don't mind the show-through, since I use EF nibs anyway in this notebook. For me, it's about the same amount of show-through as I get with Tomoe River paper; YMMV.

Mine are on Jetpens here. Sometimes I have trouble finding them through the Jetpens search box, so I resort to Google.

[migo984]

Thank you for the review. I really enjoyed reading it.
Kokuyo have a huge range of papers and most, but not all, work well with fountain pen inks. I always have one of the Campus notebooks on the go; I actually like the thin, soft cover as it reduces the weight. They are surprisingly robust for such thin card.

My other favourite Japanese brands are Midori MD (not the Traveller/Passport paper), Life, Maruman Mnemosyne and Liscio-l.

[reprieve]

Thanks for the review. I'm a big fan of these notebooks because they come in the hard-to-find-in-the-United-States B5 size.

After using and really liking these notebooks for a quite a while, and after becoming dismayed by their easily bent covers, I bought one of the Systemic Refillable Notebook Covers. The cover not only prevents damage, but it also holds two notebooks, provides a sturdy writing surface, and it has an elastic closure, two bookmarks, and a front pocket (which is handy for holding your pens). If you like the Kokuyo notebooks, I highly recommend the cover.