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Thread: Best refillable note books?

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    Default Best refillable note books?

    I'm looking for a refillable notebook that will hold up for a very long time. I tend to destroy the Mead notebooks and they are unusable with FPs anyway. Just a notebook that I can simply buy paper for.

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    Senior Member Silverbreeze's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best refillable note books?

    Quote Originally Posted by Music and Ink View Post
    I'm looking for a refillable notebook that will hold up for a very long time. I tend to destroy the Mead notebooks and they are unusable with FPs anyway. Just a notebook that I can simply buy paper for.
    I favor http://innovativejournaling.com/
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    Default Re: Best refillable note books?

    I quite like the Kokuyo systemic: http://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-System...i-Navy/pd/5361 (thought I got the three fold kind).

    It fits standard A5.

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    Default Re: Best refillable note books?

    Check out the Staples ARC aka Levenger Circa aka Atoma system, I love it.

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    Senior Member Frank's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best refillable note books?

    Filofax A5 Notebooks!
    http://www.filofaxusa.com/notebooks

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    Default Re: Best refillable note books?

    Quote Originally Posted by evyxmsj View Post
    I quite like the Kokuyo systemic: http://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-System...i-Navy/pd/5361 (thought I got the three fold kind).

    It fits standard A5.
    Looks good, I like the two tone cover and the price is reasonable.
    Does it only accept its own branded refill?
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    Default Re: Best refillable note books?

    If you are looking to just put paper in there, you can use the Innovative Journals already mentioned or some Midori Traveler sort of clone. In the ones I have made I have combinations of notebooks and file folders, cut down to be the size of the cover of a notebook I would put in there, that I slip under the elastic as I would a notebook, but I just take paper folded to size and slip it in there without even bothering to sew it together.

    If you want to do that, though, you have to deal with folded papers you are probably going to want to store together in that same clump as if they were books, and you are limited to the sizes you can get by folding the paper available to you in half in the middle unless you want to get into cutting it down.

    It's also easy enough to sew pages together into a book, if you want to make your own refills that are sewn. But this all presumes you do not want individual sheets such as you have in a looseleaf notebook, and that you don't mind them being blank sheets. Lines and dots are not impossible, but just anther thing you'd have to do to the paper before you folded it - may be more trouble than it is worth.

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    Default Re: Best refillable note books?

    I'm a fan of the Midori traveller's notebook system (or its clone).

    The clones come in different sizes and there are refills made from a variety of FP friendly paper, including Tomoe River.

    Sent from my ONE A2005 using Tapatalk

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    Default Re: Best refillable note books?

    No Penwash, it accepts any A5 sized notebook. I have the black version in both A5 and B5, and I use Maruman Memnosyne notebooks in mine.
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    Default Re: Best refillable note books?

    I totally agree. Innovative is the best. Arthur does great work.

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    Default Re: Best refillable note books?

    Quote Originally Posted by sirvival View Post
    Check out the Staples ARC aka Levenger Circa aka Atoma system, I love it.
    Quote Originally Posted by Frank View Post
    Filofax A5 Notebooks!
    http://www.filofaxusa.com/notebooks

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    I agree with Sirvival and Frank as I use both.

    Atoma is good for posh(er) covers but Staples arc is better paper for fountain pens - I use Atoma discs and cover and staples paper. Overall the system is very flexible, to the point where you can move pages around in the system.

    At work I use a personal size Filofax with Tomoe river paper refills (Raymay Davinci Refill Pages - Bible/Personal Size - Plain from JetPens).

    I can recommend both systems wholeheartedly.

    I have looked at Midori/fauxdori but to date haven't come round to buying one (yet).

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    Default Re: Best refillable note books?

    Quote Originally Posted by evyxmsj View Post
    I quite like the Kokuyo systemic: http://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-System...i-Navy/pd/5361 (thought I got the three fold kind).

    It fits standard A5.
    I second the Kokuyo, but a different system (http://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-Color-...gs-Red/pd/9141)
    They sell loose leaf paper in packs of 100 sheets (http://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-Campus...heets/pd/10762)

    But I wanted something that I could rearrange. Not sure if that's something you would want as well.

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    Default Re: Best refillable note books?

    Quote Originally Posted by naimitsu View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by evyxmsj View Post
    I quite like the Kokuyo systemic: http://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-System...i-Navy/pd/5361 (thought I got the three fold kind).

    It fits standard A5.
    I second the Kokuyo, but a different system (http://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-Color-...gs-Red/pd/9141)
    They sell loose leaf paper in packs of 100 sheets (http://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-Campus...heets/pd/10762)

    But I wanted something that I could rearrange. Not sure if that's something you would want as well.
    +1 on both the Kokuyo Systemic and the Japanese Binders.

    Regarding the Japanese Binder - the Kokyuo Color Palette - specifically I like the Color Palette binders specifically because they have stiff covers, which makes it easier when writing on your lap or anyplace else where you don't have a flat surface handy. You can get other Japanese Binders less expensively, but all the ones I've seen have floppy covers, or sometimes cheaper plastic binder mechanisms rather than metal. I've seen the Japanese binders in two sizes - A5 and B5. The A5 uses 20 rings and I believe the B5 is 26 rings. When I got my A5 Color Palette at Kinokiyunya it came with a few sheets of paper and tabbed separators. The paper is not widely available but I've seen it online at JetPens, Amazon, and Nanami Paper, and I've only seen it at a bricks & mortar at Kinikiyunya. For what its worth, I like the Color Palette so much I'm waiting for a B5 from Japan through an Amazon seller.

    With the Kokyuo Systemic, I have the B5 version that includes a ringed notebook. That's a nice little upgrade from the regular version, plus there is a pen loop that is elastic so I can actually fit a fountain pen in the loop - I've kept a Platinum Plaisir on there. The elastic strap keeping the notebook together seems to be well made for my version. In terms of notebooks, I have been able to fit three notebooks in it: the wirebound notebook that comes with it, an Apica, and a Kokuyo Campus notebook in there as well. I have a Life 100 sheet B5 and I've placed that in the middle rather than the Kokuyo Campus, so it can take thicker notebooks. Right now it has Kokuyo Campus though. If I was desperate for more paper I could attach two Rhodia pads to the outside but that looks a little unwieldy. Mine is all black, lithe and professional looking. I'd like the covers to be slightly stiffer but its still good for writing with on your lap. I think you can get the B5 notebooks that fit inside the Kokuyo Systemic at Goulet Pens, Kinokiyunya, and Jet Pens. I haven't looked on Amazon, but I think they'd be available there as well. I'd imagine A5 availability might be a little broader outside Japan. (B5 is my favorite size so that's why I went with that, its in the goldilocks zone for me.)

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    Default Re: Best refillable note books?

    Quote Originally Posted by sirvival View Post
    Check out the Staples ARC aka Levenger Circa aka Atoma system, I love it.
    I love this system too, plus it's available in A4/letter size, in which there are fewer options available. The components are pretty robust, but depending on how and why you end up trashing your current notebook, you might find that ARC is also vulnerable to damage. I think Atoma does a cover that wraps around the rings, which would provide the most robust protection for the rings and paper.

    Otherwise, those Japanese binder systems look sweet.

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    Default Re: Best refillable note books?

    Quote Originally Posted by naimitsu View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by evyxmsj View Post
    I quite like the Kokuyo systemic: http://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-System...i-Navy/pd/5361 (thought I got the three fold kind).

    It fits standard A5.
    I second the Kokuyo, but a different system (http://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-Color-...gs-Red/pd/9141)
    They sell loose leaf paper in packs of 100 sheets (http://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-Campus...heets/pd/10762)

    But I wanted something that I could rearrange. Not sure if that's something you would want as well.
    Does this Campus paper play well with fountain pens? I see from the website that it is 75gsm. How is the bleed through? Anywhere I can see an example? Thanks

    Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

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    Default Re: Best refillable note books?

    Just got my Bendt refillable journal and would definitely recommend them. The cover feels soft but durable. It is light and perfect in size for a great price. The paper is above average. Website states it's 100 gsm.
    (https://www.amazon.com/Refillable-Jo...dp/B07MN6SJCP/)

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    Default Re: Best refillable note books?

    I have a kokoyu campus notebook and the paper is fantastic with fountain pens. Sorry, no pics. I would put it on par with Tomoe River paper.
    I use a fountain pen and a paper planner - paperinkplan.wordpress.com

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    Default Re: Best refillable note books?

    I bought an A6 sized leather cover from etsy (there are some great options), it's handmade and full grain so tough as nails (I got a distressed leather one for $40, the look is not for everyone though, it looks fairly beat up and ragged already, as it's supposed to)...just refill it with Rhodia unlimited or webnotebooks (I prefer the latter as it has more pages, but the former seems more visually suited for the role as it doesn't have an inner pocket and a thick cover by itself). What I found works best is, look around for a notebook of a size you like, and a price you are willing to stomach repeatedly, along with availability...then go on etsy and look for a nice cover made from full grain leather/boot leather/pull up leather, canvas, or similar material that will last a lifetime (I'm not a leather expert, but depending on the quality and the treatment, fulll grain leather and it's variants can be very tough, even putting up with water, as long as you don't use a dryer on it afterwards).
    Last edited by Tjphysicist; December 3rd, 2019 at 06:29 AM.

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    Default Re: Best refillable note books?

    Chic Sparrow have them https://chicsparrow.com/

    If you are in the UK Tanner Bates is good for a cover https://www.tannerbates.co.uk/collec...books-journals I've used William Hannah, Filed Notes and Fabriano paper in mine.

    Also William Hannah https://williamhannah.com/

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    Default Re: Best refillable note books?

    I like the disc based ones, use Levenger's heavy duty punch (IMHO the best) and I like their covers, although $. So far, any brand of disc has worked for me.

    For paper I use HP24 for general writing & notes (F/EF nibs) and HP32 for most else. If I'm going to really express myself in ink I will use some TR.

    I make my notebooks in different sizes depending upon need. General writing full (letter) size. Journals and misc are in Junior (5.5x8.5").

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