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Thread: What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

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    Default What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

    I mean I like variety as much as anyone else (ok, maybe I don't haha) but right now I have so many different brands of notebooks (Rhodia, Midori, Stalogy...) and I just want to consolidate into one brand/model/size for the rest of my journalling career. My idea is to have a full shelf of journals/notebooks with the same brand and size, so it looks neat and tidy (I know that would never happen - I don't even have a bookshelf and I haven't even completed one single journal yet, but one can dream!)

    Right now I am loving the Stalogy A5 365 days - it has so many pages packed into a relatively small notebook - I like the paper (perhaps Tomoe River-like? Don't kill me if it isn't!) - it is smooth and relatively FP-friendly. The grid size is a tad small but I have gotten used to it now, and my handwriting is kinda small anyways (I use EF-western, F/EF-japanese nibs).

    But I am more interested in what you guys use. What are your favorite journals to use for extended writing (if you use any)?

    Take care,

    Jace.

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    Default Re: What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

    I like the B6 size. This limits my choices. Right now I am using Nanami's Tomoe River lined notebooks in that size. TR paper is not my favorite, but it is certainly better than most. Actually, I am not sure what is my favorite paper; I have yet to run across it.

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    Default Re: What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

    TLDR: I guess I would have to say that the Taroko Enigma is my favorite. They now make them with blank pages, but I have only used the 5mm dotgrid version.

    I mostly use just one notebook at a time that everything goes into. The exception is if I need to take notes at work, but I fill about 12 pages/year in the work notebook, and I probably write in it with a Pilot Hi-Tec C, not a fountain pen. If I'm taking a continuing-ed class I'll get notebooks just for that (I'm heavy note-taker in classes). But for my personal notebook: everything goes into it, so I'm pretty much focused on that one notebook for a couple of months or however long it takes to fill it. I haven't found a notebook that sucked so hard that I abandoned it in the middle: the ones I don't like I'll still forge ahead, and I just won't buy another when it's done.

    My ideal: Tomoe River 68gsm, white, 7mm lines (or a 7mm dotgrid but who does that?), 400-ish pages, softbound, lay flat binding, A5. I'd accept blank pages as I'm comfortable using a guidesheet, but I'd prefer to not have the distraction of moving the guidesheet. I prefer not to have pockets, ribbons, pagenumbers, table of contents pages: I don't use them so they are wasted expense.

    Things I consider close to that ideal. These check most of the boxes, except as noted:

    * Taroko Enigma: it's 5mm dotgrid, but they now have a blank version.
    * Nanami: It's 52gsm. And the choices are 7mm lines on cream paper, or blank white paper.
    * Bond Travelgear Notebook: 5mm dotgrid, dots are large-ish and not aligned front/back of pages, only 192 pages, and hardback. In spite of all that, it was a really nice notebook. Moot, though, since the company and notebook are gone.

    So once I figure out what to do with the 6 empty Taroko Enigma with 5mm dotgrid, then the blank Taroko Enigma will be awfully close to ideal.

    Others that I have tried:

    Midori MD: These are nice. I don't like the paper as much as TR, but it's still nice. I don't actively seek this out, but if I found a great price then I'd get a couple.

    Midori MD Cotton: I haven't tried this in a notebook. I have a pad and matching envelopes that I use and recommend for letter writing, but I would like to try it in a notebook for that focused daily experience.

    Yoseka Stationery Notebook: The binding is great. It is open like with Midori, but hardcover. The lay-flat binding is completely effortless: only the thinnest layer of glue in the back and it did not seep in between pages/signatures. I do like and recommend the shop and the people that run it: https://yosekastationery.com/. I don't remember who makes the paper. Paper is pretty with a nice texture, but I get a fair amount of bleedthrough, almost as much as Leuchtturm. Note that I'm mostly using IRO inks in medium to wet pens. There are probably pen/ink combinations that will make this paper perfect for people, but it's not for me.

    Leuchtturm1917: I thought they were Ok when I was starting out. Maybe the paper has gone downhill, or my expectations uphill, or both. I don't use them for a personal journal. I bought/filled three a couple months ago for class notes, and I won't be using them again even for that. One thing that bugs me constantly is that the glue from the binding seeps in and you need to give the pages a little tug to separate them: the glue is in between signatures, and it flows through the holes where the thread comes through. This is true in notebooks I bought three years ago, and noteboooks bought two months ago. Just say no. But better than Moleskine.

    Moleskine: it's been at least 10 years since I've tried one. The paper sucks, which is to be expected because they aren't a paper company: their notebooks are about notebook experience: pockets, ribbons, and the romantic notion that all their users will turn into Hemmingway. But paper is something they probably buy by the ton from whomever gives them a deal that week. Run away, run away.

    In my queue is a Fabriano EcoQua and Apica "C.D. Notebook". And those six Enigmas that I mentioned :-) I think the Fabriano has 4mm dots, but I'll be using them as 8mm spacing.
    Last edited by XYZZY; December 3rd, 2020 at 01:26 PM.

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    Default Re: What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

    Quote Originally Posted by jace View Post
    I mean I like variety as much as anyone else (ok, maybe I don't haha) but right now I have so many different brands of notebooks (Rhodia, Midori, Stalogy...) and I just want to consolidate into one brand/model/size for the rest of my journalling career. My idea is to have a full shelf of journals/notebooks with the same brand and size, so it looks neat and tidy (I know that would never happen - I don't even have a bookshelf and I haven't even completed one single journal yet, but one can dream!)

    Right now I am loving the Stalogy A5 365 days - it has so many pages packed into a relatively small notebook - I like the paper (perhaps Tomoe River-like? Don't kill me if it isn't!) - it is smooth and relatively FP-friendly. The grid size is a tad small but I have gotten used to it now, and my handwriting is kinda small anyways (I use EF-western, F/EF-japanese nibs).

    But I am more interested in what you guys use. What are your favorite journals to use for extended writing (if you use any)?

    Take care,

    Jace.
    Cheap composition notebooks from India or Brazil or the USA.

    Or really, any vintage paper from the time when they all responded well to fountain pen ink. (TR dries too slow, and I often write fast. Too fast, sometimes, even for Rhodia.)
    My other pen is a Montblanc.

    And my other blog is a tumblr!


    And my latest ebook, for spooky wintery reading:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CM2NGSSD

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    Default Re: What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

    Quote Originally Posted by jace View Post
    My idea is to have a full shelf of journals/notebooks with the same brand and size, so it looks neat and tidy (I know that would never happen - I don't even have a bookshelf and I haven't even completed one single journal yet, but one can dream!)
    Shoot, I'm doing something similar myself right now. I have a staplebound journal/bullet journal/sketchbook trio collected in a single cover, and as I near the end of my first journal I figure the whole thing would be less clunky, more portable and see more use if my second journal lived outside. I don't really need my 'dear diary' close by my side if I'm off jotting notes or doodling various beasts.
    So I'm also considering something hardbacked that'll stand and slot conveniently on a shelf. It doesn't have to be the same brand each time, I don't have the same experience testing different notebooks (I wouldn't know Tomoe River from Adam) so I'll give anything a whirl, so long as it doesn't soak up and spread FP ink like a sponge. I've been looking around, wondering why cutting the corners off a notebook makes it three to four times as expensive (I suspect XYZZY answered that question) and eventually fell back on a Silvine book. That's supposed to be FP-friendly, right? If not, I won't mourn the four quid too deeply.

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    Default Re: What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

    Quote Originally Posted by jace View Post
    My idea is to have a full shelf of journals/notebooks with the same brand and size, so it looks neat and tidy (I know that would never happen - I don't even have a bookshelf and I haven't even completed one single journal yet, but one can dream!).
    I share that bit of OCD with you :-) I have conceded that it's an unwinnable battle: even if I were settle on one perfect notebook (I wont), it's still unreasonable to expect that the manufacturer would produce that exact same thing for the remainder of my life. And I'd rather have the covers not try to match than to have them mostly match but "Dangit they slightly changed the blue dye in that decade!". Sometimes it's the small inconsistencies that are worse, as they highlight that I tried to be consistent but failed. Whereas with a mix of notebooks I'm not "failing" at matching them if I'm not trying to match them.

    I do use only A5 for journals though. I think those are reasonable to standardize on: discounting North America it's a standard paper size, and even in North America they're easy to get. Heck they might even be easier to get here in the US than an otherwise standard "half-letter" page. I also appreciate the extra half-inch of width that an A5 has over the half-letter. And in a pinch, that half-letter notebook is close enough in height that it doesn't stand out in a mix of A5 journals, and the difference in width is hidden when they're stacked on the bookshelf.

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    Default Re: What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

    Quote Originally Posted by Warren View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by jace View Post
    My idea is to have a full shelf of journals/notebooks with the same brand and size, so it looks neat and tidy (I know that would never happen - I don't even have a bookshelf and I haven't even completed one single journal yet, but one can dream!)
    Shoot, I'm doing something similar myself right now. I have a staplebound journal/bullet journal/sketchbook trio collected in a single cover, and as I near the end of my first journal I figure the whole thing would be less clunky, more portable and see more use if my second journal lived outside. I don't really need my 'dear diary' close by my side if I'm off jotting notes or doodling various beasts.
    So I'm also considering something hardbacked that'll stand and slot conveniently on a shelf. It doesn't have to be the same brand each time, I don't have the same experience testing different notebooks (I wouldn't know Tomoe River from Adam) so I'll give anything a whirl, so long as it doesn't soak up and spread FP ink like a sponge. I've been looking around, wondering why cutting the corners off a notebook makes it three to four times as expensive (I suspect XYZZY answered that question) and eventually fell back on a Silvine book. That's supposed to be FP-friendly, right? If not, I won't mourn the four quid too deeply.
    If you want to just try out Tomoe River, it's relatively easy to find small notebooks for the "refillable" form factors. Goulet has a house-branded one: https://www.gouletpens.com/collectio...11884651315243. I think it's the same as https://www.amazon.com/Taroko-Design.../dp/B01FA68HDU. 68gsm Tomoe River has a similar but not identical experience to the 52gsm Tomoe River. The 52gsm has a lot of show-through, but personally I tend to stop noticing it in a notebook after I've written the back page. The 52gsm was moved to a different paper machine sometime in 2020 and there's not a lot written about how they differ. There's some people saying that they hate it, but I haven't actually seen anything beyond that, and those people may simple be experiencing a natural resistance to change.

    Goulet used to offer a paper sample pack that I thought was great, but I can't find it any more.

    If you live near a Kinokuniya then they are excellent: lots of Japanese paper under one roof, and some non-Japanese, too. The one near me doesn't offer samples to write on in store, but you can certainly open them up and fondle the paper before buying. It turns out that fondling paper doesn't tell you much about the writing experience, though . :-)

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    Default Re: What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

    Strathmore Writing Journal. Really nice paper with some texture. Takes fountain pen very well.

    https://www.strathmoreartist.com/wri...-journals.html

    https://www.strathmoreartist.com/writing.html

    Rick

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    Default Re: What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

    Quote Originally Posted by rickap View Post
    Strathmore Writing Journal. Really nice paper with some texture. Takes fountain pen very well.

    https://www.strathmoreartist.com/wri...-journals.html

    https://www.strathmoreartist.com/writing.html

    Rick
    That link says "17” x 22” x 500 sheets". For real? I'd like to try something like that, but the SKU list further down the page doesn't mention it.

    And your location says "South Puget Sound". Is there someplace in driving distance to check these out?

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    Default Re: What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

    I currently use a Nanami Seven Seas Writer Journal that contains cream lined Tomoe River 52gsm paper. In the event I ever use the last page I have a couple of spares waiting on the shelf.
    I also use a Hobonichi Techo as a smaller writing booklet rather than as a diary and that also contains Tomoe River 52gsm paper but it is white dot grid
    Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens

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    Default Re: What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

    Quote Originally Posted by XYZZY View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by rickap View Post
    Strathmore Writing Journal. Really nice paper with some texture. Takes fountain pen very well.

    https://www.strathmoreartist.com/wri...-journals.html

    https://www.strathmoreartist.com/writing.html

    Rick
    That link says "17” x 22” x 500 sheets". For real? I'd like to try something like that, but the SKU list further down the page doesn't mention it.

    And your location says "South Puget Sound". Is there someplace in driving distance to check these out?
    I don't find the sheets at a retailer. I'd email Strathmore and see what they say.

    I only know of Michael's and Hobby Lobby in the Pierce County area and their web sites do not list the journals or sheets.

    I've gotten my journals from Amazon and Dick Blick.

    https://www.amazon.com/Strathmore-Ha...7036933&sr=8-1

    https://www.dickblick.com/products/s...iting-journal/

    Rick

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    Default Re: What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

    Quote Originally Posted by XYZZY View Post
    That link says "17” x 22” x 500 sheets". For real? I'd like to try something like that, but the SKU list further down the page doesn't mention it.
    Answering my own question: "17” x 22” x 500 sheets" does not mean there is a notebook that size. It is a clarification that the 24lb basis weight is determined with an uncut sheet size of 17x22 and a ream of 500. I'm just not used to seeing basis weight clarified with that much detail.

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    Default Re: What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

    I've tried a few odd things over the past couple of years - Clairefontaine clothbound books, Stillman & Birn hardcover sketchbooks, Moleskine asst, and a bunch of others - but have now reverted to the trusty A4 visual diary. Any brand with large spirals, black cover and decent paper (with a bit of texture). They all match well enough, I have a bookshelf full of them anyway from years of art making and ink is no problem in them. I draw in my journal and stick things in as well as write and couldn't for the life of me figure out why I was journaling as well as keeping visual diaries (prolifically), might as well put it all in together...
    Last edited by Amanda; December 5th, 2020 at 06:07 AM.
    It's all about the greys...

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    Default Re: What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

    Quote Originally Posted by XYZZY View Post
    If you live near a Kinokuniya then they are excellent
    The american branches might possibly be a little closer to me than the japanese branches. Thanks though! I think the main reason I don't know Tomoe River is because I never looked very hard for it. Easily remedied.

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    Default Re: What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

    I don't journal in the usual sense of the word, but I do use a Hobonichi Techo as a work planner (highly summarised due to the size of course). Been using that for the last 5 years, and while the paper is the superb Tomoegawa stock, the format of the Techo is turning out to be not so useful for my purposes.

    For 2021 I am going to give the Leuchtturm 1917 a go, as I have one lying around unused. I hear stories about the paper being not as good today as it once was, however, as this is going to get used with productivity in mind I have no doubt that I will switch to ballpoint and coloured pencil if it won't play well with fountain pens. It's more important for me to have a good planner system than to have FP friendly paper, but if I can have both...

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    Default Re: What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

    For now it's Midori A5. The notebooks are so elegant.
    I was planning to get a Taroko Enigma, as the idea of a many paged notebook appealed to me, but they've been out of stock in Canada for the past year(I prefer the TR 68 to the 52).
    I've ordered Stalogy and Midori Cotton to test, still waiting. If Stalogy works, then I might convert.
    I don't like Fabriano notebooks: the paper isn't the best and the A5 binding is awful.
    I've never been tempted by the leuchtturm, probably because I can't pronounce it
    Personally the more pages I have the happier I am. For some reason, the moment a notebook finishes or is about to finish, I stop writing.

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    Default Re: What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

    Quote Originally Posted by Yazeh View Post
    Personally the more pages I have the happier I am. For some reason, the moment a notebook finishes or is about to finish, I stop writing.
    Me too! Of course the paper is important too, but I like that a lot of pages are packed into a notebook. Another important thing is the binding, it has to lay completely flat - I detest having to write at an odd angle.

    For these things, Stalogy 365 series (especially in the A5 size) is amazing - I don't want to hype it up for potential disappointment - but it is so far the best notebook I have found. So many pages, the paper is super smooth and bleed resistant, and the binding is such that it lays flat no matter which page you are at.

    The only downside is that it is not very readily available in NA, obviously, because it is an import from Japan.

    Tell me what you think of Stalogy when you receive it!

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    Default Re: What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

    Jace, glad to know I'm not the only one

    Jace I got the notebooks.
    I need sometime to test them. The moment I do, I can post results either here and create a new post, whichever you please....

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    Default Re: What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

    I looked over the Stalogy website, but I could only find 5mm pages. Are there blank? Or lined at something larger than 5mm?

    I like notebooks with a lot of pages (see above). But there's a limit. One of the reasons that I haven't tried Hippo Noto is that at 500 pages it's too thick. Partly it becomes a minor inconvenience to carry, but mostly because there's just a huge "ledge" that my hand falls off of when writing. At 400 pages I can just rest the iPhone on the table next to the notebook for support. I'd need to carry something else around with me.

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    Default Re: What's your favorite journal/notebook(s)?

    Has anyone tried any of the journals available through Etsy?

    https://www.etsy.com/search?q=journa...oks&ref=auto-1

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