Rhodia DotPad Notepad – 5.75″ X 8.25″ Review

[heath]

For the review on my page with all the images click here: http://penpaperinkletter.com/rhodia-dotpad-notepad-5-75-x-8-25/

This is the Rhodia DotPad Notepad. It’s 5.75″ X 8.25″ with 80 Sheets and a 5 mm Dot Grid. These are Rhodia’s standard dot pads not the premium “R” branded ones. This was actually my first full Rhodia pad. I love higher end notebooks as much as the next guy but for some reason, to be honest, Rhodia had rubbed me the wrong way in the past and so I had been putting them off. I knew they would be fine but the cost to quality ratio was in question for me as I felt it was nearing the Moleskine hype levels, in the fountain pen communities at least. I thought they looked ok but I’m not a huge fan of orange and black together as a primary color combo. It always reminds me of Halloween which seems to be the least substance for your dollar marketing season. I know, I had over thought Rhodia.



Well, I am happy to report that after using this pad for a while now I am a complete convert. For under $10 a pad these “basic” top staple bound dot pads are still premium. The most immediate reasoning, they handle all the pens I tested without issue. No feathering, no show or bleed through. Add to that the cover material and design and you have a real winner here.

http://penpaperinkletter.com/wp-cont...Dot-Pad-01.jpg

On that cover, as for the print design I am ambivalent. The pre-set fold lines are great. They know you are going to fold the cover over so they make it fold that way perfectly without bulges. It’s obvious they thought it out completely as when you fold it completely back their is a top centered logo printed on the inside. It’s also not just card-stock. It has an almost plastic feel which means it is more easily bent and then bent back many times without cracking or failing apart. It also just feels nicer.



The paper is smooth. It’s not gloss paper but it’s not quite matte either. There doesn’t seem to be a coating as it handles fountain pen ink well but there is a bit of bounce back when you have light at just the right angle. All that to say, it’s really nice paper. It looks good, it feels good, it handles ink well. I am also a big fan of the micro-perforation at the top that actually tears off cleanly. These notebooks have 80 sheets of this acid-free paper which seems like a good amount.

In the end I have no complaints. I can’t wait to try the “R” branded premium pads but I don’t know that I need to at this point. JetPens.com sells these in packs and I’m adding a 10 pack to my wishlist right now. This is a pad I won’t regret having that many of on my shelf even if I do continue to get other new notebooks regularly.

-Heath
@WeThePPIL