The Best Notebooks for Fountain Pens
For fountain pen geeks like myself, we have to be persnickety about our paper. Not just because we like to spend the extra money on expensive stationery and writing tools, but because we want our writing experience to be the best. And, believe it or not, the best paper isn't going to cost a fortune to obtain.
In this video, I share what makes a notebook great for fountain pens and give you a select list of recommendations for fountain pen-friendly paper notebooks available at Goldspot.
Read the full blog post here - goldspot.com/blogs/magazine/b...
(0:00) Intro
(1:06) Pens and inks for testing paper
(2:17) Unfriendly notebooks for fountain pens
(2:38) Feathering
(3:22) Bleed-through
(4:39) Ghosting
(5:15) Benefits of fountain pen-friendly paper
(7:05) Itoya Profolio Oasis - goldspot.com/collections/itoy...
(8:39) Clairefontaine - goldspot.com/collections/clai...
(9:58) Rhodia Pads - goldspot.com/collections/rhod...
(11:39) Colorverse Nebula Note Tomoe River - goldspot.com/collections/nebu...
(13:25) Endless Recorder - goldspot.com/collections/endl...
(15:31) Recap and Giveaway
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You held up a notepad in the intro and said "terrible paper," and my brain was instantly like "LOL TEARABLE PAPER!" (Sorry, I haven't had my coffee this morning!)
I’ve really loved Midori’s MD notebooks (mostly A5) lately - just an all around pleasant experience writing in them.
i just started using midori MD A5's in grid, and got myself an OLPR cover for them. great shit for the price, the leather cover makes it feel premium.
Love the clear, detailed info. New to fountain pens and this helps me make sense of it all.
I haven't found my favourite notebook yet, though to be fair, I haven't had the chance to try very many. Funnily enough, I've discovered dollar store notebooks that are far more fountain pen friendly than the more expensive notebooks at Staples 😅
I've found that too, I think it's "bamboo paper" coming out of Thailand? But it's never labeled or anything, just all I could find on why certain essentially random cheap products are so good at peanut prices. They must not be able to source it consistently.
even better. if there's something cheap that can do a better than decent job, that sounds exactly what i'd love to keep purchasing :P
The Mead composition book works beautifully with fountain pen ink. I buy them by the case.
Sounds like you have found you favorite. Affordable fountain pen friendly paper! Perfect 🥰 where I live we don't have the dollar store...lol
My local grocery store had surprisingly good lined paper under their own brand. But their squared paper with the same branding and design was one of the worst ones I’ve used.
Thanks for laying out what to consider in choosing a paper. Extremely helpful for those of us just setting out in this journey!
Thanks for info. Well done. I like the journal that you showed at the end of the video.
My go-to journal is now Leuchtturm. I like the hardcover, the array of colors, the layout, elastic band to keep it closed, the double ribbon, and the envelope pouch in the back. The paper has performed well for most of my pens and inks. I use Clairfontaine for more extensive notetaking, such as for school or things I'm looking up and Black N' Red notebooks for work (gifted to me by a friend) and I will use Rhodia pads for some penmanship practice and testing of inks. I also plan on testing out some other notebooks (Endless, Midori MD) once I finish writing in the ones I'm currently using! I'm also really curious about Colorverse Nebula!
Do you like the 80gsm or 120gsm leuchtturm? Thanks!
@emmamariamakes I personally use 80gsm leuchtturm notebooks with my F nibs and enjoy them a lot (if you don't mind ghosting). The 120 is better if you don't want as much ghosting (I used the leuchtturm bullet journal which is heavier paper, not sure if it was 120 but heavier than the 80)
My all time favourite notebook has to be the Rhodia pads. It’s a small thing but the scored cover folding back so neatly is just perfection.
Nobody does notebooks like the French.
Thankyou for your review for I’m wanting to get into fountain pen writing and new at it and so in turn you input has helped me greatly and thankyou 😀
I recently started using Rhodia notebooks and it made a huge difference to my fountain pen writing experience. It definitely has taken it to a new level!
I enjoy writing with fountain pens, broad edge calligraphy nibs, and pointed copperplate nibs. I prefer Tomoe River Paper when writing with fountains pens. Midori MD is preferred with pointed and broad edge nibs when I write cursive Italic or copperplate. I use Rhodia paper when practicing calligraphy. I have also used Clairefontaine paper on occasion. We are lucky to have so many choices available to use with different writing tools.
I started out with the Hobonichi Cousin, so that tends to be my go-to comparison for testing new inks, I am just starting to branch out and try other types of paper. I ordered a Hobonichi weeks this year and was surprised at how some inks I didn't like before actually looked better on the ivory/yellowish tomoe river paper! I've settled down a bit on pens, but now jumping down the rabbit hole of inks, so having multiple types of paper to test them out on would be a super fun experiment!!
Tomoe River is my paper of choice and these days I love it in the unassuming Musubi journal. It's 52gsm, so no good if you dislike ghosting. It doesn't bother me, so this is the perfect product. Thank you for this highly informative video - I know what I want for a journal but am always looking for notebook ideas!
Love Clairefontaine Paper. I haven’t heard of the Endless Recorder but would love to try it. You gave tips on paper and the quote you wrote is from one of favorite of movies, Princess Bride.
My favorite notebooks, without a doubt, are the A5 Hobonichi Plain Notebooks. I especially like the Yamazakura Botanicals version. They’re basically 244 pages of Tomoe River Paper goodness.
same!
I wasn’t aware they even made regular notebooks. I must investigate now.
This is the first video of yours that I watch, and that gigantic Lamy LX is hilarious!! 😂 Thoroughly enjoyed this video! Thanks for the great tips. 🙌
Thanks for the info, I have not used many different papers but I'm interested in trying TR and that endless notebook you sold at the end looks like a type of notebook I would be happy with.
Thank you for the list of papers to try. I'm looking forward to trying your suggestions. I've only used the Rhodia pad.
My current favorite notebook is the Hobonichi Techo which uses Tomoe River Paper! I'm a bit biased because it's the first fountain pen-friendly paper I used, but I fell in love with it immediately as soon as I started using it. As someone still pretty new to fountain pens, I'm also still new to trying out other kinds of fountain pen-friendly paper like Rhodia, but right now the Hobonichi Techo is my go-to and makes my everyday writing experience a pleasant one that I always look forward to.
Thank you for the informative paper lesson! I am new to this, but am enjoying the journey down the rabbit hole😅
Excellent lesson on paper. Thanks a million!!!🎉
My favorite notebook/ paper thus far has been the old tomoe river paper. It really highlighted the characteristics of the inks brilliantly.
I am new to this world. I love the history of the Tomoe River notebook. The idea of working with something that almost disappeared intrigues me. It strikes me as the best one to learn how the ink should behave without any distractions. Almost like a perfect world scenario.
Recently being hypnotized by fountain pens and inks. As a watercolor artist, I am quite a paper “snob” when buying art supplies. I am slowly becoming aware that the same applies with my fountain pens and ink! I should have known.
My favorite pen and paper combos are my Sailors + Tomoe River. Equally love the Leuchtturm 1917 Hardcover notebooks- it’s heavier 80gsm paper but shows off ink qualities really well. Plus it comes with a selection of pretty colors. Highly recommend it!
Apica Premium.
Yes, yes, and yes.
Rhodia paper notepads have been my preferred brand paper until I experienced Tomoe River paper. TR paper is my daily fountain pen writing paper now! So delightful to write on!!!
My favorite tablet so far has been a Fabriano A5 85g/ms wire bound journal I got when I first got into journaling. I was just beginning my fountain pen journey and found the combination of a light tooth, plain sheet, and low ghosting on the pages really helped me to be able to learn and explore. The paper was durable enough I was able to participate in Inktober in my journal that year. I've not been able to find that specific journal since, and I've been looking for a great replacement.
Thanks for this video--very helpful!
Thanks for the list. I will try them.
Long overdue talk about paper, thank you! I’m glad I have generously stocked up on Tomoe River notebooks, loving A5 with grid, 52 g. I’ll be crying when I run out at some point…
Love the review. I have all of these and have gravitated toward endless for the sheen. Like you said the oils on my hand tend to ruin the sheet keep up the great content!
My all time favorite notebook is the 68 GSM Tomoe River paper A5 hard cover Bond Travel Gear (now Lochby) notebook. They don't make them the same binding/size anymore so this video is great! More notebooks to try. Second favorite is CVS Caliber notebooks made in Vietnam this paper takes anything you splat at it .... Including heavy water brushing too ... writing wise is likes wet flowy broad nibs and inks and I use these for extensive note-taking and process journaling. Great video!
I use the Rhodia pads for a variety of uses since they are so versatile. I haven’t had a chance to use the various other papers available. I enjoyed this video because you covered the characteristics of a variety of paper products. Thanks.
I have been using the Rhodia lined A6 size pads for most of my everyday writing. My journal for this year is in a Moleskin notebook that I received as a gift. I think I’ll purchase one of the Endless Recorder notebooks after watching this video. Very intriguing to see the interaction with some of the shimmer inks! Enjoyed this video very much. Thanks for taking the time to do this for all of us!😊
For my daily journalling I use the Maruman Mnemosyne in A4. The paper is clean and bright and shows ink properties very nicely. The lines are subdued, helping to emphasize the writing and the inks, not the writing surface. It’s also well organized and the pages are easily removed if desired. I also use a Clairefontaine journal with Seyès ruling to recalibrate my handwriting. I’m regularly surprised at how small my stub nibs can legibly write. Of course, different journals have different purposes and some makes that aren’t advertised as FP friendly work quite well with all but the wettest writing at a friendly price and beautiful covers. BTW, they’ll blow away Moleskine notebooks in every way.
I've actually gotten into binding my own journals, but I do use the clairefontaine french ruled notebooks for handwriting and calligraphy practice! I also use a hobonichi as my planner and nothing can beat TR.
New to fountain pens and have only tried a TomoeRiver 52gsm notebook which I really like. This is a video I will have to watch again. Thank you.
Coming from the UK, I'm always looking for reviews on decent paper. I default to clairefontaine and rhodia as Tomoe River is so hard to come by on home turf. For exceptional quality and huge budget we have the Smythson of Bind Street but also limited there to blue paper which limits the ink colour choices. I recently discovered the R Allen notebook which is half the price of the Smythson and yet much more enjoyable to write on. However, the ruling is narrow! Nevertheless it is a well stocked journal and stands up to everything I've used including a very wet feed with heavier inks like Noodlers. I was recently gifted a Tibaldi for my 50th and on the very same day you have released this great review. Nothing to lose here by entering to win this fantastic stack of (mostly) very hard to come by US paper stocks! Fingers crossed and thanks again!! ❤
I am very tempted by that Endless Recorder, that sounds really interesting!
I have not found a favorite type of paper that does not show !through on the backside…but will keep looking! I love trying different pads of paper-I like to use them for notes, to do lists, for thinking about ideas or problems. I find that if I write out my thoughts on any subject, it helps to clarify whatever decisions need to be made or simply to understand it better!
I started using the Hobonichi Cousin this year and have truly fallen in love with the Tomoe River paper. I use various notebooks to transcribe books, just to practice neat handwriting and as an excuse to use my pens and inks 😊
what gsm paper have this tomoe river, not perfect paper but school not need perfect ,need only good paper whit fountain pen cheap paper of course.
Thanks Tom for another informative video. Paper is one of those elusive things I am trying to find because I have so many requirements for different projects. I use Rhodia notepads at work because I can quickly tear off a sheet to hand someone or throw away. I love Tomoe River paper for all the reasons you mentioned which are important for me when writing people actual letters 😂. But since many of the “awesome” papers are being discontinued (Tomoe 52gsm, Cosmo AirLight) I’m voting for the Oasis notebooks for its versatility.
I think my favorite paper would have to be the Kokuyo Perpanep Notebook - Sarasara. It is nice and smooth with a little tooth and shows shading well which is my favorite ink behaivor :) Thanks for this detailed look at different notebooks, so helpful - I am very intriged by the Endless Recorder 🤓
I love the Tomoe River paper in my Hobonichi Cousin and in the various other brands of notebooks I’ve tried that use that paper. I really love the crinkle sound you get after the page is full of writing.
So far my favorite paper is the Clairefontaine Triomphe letter pads. I write a lot of letters and they really feature my inks beautifully. Thanks for your show!
Where do you get them? They sound perfect!
@@belwynne1386 most stationary and pen shops carry them. Amazon too.
Thanks for the info. I am new to journaling and I have been using a Galen Leather 5A Tomoe River notebook. I also us a Rhodia pad for letter writing. I like them both equally.
Love this video! This is my first time watching one of your videos. Thank you KZhead for the recommendation! My favorite paper is Hobonichi Tomoe River paper, not only their planners but I also own several of their plain notebooks in A6 and A5 sizes. Now excuse me while I go dig into your website
The Oxford notebooks with Optik paper stands up to fountain pens very well and it's nice and smooth to write on. Some of my wetter stubs do tend to cause a tiny amount of bleed through, but not much. It's more affordable than most of the fountain pen friendly paper I've seen.
My favorite is the Hobonichi Tomoe River paper plain notebooks. I like the A5 size, but I'm beginning to find that an A6 size is easier to carry in my purse. For daily notes I use the Rhodia notepads. The Rhodia notepads come in different sizes. I think I most of the sizes. I use an extra fine/fine nib so I don't have much bleed through or ghosting. 😊
Hello!! Thanks for your work on this channel. My favorite of all time is Tomoe River 52 gsm. I also love Onion Skin paper, I use it to play with transparency. Such an incredible feeling 😍
I’ve can’t thank you enough for this introducing me to the Endless Recorder!! 😊I’ve been using Leuchtturm1917 notebooks for many years. They handle ink well, but it’s disappointing to see with how they dull coloured inks. After watching this video 6 months ago, I ordered an Endless notebook, and was blown away with how beautiful all my inks look on their crisp white paper. Gorgeous shading as well. It’s absolutely the best notebook I’ve ever used.
My favorite journal is the Itoya Profolio Oasis journal. It does lay wonderfully flat once the binding has been flexed enough.
My favorite paper is Oasis Profolio! I love the texture and how they’re lined. Good value too!
My favorite notebooks are the Clairefontaine spiral notebooks - I've used the French ruled and regular and both are great. Regardless of the lines, the paper is wonderful.
Always been a big Rhodia and Clairefontaine fan. Especially the premium pads and wire notebooks!
My current favorite is the Midori MD notebook in A5. My previous favorite was the Leuchtturm 1917 also in A5. However, the ghosting became more pronounced with newer notebooks forcing the switch to Midori. I recently tried the Endless and enjoy that as well.
L1917 with my Ohto Flash Dry needlepoint gel refills is great. other pens not so much. ive also been using Midori MD A5's for pretty much everything now.
I can't say I've found a favorite yet, but since I still had a bunch of 5 star notebooks when I first got into fountain pens, and they actually seem to hold up to my fountain pens pretty well, I've stuck with them for now. I'd love to try these out though! Especially that tomoe river 52gsm! I've heard so much about those!
My all time favorite notebook is the Seven Seas Microdot A5 450 page notebook by Nanami Paper. It has Tomoe River paper (52 gsm). I love the size and TR paper is my favorite paper for journaling. I like the soft cover better than a hard bound journal. It's easier to travel with and opens flat. I use cheaper journals for my work notebook. Right now I'm using a Leuchtturm 1917 softcover notebook for work and I'm really liking it. The paper is FP friendly but not as nice as TR which is fine for work! Thanks for the great video. I especially like the quote you used from "The Princess Bride" which is one of my favorite movies!!!
While I love many different notebooks, my favorite is actually the multiple books I personally print/bind using HP's 32lb Premium paper. Unbelievable paper that checks all the fountain pen boxes!
Bruce, I couldn't agree with you more. Taking a bit of time to make ones own signatures and form your own journal is satisfying. The quality of the paper is top notch. It can hold all the ink one can put on it. I use card stock for the covers. Stapled. Bullet proof and satisfying. Glad to have that in common.
Hi. I’m partial to Rhodia and Clairefontaine notebooks because they’re readily available and are fountain pen friendly as well as rollerball friendly. They also fit in my leather portfolio. I think I’ll look into the endless notes & colorverse products too.
Favorite notebook to date has been a Hobonichi with the Tomoe River paper - so thin at the beginning of use and then gets thicker and such a satisfying crinkle to the pages as it is used
I've enjoyed Rhodia Dot Pads to date, but am very much looking forward to trying those several suggestions of yours that will be new to me.
My all time favorite notebook (currently, anyway) is the Kokuyo Campus in B5. It's technically kind of a binder, but the rings are so small that it passes for a notebook. For paper, I use Maruman Easy to Write, which is close to or the same as in the Maruman Mnemosyne notebooks, where I first fell for that paper. The big selling point for the binder for me is that I can rearrange pages or remove them cleanly (mostly for archiving). I do, however, have a set of A5 TR 68gsm notebooks from Goulet Pens that I currently use for daily journaling - where the ability to remove and reorder pages is not that important. The larger B5 size works better for writing prose, at least for me, because it gives me a little bit more space on the page, and allows for a slightly larger ruling to not feel too big. I have gone through a Rhodia Goalbook, a Rhodia A4 spiralbound notebook, an Endless Recorder with TR 68gsm, several Leuchtturm A5s, and a bunch of other paper types, and what I've landed on right now just kinda works. Bound notebooks are nice for journaling because I can just stick that on the shelf when it's full. In writing fiction, I usually juggle multiple stories at a time, never know how long any one thing is going to be or when I'm going to feel inspired to write what, so the binder gives me all the flexibility I need there.
Great video and topic! Paper is so important to our FP hobby, and I am a journal junkie. Love to try new ones and just keep ordering. I use the staple bound Clarefontaine notebooks for the office - meeting notes and to dos. I have a Nebula pad for fountain pen ink swatching and a journal for journaling. I like experimenting with inks on Japanese Bank paper and have a few Mitsubishi Bank Paper notebooks. I have a Tomoe River journal for journaling and a Midori MD notebook for memory keeping. I have notebooks from Archer & Olive and Ferris Wheel Press, but they do not quite do it for me. Now I’m totally intrigued with the Endless Regalia paper… my next must have!
I use a Bloc Rhodia No. 16 for all my day-to-day lists, notes etc. The fold back cover is handy and pages easily tear out. I enjoy how smooth the surface is for fountain pens.
I have been using Rhodia pads but plan to try out some of the notebooks you have recommended! I also use my pilot to sketch on watercolour paper (with carbon ink) and watercolour washes.
Great video. The Midori MD Notebook is my favorite to date.
My current favorite is the Hobonichi Plain Notebook - Yamazakura. Both for the paper and writing experience as well as the look and feel of the cover 😍
All things considered my favorite notebook out of the few I've tried is the Midori MD a5. Practical size for my daily use and I like the paper's texture. Nanami cafe note B6 slim with TRP is also pretty good, but I find it smaller than I would prefer. Definitely want to try their a5 size seven seas notebook
All time favorite is hard, but my favorite daily notebook is a Leuchtturm 1917 B5; my favorite out-and-about notebook is the Rhodia A5 Web notebook lined; and I use a Clairfontaine French rule composition to practice my handwriting. Interested in trying the Endless Recorder and the Portfolio Oasis. Also, for long-writing sessions I do use the Rhodia Composition notebook and in recent years lean more and more to the Premium version. Always enjoy your videos -- thanks very much for putting them together.
I like Midori for "best", which for me is sketching, calligraphy and ink comparisons. For everyday notes, lists and noodling I buy loose leaf Tomoe River and bind my own notebooks with a long armed stapler. I adore both MD and TR papers and this allows me to work with the latter in an affordable way.
At present I enjoy using clairefontaine and rhodia notebooks for taking notes at work and for my currently inked notes. But I am eager to try the endless regalia paper, because of the white pages and the ability to showcase inks with minimal shadowing.
I've tried a number of papers and Tomoe River would always have a special place in my heart, the ink shows beautifully and the writing experience is super smooth. I'm intrigued to try the Endless Recorder and compare results with the Tomoe River paper. Also my work go-to paper is Rhodia, any size pad with dot grid. And I also teach myself cursive and Spencerian using the Clairefontaine french rule notebook, so that one is special too. 🖋📓📒🤩
I used to use fountain pens when in high school but living in a very small town far from anything it was hard for me to obtain supplies. Now, I'm returning to my first "love" in pens. I enjoy journaling and writing letters. That's what I usually do with my fountain pens.
I'm a big fan of the Clairefontaine notebooks. The 384-page (17x22cm, 90g/m2) version was my favourite but I'm not sure they make them any more. They lie flat and are perfect for drafting my novels. (Write on the right-hand page to the end, then turn it over and write on the right-hand page.)
I absolutely love Tomoe River Paper. Always wanted to try out Rhodia paper, but never had the opportunity to!
All time favorite is hard to pick, but my Clairefontaine staplebound lined notebook is always in my backpack. I agree that the Clairefontaine paper does a beautiful job highlighting the beauty of the inks that you use, and the larger size of the notebook is great for larger sketches/brainstorming sessions! Really makes the fountainpen experience that much more enjoyable :)
Clairefontaine is my favorite. I have never been disappointed.
Thank you for the informative video! Paper plays such an important role in the satisfaction we seek with our fountain pens and inks. My top paper is Tomoe River. I have loose sheets and make my own notebooks. My next pick is Rhodia paper - great paper and affordable.
Since I'm new to fountain pens, so far my favorite all time notebook is actually a planner. The Hobonichi with tomoe river paper. I bought my first hobonichi cousin in 2021 to use for 2022 & fell in love with the smooth writing paper. Then I bought my 1st fountain pen in November of 2022 & I loved the writing experience. Now, I'm in the market for different types of notebooks that are outside of my planners & are fountain pen friendly.
I have only been journaling for a couple of years and my favorite notebook to date was made by poppin. It was a branded, marketing-item notebook I picked up at a conference. The paper quality is excellent and I never had an issue with feathering, ghosting, or bleed-through, regardless of the pen or ink used. I’m currently using Moleskine cahiers as that was on the approved purchase list at work. Like you mentioned, I’m not impressed with the amount of ghosting and bleed-through.
I have just begun writing with a fountain pen as one among many steps toward simplicity and digital minimalism. I have consistently used Moleskine notebooks with a pencil, but with the introduction of the fountain pen I see much bleeding and ghosting, so I am considering other options. Thank you for sharing!
I haven't tried any of the notebooks you reviewed, but I'm eager to try them. My favorite notebook to date is the Leuchtturm 1917. Ghosting is the biggest problem, but from time to time, I've had bleed through.
I use the Rhodia goal book. I use it for a bullet journal, which it is layer out nicely for that specific use. It handles fountain pen ink well with virtually no ghosting. The pages are a soft crème color which is easier on the eyes than bright white, in my opinion.
I’ve used a lot of notebooks. Rhodia, Moleskine, Leuchtturm, etc. But my favorite notebooks for fountain pens are actually from Baron Fig. Really nice 90gsm paper with just a bit of texture, which I prefer. Their Confidant notebook has the simple but beautiful cloth covers and the signature yellow ribbon book mark. The only thing missing is an elastic closure which would be nice to see.
I love the Leuchtturm1917 and Clairefontaine notebooks. They both hold ink really well.
I'm new to writing & finding your video very helpful, thanx.
More than finding *the* notebook that does it for me, the far bigger problem has been availvabiity and consistency. My hands-down favorite notebook for journaling has been Apica's Figurare in A5 size. The paper in these notebooks consistently hit the sweet-spot for me in terms of tooth, low feathering, minimal bleedthough, and cost (I'd generally buy five or so at a time). Unfortunately, I recently discovered Apica discontinued Figurare over a year ago, putting me on the lookout for at least a passable alternative, and up to a few months ago, the search had been a bust. (Among other things: yes, Moleskine is hideously overrated.) But then, along came Clairefontaine's Triomphe Notebooks. I was already a fan-for-life regarding their Triomphe staionery notepads and envelopes, so my hopes were pretty damned high that they'd pull off the same FP-friendly goodness in the new notebooks, and I'm happy to say that, for the most part, they've done it: paper quality is roughly 90-95% of my beloved Figurare, while the cost is negligibly higher. The only minor quibble is that while the Figurare books were double-wire-bound, and thus drop-dead easy to lay flat anywhere, the Triomphe features a sewn binding, which *does* lay fairly flat for its type, but not completely. (And, of course, unlike any wire-bound notebook, you can't fold the cover back on itself to write with only your knees for support.) Nonetheless, this is my official replacement for the MIA Figurare. (Yes, I did buy this from ahem, a competing specialist e-tailer…maybe y'all might pick this up so I can get 'em from you instead?) 🙂
I'm still pretty new to fountain pens. I didn't buy a specific notebook yet but I had a Fabriano in my notebook stash and that seems to be working well. I love dot grid so I'm having fun so far.
I'm loving my fountain pens in my a5 hobonichi techo; i have an a6 yamazakura notebook also. I use the rhodia pads for my brush markers but may pick up a smaller book for my fountain pens to see how i like that...thanks for the video!
Paper is almost its own "journey" I have managed to settle on three Clarifontaine / Rhodia, Mnemosyn and Life notebooks. Thanks for this overview much appreciated.
Nice video! If only my beginner-self could have seen it earlier, I would be way more knowledgeable now haha. The most versatile and my favorite notepad would be the Rhodia one for sure! I have exactly the same dot n°16 one. Very convenient to test inks out with and so handy when you want to take quick notes or take it anywhere with you. I wrote a big part of one of my stories on it! Though it's a shame that Rhodia paper doesn't show off the sheening properties of inks so much. I'd love to try out Tomoe River paper. Usually I keep a notebook for my "fountain pen journaling" where I write about thoughts about my pens, inks and next purchases!
For years I used Moleskine journals, even though even gel pens at times showed or bled through onto the reverse side of the page. This, of course, became more problematic when I switched to fountain pens. My notebook of choice recently has been a Rhodia webnotebook, though I am currently using a cheaper notebook with thicker paper that came with the leather notebook cover I purchased. Thanks so much for this video.
I haven't tried the Endless notebook with the Regalia paper, but my old Endless, which I used for bullet journaling, is my favorite.
I am planning to discover my favourite notebook and ordered some endless recorders, even found one with Tomoe River paper, I also bought a Rhodia and a clairefontaine as well as a notebook with optik paper. So a lot of testing on my agenda 🤗🖋️
Rhodia notepads have been the only true fountain pen paper I have tried. Sounds like I need to step up on my game! Thanks for a great video, Tom!
Thanks Tom. I like the Travelers Tomoe River but I like the Oasis notebook you demonstrated.
I've enjoyed my Rhodia pads! Thanks for information!
My favorite has been the Nanami Seven Seas Crossfield for years. I also really liked the elemental paper co Tomoe River versions (the pocket ones and the Uranium special edition). Close second to TR paper is/was the Franklin Christoph notebooks based on sugarcane paper. Much more absorbant than TR but just a great paper to use with fountain pens or anything else. Very sad those are now discontinued, too. I still use Rhodia pads etc too, of course.
Rhodia A4 wirebound notebook. The endless recorder notebook is next on my list; lots of pages and lay-flat-ish book style bindings makes it very appealing.
Clairefontaine is my go to for letters, but I found the TRU-RED notebooks from Staples handle fountain pens pretty well and have been using them for notes.