Search the Community

Planners and paper are my original love, because without them there is nothing to write on with my pens. 😉 Planner season is hot on our heels at the moment. Midori planners are announced, and Hobonichi is doing their August stadium previews with September 1 orders coming up. I have used a Hobonichi Original for the past 2 years, but as I have been loving my Travelers journal and it's weekly vertical insert, I want to change it up and get a weeks I can slip into my clear pocket when I want to carry everything. I miss the tomoe river paper when I am using it, but I am really reaching for it as a practicality. Let's talk about upcoming planners what everyone likes to use and wants to try! Post your favorite vendors to get planners. Share your bullet journal methods. Make sure our pens have plenty of work to do. Hobonichi previews thus far are all below in case anyone hasn't seen them yet ... 👀 I'm surprisingly really liking the gold fabric but we are yet to see what happens ...

Contains info about tomoe paper processing. https://www.1101.com/store/techo/en/magazine/contents/feature_tomoerivers/ysmpngg2y.html Plus interview of the Sanzen plant manager. https://www.1101.com/store/techo/en/magazine/contents/feature_tomoerivers/yhk835vke.html Amongst many interesting things: the new paper has the same thickness as the original but weights 47gsm instead of 52 gsm. What a fascinating job they have. Lots of technical talk. I love it.

Getting ready to start hoboniching next month so I had to start using my one XFine FP... since my favored Broad nibs are just too overwhelming and write too big. But here's the wacky thing I started noticing with my journal that my default writing w/ the XF doesn't get me that many more words per line, words per page than the Broad! For the past week, I had been thinking I was writing twice as much to fill the page... With that being said, if I concentrate I can scrunch up the writing to increase word density, and the hobonichi has 3mm grids so that may encourage that kind of writing. It just cracked me up to see my cognitive bias exposed! Hell, maybe I'll use my broad nib after all... except I have a 140 XF I ordered on the way as a backup

Since succumbing to the Hobonichi Cousin last year, I have been enjoying matching my fountain pen ink colour to that of the daily pages. The Japanese versions of this planner has lovely, slightly dusty, faded vintage colours which change for each month. The whole page is printed in that colour - grid, Japanese quote, date and day markets etc. So I thought it would be fun to write using a matching ink - a great excuse for exploring some of the glorious colours now available and a built in excuse for changing inks regularly. This idea was inspired by a blog I saw (sorry, can't remember who) where the writer had done a similar project but using gel pens. I know everyone's experiences of ink colour is different, depending on pen, nib, paper, how heavy-handed your are, phase of the moon (who knows? Maybe) but I thought someone out there may be doing something similar and we could share our thoughts. Anyway, here are my selections so far: January: burnt orange - Monteverde Fire Opal February: bronze brown - my own mix using Platinum mixable inks March: pinky purple - Herbin Larmes de Cassis April: red pink - Colorverse Sea Europa May: bright olive - KWZ green Gold Ii or Monami Olive June: grey green - another custom mix - see above July: grey turquoise - Birmingham Pen Co Fountain Turquoise August: blue grey - another custom mix - see above September: warm brown - Krishna Vaikhari October: grey purple - another custom mix - see above November: pine green - Birmingham Pen Co Fern Hollow Creek December: faded red - another custom mix - see above. As you can see, I've ended up mixing some colours myself - lots of fun, and I'm less happy with some of the other choices so will need to explore further. For example, I find the Herbin colours a bit watery but haven't yet found a similar colour to Larmes de Cassis; the Krishna Vaikhari is a nice colour but not quite yellow enough... I generally stick to relatively easily available inks and would like to expand the brands but I like this selection as a first pass. I should add that I'm using a Pilot Metro with a Plumix EF or F calligraphy nib. If anyone else is doing this, I'd love to see your choices or generally, any thoughts.

I decided to try using a Hobonichi Techo Planner this year for my bullet journal. For that, I of course needed a notebook cover. After much scouring, I decided to try out the "Kokuyo Systemic Refillable Notebook Cover". I got that and the planner from JetPens (no affiliation, first time customer, very satisfied). Since the thing I wanted to know about this cover was nowhere to be found in any review, I decided to provide the information myself, along with first impressions - we'll have to wait until next year to see how it holds up and how well I like using it. (Large images so you can zoom in to see details.) http://www.paradoxcommunity.com/vps/notebookopen.jpg As you can see, it fits the Hobonichi well, including the two ribbons. (One review I read claimed it wouldn't quite fit the Hobonichi, but perhaps they had another notebook in there - I only have the Hobonichi. Another review claimed the ribbons weren't long enough for the Hobonichi, but as you can see, they are here.) The thing I really wanted to know (but couldn't find in reviews) is if I could stuff multiple pens into the front pocket - so I wouldn't need a separate thing to carry my pens. As you can see, it takes five at once! (Waterman Laureat, TWSBI Eco, Sailor Pro Gear Slim, Pilot Vanishing Point, Pilot Penmanship) It's a tight fit, but I don't usually have 5 pens inked - usually 3-4, so it's good. http://www.paradoxcommunity.com/vps/notebookfront.jpg (Sorry about the over-exposure on the ruler, but hopefully it gives you an idea of the size.) Another reviewer said the elastic band was kinda wimpy. It's not the strongest band in the world, but it seems to work well. Time will tell whether it wears out. Here's a view of the back, with a passport size Goulet notebook (in at the same time as the pens; pretty sure I filled the thing to its limits - maybe a few slips of paper would fit inside): http://www.paradoxcommunity.com/vps/notebookback.jpg (Sorry for the poor focus.) Finally, here are views from the side with the ruler (to see height of the book/cover) and from the corner, to see how it handles being stuffed: http://www.paradoxcommunity.com/vps/notebooksideruler.jpg http://www.paradoxcommunity.com/vps/notebookorner.jpg Once I removed the pens, stretch marks remained down at the bottom of the pocket - they'd been in for maybe an hour at most. This doesn't bother me since I intend to always use this pocket for pens. Hopefully it won't stretch so much that it and the clips aren't enough to hold my pens in. The overall quality of this cover is excellent - the stitching, seams, and folds in the fabric are sharp and clean - nothing sloppy here. The Hobonichi is about the limit of what you could fit inside, but it would easily take two of the little notebook that came with it. That notebook has nice, fountain-pen friendly paper. The only thing I have mixed feelings on is how the ribbon attaches to the cover. See the JetPens photos for a good shot of that. The knot is behind the top edge of the book binding and just seems a little awkward. On the other hand, if they'd sewn the ribbons into the fabric of the cover, you wouldn't be able to replace them if they wore out, whereas these would be easy to replace (for whatever reason, including just wanting something different). And in the time it took me to write that paragraph, the stretch marks have disappeared, FYI. I hope anyone out there who's looking for an A6 notebook cover will find this information useful. I'm looking forward to 2018 when I can use this thing and see how I really like it.

Just pre-ordered my 2019 Hobonichi Techo Cousin A5 planner. $51 with free shipping. https://andersonpens.com/stationery/hobonichi/ A little better than last year when ordering from Japan and paying $53.10. However, if you want Hobonichi accessories, you'll still need to order from Japan https://www.1101.com/store/techo/en/2019/all_about/cousin/ Jetpens has some accessories https://www.jetpens.com/search?q=hobonichi&v=2&pn=2

I think I found the planner I will be using for 2017, maybe even the last half of 2016. The Hobonichi A5 Techo Cousin. Been using a combination of a Rhodia Meeting Book in Bullet Journal style for daily planning and At-A-Glance weekly planner for long term planning. While I like the versatility of the Bullet Journal, it gets tedious to always have to reinvent the wheel re-writing in the monthly and daily setups. The At-A-Glance is nice, but I would like my daily and long term planning in one place. The Hobonichi A5 Techo Cousin has it all, yearly, monthly, weekly and daily planning sections in one planner. Perfect. The daily section is a page per day, so there's lots of room for scheduling, writing notes and to-do lists. Plus it made with Tomeo River paper. Been watching several excellent YouTube videos on the Hobonichi planners and I'm impressed by the careful thought that went into all their planners. Hobonichi's website: https://www.1101.com/store/techo/2016/planner/all_about/cousin/

Hi FPNers - no affiliation here; just many Techos and Weeks over the years. The 5 yr planners just went on sale and covers are also available - it might be a good idea as it's about 800 pages in A6 size! http://www.1101.com/store/techo/en/2018/pc/detail_cover/fb18_jan.html http://www.1101.com/store/techo/2018/detail_images/fb18_cover/slide_04.jpg http://www.1101.com/store/techo/2018/detail_images/fb18_cover/slide_03.jpg http://www.1101.com/store/techo/2018/detail_images/fb18_cover/slide_02.jpg http://www.1101.com/store/techo/2018/detail_images/fb18_cover/slide_01.jpghttp://www.1101.com/store/techo/2018/detail_images/fb18_cover/slide_01.jpg

It is very odd how a Hobonichi can make you happy The Cousin A5 is definitaly a gorgeous size. There is a sticker on each planner with the text : 660,000 users worldwide. That counts for something ! We have a shelf full with 2018 Hobonichi Techo Planner and Techo Cousin and it is available from now on. Enjoy, Catherine https://www.sakurafountainpengallery.com/en/boutique/hobonichi-notaboekjes-amp-papier

The Hobonichi Techo planner and Techo Cousin arrive in October. New in Europe are the Techo Cousin A5 planners. Although this planner is printed in the Japanese language it is easy to use by anyone in the world. Something new to enjoy, Catherine. http://www.sakurafountainpengallery.com/en/boutique/hobonichi-notaboekjes-amp-papier.

While trying to go to the Hobonichi website, I typed in www.1101.com instead of clicking on the link www.1101.com/store that is in a previous thread. What I got instead of the of the Hobonichi website was a site in Japanese that didn't seem to have anything to do with Hobonichi. I hope i didn't open a redirected site that could have a virus or malware. Am I being worried about nothing?

We are expecting the Hobonichi Techo Planner 2017 in the Sakura FP Gallery soon ! Order now, delivery from oct/nov. http://www.sakurafountainpengallery.com/en/boutique/detail/hobonichi-2017-techo-planner Sincerely, Catherine

I don't know about you folks, but not many of the covers speak to me this year. Furthermore, I am interested in more options than $50, $100, to $400+. Anyway, whether you are using an old set-up or new one, please, by all means, share. I always just looked at the site and either decided or went without (bad idea). Thanks and cheers! Best ~ Jack

I am assuming this should go in this section rather than inky thoughts. That said, being new, I encourage and will not be offended at all if this gets moved to inky thoughts. Okay, I just ordered my 2015 Hobonichi Planner and was wondering what ink and/or nib combos you find work best in any kind of accessory that uses TR paper? Is there an ink that you think works best? Is it wrong to assume F and/or EF nibs are the way to go given the size of the planner? By all means, this is not meant ONLY for ppl using Hobonichi products. I am as interested in any combo that works well with any other A6-sized product. Thanks! Cheers ~ Jack

Can anyone recommend a leather cover that would work for the A6 Hobonichi Techno Planner, other than the ones available directly from Hobonichi? The planner's measurements are listed as 4.1" x 5.8" (http://www.1101.com/store/techo/2015/planner/). I like the Gfeller covers but the measurements for an A6 cover for a Rhodia "webbie" are 3.5" x 5.5". (http://www.gfeller.us/noncart.html)

Hi, fans of Hobonichi Techo planners and Tomoe River paper! The 2015 planner and new covers will be released soon and available on their webstore on September 1st. This is the present English webstore page. http://www.1101.com/store/techo/2014/planner/index.html Dunno if it'll change for the 2015 version. ------------ This was on their Facebook page. Hobonichi Planner22 hours ago · EditedIMPORTANT: 2014 Hobonichi Planner store closing August 19th! We're getting closer to the grand opening of our 2015 online store! In order to prepare for the release of our 2015 edition Hobonichi Planner and the full lineup of all-new covers, the current Hobonichi Store will be CLOSING on August 19th, 11 AM Japan time (2 AM GMT, August 18 at 7 PM PDT). If you would like a 2014-edition planner or cover, please make your purchases soon! Once the store is closed, these products will no longer be available. But soon enough we'll have a big lineup of gorgeous new covers to make it hard for you to decide again! Our big announcement to reveal all the new designs and planners will take place at the end of the month, about a week or so before the new store opens. The 2015 edition Hobonichi Store will go online on September 1st, 11 AM Japan time (2 AM GMT, August 31 at 7 PM PDT). *NOTE: If you would like to order a 2014-edition product and potentially ship it with a 2015-edition product to save on shipping, you can complete your order now, go back to your account and view current orders, and there will be a button to "Hold Shipping" for up to 60 days. This will give you time to combine orders later and ship together. If you don't end up ordering anything, you can just release the shipping hold when the time comes. (Walkthrough coming soon!)

I'm not sure if you gentle-people in paper land knew this, but there is a version available with an April start and either Monday or Sunday as start of the week, too. Yes, they're expensive, but the TR paper and design is wonderful. Here's my sample order and links: 00020515 Rivet Bookmark Connesso - B (Black x Brown x Aqua) (for A6 Hobo x 1 / 756 yen / 756　yen 00021958 Original Hobonichi Techo Book (April start w/Mon) Japanese x 1 / 2160 yen / 2160　yen http://www.1101.com/store/techo/2015/planner/ Definitely check out Lindsay's great site: http://lindsaynelson.com/techo/ http://lindsaynelson.com/techo/text.png http://40.media.tumblr.com/9ed9cf83ca1e1f7f2f54254fd7afc1d5/tumblr_nkfghcBfiN1r526owo2_1280.jpg http://41.media.tumblr.com/332c455ca30ee3680425a90756c74ac7/tumblr_nkfghcBfiN1r526owo1_1280.jpg

Does anyone know, or has anyone tried, whether the Hobonichi Techo notebook covers fit other notebooks, for example Life Noble notebooks? I rather like the Harris Tweed cover, Hamish, but would prefer an undated notebook to the dated journals that Hobonichi have, since I don't expect to be writing every day.

Hi FPN people, here's a little unboxing for the Hobo Spring 2015 edition, paired with One Star Leather's really beautiful cover in blue and brown Horween leather (embedded links): The last picture is slightly blue-enhanced. The bookmark is an option available from the Techo store. Pen loop and other add-ons are available from One Star, who is an incredible leather artisan. Enjoy!

I ordered a custom Renaissance Art cover for my Hobonichi Techno planner. It's the small custom cover in wintergreen. The measurements I gave them were 5 7/8" high by 4 1/8" wide by 5/8" deep. It arrived safely in only about a week. I really like the leather and the simplicity: this is a book cover, period. No extra pockets, no closures, no bookmarks, no pen loops. It has a comfortable, rustic feel to it.The leather is beautiful and I'm sure will get better with age. Sorry about the lighting. The leather is a deep forest green that leans slightly toward yellow. It's dark but still obviously green. Source: http://www.renaissance-art.com/catg96/category.aspx Pics:

I mentioned in my Hobonichi unboxing post that I had found a way to carry around my 2015 Hobonichi with me and still “use” it even though it hasn’t started yet. This is that way. YellowPaperHouse (which I shall henceforth abbreviate as YPH) is a mother/daughter team that creates inserts for Midori-style notebooks and Filofaxes and sell them through Etsy. Everything is designed and made by them, so you are getting a totally original product. I found out about them I think from Instagram. Anyway, no affiliation, just to get that out of the way early on. As of right now they offer 26 different styles of these notebooks, each one being available in 4 sizes (full size Midori, passport, cahier, and Field Notes/pocket) and many being customizable with a choice of 19 paper colors and 6 inside rulings. Whew! That is a lot of options for customization! As the title of this review implies, the style that I purchased was one modeled after the Hobonichi format with white paper inside. I chose the Field Notes size because it easily fits inside of my original Hobonichi cover. I’m sorry that all my photos are very blue - I think it’s because the paper is white and I was using early morning light. I would try to adjust it, but it winds up looking funky no matter what I do… Most of the page is dominated by a grid that, upon measuring just now, contains 3 mm squares. At the top of each page is a place where you can fill in the date by coloring in the bubbles that match the day, month, and day of the week, as well as indicating moon phase if you are into that and the weather. As you can see, I have been marking the date by coloring in the appropriate bubbles with a colored pencil. I’m not one of those people who gets all artsy with their journaling - I primarily use a planner for actually planning my day and then capturing little things that happen throughout the day. I’m not saying that “scrapbook journaling” is bad, but it’s certainly not for me. This is how my pages usually look: I’m also going to try out dividing the page vertically similar to the Hobonichi so that I have a place that’s divided up by the hour to write appointments and then a place to write little thoughts and musings. I’ll perhaps update on that later. In case you were wondering how I’m fitting this into my Hobonichi cover, I just slip the back cover of the notebook into the long back pocket of the cover (the one that has the little “Hobonichi 2015” tag on it). I also have the Hobonichi itself only inserted into the from cover right now, so I don’t stretch out that backside of it. Perhaps a picture will explain it better: Sometimes it can be tough to write on the side that opens onto the Hobonichi with this configuration, but in that case I just slide the notebook out and write and then slide it back in. It adds barely any bulk to the cover, so I’m really enjoying the setup this way. Well, we are now at that stage where I have given some background, so now I can talk about what I like and dislike. Things I like Having this available in an undated format is wonderful. I’ve gone through and filled in all the dates, but it could be particularly useful for someone who wants to log things that don’t happen on a daily basis.It’s a little thing, but I like that the header on top is mirrored across two pages. I also like the weather option and I keep thinking I should use the blank space next to that to jot down the high and low tempsThe corners are rounded. Another small thing, but so importantThe paper strikes the perfect balance between being fountain pen friendly (at least for F and not-too-wet M nibs) while still having fast dry times. I don’t think I’ve noticed any bleeding with either my pens or my highlightersThere are so many options, so you can pretty much get exactly what you want and we all know how hard that is nowadaysOther than the band that comes around it, there is no branding. I think this makes for a very clean looking notebookIt’s an original product, and I really like that. I dated a graphic design major in undergrad and I know how much work they put into their designs so I try to honor that as much as I can Things I dislike The cover is a bit flimsy. This isn’t really a big issue for me since I’m using it inside another cover and I know it’s designed to be that way, but it would definitely get worn fast if used just by itselfI wish the grid ruling for this particular design was a bit bigger. I think if it was 4 mm then I could do one line per box (I think the Hobonichi is 3.7 mm but Tomoe River paper makes writing look finer too), whereas now I kind of have to take up two boxes in height per line of writing And now something that falls into both categories for me: the price. The price changes depending on which size you get, so for the two notebooks I got it was $12. To me this was totally worth it because after paying a decent chunk of cash for the Hobonichi itself, what’s another $12 so I can start using it right now? And it was going to be a one-time purchase for me, at least for the foreseeable future. From that standpoint, the price was pretty good because it solved a problem quickly and neatly. However, if you are a Midori style notebook user and you are going through a lot of notebooks, this is probably not the most efficient way to do it. Each of these books contains 38 days (there is no printing on the very front and very back pages, so 40 pages = 38 days), so if you wanted to use these for an entire year that would be 10 notebooks and run you $60, plus shipping. Whether it’s a good deal then is entirely up to you. Overall, I think these are high quality, uniquely designed notebooks that are worth checking out if you use any of those four sizes of notebooks I mentioned earlier. While I don’t have plans to buy any more (because I’ll be starting my Hobonichi when these run out, eek!), I will definitely keep an eye on this shop and return to it in the future if I have a need they can fill. I purchased this product with my own money and I am not being compensated in any way for this review. All opinions above are my own and you are free to disagree with them if you like.

Following on from other awesome books and ideas..... I wanted some bookmarks on my onestarleather Hobonichi cover like my Design.Y journals have. Now the cover is complete! Works like a dream and very simple.