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This is a review of the KOKUYO 100TH RECORD BOOK - CENTURY EDITION This is the 5mm grid variant . (There is a lined variant) This gridded variant comes in black , grey, and orange. The Soft cover comes in a clear plastic book sleeve. very nice , textured cover paper the texture recalls to mind the pattern like on the body of the PILOT JUSTUS fountain pen this sample being reviewed is black The shopkeeper told me that this notebook was made to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of Kokuyo ? A5 size and dimensions specified Here is the loose leaf jacket Back to the spine I think this is the article number The Book Block The book block has this nice herringbone? pattern in black lines. Very nicely done 👍 (This pic is of a orange cover variant) This is the top of the notebook Long side of the notebook Bottom side ... all the same pattern but extremely exacting in position and perfectly printed, ie no faded parts or unprinted patches The Binding The binding seems to be a 'perfect binding' , ie glued. I couldn't find stitches. as you would expect of Japanese workmanship, the binding is really very well done. The book keeps its crisp form and shape, no deformity in any X , Y or Z axis. There's a little of a 'gull wing' effect (not illustrated here) from this kind of glueing but even so, it is very well minimized because of the care and precision in binding. I cannibalized the notebook to craft an A6 journal. (Sorry , I couldn't resist putting good paper into a nicer book.) Here you see the cover ripped from the bookblock. The Writing Paper There are only 70 sheets in this notebook. So this means 140 writing pages. As specified on the loose jacket, the writing paper is KOKUYO (high grade) CYO-BO paper , 100g , acid free. This gridded version is in 5mm grids. The grids are printed in medium or light grey tone , (not black) which is a good design because it doesn't distract your note taking. Greys or blues are kinder on the eyes. And it doesn't compete with ink colours should you decide to go psychedelic in your ink choices. The grid is very very precisely printed. Very impressive . Look at how the grids end on each edge of the paper.... There is a consistent distance away from each edge of the writing page, including the spine edge !!! This pic below is bottom right corner. Same spacing at top-right corner of page Between two pages Pic of bottom of spine The Ink Test I carried out an ink test of sorts with some of the inks that I had . Also tested with assorted ballpoint inks Very good paper. NO bleedthru NO feathering The paper surface is smooth. It is a real pleasure to write if you prefer smooth paper surfaces. The paper does not have any 'tooth' , however slight, like as in Midori refill booklets. Page 1 of 3 Black paper underlay Backside of Page 1 white copier paper underlay the shadow from the assorted inks are insignificant. 👍 Page 2 Black paper underlay Page 3 which is also the backside of Page 2 whole view of page 3 Very good notebook. Opens flat and stays flat open (almost) I paid SGD$20 for any 2 copies (sale price) apparently the distributor set aside a certain number to be sold at a bargain as part of their anniversary promotion. 😊

This is a review of KOKUYO BUSINESS paper 64gsm I bought this from K. ITOYA in Tokyo. This pack is only 500sheets , in A5 size. They have in A4 and A3 and B sizes too and I think in many other sizes too. They didnt have a sample of the paper in the store. So I took a chance and bought this ream, keeping my fingers crossed , hoping it can take FP ink. http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/KOKUYO%20BUSINESS%20paper%2064gsm/556.jpg Someone translate for me what is the description of this product ... http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/KOKUYO%20BUSINESS%20paper%2064gsm/566.jpg This paper is thin at only 64gsm. (normal copier paper is 80g ) http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/KOKUYO%20BUSINESS%20paper%2064gsm/557.jpg At my earliest chance, which is upon returning from my vacation , I opened the package carefully and took out a few sheets for the acid test. I was greatly relieved and pleasantly surprised .. It took ink very well... Here is the wettest test , normal ink ... http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/KOKUYO%20BUSINESS%20paper%2064gsm/558.jpg The reverse page http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/KOKUYO%20BUSINESS%20paper%2064gsm/559.jpg The paper is definitely not exactly superflat. How does one describe this? Look at the way it lays on the copier paper. The paper also has texture. It is not supersmooth like TR paper nor like the smoothness of paper found in premium Japanese notebooks like Kokuyo or Maruman. The paper is also matte, ie, against light, the paper doesnt show any reflection, unlike say smooth coated papers. This writing sample here is Diamine Monaco Red The sample is placed against plain white copier paper to show the slight tinge of hue of the paper. Its a very light ivory, off-white, greyish beige? Also , against the white copier paper underneath, you can see the extent of the showthru. http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/KOKUYO%20BUSINESS%20paper%2064gsm/560.jpg The reverse side http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/KOKUYO%20BUSINESS%20paper%2064gsm/561.jpg A simple way of countering showthru , is to just place a black piece of paper underneath your writing page. It will mask off the shadow or showthru completely. This sample is PLATINUM Mix-Free ink 'Smoke Black' 50% diluted. I find this series of inks to be very problem-free. Easy to use. No problems that usually come with more complex ink formulas. http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/KOKUYO%20BUSINESS%20paper%2064gsm/562.jpg Reverse side http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/KOKUYO%20BUSINESS%20paper%2064gsm/563.jpg As per my usual way of testing paper, here now is the ink sketch and watercolour test. This sketch is drawn with NOODLERS black (waterproof) What I notice is that the ink dries very fast on this paper, compared to other (coated) papers where Noodlers Black take some time to dry out, eg, TR paper. Yes the paper has some texture, but it dries almost immediately. Then again, I was using a ROSETTA North Star <M> nib stubbed, so it may not be spewing alot of ink out. http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/KOKUYO%20BUSINESS%20paper%2064gsm/564.jpg Reverse side Noodlers Black http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/KOKUYO%20BUSINESS%20paper%2064gsm/565.jpg I use chopstick rests as pen rests. Bought this really cute one http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/KOKUYO%20BUSINESS%20paper%2064gsm/569.jpg Now with kids watercolours brished on ... http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/KOKUYO%20BUSINESS%20paper%2064gsm/573.jpg Reverse side http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/KOKUYO%20BUSINESS%20paper%2064gsm/576.jpg The paper warps and that is to be expected. Theres no way thin paper wont warp under direct wetness. But look closely - there is no bleedthru at all. showthru yes, but no bleedthru at all. Here is another sketch sample. sketch together with writing sample... http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/KOKUYO%20BUSINESS%20paper%2064gsm/574.jpg Reverse side http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/KOKUYO%20BUSINESS%20paper%2064gsm/575.jpg Another sketch , http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/KOKUYO%20BUSINESS%20paper%2064gsm/577.jpg Reverse side http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/KOKUYO%20BUSINESS%20paper%2064gsm/578.jpg Another sketch http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/KOKUYO%20BUSINESS%20paper%2064gsm/579.jpg Reverse side http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/KOKUYO%20BUSINESS%20paper%2064gsm/580.jpg I paid 800yen for this ream of 500 sheets A5 size . Its not exactly like copier paper prices. But Its paper that works with FP ink and thats important. For those who find supersmooth paper too smooth, and prefer something with a bit of texture, this is a good alternative. i will probably craft a few journals with this thin paper. At 64g , I think I can pack in quite some pages.

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.

I'm looking for non-feathering FP-friendly lined paper in the B5 size. (If I have to I'd take American 8.5"x11".) Over at Jetpens they have two types of Kokuyo 6mm lined loose leaf paper: the Sarasara and the Shikkari. They're both 26-hole papers and therefore use weird binders, but I'm okay with that if the paper is good. Is it? I couldn't find any information about the differences between Sarasara & Shikkari, but reviewers on the site seem to like them both with fountain pens. Does anyone know what the different types for this brand mean? And finally, what other lined loose leaf paper should I also be considering? I want to buy 50-100 pages at a time. (And I don't want to run blank paper through my printer to make my own lines.) 6mm or 7mm lined would be ideal.

I recently purchased a few standard (60ml) ink pots of the camlin royal blue ink. As soon as i laid down the first line. I noticed that the colour has been changed. I had purchased a few ink pots from Mumbai and the other from Ahmedabad. I noticed that no matter the location, the colour now is different than the previous ink. (Both have manufacturing dates of around mid-late 2014) The change is ever so mild, but it is noticeable none the less. The newer colour has become more of a uniform blue which is a bit lighter in hue. The earlier colour had a purple-grey undertone to it which made it a bit more saturated and darker. (I hope all this makes any sense!) I guess it will be better if i just showed the pictures! Here they are. The left one is the new colour. And the right one, the old colour. I suppose it is more clearly visible in the last picture. So what are your thoughts? Please share your views. If you haven't noticed it, do you think you will like the new colour? And if you already noticed this, What is your opinion?

I've searched the forums and this topic hasn't come up so I guess I will talk a bit about it. Since Kokuyo Campus notebooks are known to be fountain pen friendly, I would like to point out the differences between the original Campus books versus the Kokuyo International Campus books. Kokuyo International is marketed as being designed and manufactured for the Chinese market whilst Kokuyo is the, well, the original Japanese version. Here are two Campus A notebooks, the left being Kokuyo and right being Kokuyo International. (Please ignore my silly Pokemon sticker, haha) http://i58.tinypic.com/243qfxc.jpg Although they are both branded 'Kokuyo', the paper quality is a bit different. The original Kokuyo Campus notebook (top) works well with fountain pens (as we know) and has the slightest ghosting on the other side of a page, otherwise, very smooth. Ghosting is more apparent with the Kokuyo International Campus Notebook (bottom) and the ink feathers. There is also a little bleedthrough on the other side. I've used dry inks in the international version so I imagine that it wouldn't hold up well to wet inks. http://i60.tinypic.com/2ljsw2e.jpg http://i62.tinypic.com/11uvn9v.jpg This is just a simple comparison in case any of you go travelling (especially to Asia) and stumble across both versions of this notebook.

Hi All This is an international Giveaway and is open to only International Enthusiasts. Indian friends, please excuse yourself from this ink is easily available in India. For rest, in my opinion, this is the best-priced ink all over the world with good color and behavior. You can check the review of the ink here: LINK Image of one the ink handwritten is below: Let me know in the thread if anyone is interested. The Winner will be announced on 9 th December.

Notes - Having produced a nicely formatted article in LibreOffice Writer, I found that the only way to transfer that to the FPN without losing the formatting was to save the pages as JPG, and attach the images. The photos of the products are arranged alphabetically as they are first mentioned, so you know what to look for if you want to get any of the products. I will try to add some scans of representative bleeding and feathering examples.

I recently purchased a few standard (60ml) ink pots of the camlin royal blue ink. As soon as i laid down the first line. I noticed that the colour has been changed. I had purchased a few ink pots from Mumbai and the other from Ahmedabad. I noticed that no matter the location, the colour now is different than the previous ink. (Both have manufacturing dates of around mid-late 2014) The change is ever so mild, but it is noticeable none the less. The newer colour has become more of a uniform blue which is a bit lighter in hue. The earlier colour had a purple-grey undertone to it which made it a bit more saturated and darker. (I hope all this makes any sense!) I guess it will be better if i just showed the pictures! Here they are. The left one is the new colour. The right one, the old colour. I suppose it is more clearly visible in the last picture. So what are your thoughts? Please share your views. If you haven't noticed it, do you think you will like the new colour? And if you already noticed this, What is your opinion?

Hello Everyone! So I posted this on the other forum, but that's the one I had been more active in because the content is less overwhelming than FPN. However, now that I've gotten more comfortable here, I realize that I hadn't shared this review here yet. So here goes... When I first started this hobby in December of 2014, I didn't know what I was getting into. It started out with only a few inexpensive pens. Then came the realization that most paper does not like fountain pen ink. Then came the search for paper that will play nice with the bountiful options of fountain pen inks. Then came the start of "Hmm, I think I like this better than that" list. Long story short, my two favorite papers became Apica and Tomoe River. Which got me thinking, if I like the two best known Japanese papers available for FPs, what other Japanese papers are out there and are any of them good? Thus began the search on JetPens for paper. How did I determine if it was Japanese? By the oh-so-scientific method of "does the name sound Japanese?" I found 5 brands that "sounded" Japanese to me, and then threw in one more that didn't quite sound Japanese in for good measure. So here's the first of 6 reviews I will be doing. Specifications from JetPen's website: Model Number KOKUYO NO-GG108B Weight 6.0 ounces Manufacturer Kokuyo Binding Glue Cover Material Cardstock Cover Type Softcover Features Archival Quality, Fountain Pen Friendly, pH-Neutral Line Spacing 6 mm Number of Lines 28 Number of Sheets 80 Paper Weight 60 gsm Perforated No Refillable No Sheet Style Lined Size - Depth .7 cm Size - Length 21 cm Size - Width 14.8 cm Standard Paper Size A5 Monetary Considerations: Cost $6.75 Cost per Sheet $0.08 The Good: So far I like this paper. It is very smooth to the touch and the nib glides over it rather easily, even the sometimes touchy Esterbrook 2048. However, there was still enough feedback from the paper that it still felt like you were writing on paper. Anything glass smooth would make writing on it unmanageable. The rule lines are a nice soft grey. It is easy enough to see, but also easy enough to overlook when reviewing the writing. The page itself is what I would consider a soft white. There is enough pigment to make it easy on the eyes, but pale enough that it did not seem to alter the color of the ink. It displays the same ink haloing that I like on TR and Apica. There was very little to no feathering, and the spread looks true to size. There was very little bleedthrough on the page, and the bits that did was due to multiple passes, slight nib scoring with the Esterbrook flex, or when my nib decided I needed a nice blob of ink. The overall construction of the notebook is pretty good. The binding bends, but so far, I do not see any breakage when I fold it completely open at any point. Also, the binding tape is a textured silver foil that gives it a nice bit of pop without being absolutely obnoxious. The Bad: The cover is really flexible, which normally isn't an issue for me. However, with it being a relatively thick notebook, there is little to no support under the page on the short side. Also, the notebook will not lay absolutely flat when open. Due to the style of binding, it has a bit of bubble/curve near the spine. There is also a fair bit of showthrough which can be distracting. If writing on the back is a must, it might be a good idea to invest in either a dark sheet of cardstock or print out a black field to minimize the visibility of the showthrough. The Ugly: There was nothing truly "ugly" about the notebook. None of the grievances listed above were deal-breakers for me. However, this might change as I use the notebook more. I'll try to return to this post in the future if I find any unacceptable issues with the notebook. Pictures: From JetPen's Website http://static.jetpens.com//images/a/000/014/14202.jpg Writing Samples http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy41/naimitsu/Fountain%20Pen%20Stuff/a90eb60f-000e-4dfb-9675-dcee9a56332a.jpg http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy41/naimitsu/Fountain%20Pen%20Stuff/6b42dadb-7422-462e-8ff8-d134c26dc171.jpg

Gambol 5 Subjects notebook (from Kokuyo) My Subjective Rating: 2/5 My Objective Rating: -1 Pros: cheap (+2)easily available (+1)wire-bound (+3)good value (page per dollar) (+2)divider every 40 pages (+1)rounded corners (+1)Cons:feathering is quite severe (-3)bleedthrough is quite severe (-3)only good for dry fountain pens/ballpoints/pencils (-3)single-wire binding (-1)soft cover is not durable (-1)Price: RM6.90 (1.90 USD/1.60/£1.30)Binding: single-wire binding Size: A5 Number of Pages: 200 Printing: 7mm lines (24 lines/page) Gsm: (not specified) Cover: Thick paper (soft) Page colour: white (slightly greenish discolouration) Additional Information : blank yellow paged divider every 40 pages.index pageBlank lines at the top of each page for number and dateNo marginRuling does not start and end at the end of the sheetsPhotos:

Okay, I'm no good with paper reviews, so I'll just skip over that in this case since Kokuyo Campus paper is an old classic practically on par with Rhodia (at least for those of us who love our Japanese/Asian paper!) so it's bound to have been reviewed already. That's my story, etc. But I just HAD to share this totally adorable version that I recently found on Rakuten, because it is a total darling. Just look at that! That's a clip from a Lamy Safari for size: The best part for me, as a big fan of all things miniaturized, is that this is an exact replica of the larger Kokuyo Campus notebooks - all the way through, not just the cover! The paper stock is the same smooth but not slippery perfection, same line spacing, same setup with the two dots for the date top right and the two bold lines top and bottom with dots as guides for vertical lines, basically everything you get in the larger Kokuyo Campus notebooks is here: OMG, cute cubed! What should I use it for. do you think? Do you like miniatures too?

I decided that I would go through all of my paper and make a big review post. For me as usual I feel the most important part are the visuals which I will embed though the post, but are also all in my gallery here: Gallery The whole post is a little photo heavy and all of them you can click through to a larger photo on the blog. I ran out of steam as I was typing this up so I have not at this point added written commentary on feathering or a couple other attributes though you should get some idea from the photos. Eventually it might also be nice to get scans of all of them, but that would definitively be for another day. Here are all the books covered: http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-p8hzwLc/0/L/i-p8hzwLc-L.jpg Paper Size Weight Lines Sheets Cost Binding HP Premium Laserjet 32 lb Letter 120 GSM Blank 500 Sheets $16.54 @ Amazon Looseleaf Leuchtturm1917 Hard Cover Large Black A5 80 GSM Lined 5mm 1 Blank Sheet - 2 Contents Sheets - 8 Removable Sheets - 117 Sheets $16.54 @ Amazon Bound Hardcover Journal w/Extras Kokuyo Campus CYO-BO GC3A B5 100 GSM Lined 7mm 30 Sheets $3.35 @ Maido Sewn Softcover Rhodia Block Nº16 A5 80 GSM Lined 7mm 80 Sheets $5.50 @ Goulet Staple Bound Pad Clearprint Vellum - Grid - Pocket Size ~A7 60 GSM Grid 2.5mm 50 Sheets $4.45 @ Flax Art Glue Bound Notebook Miquelrius MR Flexible Journal ~A7 70 GSM Lined 7mm 64 Sheets $5.95 @ Flax Art Sewn Notebook w/ Leatheret Cover Maruman Boston Note A5 & B5 100 GSM Lined 8mm (A5) & Lined 9mm (B5) 65 Sheets $19.50 (A5) & $23.00 (B5) @ Jetpens Twin Ring Notebook Maruman Mnemosyne Inspiration A5 80 GSM Blank 70 Sheets $16.00 @ Jetpens Twin Ring Notebook w/Perforated Pages HP Premium Laserjet 32 lb http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-T6bTPbW/0/L/i-T6bTPbW-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-875PTLs/0/L/i-875PTLs-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-jnBFWWp/0/L/i-jnBFWWp-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-M9bn4km/0/L/i-M9bn4km-L.jpg Paper Size Weight Lines Sheets Cost Binding HP Premium Laserjet 32 lb Letter 120 GSM Blank 500 Sheets $16.54 @ Amazon Looseleaf Bleedthrough - Effectivly None -- Took 8 pass Figure 8 to cause it.Ghosting/Shadowing/Showthrough -- MinimalTexture -- Super Smooth & Kinda Glassy Maruman Boston Note http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-Rrq7K5V/0/L/i-Rrq7K5V-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-vsFRzbs/0/L/i-vsFRzbs-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-rCbBqDb/0/L/i-rCbBqDb-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-s8XHMGG/0/L/i-s8XHMGG-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-dmfFjCs/0/L/i-dmfFjCs-L.jpg Paper Size Weight Lines Sheets Cost Binding Maruman Boston Note A5 & B5 100 GSM Lined 8mm (A5) & Lined 9mm (B5) 65 Sheets $19.50 (A5) & $23.00 (B5) @ Jetpens Twin Ring Notebook Bleedthrough - Effectivly None -- Took 8 pass Figure 8 to cause it.Ghosting/Shadowing/Showthrough -- MinimalTexture -- Smooth but textured Rhodia Block Nº16 http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-N5HgB4s/0/L/i-N5HgB4s-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-LM6QdMJ/0/L/i-LM6QdMJ-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-V9LfpQR/0/L/i-V9LfpQR-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-HjN8rW7/0/L/i-HjN8rW7-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-PNV4zdX/0/L/i-PNV4zdX-L.jpg Paper Size Weight Lines Sheets Cost Binding Rhodia Block Nº16 A5 80 GSM Lined 7mm 80 Sheets $5.50 @ Goulet Staple Bound Pad Bleedthrough - Effectivly None -- Took 8 pass Figure 8 to cause it.Ghosting/Shadowing/Showthrough -- MinimalTexture -- Glassy but not as much as the Laserjet Clearprint Vellum - Grid - Pocket Size http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-G4BcKQW/0/L/i-G4BcKQW-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-Zrwh9LB/0/L/i-Zrwh9LB-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-MsQFnGM/0/L/i-MsQFnGM-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-Q6dsp3Z/0/L/i-Q6dsp3Z-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-SrVC4tG/0/L/i-SrVC4tG-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-BHjs9Hc/0/L/i-BHjs9Hc-L.jpg Paper Size Weight Lines Sheets Cost Binding Clearprint Vellum - Grid - Pocket Size ~A7 60 GSM Grid 2.5mm 50 Sheets $4.45 @ Flax Art Glue Bound Notebook Bleedthrough - Effectivly None -- Took 5 pass Figure 8 to cause it.Ghosting/Shadowing/Showthrough -- Very HighTexture -- Smooth(Not Shown in Photos) Grid is printed on backside of pages, doesn't accept ink Kokuyo Campus CYO-BO http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-Z673Xq8/0/L/i-Z673Xq8-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-LV6FrDb/0/L/i-LV6FrDb-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-jVhGBC8/0/L/i-jVhGBC8-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-N2MntX6/0/L/i-N2MntX6-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-2GPqwvr/0/L/i-2GPqwvr-L.jpg Paper Size Weight Lines Sheets Cost Binding Kokuyo Campus CYO-BO GC3A B5 100 GSM Lined 7mm 30 Sheets $3.35 @ Maido Sewn Softcover Bleedthrough - Effectivly None -- Barely Bleeding at 8 PassesGhosting/Shadowing/Showthrough -- SlightTexture -- Super Glassy Miquelrius MR Flexible Journal http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-qL7x7KN/0/L/i-qL7x7KN-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-KzLt9c4/0/L/i-KzLt9c4-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-Kf23hQz/0/L/i-Kf23hQz-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-mP6BHMb/0/L/i-mP6BHMb-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-khJzJPC/0/L/i-khJzJPC-L.jpg Paper Size Weight Lines Sheets Cost Binding Miquelrius MR Flexible Journal ~A7 70 GSM Lined 7mm 64 Sheets $5.95 @ Flax Art Sewn Notebook w/ Leatheret Cover Bleedthrough - Effectivly None -- ModerateGhosting/Shadowing/Showthrough -- ModerateTexture -- Smooth but more textured than the others Maruman Mnemosyne Inspiration http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-6CcpSKL/0/L/i-6CcpSKL-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-mFgbHDX/0/L/i-mFgbHDX-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-pThcPHz/0/L/i-pThcPHz-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-4f6qg3x/0/L/i-4f6qg3x-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-nvJkbxp/0/L/i-nvJkbxp-L.jpg Paper Size Weight Lines Sheets Cost Binding Maruman Mnemosyne Inspiration A5 80 GSM Blank 70 Sheets $16.00 @ Jetpens Twin Ring Notebook w/Perforated Pages Bleedthrough - Effectivly None -- Effectively NoneGhosting/Shadowing/Showthrough -- MinimalTexture -- Smoother than Rhodia but not as glassy Leuchtturm1917 Hardcover Large http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-bz8kk8q/0/L/i-bz8kk8q-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-mFJ6F6G/0/L/i-mFJ6F6G-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-BdzpbVd/0/L/i-BdzpbVd-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-W2cksLj/0/L/i-W2cksLj-L.jpg http://photos.cpride.net/photos/i-DwL9Hv4/0/L/i-DwL9Hv4-L.jpg Paper Size Weight Lines Sheets Cost Binding Leuchtturm1917 Hard Cover Large Black A5 80 GSM Lined 5mm 1 Blank Sheet - 2 Contents Sheets - 8 Removable Sheets - 117 Sheets $16.54 @ Amazon Bound Hardcover Journal w/Extras Bleedthrough - Effectivly None -- Effectively NoneGhosting/Shadowing/Showthrough -- SomeTexture -- Smooth but with some grain

I mean the stuff that's got pages you can move around, but that isn't a traditional ringbinder with the bulky metal spine hardware to open and close the ring for accessing the paper (usually with 2/3/4 rings, sometimes 6 as with organizers BUT either way with the bulky hardware). These are generally sold as 'notebook systems' (or just plain notebooks) but essentially they pack the versatility of a binder into a compact package like a notebook. To do that they usually sacrifice either sheet capacity, ease of adding/removing sheets, or hardiness of the binding mechanism. So, it includes all those I mentioned in the thread title, but excludes things like that Mead Flex thingy or ringbinder organizers (Filofax, daytimer, whatever the brand). I tend to call these notebook/binder hybrids, but I was wondering if there were any other names about, like any industry names maybe? Something a bit shorter would be nice too - 'notebook/binder hybrid' is descriptive enough but it is quite a mouthful! I'm asking because this type of notebook is a big focus of my paper-related interests; I've always enjoyed tweaking and tinkering with this type of thing (it reconciles two opposites tendencies - I love the idea of a notebook, but loose leaf and a binder is way more practical for me ) A less awkward way to refer to these would be nice!

Would A5 or semi-B5 paper be better for note taking? I checked out the Kokuyo Systemic refillable notebook cover and they seem really great. But they only come in 2 sizes. I feel like it would be good to get the A5 size because there are more notebooks in that size available, whereas the semi-B5 notebooks are a bit more difficult to find. But, I feel like I would go through A5 notebooks really fast. I want the Systemic because I would be able to fit 3 notebooks in it and I wouldn't have to really worry about anything getting torn up too bad, but if there is a similar product, please share!

Anyone out there own the Kokuyo Systemic Refillable Notebook Cover in the semi B5 size? What notebooks can you put in it?