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Hi, I am seeking a definitive answer to what I thought was a simple question. I would like to know what the distance is between the ruled lines on the pages of an A5-sized Rhodia Webnotebook with lined paper. I am confused, because the Goulets in the US say one thing in answer to this question, but The Writing Desk here in the UK say another... The Goulets say that it is 7mm. The Writing Desk say that it is 6mm. FWIW, the line separation on the two Rhodia *pads* that I have is 7mm, but then those are not Webnotebooks, so looking at the paper in them can not be said to answer my question either. Now, I would be surprised if Rhodia were making one paper for US consumption and another for European/UK consumption, but then I was surprised to find out last year that LAMY would sell bottled Dark Lilac ink in the US but not in Europe, so what do I know? Anyway, in order that I may find out which retailer's information is correct (for 'Webbies' sold in the UK), I would now be very grateful if any of you out there in FPN-land who have a UK-bought A5 'Webbie' with lined paper, would measure across ten lines in it, and then tell me whether that distance is 70mm, or whether it is 60mm. My thanks to you in advance for your answers Cheers, M.

-This review is an adapted version of the one that can be found on my personal blog (www.pencilcaseblog.com). Visit my blog for more pictures, a copy of the written review and of course many other pen, pencil, paper and ink reviews. Enjoy the review! (Rhodia Webnotebook review: http://www.pencilcaseblog.com/2014/06/rhodia-webnotebook.html )- Here's a review of one of my all time favourite notebooks: the Rhodia Webnotebook. These notebooks are available in a few sizes (I think A4 all the way through A7, in orange or black cover), mine's A6 sized (same as a field notes notebook) which makes it pretty convenient to take it with you, though it's nowhere near as portable as Field notes or other similar notebooks due to the hardcover design and the thicker profile (96 pages in comparison to 48 on the Field Notes). As with most good quality notebooks, you can find a little pocket at the back of the notebook, which is great for holding business cards or other small pieces of paper. I really like the overall look and feel of these notebooks, they're pretty well-made and they have a clean, no-nonsense appearance. The Rhodia logo is embossed on the front of the leatherette cover, no other branding is to be found in or on the notebook. The only thing I dislike about the design of the webbie is the material they used for the cover, there's kind of a love-hate relationship going on with it. It's very soft and pleasant to hold, but that's about as positive as it gets. For a start, it's supposed to be an Italian leatherette material, but no matter how hard I try, I can't see how this could ever resemble leather! It's more of a soft, rubbery coating, not anywhere near leather-look. To make things worse, this rubber-like material isn't the most durable, it can handle a substantial amount of abuse, but it seems to be vulnerable to pressure, even the elastic band that closes the cover leaves a permanent mark in the material. Also, as you might be able to see in the very first picture, there's something weird going on in the top left corner of the cover, it looks like the material has ripped or cracked? I have no clue how this happened, for all I know it was already there when I bought it, which is quite unfortunate on a higher-end notebook. Another slight disadvantage is the fact that it won't lay flat, I had to almost rip it apart (seriously, don't bend the spine 360 degrees like I did!) so that I could take proper pictures of it. When in use, I didn't really bother the fact that you have to hold it open. It doesn't really matter on a pocket notebook like this, as you'll probably only use it to write quick notes. I'm a huge fan of Rhodia paper, I especially love the lined A4 pads I use to write reviews on. For some reason, Rhodia paper is always a tad bit smoother, and I'm glad to say that the paper in this notebook is little or no different! In fact, it is almost too smooth, to a point where some fountain pens, mostly stubs, can have some trouble to get started. Besides the occasional hard start, the 90gsm ivory-colored paper is a joy to write on, it's really smooth with little or no feathering. Unfortunately though, it suffers from a small amount of showthrough on the other side, and in some cases (with wet nibs or markers) even some bleedthrough. I really have no clue why this heavy paper can't handle wet nibs, even the lighter 80gsm paper of the Rhodia notepad outperforms it when it comes to bleedthrough. So is it worth the retail price of around 16 USDollars (The larger sized models are obiously more expensive)? I think so, yes! There are a few downsides about it, but if you compare them to Moleskine books -which are a bit cheaper - you'll immediately notice the difference in paper quality. The Rhodia is much smoother, and despite having some showthrough/bleedthrough issues, it is still a lot more fountain pen friendly than your average Moleskine! Dries ThePencilCaseBlog http://www.pencilcaseblog.com

My wife bought me a Lamy 2000 F nib for my birthday - AWESOME! I have been journaling for my kids and recently decided I would switch from Piccadilly journals over to Rhodia Webnotebooks because I want the journals to hold up well over years. LOVE the Rhodia paper, but sometimes the LAMY 2000 squeaks on it, has some hard starts, and some skipping. It doesn't seem to have that problem on other good-but-not-Rhodia paper. Is this perhaps something that is ALMOST a problem with the pen, but the sizing on the Rhodia exacerbates the condition of the pen? Does the LAMY have a sweet spot that is more finicky than other pens? Maybe the flow isn't wet enough. I have tried my Vanishing Point M in the Rhodia.... and the line width is about the same, but it looks more wet and feels less squeaky. Thoughts on the effect of the Rhodia sizing? Thanks, Brody

My Oberon Design large journal cover arrived today. I originally ordered one of the Moleskine journal covers thinking it was the same size, but it turns out the spine of that cover is thinner/smaller which means any journal or filler that is thicker or wider than a Moleskine journal will not fit. I didn't find out until after the order had shipped. However, it ended up working out because Oberon allowed me to place another order for the large journal cover and I was able to get it in a color I thought was discontinued. It turns out they will be the chocolate color once again and they just happened to receive a shipment of the new color so I was able to place a custom color at no additional cost because of the mixup with Moleskin cover. I've had an Oberon cover before and the fit and finish is impeccable. The leatherwork is of the highest quality and is best appreciated in person. It fits my Rhodia Webnotebook perfectly. I can open the notebook completely flat with no issues. Here are some pictures for those interested in this cover/notebook combination. Enjoy. Front cover The full cover Spine Open flat

I purchased the large-size Webbie back in March. I’ve been hesitating to do a review because I just wasn’t sure what my final verdict was going to be, but now I think I know. In case you’ve been living under a rock or something, here’s a brief overview of the Webbie: Made by RhodiaContains 90g creamy Clairefontaine paperSewn binding, all encased in a soft-to-the-touch leatherette coverIncludes a ribbon bookmark and elastic closureAvailable in lined, dot-grid, and blankThis size sells for $22+ online, depending on retailer (I bought mine for $25 from Goulet Pens)That’s the infamous Webbie. Some people love them, some people hate them. I am going to do a bit different format today and list the things I like about this notebook, the things I don’t like but aren’t severe enough to keep me from using it, and the thing I didn’t like that ultimately delivered the death blow. Things I like: The hard cover is very sturdy and I enjoy the texture of it. Soft and supple to the touch but without seeming delicate - it’s a good balance of style and stability. The material also doesn’t seem to be prone to picking up an inappropriate amount of dirt, even when used as a daily carry. The paper is but-tah smooth. I started to say that it’s the smoothest paper I have ever used, but in reality it’s on the same level as the Tomoe River Paper in my Seven Seas journal and the Staples inkjet paper I write reviews on is of similar quality. There are different ruling styles available. Not all retailers seem to have all rulings, but they are out there and it nice to have choices. The only experience I have is with blank pages, but it’s nice to even have that option since a lot of notebooks seem to only be offered in lined and maybe grid.That might seem like a short list, but overall I have to say that the experience of using and writing in a Rhodia Webnotebook is very pleasant. The paper is some of the best you can buy and the build quality is excellent. If you are looking for a really nice notebook, I don’t think you can go wrong with trying out a Webbie. However, there are some things that I don’t like at all about the Webbie. Things I don’t like (minor): The notebook is only available in black and orange. While I do appreciate having choices, I only dislike the color orange slightly less than I dislike the color black, so there’s that. This is obviously a personal thing, so take it with a grain of salt. The Rhodia logo on the front cover is anything but discrete, at least on the orange version. I can see how it would be easier to miss on the black one, but the imprint is so deep that the shadows created on the orange cover means you will always be able to see the logo, unless of course it’s so dark that you probably won’t be doing much writing anyway. The paper, while fantastically smooth and able to handle most inks, is not perfect. I did have a few inks that started to bleed through the pages, which is something of a deal breaker for me. Granted, these were not the inks I used regularly, but I think I’ve been spoiled by Tomoe River Paper where nothing bleeds through the pages. I don’t mind a fair bit of ghosting, but bleeding is unacceptable. The elastic band is so tight that it leaves little indentations in the soft material of the cover. The flip side of that being that the elastic band starts off nice and tight, so the notebook is held closed very securely.All of those things are minor quibbles, and for the most part personal annoyances more than anything else. Not everyone has the same standards that I do, so these things might not bother you at all or they might be the ultimate deal breakers for you. For me, there was a single quality that has caused me to stop using the Webbie as my EDC: The paper is cream. It’s listed online as “ivory” but it’s darker than the color I consider ivory. It’s noticeably yellowed, and this will dramatically affect the appearance of your inks on the the page.Which is not a big deal unless you are using this as an ink journal. But, for me the color is too much. I absolutely love bright white paper. I like my writing to pop off the page. I’ve learned that I will probably not find a notebook with bright white paper that is also FP friendly, but the color of the paper in the Rhodia is too much for me. Thus, while the paper quality and build quality of the Rhodia Webnotebook is fantastic, it is ultimately not the notebook for me. I have recently shelved it and gone back to my Seven Seas journal, which is making me wonder why I ever left it. The issues that made me switch to the Webbie have turned out to not be something that I really took that much advantage of in the Webbie anyway, so I’m back to the wonderful Tomoe River Paper. Overall, I think the Webbie is a great notebook, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who needs a classy looking notebook filled with FP friendly paper that will hold up to a daily beating. All of the objections above are personal criteria I have used in my quest for the one true notebook and are in no way meant to bash on Rhodia. Yes, the Webbie is pricy, but there are few other notebooks out there that boast such nice paper and a sewn binding with hardcover. The only thing I can say is try it out if you are curious, since the only person who can tell you if a notebook will work for you, is you. :-) This notebook was purchased with my own money and I am in no way affiliated with any companies mentioned above and am not being compensated for this review in any way. The opinions expressed are entirely my own and you are free to disagree with them if you like.

Folks, I did a search and found a lot of information on the Rhodia Webnotebook, except the answer to the question that started my search: Why is it called a "Webnotebook?" What exactly does that mean? Thanks for any insights anyone cares to share. Ben

Which is the "lesser of two evils"? I have one Webbie (140mm x 210mm - 5.5in x 8.25in; blank) with which I've not been all that enthused for all the usual reasons reported by others here and there: bleed/show/feather etc. Basically, I was disappointed that it wasn't of the same quality as the white Rhodia pad paper - you can, in my experience, apparently throw anything at that kind - broader nibs, wetter inks yadda yadda yadda. From what I've gleaned of the Leuchtturm notebooks, they're not any better. However, what I'd like to know is, to what degree are they worse? Provided that you are someone that has used a Webbie, and have experienced bleed/show/feathering (due to whatever factors: nib size/nib wetness/ink type/weather) and have used a Leuchtturm with much the same results, how bad are the aforementioned effects on the Leuchtturm compared with the Webbie? I ask because very soon I shall have need of some notebooks (3-4 of them, going on to 6-8 if/when I fill the first batch) that are of the typical Moleskine-esque black/elasticated/back pocket variety (hard or soft cover) and am wondering if it is worth it to get the Rhodia's which cost quite a bit more than the Leuchtturms. I could perhaps fiddle with my ink and nib combinations to find something that is "just right" with the Rhodia I have, but provided that I don't, would the Leuchtturms perform significantly worse? I can tolerate my current experience with the webbies, but I don't think I could if it were any worse. Thank you for your advice.