Inexpensive Notebooks For University Notes

[Shawn Ghost]

Target sells some inexpensive composition books by a brand called Greenroom. I believe the pages are made of recycled paper, but they look very good -- a light cream color. There is a post on FPN by someone who found heavy bleed-through with several inks, but my experience with an F nib and Parker Quink blue (from a cartridge) showed only mild ghosting, not enough to be called bleed-through. Perhaps the quality of the paper is variable across batches. Still, they are quite inexpensive and look great, so if you can find one with paper that is FP friendly, it might be a good way to go.

 

I'll need to run to Target to pick up a few of these to compare to the Staples books. As a student, I'm always looking for ways to save money. I hear people all of the time saying that they find the Staples books on sale but I've never seen it. I paid about 5 bucks each for mine. While that's a decent price compared to Rhodia or CF stuff, It's still 20+ dollars for the 4 that I need for all of my classes and even then, I doubt that 1 spiral notebook per class will last me all semester.

[Joe in Seattle]

Apica IS still sold on EBay by the same lady.

[Bigeddie]

I believe Muji has a store in New York and a website for US customers. (Link to the books I am using. Very Very FP Friendly)

[JimB]

I use Staples sustainable earth sugarcane notebooks. They come in a couple of different formats: spiralbound, composition, and legal pad. Very fountain pen friendly and inexpensive especially during sales. I usually stock up when they're on sale for $1.49.

+1 I have lots of these and prefer them overall to the more expensive alternatives. You can't go wrong with their composition books. FP friendly and cheap.

[mark e]

i realise you're a student and all, but clairefontaine 100-pg wirebounds are only $5/per

 

smoove, no-bleed, no-show, no drips, no runs, no tears...

[JeanManuel]

If you are trying to save you can probably find a local US manufacturer (here in Finland it would be "Paperipiste" - but they are made with pencils and ballpoints in mind).

 

If you cannot find a good local manufacturer, then several french paper brands have papers which were specified for fountain pens - since FPs are still the reference writing instruments in French culture.

=> Clairefontaine and Rhodia, oxford/Super Conquerant.

 

24cmx32cm ("24x32", away from the lands of "Oz.")

http://www.burotech.fr/boutique/product.php?id_product=740 green

http://www.burotech.fr/boutique/product.php?id_product=755 180pages with spiral - probably what you're looking for.

http://www.burotech.fr/boutique/product.php?id_product=729 140p sewn.

 

I don't see them on amazon.com, but I see them on amazon.fr.

Edited January 19, 2012 by JeanManuel

[mmahany]

Black n red notebooks. Theyre made in Europe, usually from Germany and the paper quality is the best I've seen for the price. It holds fountain and ballpoint pen in perfect. Thats coming from a guy who writes left handed and spends most of his time with ink on has hands. I wrote with it all last weekend on my plane flight and during my business conference and I fell in love.

 

They only run about $7-9 but I'd easily pay $20 for one now that I know how good of quality they are. i may buy 3-4 more just in fear that they might start getting made in China. I'm a Germany/Europe made snob though. LOL.

[JeanManuel]

I'm a Germany/Europe made snob though. LOL.

 

Praise you, good sir!

Well moleskines are made in china and cost 20€ for not so good quality and some toxic substances in the cover. Good designs though.

That's why I usually try to stay away from heavily marketed, high margin products. The real product they sell you, is the price tag and the selling point which extracts your money.

 

 

All the best to you,

JM

[New_Falcon]

I use Staples sustainable earth sugarcane notebooks. They come in a couple of different formats: spiralbound, composition, and legal pad. Very fountain pen friendly and inexpensive especially during sales. I usually stock up when they're on sale for $1.49.

+1 I have lots of these and prefer them overall to the more expensive alternatives. You can't go wrong with their composition books. FP friendly and cheap.

 

I think that the staples sustainable earth sugarcane notebooks is going on sale next week.

 

I flip flop between the Staples book and the Norcom Brazil composition book from Walmart. The Norcom is alot cheaper at 40c, so you can get 4 of those for the staples book.

 

The staples book is nicer for left handed people and looks better.

 

I like both and generally stock up on both when they're on sale.

[ershen]

I believe Muji has a store in New York and a website for US customers. (Link to the books I am using. Very Very FP Friendly)

 

I have to get me some of those and give them a try.

 

I like that each notebook is 30 pages, makes it very convenient for note taking on different subjects.

Edited January 21, 2012 by ershen

[xwingrox]

I'm a junior and I print cornell note templates on 20lb paper. Saves me a bundle each quarter! More money for ink

[beesbees]

I'm quite a fan of the Oxford office range (same company that makes the aforementioned Black and Red). Used them throughout college (6th form) without issue

[fabrimedeiros]

I'm quite a fan of the Oxford office range (same company that makes the aforementioned Black and Red). Used them throughout college (6th form) without issue

I also use Oxford, but I don't think it is wide available in US. It's cheaper than Clairefontaine/Rhodia. Someone said here that Oxford uses Clairefontaine paper, which is possible: their paper are pretty similar.

I'd love to try the Norcom paper. I live in Brazil but this is not available at local Walmart.

[ProfessorZach]

I'm in my 3rd year of grad school, and having tried many options, my favorite for lined paper is the kokuyo Mio paper. Surprisingly affordable, lightweight, smooth, non-feathering. Plenty of pages per book. For unlined, Apica 6A10 is lovely. To order try jetpens, maido, and ebay.

[reenelk]

I have to be honest, I am extremely cheap. So my favorite notebooks for school?

 

In the US, around the beginning of the school year, Target sells spiral-bound, college-ruled notebooks for twenty cents apiece. (They used to sell them for ten cents apiece with no limit, but now there's a limit of I think twenty notebooks along with the higher price.) They aren't top quality by any means, but I've found that I can write on either side of the page with my fountain pen without trouble and I can't treat them badly without feeling bad about it. And at twenty cents each, it's easy to load up and have enough for a few years.

 

They also have a few colors, so I always enjoy color-coding my classes. Purple notebook and purple folder for one, red notebook and fold for another, etc.

 

I'm almost hoping I never get a taste of anything better because I like my twenty-cent notebooks so much.

[Moham1287]

I use Staples sustainable earth sugarcane notebooks. They come in a couple of different formats: spiralbound, composition, and legal pad. Very fountain pen friendly and inexpensive especially during sales. I usually stock up when they're on sale for $1.49.

 

+1 for the Staples Sustainable Earth notebooks. I am starting school in 8 days and tried one out, well, the next day I placed an online order for 5 more. You can't do wrong by going with those sugarcane notebooks. They also make plain binder filler paper and while they didn't really bleed through too terribly much, there was definitely some heavy ghosting on the other side. Seems like the spiral binder versions have a slightly thicker paper. I've tested them with Noodler's Bullet-Proof Black, Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo and Noodler's Antietam with both an Edison Collier Fine nib as well as a Lamy Safari EF nib. No problems at all. Depending on how picky you are, you may or may not decide to write on only 1 side, which I do anyway. If only I could get spiral bound or even cloth bound notebooks with my HP Choice 32lb. laser paper, I'd be a happy man. I just don't like printing my own lined paper since I may need to turn some of these papers into the professors.

 

The problem with the Staples Bagasse paper pads is the inconsistency; most are perfect but the odd one will be full of bleedy, feathery, awful paper.

[whitedot]

I second (or third or fourth......) Muji.

 

I picked up a Black n' Red wirebound A4 from the university bookstore the other day - A4, wirebound, polypropylene cover. Apparently, the paper is "Optik Paper".

 

The Professional and Executive range uses Optik Paper. This guarantees paper quality of 90gsm, perfected over many years.Its whiteness optimises reading comfort and its satin effect makes it pleasant to write on with minimal 'show through' of notes.

 

If I remember correctly, it cost around 6 quid - not what I would call cheap. I've been writing in it all day. Not bad. I dislike the cover, but it keeps out the rain. I like the flat writing surface and the elastic which holds it shut. It's a big book. I can't have it flapping around.

Edited March 3, 2012 by whitedot

[JeanManuel]

I second (or third or fourth......) Muji.

 

I picked up a Black n' Red wirebound A4 from the university bookstore the other day - A4, wirebound, polypropylene cover. Apparently, the paper is "Optik Paper".

 

The Professional and Executive range uses Optik Paper. This guarantees paper quality of 90gsm, perfected over many years.Its whiteness optimises reading comfort and its satin effect makes it pleasant to write on with minimal 'show through' of notes.

 

If I remember correctly, it cost around 6 quid - not what I would call cheap. I've been writing in it all day. Not bad. I dislike the cover, but it keeps out the rain. I like the flat writing surface and the elastic which holds it shut. It's a big book. I can't have it flapping around.

 

"Optik Paper" is a good label. It's used a lot in France.

How many pages are there in your notebook?

[imadeadend]

Rhodia paper just doesn't work for me in putting together a binder of jottings over time.

 

It does work if you get the a4 pad with the pre punched holes. Awesome paper and cheap as hell!

[whitedot]

I second (or third or fourth......) Muji.

 

I picked up a Black n' Red wirebound A4 from the university bookstore the other day - A4, wirebound, polypropylene cover. Apparently, the paper is "Optik Paper".

 

The Professional and Executive range uses Optik Paper. This guarantees paper quality of 90gsm, perfected over many years.Its whiteness optimises reading comfort and its satin effect makes it pleasant to write on with minimal 'show through' of notes.

 

If I remember correctly, it cost around 6 quid - not what I would call cheap. I've been writing in it all day. Not bad. I dislike the cover, but it keeps out the rain. I like the flat writing surface and the elastic which holds it shut. It's a big book. I can't have it flapping around.

 

"Optik Paper" is a good label. It's used a lot in France.

How many pages are there in your notebook?

 

It used to have 140 pages in it. Not anymore. I have a terrible habit of ripping out pages which aren't written perfectly and re-writing.