Muji Moma Recycled Paper Notebook

[apkayle]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281089063455?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

 

I read some good reviews of Muji notebooks being fountain pen friendly so I ordered a couple different Muji notebooks. The spiral bound Muji notebooks will be coming in soon.

 

Details:

• selling price is about $7, $3 shipping (you can haggle for a slightly cheaper price)
• about 5.8" by 4.1"
• 144 sheets, not pages, of cream colored paper

Pro's:

• very smooth creamy colored paper
• beautiful minimalist appearance
• resists bleedthrough
• could probably withstand very wet and broad nibs, but the feathering might make writing with wide nibs unbearable

Cons:

• Some inks will feather on this paper, the feathering I noticed was bearable but slightly noticeable.
• Showthrough occurs, but isn't noticable if you write on both sides of the page.

Recommended?

 

It's not a terrible notebook. I'm looking forward to finding a use for it (I misjudged the size of the book upon ordering, I was looking for a slightly larger book for class notes. ).

 

It's competitively priced against Black n Red, Rhodia, and Clairefontaine notebooks which have amazing reviews and quality control (I haven't tried those brands yet). To be honest I'd recommend notebooks from the previously mentioned brands, the pictures of ink performance on those papers show much better fp friendliness than this paper.

 

 

http://24.media.tumblr.com/bd576b69df00613736e2390777c6bc5a/tumblr_mnmta3AbRP1r4c920o1_500.jpg

 

http://25.media.tumblr.com/22ef75b0155f601c3aa1205bdbc8077f/tumblr_mnmta3AbRP1r4c920o2_1280.jpg

http://25.media.tumblr.com/de3c75e9c6da34d111df0e00966071a9/tumblr_mnmta3AbRP1r4c920o3_1280.jpg

http://24.media.tumblr.com/7aa118a191952dafec0854dd439aa712/tumblr_mnmta3AbRP1r4c920o4_1280.jpg

http://24.media.tumblr.com/033164c46627b340742d7dd7bf68307b/tumblr_mnmta3AbRP1r4c920o5_1280.jpg

Edited May 30, 2013 by apkayle

[mm1624124]

Thanks for the review and the link!! I'm excited to know of another Muji retailer. I've enjoyed reading your paper reviews...

 

I have Muji notebooks, but not the kind you purchased. However, my experience has been very similar. There will be some feathering with some inks but it is relatively minor and tolerable. I have highly recommended the notebooks because for the price you can't find a comparable performance for fountain pens. A great bargain for students or anyone who wants true work-horse "notes" book. Something to knock around and abuse but will still perform tolerably well.

 

I'm learning that inks and paper are not to be trifled. I was writing in a Muji notebook recently with Noodler's Habanero. The color variation and shading can't be duplicated! No feathering or bleeding. Not bad for a notebook that costs about 80 cents. The same pen and ink on my fav of favs Tsubame actually bled through slightly! I would have sworn before that experience that nothing would ever dominate Tsubame paper in my world.

I was wrong...so wrong.

 

Thanks again for giving Muji a chance. I love those notebooks.

[apkayle]

  On 5/31/2013 at 12:07 AM, mm1624124 said:

Thanks for the review and the link!! I'm excited to know of another Muji retailer. I've enjoyed reading your paper reviews...

 

I have Muji notebooks, but not the kind you purchased. However, my experience has been very similar. There will be some feathering with some inks but it is relatively minor and tolerable. I have highly recommended the notebooks because for the price you can't find a comparable performance for fountain pens. A great bargain for students or anyone who wants true work-horse "notes" book. Something to knock around and abuse but will still perform tolerably well.

 

I'm learning that inks and paper are not to be trifled. I was writing in a Muji notebook recently with Noodler's Habanero. The color variation and shading can't be duplicated! No feathering or bleeding. Not bad for a notebook that costs about 80 cents. The same pen and ink on my fav of favs Tsubame actually bled through slightly! I would have sworn before that experience that nothing would ever dominate Tsubame paper in my world.

 

I was wrong...so wrong.

 

Thanks again for giving Muji a chance. I love those notebooks.

 

Thank you so much for your kind words. I plan on giving many unknown brands a chance. I'm thinking of starting a fountain pen and arts/crafts related blog, and what better way is there to attract attention than to review the unknown products we're all afraid of splurging money on?

[Stompie]

I have not had a problem with Muji yet, and at the price it is a good deal!

Your blog sounds like fun. What I have found with cheap brands is the lack of consistency.
I buy a brand x note book and it is great so I get another and it is terrible!
It is like Staples paper, one pad differs from another - real pain in the butt as you never know what you going to get! But, have fun and give us a link once you do it.

[Nonsensical]

Muji uses various different types of paper in its notebooks. At 147yen/ <$2.00 for that notebook in Japan, it's probably some of the cheaper stuff.

 

My mum ended up buying quite a number of nicer Muji notebooks whilst we were in Japan 2 months ago, I think it cost her from 400yen-500yen for an A5 notebook with around 100 sheets. From what I could tell, those notebooks were of high quality, and probably would do well with FPs. I ended up getting one, and have been meaning to try/review it...for some time now.

[apkayle]

  On 6/2/2013 at 10:35 AM, Nonsensical said:

Muji uses various different types of paper in its notebooks. At 147yen/ <$2.00 for that notebook in Japan, it's probably some of the cheaper stuff.

 

My mum ended up buying quite a number of nicer Muji notebooks whilst we were in Japan 2 months ago, I think it cost her from 400yen-500yen for an A5 notebook with around 100 sheets. From what I could tell, those notebooks were of high quality, and probably would do well with FPs. I ended up getting one, and have been meaning to try/review it...for some time now.

 

 

Please post the review already!

[Nonsensical]

  On 6/2/2013 at 11:58 PM, apkayle said:

 

 

Please post the review already!

I don't have it with me right now...but I will try to find the time to review it over the coming weekend. From what I've seen, it seems to be similar to the Rhodia/Clairefontaine paper, and feels very smooth to the touch.

[Stompie]

Here is a page I did on Muji - actually, an entire book.

This is with a dip pen and Higgins ink - although the writing is small, even with the swells the paper does not bleed or feather.

I also did an entire A4 book with lots of swells etc and absolutely no problem with bleeding - however, sometimes, maybe 1 in 10 pages, towards the bottom of the page I do pick up a spot or 2 where I get some feathering. But I am not sure if that is the fault of the paper or the fact that I do not use anything under my writing hand and so it might be some oil residue from my hand on the paper.

 

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj229/Popsjill/pens/DSCN1453_zpsdaca50a7.jpg

[apkayle]

  On 6/5/2013 at 6:08 AM, Stompie said:

Here is a page I did on Muji - actually, an entire book.

 

This is with a dip pen and Higgins ink - although the writing is small, even with the swells the paper does not bleed or feather.

 

I also did an entire A4 book with lots of swells etc and absolutely no problem with bleeding - however, sometimes, maybe 1 in 10 pages, towards the bottom of the page I do pick up a spot or 2 where I get some feathering. But I am not sure if that is the fault of the paper or the fact that I do not use anything under my writing hand and so it might be some oil residue from my hand on the paper.

 

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj229/Popsjill/pens/DSCN1453_zpsdaca50a7.jpg

 

I like what I'm seeing.

Thick lines of ink with no feathering and reports of minimal bleedthrough, nice! I'll be on the lookout for the a4 notebook. By the way, I love your handwriting. Did you follow a course or book on penmanship?

[Stompie]

LOL, no, pretty much self taught.

Front cover of the A4 with some work on it.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj229/Popsjill/pens/DSCN0313.jpg

 

and then the inside. You can see I used a far heavier stroke and yet was able to write on both sides of the pages with no bleedthrough.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj229/Popsjill/pens/DSCN0316.jpg