Rhodia Webnotebook

[Pencilcaseblog]

-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

 

[bogiesan]

ffolk have been reviewing these notebooks and making about the same observations for a long time. It's apparent Rhodia have no plans to alter any of features that reviewers have declared objectionable. The webbie has alwyas been a compromise between exquisite paper and cover material that I like and price. I only buy them when I can get a bundle of five or ten at a signicant discount and that hasn't happened for many years. I did, however, recently pick up a black pocket size with dot paper and I was delighted to see that nothing has changed in the quality of the notebook.

The build quality is fabulous although many of mine have elastics that are set into the back cover a wee bit too tight. The rear pocket's fiber side panels are robust and are glued under the rear paper instead of onto it. I wish the paper was pure white so my fountain pen inks could really shine. And the superb writing surface comes at a price for us FP users--inks smear.

I originally bought my first webbie only because it was orange. I have not purchased any of the Rhodiarama webbies because I have read in reviews that the paper is of lower quality than in the original webbie.

[I like mango cheesecake]

I bought an A5 black webbie and I love it! I like the stiff leatherette rubber cover and the smooth ivory paper. The line spacing is just right too.

[Bookman]

I'm a big fan. Attention Exaclair: Now on to the Weekly Planner. Quit messing about with Quo Vadis and just make true Rhodia Webbie weekly planners, same sizes as the regular Webnotebooks (make mine an A6 please), same paper. And for my finder's fee, today's your lucky day: just throw in a Webbie Address Book and we'll call it quits.

[jmccarty3]

I was very disappointed in the amount of bleed-through with the Webbie I bought. This seemed to happen with every ink I tried, although some were worse than others. I switched to the Rhodia top-stapled dot pad and R series, and the problem disappeared. Another notebook with very well-behaved paper, although it is spiral-bound, is the Maruman Boston Notebook, available through JetPens.

[Jenifermarie]

I was very disappointed in the amount of bleed-through with the Webbie I bought. This seemed to happen with every ink I tried, although some were worse than others. I switched to the Rhodia top-stapled dot pad and R series, and the problem disappeared. Another notebook with very well-behaved paper, although it is spiral-bound, is the Maruman Boston Notebook, available through JetPens.

 

I've found the same with the Webbies and bleed through. The more saturated the ink colour, the more bleed through I seem to get but very few inks are completely bleed through free. The only successes I've had so far are Noodlers Black in an EF nib and Caran d'Ache Divine Pink (I can't afford to be writing with that all the time though!).

 

I was really disappointed given that I have Rhodia pads everywhere because I love them so much. My preference towards dot grid makes it difficult to find anything else though, I'm debating trying Leuchtturm next time.

[jmccarty3]

 

I've found the same with the Webbies and bleed through. The more saturated the ink colour, the more bleed through I seem to get but very few inks are completely bleed through free. The only successes I've had so far are Noodlers Black in an EF nib and Caran d'Ache Divine Pink (I can't afford to be writing with that all the time though!).

 

I was really disappointed given that I have Rhodia pads everywhere because I love them so much. My preference towards dot grid makes it difficult to find anything else though, I'm debating trying Leuchtturm next time.

 

 

If you like dot grids (I do, too), try the top-stapled Rhodia DotPads. They come in the 12, 16, and 18 sizes. The ones you want say "DotPad" on the cover. You can get a vinyl outer cover for these pads--it's not quite as elegant as a Webbie, but it looks OK. I have not had any problems with bleed-through using these pads.

[Jenifermarie]

 

 

If you like dot grids (I do, too), try the top-stapled Rhodia DotPads. They come in the 12, 16, and 18 sizes. The ones you want say "DotPad" on the cover. You can get a vinyl outer cover for these pads--it's not quite as elegant as a Webbie, but it looks OK. I have not had any problems with bleed-through using these pads.

 

I already have those just about everywhere at home (is there such a thing as Rhodia saturation point? I keep buying more to fill spaces where I might want to write rather than move them from room to room!). I just bought the #38 graph pad the other day for calligraphy too, that is one beast of a pad! Shame they don't have that paper in a webbie type format, they would make a killing!

 

I wanted the webbie for a small "thought of the day" journal but I'm wasting half the pages because of the bleedthrough. I think I will give Leuchtturm a try or I may just give up on hardback books and move the Clairefontaine 1951 range, the lines annoy me but I've never had any bleedthrough issues with those.

[dornblaser]

I like the A5 webbies, I just ordered one in Sapphire Blue to use for my first attempt at journaling. . I was under the impression that Rhodia uses Clairefontaine paper in the webbies? Does anyone know where the webnotebook name came from?

[Pencilcaseblog]

I like the A5 webbies, I just ordered one in Sapphire Blue to use for my first attempt at journaling. . I was under the impression that Rhodia uses Clairefontaine paper in the webbies? Does anyone know where the webnotebook name came from?

How I understand it, Rhodia is actually part of the Clairfontaine group, so yes, their paper is quite alike!

[masterguns]

I'm a bit surprised to hear about people having issues with bleed through. I have used many webnotebooks in various sizes and never had a problem, regardless of ink or nib size. The webbie is my favorite notebook. They are expensive, so I buy them when I find a sale.

[carlos.q]

I'm a bit surprised to hear about people having issues with bleed through. I have used many webnotebooks in various sizes and never had a problem, regardless of ink or nib size. The webbie is my favorite notebook. They are expensive, so I buy them when I find a sale.

Same here....

[Bookman]

Same here....

 

I've never had a problem with bleed-through. Show-through is minimal or nonexistent, and I use a variety of inks including BSB. In stark contrast, the so-called "Webbie" planner, which uses 64g Quo Vadis paper, is a different story. Consistent (almost every page), severe show-through and regular partial bleed-through are two hallmarks. I haven't bought a Webbie in three years because I'm still working on the ones I bought back then. Unless Exaclair has changed the paper, I highly recommend the Webbie.

[sidthecat]

The Rhodia bleed-through is a problem with my old Waterman 52 - old pens are immensely generous with their ink. The only journal that doesn't bleed is Paperblanks. I avoided them for years because of their silly covers but they're really good.

[j.a.j.]

There are not so many good notebooks with dot grid. Of the six i have tried Apica Premium had least bleedthrough with my inks and pens. Apica requires separate covers if you prefer stiffer covers.

 

edit: scratch that – just checked, the Apica was blank..

Edited November 19, 2014 by j.a.j.

[cpmcnamara]

I use webbies as my primary notebook (though I do want to try something different in the future for exploration). I don't understand the bleedthrough problem - what ink are you using? I've routinely used the bold side of a Sailor Cross Concord (Dripping wet double bb) and see zero bleed through with Iroshizuki inks. Note that these are the newer ones as well, so I don't think paper quality is bad.

 

The OP's comment about smearing is true though. This is super slick paper, and it sometimes feels like ink falls on it like rain on a windshield. I want to give Tomoe river paper a try to see how it compares, as my perfect paper would feel a bit more absorbant without bleedthrough (asking a lot, I know).

 

Also as the OP mentioned, hardstarting can be an issue, but I find this only to be true for VERY dry pens. If you are hardstarting on a webbie, I think you should consider tweaking your pen before ditching the webbie.

Edited November 19, 2014 by cpmcnamara

[vinper]

I'm a bit surprised to hear about people having issues with bleed through. I have used many webnotebooks in various sizes and never had a problem, regardless of ink or nib size. The webbie is my favorite notebook. They are expensive, so I buy them when I find a sale.

I have to agree. I've never had a problem with bleed through when using this journal. The paper is exquisite and the least prone to bleed through that I have tried, particularly when compared to Moleskine. vinper