Paperblanks

March 5, 2015

I got a midi "Pastoral Impulses" (I think that's the name... might be Romantic Sensibility) covered Paperblanks journal as a birthday gift a while ago. I've just started writing in it (I was only half through my previous journal when I got this one) but so far I have nothing but good to say about the paper quality and overall quality of the book. It's truly book bound (and beautifully at that IMHO), the ribbon is the perfect tension, the overall quality is just great and the paper is smooth and hasn't bled or feathered with any of the pens and inks I've tried it with so far. This includes an EF nib- no problems at all with catching or scratching for me. Great notebook

Oh and the cover, from a male perspective, is undeniably gorgeous IMHO.

March 5, 2015

I have had absolutely no complaints with this paper. It holds ink perfectly.

And I'm one who prefers my pens to be juicy and stubby or italicized. So some generally accepted brands like Leuchtturm1917 don't work for me at all. But PaperBlanks has been quite consistent and good for me. I guess, call me lucky.

Jenni Bick offers a good selection here in the States, as does the European Paper a Company. I experience uneven paper, sometimes in the same volume. But the covers are so nice that I tend to use them for conferences where I'll use rollerballs or BPs.

I also find a decent selection of them at my Barnes & Noble. There's a good place to pick up decent FP paper, BarnesNoble, they carry Gallery Leather, Miquelruis, and the one near me here in Walnut Creek also carries Rhodia which is very nice.

On the website for paperblanks, you can find where they are locally available to you. I live in Martinez, CA which is a fairly small, sleepy town, known only for two things, it's the capital of the county (Contra Costa) and it's where John Muir used to call home.

I found through paperblanks website that the visitor center here at the John Muir House Historic site carries the paperblanks, so naturally I had to run out and get it right away. POST HASTE!!

Okay I lied, Martinez is also known for a third thing: birthplace of Joe DiMaggio.

I hate journals, which go on beyond my lifespan or desire. I have had the larger version, but found it to be a bit much, since I don't draw or doodle, just love the fact there are no lines to inhibit my creative flow.

You have to be like me and be a little wasteful with the paper. I don't doodle either, I can't draw worth a dime, but I use rubber-stamps to place imprints on the pages of my journal. If I did nothing but writing in my journal I'd never get through a single book.

Here's a link to a couple of pages adorned with random images.

Oh and let me tell you, if you have difficulty finding good fountain pen paper, it's almost impossible finding paper that is friendly towards rubber-stamp ink. The stuff bleeds through concrete! I have yet to find a solution.

March 5, 2015

I have had absolutely no complaints with this paper. It holds ink perfectly.
And I'm one who prefers my pens to be juicy and stubby or italicized. So some generally accepted brands like Leuchtturm1917 don't work for me at all. But PaperBlanks has been quite consistent and good for me. I guess, call me lucky.

I also find a decent selection of them at my Barnes & Noble. There's a good place to pick up decent FP paper, BarnesNoble, they carry Gallery Leather, Miquelruis, and the one near me here in Walnut Creek also carries Rhodia which is very nice.

On the website for paperblanks, you can find where they are locally available to you. I live in Martinez, CA which is a fairly small, sleepy town, known only for two things, it's the capital of the county (Contra Costa) and it's where John Muir used to call home.

I found through paperblanks website that the visitor center here at the John Muir House Historic site carries the paperblanks, so naturally I had to run out and get it right away. POST HASTE!!

Okay I lied, Martinez is also known for a third thing: birthplace of Joe DiMaggio.

You have to be like me and be a little wasteful with the paper. I don't doodle either, I can't draw worth a dime, but I use rubber-stamps to place imprints on the pages of my journal. If I did nothing but writing in my journal I'd never get through a single book.
Here's a link to a couple of pages adorned with random images.

Oh and let me tell you, if you have difficulty finding good fountain pen paper, it's almost impossible finding paper that is friendly towards rubber-stamp ink. The stuff bleeds through concrete! I have yet to find a solution.

I've clicked on your link, very interesting journals. Can I just ask, how do you use the top bound notebooks, do you write on the other side of the page? I do like these notebooks for ease of writing but do find it a faff when reading back and turning over the pad all the time.

Edited March 5, 2015 by Pussinboots

March 6, 2015

I've clicked on your link, very interesting journals. Can I just ask, how do you use the top bound notebooks, do you write on the other side of the page? I do like these notebooks for ease of writing but do find it a faff when reading back and turning over the pad all the time.

That's actually a top spiralbound rhodia pad with line-ruled perforated pages.

Not my favorites, but I picked them up on a splurge.

As you had mentioned, it is a pain to leaf through them if you want to refer back to what you wrote. Also they come with sharp pointy corners which I had to smooth off with corner rounders.

It's kind of nice to write in them because you don't have the spine or the "lay-flat-problem" to speak of.

Mostly I use them to practice my flex writing.

You can actually see that the rubberstamps from the other side bleeding through. Rubberstamp inks are vicious!

Edited March 6, 2015 by pepsiplease69

March 29, 2015

I have quite a few paperblanks journals in Midi and Ultra size, all lined and all recent, no problems with the paper with a range of inks and pens, even BSB is behaving well on it- no feathering or bleed-through.

Maybe they have changed their paper in recent years- or maybe different paper for EU and US markets? Not sure, but all the notebooks I have had are behaving impeccably, they are all I use now. The "Peter Pauper" notebooks can be good too.

Mind you, I don't use much Noodlers ink (being UK-based) apart from the black, that could be part of it, my main ink use is Iroshizuki, Sailor and a few Diamine colours.

'Cat

April 2, 2015

The "Peter Pauper" notebooks can be good too.

Oh I just LOVE Peter Pauper Press. I recently discovered their awesome paper when I picked one up from my Branes and Noble here in the US.

Excellent paper. No problems at all with any of my juicy nibs.

I picked up the "Blue Medallions" Journal. Design is heavenly.

I don't know how long it will take to get through the first one, but the next one I will pick up is "Great Omar" Journal. Maybe I'll just hoard one off now.

I just love their designs.

And the slightly squarish form factor reminds me of my trusty Rhodia Reversebook.