Seeking Paper Advice For A New Journal

[fibmeister]

Long time reader, first time poster I'm seeking help with selecting a new journal.

 

In spite of trying a number of different papers (Tomoe River, HP Premium Choice Laser, Rhodia, Fabriano, Muji), I still find myself using Moleskine Volant journals. The quality is all over the place, but when it's good I like the feedback and absorbency of the paper. I find that with papers like the Rhodia and HP the pen sort of glides over the surface without much feel or feedback. I'm not looking for a rough paper, but I don't like it when the paper is super smooth or feels coated.

 

I'd stick with Moleskine, but I don't like the brand or company and also want something with more consistent quality. I'm hoping to find something available in A5 with less than 100 pages, but I'm also open to binding A4 loose leaf, having tried that with the HP paper. If it's important, I typically write with fine japanese nibs and Pilot Iroshizuku inks.

 

Thanks in advance for all of your advice!

[FountainPenBibliophile]

Have you tried Leuchtturm 1917? They are very similar to Moleskine but the paper quality is indeed a step up. My only worry is that recently there have been talks of paper inconsistencies. Do a search and you can find some of them. I believe the A5s are safe. They have more than 100 pages though.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Leuchtturm1917-Medium-Notebook-Softcover-Squared/dp/B003EVJQEI

 

I believe they come in lined and blank as well...That is just an example of what the book looks like

 

I cannot think of any other paper that has more of the feedback that you prefer. If I come across something, I will definitely post it here.

 

HTH..

Edited December 10, 2015 by FountainPenBibliophile

[FountainPenBibliophile]

There is also this:

 

http://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-Campus-High-Grade-MIO-Paper-Notebook-A5-Blue-Accents/pd/4884

 

It meets your size and page number specifications but I do not know about how smooth the paper is. It is fountain pen friendly though. Jet is a great company (no affiliation) and has free shipping at $25.

Edited December 11, 2015 by FountainPenBibliophile

[edebill]

You might check out the Baron Fig Confidant. http://www.baronfig.com/pages/confidant The paper has a solid texture to it, and while it's a little bit more absorbent than is normally considered fountain pen friendly it is definitely better than the Moleskine paper. The paper is quite thick, but not dense, so it seems to pull ink into the core of the paper in a way I've not seen on any other paper.

[fibmeister]

Thanks for the recommendations!

 

A coworker of mine has a baron fig, so I'll definitely be checking that out. Also, the 1917 notebooks look almost ideal - I'm ordering one from Goulet this evening

[kcnightfang]

The Banditapple Carnets at http://gouletpens.com are really nice. Very fountain pen friendly, and they have that Moleskine paper feel. They also have smaller page counts, so it sounds like a good fit for you.

[lacie]

I was going to suggest the Baron Fig as well.

 

I've not tried many papers but between Baron Fig, Rhodia and Clairefontaine I prefer the paper in the BF confidant. I enjoy the feedback and most inks work well. Wetter inks in a medium or wider nib will bleed though a little but I'm ok with a little bit of bleeding. I also love that the paper isn't a stark white colour.

 

I use a water brush in my confidant as well and it does ok with that. Plenty of bleeding onto the other side and some wrinkles but it takes a lot of water to really damage the page (I like a worn looking book with wrinkled pages).

 

I've not tried it myself but I've heard that verge paper from france behaves well with fountain pen inks and is a bit more toothy.

Edited December 11, 2015 by lacie