Office Depot Hard Back Cover Business Notebook

[Skydiver]

I just wanted to share that I may have stumbled on some good (not excellent), cheap, fountain pen friendly paper in the form of the Office Depot Hard Back Cover Business Notebook. The highlights are that it's 22# paper, narrow ruled, and bright white. Although wirebound, there are micro perforations to easily tear out pages.

 

The paper feels very smooth to the fingers and is a nice bright white.

 

Writing felt smooth using European fine, Japanese medium, and equivalent wider nibs. I could feel distinct feedback when using European EF nibs, Japanese F and EF nibs. Ironically, a lot of that feedback went away when I didn't follow good practices and had the paper directly on the table surface instead the recommended having a few sheets of paper underneath.

 

No feathering, and only light ghosting. (Or at least light ghosting to me because I may have gotten used to seeing ghosting on Tomoe River and Moleskin paper.) No bleed through with my small set of factory inks from Pilot, Diamine, and Robert Oster, but I'm seeing a little bit of bleed through where my ink pools with my homebrew Fuyu-Syogun with White Lightning mix.

[amberleadavis]

Thank you for sharing.

[Runnin_Ute]

Sounds similar to the Black n Red brand made by Hamelin Brands.

[Skydiver]

Yes, the Black and Red were right beside them on the shelf and what initially caught my eye as I was in the store. The Black and Red were 24# and hard covered bookbound, but unfortunately did not lay flat when opened -- even their business ledger, which I found kind of strange. Maybe, it just needs to be broken in?

[Runnin_Ute]

skydiver - Black and Red has a wire bound as well, but the cover material seems to have changed to a vinyl (?) or something rather than a thicker cardboard type cover that I have seen/had in the past. Or maybe it is only on the A5 books now. My A4 has the vinyl cover - but because it is wire it folds over. I do have a couple of book bound, but don't recall if they ever laid flat without breaking the spine.

[Skydiver]

Thanks for the info. I maybe tempted to give some oof the Black and Red a try.