Are these types of fountain pen ink friendly notebooks available?

[PhiloPlume]

Hi,

 

I guess I am being too picky.

 

I am looking for fountain pen ink friendly notebooks that are spiral where I do not have to fight the previous pages and cover from crashing on my writing hand (I am right-handed) while I am writing.  Spiral notebook pages and front cover can be folded away.  So called notebooks like the Clairfontaine and others that claim to lay flat do NOT lay flat unless the spine is broken and even so they do not lay flat and I end up fighting with the previous pages and front cover to stay out of my way while I am writing.  Not productive!

 

If the paper is going to be lined, the lines must be very faint and 3mm-4mm lines max.  I have designed my own in Affinity Designer/Publisher but I want them bound together by subject and not loose pages of paper. First choice though would be blank pages.  I can write in a straight line without using a lightbox 🙂  I have no idea what dot or grid paper is used for but I find that annoying too as I can draw a good looking, proportional "box" if I had to hehe.  Blank would probably be better because I would sometimes like to sketch something while I am thinking or following an on-line class or taking notes from a book.

 

I mostly only write with fine and extra-fine, and PO Japanese fountain pens and nibs these days, like Pilot, Platinum, and Sailor (although they run a little wide compared to the previous makers). 

 

Any ideas?  I don't think it matters to me if the cover and back are soft or hard as long as they lay totally flat and I don't feel like I am trying to keep the wings open on a live duck or something like that.

 

Thanks!

 

[Claes]

How about this principle:

https://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-Campus-Soft-Ring-Notebook-Semi-B5-Dotted-6-mm-Rule-Black-Blue/pd/42876?

 

If you buy a hole punch as well you can fill it with any paper. Ref: https://www.jetpens.com/Carl-Gauge-30-Hole-or-26-Hole-Punch-A4-B5-Black/pd/33494

 

Have fun!
Claes in Lund, Sweden

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

Sorry, I can't help you with faint lines.

 

I like regular old-fashioned school style spiral notebooks by Oxford Optic 90g and or it's equal Clairefontaine Velout` 90g.

Regular (mine are  spiral notebooks with very good, economical paper.

I have one of each out, and another one of each stashed away. I never want to run out.

 

Over here, in Germany, both are cheap enough....with dammed good paper.

 

Half as thick as the above spiral notebooks, 70g.....shockingly good coated, Kyome. HQ'ed in Essen, Germany. It was recommended by some good posters. I have to make sure I have reserves with this spiral notebook also. I was shocked at 70g it was as good as Oxford Optic 90g or Clairefontaine Velout` 90g.

My guess is all three are collage lined.

[PhiloPlume]

45 minutes ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

Sorry, I can't help you with faint lines.

 

I like regular old-fashioned school style spiral notebooks by Oxford Optic 90g and or it's equal Clairefontaine Velout` 90g.

Regular (mine are  spiral notebooks with very good, economical paper.

I have one of each out, and another one of each stashed away. I never want to run out.

 

Over here, in Germany, both are cheap enough....with dammed good paper.

 

Half as thick as the above spiral notebooks, 70g.....shockingly good coated, Kyome. HQ'ed in Essen, Germany. It was recommended by some good posters. I have to make sure I have reserves with this spiral notebook also. I was shocked at 70g it was as good as Oxford Optic 90g or Clairefontaine Velout` 90g.

My guess is all three are collage lined.

they sound great, thanks. Forgot to mention that I don't like Tomoe River Paper. I know, probably going to be scarce since I read that the company shut down their only machine that made it. But it is like rice paper to me.  Really thin and see through.  Can't use the backside.

 

[PhiloPlume]

4 hours ago, Claes said:

How about this principle:

https://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-Campus-Soft-Ring-Notebook-Semi-B5-Dotted-6-mm-Rule-Black-Blue/pd/42876?

 

If you buy a hole punch as well you can fill it with any paper. Ref: https://www.jetpens.com/Carl-Gauge-30-Hole-or-26-Hole-Punch-A4-B5-Black/pd/33494

 

Have fun!
Claes in Lund, Sweden

 

I have read some great reviews about Campus.  Sort of a sleeper.  I couldn't find blank but will look again.  Thank you.

 

The thing about buying something from JetPens is that it doesn't cost a whole lot to warrant shipping costs is that I will find a bunch of stuff to buy that I really don't need. I just received two orders from them in the last couple of weeks (mostly EF rollerballs and stuff like that but I did manage to add a Sailor EF Pro Gear FP in Autumn (red-orange) and gold which I just received yesterday lol!).

[Bo Bo Olson]

I'm glad I could help.

 

On those three papers, inks shade.

 

German postal price, from Germany to US, is 1/2 to 1/3 cheaper than from the US to here. So it might be worthwhile to order some ...do check Goulet(sp) he does have European good papers.

 

Oxford Optic 90g is used in the Red&Black notebook.

 

[PhiloPlume]

Galen Leather Every Day notebooks look to be ideal but the video I just watched said they ship from Turkey.  No thanks!

Nevermind, I just watched the rest of the video and he said just a drop of water will make the paper bleed.  Comes with a blotter rag.  Good.  It is off my mind now 🙂

 

[Lithium466]

1 minute ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

Oxford Optic 90g is used in the Red&Black notebook.

 

Beware, in some instances it's now the "new and improved" Optik+ paper, 80gsm. 
YMMV on the "improved" part.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Just now, Lithium466 said:

"new and improved" Optik+ paper, 80gsm. 

Bonus driven, ball point boss. I doubt if he kept the coating as good as it was....that effects his bonus.

Obviously, some bank stockholders got to buy a nickle cigar from that improvement.

 

Do they still make the 90g paper?

[PhiloPlume]

4 hours ago, Claes said:

How about this principle:

https://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-Campus-Soft-Ring-Notebook-Semi-B5-Dotted-6-mm-Rule-Black-Blue/pd/42876?

I just found KOKUYO Campus Spiral Notebook 10-1/2 x 8 inch College Ruled at Amazon. I don't like the lines but they look faintish and they have little, faint dots to line up lines which is pretty cool but not needed.  However, the pages are perforated so I could tear them out if I wanted which is a big item and also the paper does not bleed through.  Why not?  And cheap!

 

Going to order some.  Thanks!  But still looking 🙂

[Bo Bo Olson]

5 minutes ago, PhiloPlume said:

Going to order some.

Good.....Glad I could be of help. I didn't notice any dots on my spiral book.

[A Smug Dill]

6 hours ago, PhiloPlume said:

I am looking for fountain pen ink friendly notebooks that are spiral …‹snip›… First choice though would be blank pages.

 

What's so difficult about that to find? Maruman Mnemosyne N181A and N183A. They tick all three of those boxes at once.

 

Price, local availability, and whether you as the paying customer and user enjoy the product or not would be secondary considerations to the technical fit; I'll have to assume that even self-styled “too picky” folks always go in expecting to have to compromise on some aspects.

[PhiloPlume]

2 hours ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

I'm glad I could help.

 

On those three papers, inks shade.

 

German postal price, from Germany to US, is 1/2 to 1/3 cheaper than from the US to here. So it might be worthwhile to order some ...do check Goulet(sp) he does have European good papers.

 

Oxford Optic 90g is used in the Red&Black notebook.

 

Which one should I look at Bo Bo at Goulet Pens (dangerous! :-)) or wherever?

[mke]

4 hours ago, PhiloPlume said:

Campus

Not every Campus Paper is good (see link below). I find that Maruman paper is good.

Instead of spiral, consider loose-leaf.

 

 

[PhiloPlume]

34 minutes ago, mke said:

Not every Campus Paper is good (see link below). I find that Maruman paper is good.

Instead of spiral, consider loose-leaf.

 

 

Thanks!  I found this on Amazon and am going to try the notebook: Maruman MNEMOSYNE Notebook 5.83 x 8.27 Inches (Horizontal A5), Unruled, 70 Sheets

 

And I will try some loose leaf too

[mke]

22 minutes ago, PhiloPlume said:

And I will try some loose leaf too

My favorites are:

 

[davisgt]

I tend to use the Rhodia pads that are bound at the top. I don't like hitting the spiral every time I finish a line. Annoying.  

[Lithium466]

10 hours ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

Bonus driven, ball point boss. I doubt if he kept the coating as good as it was....that effects his bonus.

Obviously, some bank stockholders got to buy a nickle cigar from that improvement.

 

Do they still make the 90g paper?

I don't know about the 90gsm. I think what we knew as "Optik" is gone, and Optik+ so far is 80gsm (they removed the paper weight indication on the notebooks I bought...), but it's possible they are making 90gsm version of Optik+, like they also produce "non-Optik" paper in 80gsm (and possibly still 70gsm)...and maybe other products, I didn't go look for a catalogue.

 

Back to Optik+, my main gripe is that they made the ruling darker, and added the Scribzee marks at the corners (for the writing recognition thingy app). If you're buying unruled, that's a moot point.

Coating wise, Optik+ is still good paper, just different. It's like when Tomoe River paper went to Sanzen...still good paper, just different, and the aficionados of the original version were disappointed.

In my limited testing with Optik+, I think it's only superior to Optik in terms of ghosting (which really wasn't a problem with Optik!).

 

(I do have to say, deep down I still prefer the 90gsm they were making before they came out with Optik...like what, 20/25 years ago?)