Homage to the composition notebook

[Sailor Kenshin]

Maybe someone here could send you a couple.

 

It's true that the paper quality varies a lot, even within brands, but I've never had a brand where I could (or wanted to) write on both sides of the paper. That's fine, though--you still get a lot of sheets to work with.

[Poetman]

Hi !

 

I just discovered this forum looking for information about marble composition books. I live in France, and I have never seen one of these in any french shop. I m writing a lot, and for some reason I always dreamed of writing on one of these.

 

Since I cant buy them here, I would like to buy some on an online store that ships oversea.

 

I need some with good quality paper, because I need them to be fountain pen friendly (dont want to see the ink spread, or see the ink appear in the back of the paper). The problem is from there I obviously cant touch the paper and feel the quality.

 

Maybe you guys can help me to find what I m looking for since you got some serious experience

What is the best composition books maker ? I heard about Mead but according to what you just say in this thread, paper quality can be disappointing...

 

It would really be awesome if you could give me some advice on what would be my best bet !

 

 

 

Thank you (and please forgive my bad english )

 

 

I eagerly recommend the company Roaring Spring. I use their quad ruled notebooks, and everyone I've ever used takes to my fountain pens--and rollers--like a dream! Could luck finding them. I'm trying to find them now and am having some trouble. You might have to contact the company directly.

Melf

 

[Zoe]

If you have a paypal account I would be willing to send them to you--the Brasilian paper is available at my local Walmart. I bought a few to try, and the paper is nearly as smooth and fountain pen friendly as my Clairefontaine pads (which I bought in your world).

 

The last time I was there they were under one US dollar.

 

Z

 

Maybe someone here could send you a couple.

 

It's true that the paper quality varies a lot, even within brands, but I've never had a brand where I could (or wanted to) write on both sides of the paper. That's fine, though--you still get a lot of sheets to work with.

 

[Poetman]

Hi !

 

I just discovered this forum looking for information about marble composition books. I live in France, and I have never seen one of these in any french shop. I m writing a lot, and for some reason I always dreamed of writing on one of these.

 

Since I cant buy them here, I would like to buy some on an online store that ships oversea.

 

I need some with good quality paper, because I need them to be fountain pen friendly (dont want to see the ink spread, or see the ink appear in the back of the paper). The problem is from there I obviously cant touch the paper and feel the quality.

 

Maybe you guys can help me to find what I m looking for since you got some serious experience

What is the best composition books maker ? I heard about Mead but according to what you just say in this thread, paper quality can be disappointing...

 

It would really be awesome if you could give me some advice on what would be my best bet !

 

 

 

Thank you (and please forgive my bad english )

 

 

Melf

 

 

 

I eagerly recommend the company Roaring Spring. I use their quad ruled notebooks, and everyone I've ever used takes to my fountain pens--and rollers--like a dream! I'm trying to find them now and am having some trouble. You might have to contact the company directly.

 

http://www.rspaperproducts.com/

 

[Steveareno]

This online store carries several Roaring Spring composition book models. Here's the page for the standard 100-sheet version in wide rule:

 

http://www.cleansweepsupply.com/pages/item-roa77230.html

 

I don't see any blank or quad ruled ones, though they seem to have some in college rule (though that version seems to have only 60 sheets).

 

In looking over the company history and description of its facility on the web site, one gets the impression that they still manufacture a good amount of their products in the U. S. Pretty cool, if so. I may have to order one of these comp books and give it a try.

Edited September 8, 2008 by Steveareno

[Russ]

I noted comments about the uneven quality of paper in cheap composition notebooks, as well as the rarity of college-ruled and blank paper, and took another approach. I bought an Exacompta journal.

 

Melf, note that the back cover indicates its origin in Paris. You might be able to find them there.

 

The item is listed as follows: Exacompta Basics sketch book. 5x8, 128 pp (#9930), unlined. $12. Available from www.wetpaintart.com/thumbnail.asp?cid=569.

 

The paper is creamy, thick, and has a little rough (laid?) texture on the back side. No feathering, no show-through. The best pen for use on this paper is my Pelikan M400 with .6 mm italic nib; the shading really works well with this paper.

 

I found the paper to be a little heavier than I really need for a journal, but the absence of trouble with FP ink and its durability are a plus.

 

The only difficulty is that I'm writing 60 pages per month. It's not going to last long at this rate.....

 

 

[Poetman]

Well, I found out that Roaring Spring composition notebooks are alive and well! I picked some up at my local college bookstore, and they are a dream. The cover is thick, not flimsy like the office depot brand, the pages do not show much bleed through, and the binding is very durable. These notebooks are a dream, and with their affordable price, I use one for everything. I have one notebook for each project. I must admit the price and binding are the best selling quality. At 1.50 a notebook, they're inexpensive to purchase a few of them, and with the sewn cover, I know they will last a long time. I hate spiral notebooks, well in part because I hate that modern metal look, but the spiral always gets tangled everywhere and bends, and the pages can rip off so easily. I hate the glued notebooks even more because they fall apart. But there's nothing like a durable composition notebook! May they (especially Roaring Springs) last forever! The thicker cover and thicker paper make Roaring Spring my favorite.

[Poetman]

Which brands do you all find most fountain pen friendly?

 

I fin that the quad ruled or blank pages are more friendly then the college or wide ruled.

[mwpannell]

In the news this weekend is Jack Kilby's quad notebook from 1968 as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first integrated circuit, the breakthrough that "set the stage for the Internet and the Digital Age" -- thus making the notebook slightly more obsolete. But we still love them right? (As do thousands of engineers, techies, lab rats, field reporters, etc. all across the world!) Wonder how much he (or Texas Instruments) paid for it!

 

Michael

 

[AlrightAlready]

For my money the Roaring Springs can't be beat, especially the 5x5 gird. It's the perfect size (9 3/4 x 7 1/2) and with the sewn binding, it lays perfectly flat when opened.

[Laeyra]

I love writing in my Roaring Springs quad ruled book under a black light with Noodler's Blue Ghost. The paper itself looks like purple onion-skin and the ink contrasts nicely with a bright neon blue.

[Poetman]

I love writing in my Roaring Springs quad ruled book under a black light with Noodler's Blue Ghost. The paper itself looks like purple onion-skin and the ink contrasts nicely with a bright neon blue.

 

Those of you who also love Roaring Spring, where do you get you notebooks from. I had to place an order with my local university. (I hope they come in.) I, too, love how the pages lay flat.

[Sailor Kenshin]

In the news this weekend is Jack Kilby's quad notebook from 1968 as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first integrated circuit, the breakthrough that "set the stage for the Internet and the Digital Age" -- thus making the notebook slightly more obsolete. But we still love them right? (As do thousands of engineers, techies, lab rats, field reporters, etc. all across the world!) Wonder how much he (or Texas Instruments) paid for it!

 

Michael

 

 

Teh kewlnis!

 

[Poetman]

I went to my local Staples today, hoping to get a quad. ruled comp. book while I await my Roaring Spring arrival. Well, I was pleasantly surprused by the stiff cover, although I didn't write inside, the paper seemed okay. Staples is in MA, but these notebooks were outsourced to Tawain! The covers were awful though: they were bright lime green with white stripes. Since when did they start getting creative with compostion notebooks? Give me the old fashioned marble covers: green and black! I hope this lime with stripes was just a test run!

[Sailor Kenshin]

I think I picked up a couple of those; they had quad and regular ruled. A test of the paper pleased me somewhat.

 

I also got something with a black cover that had slant-ruled lines on the lower half of the page. The cover might have said basic composition. It looked so odd I couldn't resist.

[AlrightAlready]

I love writing in my Roaring Springs quad ruled book under a black light with Noodler's Blue Ghost. The paper itself looks like purple onion-skin and the ink contrasts nicely with a bright neon blue.

 

Those of you who also love Roaring Spring, where do you get you notebooks from. I had to place an order with my local university. (I hope they come in.) I, too, love how the pages lay flat.

 

 

I pick mine up at the local university bookstore (which is convenient because I am a student). This time of year there always seems to be plenty in stock, which is good, because I've never seen them anywhere else.

[Poetman]

Considering the Jack Kilby photo, would anyone else like to share to photos on a compostion notebooks in use?

 

Here's some I enjoy:

 

From the movie proof:

 

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/70/17672833...f1bc9c0.jpg?v=0

 

From Robert Breeson's film, Pickpocket:

 

http://bp1.blogger.com/_iJP_wg6Tnag/RtDiB4.../Pickpocket.jpg

 

Both of these are really great films. Although, I think in Pickpocket there might be spiral on one of his notebooks--but at least he uses the quad paper I like.

 

[Poetman]

Well, with mixed emotions I write this. Finally, I received the Roaring Springs Unlined and graph lined composition notebooks. I took a medium Waterman Phileas to it with Noodlers black, and there no feathering and hardly any visible bleed through. BUT, then I was adjusting some notes with a Pilot Precise rollerball (v.5 & v.7) and the bleed through is quite noticeable. Have I found a rollerball that bleeds worse than a fountain pen? Or, is there better paper than what Roaring Spring makes that someone might suggest?

[CarolinaWriter]

A few weeks ago I bought a 3 subject Mead Composition Book at Walgreens. I don't have a FP to test it with, other than my disposable. It feels nice and smooth, no feathering that I can tell, but it is dark enough to be seen through the backside of the page. Perhaps other inks would not do this?

 

 

[Sailor Kenshin]

In my experience, if one ink shows through, so do they all.