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Paper/Notebooks/Pads What are you all using?

It is a pity that Moleskin and Leuchturn (excuse the spelling, (I haven't checked it) they are well made and available, just not pen friendly.

I am sorry to say that I didn't rate Tomoe River either, mainly because my desk has a leather top and TR paper had all the resistance of wet bread.

In line with others I like Rhodia, some of you will be aware of William Hannah, but his notebook prices are sky high and the working model has a couple of significant flaws for me.

What do you do with your completed notebook? Around 2000 there was a fashion for burying a millennium capsule, as I did. Trouble was I forgot where I buried it and dug it two years ago, it was full of junk and an A Drive disc that I couldn't use! It would be tempting to nail a completed notebook in the rafters of your house to be found, hopefully, in the year 2525 when someone will have the pleasure of reading your current thoughts.
 
I’ve recently switched over to Franklin Christoph paper and it is of excellent quality. I’d dare say it rivals all the big names and surpasses more than a few (my opinion, of course).
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
What do you do with your completed notebook?

Destroy/dispose of it. They are not intended for sharing. Not that there's anything sensitive in them, but a hand written book is pretty much the last bastion of privacy in today's world, and there is no dignity without privacy. That's why I care little about water resistance of my inks.
 
Destroy/dispose of it. They are not intended for sharing. Not that there's anything sensitive in them, but a hand written book is pretty much the last bastion of privacy in today's world, and there is no dignity without privacy. That's why I care little about water resistance of my inks.
I hand write (in a Field Notes with Popov case) all my Secret Recipes and Smoker methods that I have tweaked over the years. When I use them in the kitchen or BBQ, they often get water and stains, so I enjoy having them be somewhat water resistant.

I tested a few Noodler's Bulletproof for that purpose and they held up. My old Field Notes with ballpoint, many of the ingredients and measurements are washed away.

Being fairly new to re-discovering FP's and using a Notebook to practice my handwriting, no completed notebooks exist for me yet. But when I do complete one, I don't think it's anything I'll want to share, keep or pass down to anyone. That's what my recipe book is for.
 
Try a drier ink, like Diamine Registrars ink for example.

+1. Most modern iron galls work fine in Moleskin. I use DRI, Akkermann #10, Hero 232, KWZ IG Blue #3 and #5, and can even get away with their IG Turquoise (which is moving towards the wet end of the scale).

It obviously helps if you really have a thing for blue-black inks :p
 
I have tried Pelikan inks which are known for being dry but I still had bleed through to the back of the page. The worst ink was Noodlers Monkeyhanger ink which bled though the back of the paper and onto the following page and to the back of that page.

Tbh I have no problems with other notebook brands.
 

Chandu

I Waxed The Badger.
+1. Most modern iron galls work fine in Moleskin. I use DRI, Akkermann #10, Hero 232, KWZ IG Blue #3 and #5, and can even get away with their IG Turquoise (which is moving towards the wet end of the scale).

It obviously helps if you really have a thing for blue-black inks :p
I just grabbed a Waterman loaded with waterman Ink, no problem on Moleskine at all. Fine point but fairly wet ink compared to my Lamy which is loaded with the registrars Ink, also in Fine point.

My main thing with inks is I strongly prefer ones that are permanent so I'm perfectly happy with iron gall ink. I think the risk is overblown for the ig inks made for fountain pens. Yes you can source some that are meant for dip pens that probably shouldn't be stored in a fountain pen, but I've had my Lamy about six months and am on it's second fill of the ig and see no issues.
 
I think the risk is overblown for the ig inks made for fountain pens.

Definitely. My L2K was inked with Registrars when we went in to the first lockdown in 2020. It sat in my office drawer for nearly four months before I was able to retrieve it. Popped off the cap and it just started writing. No hard starts. No damage to the nib. Exactly what you would expect of a well made ink.

I've been using IG inks since the 1980s (Montblancs great, but discontinued IG Midnight Blue) and have never experienced a problem with them. They are, for me, the best inks on the market: attractive to use with killer shading, they don't smear, they work on newsprint (I love crosswords), and they are easy to maintain--as long as your pen seals, which it should.
 
Ha! found an old Darth Vader notebook too. I think that one came from Walmart. Oh man I really REALLY need to clean this desk out. some great hidden treasures
 
I like the A5 Lenome. The price seems to vary each time I buy it; it currently runs $16 on Amazon. I'm left-handed, I like the pen loop attached to the binder where I can grab it easily. The paper is 120 gsm and handles gel pens nicely, I'm not sure about fountain pens.
 
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Claudel Xerxes

Staff member
Apica notebooks have been my favorite for a number of years. For correspondence, I would probably consider G. Lalo to be my preferred choice.
 

Rhody

I'm a Lumberjack.
Great thread and suggestions. I tried my hand at paper experiments and got tired of spent money on premium paper

 

Rhody

I'm a Lumberjack.
I forgot to tip my cap / mention staples (yes staples) true red heavy weight legal pads. They are much improved. Very nice quality thick paper and a heavy backing. Also somewhat affordable in a multi pack.
 
Letter writing: Clairfontaine Triomphe.

Journaling: Figurare notebook (A5)

Notes/Memos: Traveler's Notebook system (Passport/pocket-size)

Then there are the notepads I try to keep around the house (only to get lost or swiped): Rhodia, Field Notes, Staples Bagasse.

Pens: Pilot Custom 823 (2), Pilot Vanishing Point, Pilot Kakuno. (Yes, quite the price-spread here, and I love them all.)
 
I just grabbed a Waterman loaded with waterman Ink, no problem on Moleskine at all. Fine point but fairly wet ink compared to my Lamy which is loaded with the registrars Ink, also in Fine point.

My main thing with inks is I strongly prefer ones that are permanent so I'm perfectly happy with iron gall ink. I think the risk is overblown for the ig inks made for fountain pens. Yes you can source some that are meant for dip pens that probably shouldn't be stored in a fountain pen, but I've had my Lamy about six months and am on it's second fill of the ig and see no issues.
I think one of the factors in ink bleed-through other than the paper is the nib size. For me a fine or extra-fine nib rarely bleed, but my medium-nibbed pens do, except when using high-end papers like Rhodia and Clairefontaine.
 
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