Best Pen and Notebook Recommendations

[Doc4]

I would also like a nice leather made cover to go along with it.

Check out the selection:

Leather Notebook Covers, Handmade by Popov Leather

The right notebook is like a good friend: reliable, helpful, and always there when you need it. Our covers elevate your favorite notebook to have all those qualities and more. Keep everything you need close to your notebook and close to your heart.

www.popovleather.com

As for a cover, something that will Show age as it is used.

The English Tan leather would be the best for developing and showing age/patina.

 

[r0ckrat]

Rediscovered a spiral-bound notebook I bought long ago, and have been trying it out with a few pens/inks. It's working grand, very smooth paper, crisp lines, excellent shading, very little ghosting. It's a Staples item, brown hard-board covers, dual-pocket flap at the front, and 6 x 9.5". It's 80% sugarcane waste.

https://www.staples.com/Sustainable-Earth-by-Staples-Wirebound-1-Subject-Notebook-9-1-2-x-6-Each-16769/product_749565

 

[nemo]

Rediscovered a spiral-bound notebook I bought long ago, and have been trying it out with a few pens/inks. It's working grand, very smooth paper, crisp lines, excellent shading, very little ghosting. It's a Staples item, brown hard-board covers, dual-pocket flap at the front, and 6 x 9.5". It's 80% sugarcane waste.

https://www.staples.com/Sustainable-Earth-by-Staples-Wirebound-1-Subject-Notebook-9-1-2-x-6-Each-16769/product_749565

Yes, bagasse paper is extremely fountain pen friendly, highly recommended.

 

[MHBru]

Id start with a notebook and start writing with a different pen until you find whst you like. It may be a fountain pen, ball point, roller ball, or whatever you decide is best, .as.for the notebook i recommemd an a5 rhodia web book.

 

[Heckle]

For just taking quick notes, I normally carry around a small 2 X 3 notebook (A8 size). For taking more detailed notes at my desk, I keep a notebook that is around 5X8 (A5) and for quick notes and drawing to rough out ideas, a regular notepad. Someone earlier in the thread suggested a shirtpocket size that was 3 X 6 (about the size of a US Dollar which is just over 2.5 X 6).

I am used to making rough sizes from my military days and when I used to do length estimates for data wiring. Thumb from tip to first knuckle is about 1 inch. Index and middle finger are about 1 inch across. A quarter is also about 1 inch. Four main fingers are about 2 inches. Add in the thumb and you get 3 inches. Hand from tip of middle finger to bottom of palm is about 6 inches as is a dollar bill lengthwise. Regular floor tiles are 12" X 12". Rectangular ceiling tiles are 2' X 4'. Cinder Blocks are 16" X 8". Regular bricks are 8" X 2 1/4". All sizes are estimated as US. And that ends my knowledge tidbits.

 

[maggiekim]

Pens: I love fountain pens and have a couple of really nice Lamy ones that I never use. These days (with computers, smartphones & tablets) most of my writing is brief notes, sentence or two or adding an item to a list or temporarily noting a few numbers/arithmetic- something fountain pens are rather unsuited to.

Notebooks: Most of my notes are temporary so I keep a pile of A5 used envelopes and make my notes/lists on those. But where I do want a notebook I use the Rhodia ones (probably more familiar to those living in France but available in the UK. Like this: Open Book Front Cover Book Book Clipart - https://clipartkind.com/clipart/open-book-front-cover-book-book-clipart-177184/

 

[brianw]

I use these from Franklin Christoph. They work really well. you can also get a leather cover for them.

Ditto... FC paper is the best

 

[Marco63]

I on the other hand use fountain pens and have used A4 printer paper cut in half, so to have two A5 sheets. A bit tedious to cut the sheets in half and they do not have any sort of support. I then found UK brand called Ryman, well they are a stationary store mainly, and their Ryman Superior Refill Pad, wide ruled with margin. The sheets are 75 gsm which is slightly less than printer paper. These sheets also have two punched filing holes which can help store rhe sheets away once you have finished the pad. I bought three Rhodia A5 notebooks but haven't got down to using them extensively so can't say all the wonders other swear by.