There are hundreds of notebooks on the market and everyone has a preference on size and format but when people are just dipping their toe into the world of higher end stationery, there are really just a handful of products that get recommended over and over again. Partially, these are the products that are the most ubiquitous because they are available in the widest array of sizes and formats, solve a very specific problem or are the most exquisite.

1. Stalogy Stalogy has moved to the top of my list as my favorite notebook. First and foremost, it’s available in both A5 and B6 sizes which are my favorite notebook configurations as well as in blank and the palest grid lines I’ve ever seen so there are printed grids but only just barely. The paper, which seems Tomoe-esque, has great color fidelity and is similar weight making large 360+ page notebooks the same thickness as a standard 100+ page notebook. For a daily journal or planner, it is my gold standard. (starting at $11.50 on Jet Pens)
2. Midori MD (preferably MD Cotton but the regular and Light are excellent too, so technically this is 2, 3, and 4): Midori MD is probably my personal favorite everyday writing paper and it’s probably the least discussed in the pen community. There are three grades of MD paper and I think they are all awesome. There is MD (smoothest), MD Light (second favorite and a rival to Tomoe River IMHO) and (my personal favorite, it’s toothy) MD Cotton. Midori MD has minimal branding, comes with a plain cream cardstock cover, and available in lined, grid or blank. (starting at $6.75 on JetPens)
3. Nakabayashi Yu-Sari I promised that the Yu-Sari was going to move into my top ten favorite notebooks and it has. It is an all-around good performer with minimal show through and bleed through. Its a thicker paper than the Tomoe River and Stalogy papers for those who want to use both sides of the paper without show through and it is extremely reasonably priced. (starting at $14.40, available at Gentleman Stationer)

Honorable Mentions:

Paperblanks: These notebooks have exquisite covers and some styles are now available with 100gsm or 120gsm paper (review here). The best way to guarantee that you get a Paperblanks notebook with the superios paper is to order directly from their web site. (starting at about $16 via Paperblanks)

Kokuyo Perpanep: This line of simple, grey notebooks is available in three paper types (previously reviewed here): textured Zarazara paper (lightly toothy), Sarasara (balanced smoothness) and Tsurutsuru (super slick, smooth paper). Each paper style is available in either 4mm dot grid, steno style or 5mm graph. The only size available is A5. The paper variety offers something for just about every writers preference but the choice of line rulings and no blank option or other sizes drops the Perpanep line into honorable mention territory. ($14.25 on JetPens)

Loose paper and/or available in bound notebooks from various makers:

1. Tomoe River 68gsm
2. Sanzen Tomoe River 52gsm
3. Cosmo Air Light (discontinued)

All three of these papers are sold and rebound into notebooks by various companies and makers. The Sanzen Tomoe River is what is now available in the Hobonichi Techo planners. The 68gsm Tomoe River has some of the great color fidelity with slightly improved dry times over the 52gsm. Odyssey Notebooks uses the 68gsm Tomoe and Cosmo Air Light in their notebooks.

Cosmo Air Light can still be found from makers on Etsy but it will soon be a rare bird indeed. It’s powdery texture and unique color properties has made it a favorite at Desk HQ for some time.

Sketchbook, Drawing and Heavyweight Papers:

1. Stillman & Birn Epsilon Sketchbook: While many won’t agree that a sketchbook is a notebook, I couldn’t complete a list of my favorite/most recommended/best notebooks without including the Stillman & Birn Epsilon Sketchbook which I probably recommend at least once a week. If not the Alpha, then one of the Stillman & Birn sketchbooks. The hardest part for many in picking out a sketchbook and specifically picking out a Stillman & Birn sketchbook is working through their complex naming system.  The Epsilon is the toothier of the two 150gsm sketchbook options. Even I have goofed on occasion and purchased the Alpha by mistake as it is described as being medium grain and cold press. It’s not quite as toothy as the Epsilon which I’ve discovered I like better. YMMV. That said, overall, I have not been disappointed by the overall quality of any of the S&B sketchbooks I’ve used. For day-to-day sketching I do not need the heavier 270gsm paper in their other sketchbooks. (available from JetPens and your local art supply stores)
2. Col-o-ring: I know it appears self-serving to mention Col-o-ring here but when I look at the notebooks and paper products I use on a daily basis, the Col-o-ring, Col-o-dex  and Col-o-ring Oversize figure heavily into my rotation. I suppose I wouldn’t have made them if I wasn’t going to use them. While the Col-o-ring and Col-o-dex serve specific purposes of inventorying my ink collection, the Oversize is used for everything from comparing various inks to drawing and doodling to just writing notes and testing pens. When we originally made the Oversize, I wasn’t sure how much I would actually use it but it turns out it gets used as much or more than a lot of other notebooks in the house. Partially, it gets used because I’m so familiar with the paper so I know how pens and ink are going to behave but also because its a really convenient size. (available in our shop or through your favorite online retailer)

Previously in the Top 10:

1. Rhodia ($2-$25.95 on JetPens)
2. Leuchtturm1917 ($12.95-$27.95 on JetPens)
3. Baron Fig Confidant (Available directly from Baron Fig or from your favorite online retailer)
4. Field Notes (Subscriptions via Field Notes but past limited editions can be found at Wonder Fair)
5. Traveler’s Notebook : Traveler’s Notebook was the first leather cover notebook option that allowed for a variety of smaller, cahier-style, staple-bound notebooks to be added. As such, TNs can have different paper depending on where or what refill notebook is added into the cover. The overall experience of the TN will be entirely based on which inserts you choose so trying different ones will be key to whether the TN is the best notebook for you.  (starter kits $41-46.50 on JetPens)
6. Musubi : Musubi is more about the gorgeous binding and materials used to create the notebook. As Musubi has begun introducing different paper options, the specific papers will influence where the notebooks fall in my list. I love how beautiful and unique the notebooks are but the paper stock can make or break my overall experience. (purchase directly from musu.bi)

From our previous Top Ten list, the Rhodia and Luechtturm 1917 both represent some of the most accessible decent notebooks available. Over time, I’ve found the slick surface of the Rhodia and the oft-very-yellow paper color to be off-putting. If you can get one of their white papers (often called “Ice”), the experience is good, especially if you prefer top-bound pads. The Leuchtturm 1917 is the option for someone who is liess likely to reach for a fountain pen as their first-choice writing tool. The paper is better than Moelskine but the quality is not as good as it may have been in the past and this inconsistency is why its been bumped off the list. Both the Baron Fig and Field Notes are popular but for superior fountain pen experience, there are other, better options.

DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this post were provided free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

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This past Friday while Ana was at the St. Louis Pen Show, I drove up to check it out! The store is super cute, set in midtown Kansas City. It has a fun, curated collection of greeting cards, notebooks and notecards, journals, stickers, mugs, wrapping paper and other giftables. To be clear, this isn’t a pen store. They did have a fun selection of Gelly Roll pens and a few roller balls and ball points, but it’s primarily about the paper. It’s whimsical, and the owner definitely has a sense of humor.

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I was restrained but found a few cute cards on the long wall. My selections were from Black and White and Red All Over and A Zillion Dollars. Both cards are printed nicely, and use recycled content for both the cards and envelopes.

I saw many of the familiar notebooks (Maruman, Kleid, Leuchtturm, and more), plus some from companies I hadn’t heard from. I did pick up one notebook – I’ll share my thoughts on it next week!

Overall it’s a cute shop, and if you’re in the Kansas City area, you won’t be disappointed if you stop by! And if you’re looking for a fun new shop to support, you can also shop online!

P.S. If you stop by, make sure you give shop dog Lucy lots of pets!

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There are a variety of interior paper options (Point, Graph, 7mm Lined and 6mm Lined) and the notebooks can be found around the internet in a variety of sizes. Yoseka Stationery stocks the Logical Prime notebooks in A5 size ($6 each).

The more unusual B5 size (6.9″ x 9.8″ or 176 x 250mm) was picked up from a vendor at a pen show. Which show? Maybe the California Pen Show. Which vendor? Taccia but they don’t list these notebooks on their web site.

According to the Nakabayashi Global web site, the Logical Prime notebooks are only available in A5 and B5 sizes though in the US market, you are more likely to find an A5 notebook than the larger B5.

All the internal rulings are in a fine dark green line. At the top or each page is a space for writing a title or description and date.

What’s really interesting about these notebooks is the unusual ruling options (I didn’t get one of the standard grid notebooks because after seeing the Point and Lined, the graph was just ho-hum). The Ruled options, both 6mm and 7mm actually feature two additional light dotted lines between each solid rule creating guides for much smaller increments. There are also dotted vertical lines at the same interval as the ruling so the paper can be used as graph if you want or need it to do so. The multiple horizontal lines would be great if you want to practice your handwriting or calligraphy.

At the top and bottom of the page are dots and tick marks indicating the center of the page, 1/3, 1/4 and so on. If you were wanting to grid something out on a page, these marks will help you maintain consistency from page to page. If you were to use these notebooks for bullet journaling, this would help to divide the page for week-on-two-pages, making a monthly overview calendar, etc.

The paper is a soft cream ivory color, not bright white.

There is not a huge difference, obviously, between the 6mm and 7mm lined paper but I know folks have clear preferences. When I was testing the paper, I thought I preferred the 7mm lined because I had a little more space but I was really jumping between the margins in a weird way so I think the 6mm is a bit better for my tiny handwriting.

Then there was the Point style which has dots spaced really far apart. On the back cover it says “12x15pt” which I think is 12mm dot grid (approx 9/16″) or thereabouts. That’s some pretty big grid!

I feel like a grid of this scale is a good compromise for someone who might want blank but needs a little guidance.

Did I mention that this paper shows sheen? Probably should have mentioned that sooner. So, good quality paper, unusual ruling options, and its affordable? You should probably stock up now. I don’t think you’ll regret it.

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While at the California Pen Show, I was able to score a few samples from the Traveler’s/Plotter table. Not that I needed any Traveler’s Notebook samples. I’ve been a loyal fan of Traveler’s for …. hmmmm… over a decade now! But it was a delight to revisit some of the classic refills. Because Traveler’s is part of the Midori product family, much of the paper included in the refills is Midori but I often forget that. This particular sample, a “Refill for a Short Trip” in Passport Size. This insert only include 32 pages compared to the regular Passport inserts that feature 64 pages but features the same high quality Midori MD paper in the cream color.

The Midori MD Cream paper has a slight tooth to it making it good for all around use and it stands up to pretty much any pen you can throw at it.  I had no issues with feathering, even with my Pilot Custom 912 with the FA nib.

It’s a thinner paper so there is some show through but no bleed through at all. I have a soft spot for the Midori MD Cotton and Midori MD Light, so much so that I had forgotten how good the standard Midori MD paper was. Honestly, I don’t think there’s much more I can say about Midori MD paper that hasn’t been said already but its nice to take another look at the classics. They are classics for a reason. Thanks for the sample, Traveler’s Company, and for reminding me that I love this paper!

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Traveler’s Company USA for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

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The sketchbook came in a matte, white box with an iridescent foil feather on the box. Inside, the sketchbook was wrapped in a waxed paper and included a bookmark and some stickers. This is a very deluxe package for a sketchbook that sells for less than $20.

The sketchbook includes 160 bright white pages between two matte PU covers with an iridescent foil feather quill on the cover. The sketchbook includes lots of the popular attribute like three ribbon bookmarks, a gusseted pocket in the back cover for loose ephemera and a vertical elastic to keep the book closed.

The paper is 180gsm “Ultra Bamboo Paper” — THIS is the main reason I ordered it in the first place. Bamboo is the key ingredient in Tomoe River Paper but its very thin. So the idea of THICK bamboo paper was very appealing.

Just for reference, the Col-o-ring Ink Testing Book is only 160gsm paper so the paper in the Bamboo Sketchbook really is THICK. If you like mixed media, craft, collage and using a wide array of creative materials, this is a great sketchbook option.

I started my pen testing with brush pens, markers, colored pencils and other art supplies. I drizzled fountain pen ink and even tried some watercolors. The paper is very smooth and reminds me of Bristol Board from art school in terms of weight and smoothness, but its all bound into a handy A5 notebook.

When I flipped the pages over to see if there was any show through or bleed through.

The only time there were issues with bleed through was with the alcohol-based Copic markers and a couple places with drizzled fountain pen ink on the page.

All fountain pens in writing tests performed beautifully. The ink did not spread at all in the tests —  so a fine nib stays fine and so forth. Some papers can causes ink to spread and appear wider but this 180gsm bamboo paper kept all nibs true to size.

The fountain pen inks I tried included several sheening inks and all the sheen showed beautifully.

The only downside I discovered with this notebook is that the matte covers pick up dust and fingerprints very easily.

This is probably one of the best value sketchbooks currently on the market. If you are looking for a sketchbook or notebook that can handle a wide range of writing tools and materials, then this will be a book you’ll love.

Get creative and play with this great little value-priced bamboo sketchbook!

DISCLAIMER: The item in this review include affiliate links. The Well-Appointed Desk is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Please see the About page for more details.

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I travel to plenty of pen shows during the year and will be making a guest appearance at the Dromgoole’s store next weekend to talk about ink as well. This frequency has helped me to hone my travel kit down to what I consider the bare minimum. My kit has become modular so I can quickly grab the mix of items I will need at any gathering.

First is paper. I won’t show up to any pen gathering without great paper and typically several kinds. I use the Lochby Notebook holder (I purchased this from Gentleman Stationer) because I can fit 1, 2, or even 3 notebooks into it and still cinch it closed. Currently I have a Tomoe River notebook (from Musubi), a Cosmo Air Light notebook (also from Musubi), and a Midori MD Light notebook (I think I purchased it from Vanness).

Also, I love stickers.

My next piece is an ink swatching brick. Nock made these pouches years ago to hold business card-sized items and a pen, but it’s also perfect to fit Col-O-Ring cards, a dip pen (made from a Traveler’s ballpoint pen body and a dip nib), and a travel paintbrush. In locations where I won’t have easy access to water (to rinse the paintbrush), I substitute several q-tips for the brush.

These Nock pouches are no longer produced but I’ve found great replacements – Rickshaw Bags makes a great zippered pouch and a Pac-Man wallet that fit the same items perfectly.

When I can’t get ahold of a pouch for this purpose, I’ve substituted a full Col-o-Ring and a rubber band that can hold a dip pen and q-tips as well. I do believe this is the most minimal ink swatch kit possible.

The next piece in my modular design is another Lochby piece – the Venture pouch. This one I also purchased from Gentleman Stationer. I like the two pouches on this piece – on the side that is two pouches, I throw in my larger swatching tools – a second paint brush, a capped glass dip pen, and a brass nib dip pen. Sometimes a folded pen will also find a place here. I also keep a few un-inked pens like TWSBIs or Preppys (the ones below are inked from my last venture) and a few pens that can write on most surfaces – you would be surprised how often these come in handy.

The other side of the same pouch opens up to elastic loops. Here I keep tools that I currently find handy.

In the photo below, the top group is a glue pen and a retractable sharp blade. On the right are two versions of water brush pens – sometimes I will fill the larger one with ink rather than water. The group on the left consists of a highlighter/felt pen combo, a white gel pen, and a mechanical pencil. On the bottom of the photo are a Pilot Preppy pen and a refillable felt tip pen, both filled with a waterproof black ink. All of these tools are for playing with ink and paper.

The final module of my kit is the clean and repair portion. I’ll still bring this to most get-togethers, but it doesn’t come out as often. This kit lives in a plastic-y pouch so I can put wet items in on the way out of a meet up but I can also safely store tools that are every pokey.

This kit contains (clock-wise from the top left) Mylar paper for nib smoothing, an old rag that I cut from a baby swaddling blanket, a snot sucker tool for cleaning pens, a pokey dental pick (I got this one from my dentist when it was too old to be resharpened and they were going to throw it out), a nib flossing thing, section pliers, wire cutter (blue handle), a piece of rubber tube that helps grip, a sunshine cloth for polishing, an ink syringe, a retractable Sharpie (probably one of the most used items in this kit), and a few empty ink sample vials.

This kit is remarkable for the variety of problems it can solve in the field – at pen shows, meet-ups, traveling, and even just on hand near my desk.

I always stuff things together as much as I can!

So that is my entire travel kit. This doesn’t include pens themselves – that is a whole different post for sometime in the future. Various portions of this kit are always with me whenever I travel. Each has an easy way to carry by a handle or loop, and they stack together well. I’ve refined these over then years until I am fairly certain I will be prepared for 99% of what I will encounter at pen-related gatherings. Do you have a kit you like to take?

DISCLAIMER: The items in this post were purchased by me. For more information, see our About page.

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For years, I tried every pocket-sized notebook on the market, hoping to find one with paper that I could use for both writing and sketching with fountain pens, water-soluble colored pencils, brush pens and maybe even watercolors. Frustrated, I even made my own for a while. Eventually, instead of continually being annoyed that notebooks intended for use with pencil or ballpoint couldn’t meet my demands, I asked myself: Why not just sketch with simple media that these notebooks were made for? I changed my attitude instead of my notebook. Most Field Notes Brand notebooks have met my needs adequately, if not ideally, and I’ve been adequately happy. I stopped shopping around.

Fast-forward several years, when someone who knew I enjoyed using red Field Notes Sweet Tooth edition notebooks (long out of production) contacted me: Did I know about Uglybooks? 

Made in New York, Uglybooks are simple, staple-bound, pocket-size notebooks like so many others on the market – with two significant differences: They contain 48 pages of unruled, 80-pound paper, and the paper inside is colored. I had never seen a pocket notebook with 80-pound paper of any color! Excited about both features, I ordered cautiously (I’ve been disappointed too many times by other claims of high-quality paper).

The product description and main branding appear only on the plastic wrapper. When removed, the wrapper reveals covers that are entirely blank – an ideal blank slate for stickering or drawing on. The only branding that remains is a logo on the back cover. 

The colored covers contrast well with their interior papers. While design is minimal, it’s clear that someone is having fun pairing paper colors and naming themes with appropriate titles.

The “No. 1 Tall” size I bought is 4-by-5 ¾ inches, which is just a smidge larger than the classic pocket size of 3 ½-by-5 ½ inches. Uglybooks are also available in a “No. 2 Wide” 8-by-5 ¾ landscape format. Although the classic pocket size is fine for thumbnails, I’ve always felt a little cramped otherwise. Uglybooks are an ideal size – a bit more real estate for sketching, yet small enough to fit in a bag pocket or my smallest fitness-walking bag.

At three books for $16, the pocket-size Uglybooks are priced competitively for a slightly larger size and heavier paper. The larger, landscape-format books are three for $30. (It’s worth noting here that when I had a minor shipping issue, customer service took care of me immediately. I don’t take good customer service for granted anymore – it’s worth a lot to me.)

All books feature hefty paper inside and out: 80-pound interior paper and 111-pound cover stock. Gold staples are a nice touch. “Because the paper in Uglybooks are so colorful and durable, we encourage you to try out whatever type of mark-making utensil you have!” says Uglybooks. Challenge accepted! (The brown paper shown below is “Smores.”)

The paper surface is mildly toothy but has no visible pattern. Media tests yielded no surprises. The only materials that bled through were the Sharpie and juicy washes of watercolors. I wouldn’t recommend this paper for watercolor painting, but light, dry-ish washes are fine. 

Long before I made the test swatch pages, I took an “Atlantic” book (navy cover with mossy green interior; the actual interior color is less blue than it appears in my photos) out for field testing. The green is just the right midtone for use with a black brush pen and a white pencil or gel pen, my favorite combo for quick urban sketches and value studies. My juiciest brush pens and Sailor Naginata fude fountain pen, which usually bleed through typical notebook papers, were no match for this 80-pound Uglybook paper! No bleeding at all.

The “Cane” book (red cover with white interior paper) became my field test for water-soluble colored pencils. As expected, the paper took light waterbrush washing better than other notebooks I’ve tried – no buckling or bleeding. Although the sizing is probably not intended for watercolors, it was enough to keep my Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle colors true. The only treatment the paper couldn’t handle was a heavy water spritz, which caused the color to bleed through to the reverse side, and the paper buckled. 

I was impressed! In my next order, I didn’t hesitate to get all the colors I wanted, and it’s a good thing I didn’t. When I went back to the site a week or so later, all the color options had been changed – and the colors I had ordered previously were no longer available! Uglybooks are apparently limited editions, which means that if I really like one, I’d better hoard buy extras! (I’m guessing that white interior paper is always available.)

An interesting addition was the “Mystery” pack, which promised “cover and interior pages picked completely at random.” Who could resist that? Spoiler alert: Here’s what I got – that yellow looks very promising! I don’t know whether every Mystery pack purchase contains the same three colors, or distribution is truly random, but either way, it’s fun to get a surprise.

Just as I was working on this review, I learned that Uglybooks had recently acquired Word notebooks – an interesting development. I hope that doesn’t change Uglybooks’ current focus, which serves a unique niche. A great size, unruled, high-quality, 80-pound and colored paper – Uglybooks, where have you been all my life?

(These Uglybooks were purchased with my own funds.)

Tina Koyama is an urban sketcher in Seattle. Her blog is Fueled by Clouds & Coffee, and you can follow her on Instagram as Miatagrrl.

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The pocket-size notebook market is well-saturated with the stapled-paper basic. Finding a unique offering isn’t easy; in fact, only one comes easily to mind: Dapper Notes and Stationery. Handmade by Enon Avital, each fabric-covered, sewn notebook edition has a distinctive theme. Many past limited editions included cover designs in collaboration with other artists. Offered by subscription and individually (if you are fast and lucky enough), the small runs sell out quickly.

Dapper Notes’ current collaboration is with Stuart Bradley of Railway Station Press, publisher of non-fiction books. Their Kickstarter campaign, which ends June 16, brings together Avital’s Mikado notebooks and Bradley’s collection of reproductions of Hiroshige’s Last Woodblocks: 100 Famous Views of Edo, which includes 119 images ($30). Bradley’s 6-by-9-inch, perfect-bound book is in a vertical format with one full-color print per page. A spiral-bound Stamp Collectors Limited Edition album, which comes with six Hiroshige stamps, is also offered ($48). (Other books and postcards are also available at some reward levels. See the Kickstarter campaign for more details.)

The Mikado notebook edition includes two elegant cover designs of Hiroshige images, Flying Crane and Standing Crane ($15 each). The two cover images are based on woodblock number 102 of the Edo series, which shows two red-crowned cranes. According to the Kickstarter campaign information: “For the Japanese, the rare and beautiful red-crowned cranes are symbols of good luck and longevity.” 

The standard 3 ½-by-5 ½-inch size, the notebooks’ dimensions are the only thing about them that is standard. Produced in England, the 7.5-ounce cotton twill fabric is glued by hand to book cloth. The two Mikado books include four varieties of end sheets made of hand-stenciled washi paper in red or blue. (First image below provided by Bradley. It’s one of eight pages in the book showing Avital’s bookmaking process and materials.)

Flying Crane, the notebook shown in this review, has 48 pages of dot-grid ruled, 70-pound white paper. Standing Crane’s paper is grid ruled. The first page includes space for pertinent information. The last sheet includes a printed ruler, with information about the collaborators behind it.

The hand sewn book is stitched with heavy blue thread.

Interior paper of 70-pound weight is a nice treat in any pocket notebook. It has slightly more tooth than what’s typically found in Field Notes and other similar notebooks, so it takes well to both pencil and pen. 

For my media tests, I pulled out some of my juiciest pens just to see what it could handle. Only bits of my super-juicy Sailor Fude De Mannen nib with Platinum Carbon Black ink and the Zebra Optex highlighter came through to the reverse side. Even the Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle pencil did not come through where I washed it lightly. I will enjoy both writing and sketching in this book.

Although it doesn’t bother me, one thing that some may complain about is that the book doesn’t stay completely closed when laid on a desktop, probably due to its thickness in a single signature. I do have a small concern about cover durability. I’m sure the fabric is more durable than paper against moisture, but the edges are already fraying a bit. I carry my pocket notebooks in a bag pocket where they receive little wear, so it will probably be fine. But those who hip-pocket carry might want to use a cover with this one. (I would be interested in hearing from readers who use Dapper’s books about how they fare after pocket-carrying for a while.) 

Below are a couple more pages from Bradley’s book that show some of Avital’s bookmaking production steps. I was also given some lovely postcards that Bradley published featuring images from Hiroshige’s 53 Stations of the Tokaido Road woodblock prints.

If you have been wanting to try a unique, distinctive and handmade pocket notebook, Dapper Notebooks’ Mikado edition would be a good one to start with. The Kickstarter campaign ends June 16. Go!

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

Tina Koyama is an urban sketcher in Seattle. Her blog is Fueled by Clouds & Coffee, and you can follow her on Instagram as Miatagrrl.

The post Notebook Review: Dapper Notes/Railway Station Press Mikado Notebooks appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Then, the books come in three ruling options: dot grid, graph and steno style. The dot grid is a smaller-than-usual 4mm spacing, the graph/grid is a traditional 5mm and the Steno (lined paper with a rule down the center of the page) is a wider 6mm though not as wide as US and European “wide-ruled” papers.

All three notebook rulings are printed in a light grey but the 4mm dot grid is the least visible. If you are looking for a very subtle ruling, the 4mm dot grid is a good option, though narrower than most. If you need slightly more visible ruling, the graph/grid is much more visible as is the Steno.

Finally, there are actually three different paper types: Tsuru Tsuru (the smoothest option), Sara Sara (the in-betweeen) and Zara Zara (the toothiest option). Luckily, to save any additional confusion, the Perpanep series is currently only available in A5 so that is one factor you don’t have to consider at this point.

Each notebook in the line features a simple, grey cardstock cover with a cheesecloth binding  and comes wrapped in a lightweight cellophane cover to protect the book. Printed in white on the cellophane cover is the symbol associated with the paper texture. Each Perpanep notebook  features 120 pages.

When viewed from the edge, the Zara Zara (toothy paper) notebook is a bit thicker than the Sara Sara or Tsuru Tsuru.

Thanks to the overwrap binding, all three notebooks easily lay flat when open and the cardstock covers, while not heaavy will allow the covers to be folded back as well, especially if the cello overwrap is removed.

The Perpanep Tsuru Tsuru

The paper in all three books is a soft white. The Tsuru Tsuru is absolutely the smoothest of the three and reminded me of Rhodia paper though I think the Tsuru Tsuru paper is not as glassy as Rhodia. With Rhodia, I sometimes feel that my pens “get away from me” if the nib or ink is super silky. With the Tsuru Tsuru, I noticed very little resistance as I was writing but I didn’t feel like I was losing control of my tools either. The smoothness would be extremely appealing to anyone who prefers extra-extra fine nibs or fiber (felt) tipped pens as the paper has little friction.

There was little to no show-through or bleed-through with the Tsuru Tsuru paper.

When using broader nibs like a music nib, there was a little squeak or feeling of squeaking when I wrote (think of the squeaky clean feeling after washing your hair… except on paper).

Pencils were difficult on this paper as there was no surface texture for the graphite to grab onto.

I’d recommend the Tsuru Tsuru to anyone who prefers extremely fine tipped pens or felt tip style tools.

The Perpanep Sara Sara

Using the Goldilocks metaphor for this paper, the Perpanep Sara Sara would be the “just right”. The Sara Sara paper is still very smooth but has a bit more texture than the Tsuru Tsuru.

I noticed that the Sara Sara performed particularly well with ballpoint and rollerball (liquid ink) pens. The smooth with just a little texture allowed the roller balls to roll easily, particularly with the extra fine tips that sometimes get fibers trapped in the roller mechanism on toothier paper.

Fountain pens performed extremely well whether the nib was extra fine or extra wide. There was little evidence of bleed- or show-through.

I’d recommend the Sara Sara to just about everyone as the paper seems to accommodate most pens easily. However, if you frequently use roller-style pens like rollerballs or ballpoints (liquid or oil-based inks) then you will be particularly pleased with the Sara Sara.

The Perpnep Zara Zara

While noticeably toothier than the other two paper offerings, the Zara Zara is not nearly as textured as, say, a Col-o-ring card. It is pleasingly textured if you find your pens running away from you.

Again, bleed- and show-through were not an issue.

Because of the texture of the paper, gel pens performed best on this paper as the texture slowed the super-slick, gel ink down just a bit. Pencils also performed particularly well on this paper.

Fountain pens worked well but the toothier texture allowed the ink from wider nibs to settle into the paper a bit more than the other Perpanep papers. With my smaller handwriting, this meant that the counters on some of my letters filled in, more so than on the other papers.

I normally favor toothier stocks as they often help slow down super slick pens but thanks to the availability of the Sara Sara paper, the Zara Zara is best for people who use gel pens or pencils most often. I wish there was a blank paper option of the Zara Zara as I would use it for pencil sketching.

Conclusion:

When I initially saw the wide range of options with the Perpanep notebooks, I was hesitant. If I didn’t choose the right paper or the right ruling, the notebook might just sit. Luckily, all the the papers are good with most everything I threw at them but there was definitely a preference of paper-to-tools with each model of the Kokuyo Perpanep line. While I think you’ll appreciate any of these notebooks, being aable to choose your combination of paper and ruling means it will be a pretty likely you’ll get a notebook you love.

The Tsuru Tsusu is best for extra fine nibs and felt tip pens but not recommended for heavy users of pencils. The Sara Sara is most compatible with a wide range of tools. If you are looking for a notebook that will work with whatever pen or pencil is at hand, then the Sara Sara will work best, especially wider fountain pens. And finally, the Zara Zara is the most textured and will work best with pencils and gel pens but will still accommodate. wide range of tools.

As for the rulings, I like the very light 4mm dot grid — it provided guidance without being distracting or overwhelming lighter ink colors. If 4mm is too small for you, the 5mm graph/grid is the next best option and if you need a little more writing room or really like Steno, then the Steno ruling is excellent.

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

The post Paper Review: Kokuyo Perpanep A5 Notebooks appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

I grabbed the standard A5 size with a blue/teal cover. I can’t remember but it may have been the only one they had left. Never fear, our friends over at Pen Boutique have it in stock and the color is called Wintergreen ($9.99).

The Oasis Notebook is a fairly common cardstock cover style notebook with paper tape on the spine. It has  sewn signatures hidden under the tape so when the book is open the pages lay flat.

Inside the paper features an unusual multi-divided line-dot-grid-Seyes structure. Unless your paper preference is blank, this paper pretty much has it all. The dark lines are 7mm and the dotted lines are one-third of that — so, every 2.33mm. The vertical ticks are also every 7mm.

The paper is on the ivory side making it very challenging to photograph. (My camera kept trying to make it more peachy or whiter than it was.) The color is a warm ivory like the inside color of a fresh croissant.

The paper is smooth and great for all pen types I tried. It wasn’t glassy. I often think Clairefontaine can feel a little glassy — like too slick. The Oasis paper was just smooth. It’s weird. To my hands, the Oasis paper feels slicker but to my pens there’s a bit more bite. It’s very enjoyable to write on this paper.

This is a view of the reverse of my test writing page and a full view of the page with the top margin (place for date and description) and notation ticks at the top and bottom of the page for center and quarters (dots) and eighths (ticks).

This is a reasonably priced notebook with good paper — really good paper — that would fit into many covers that would be perfect for journaling, bullet journaling or work notes. If I were to make a new top 5 notebooks list, this would probably be on it.

The post Notebook Review: Profolio Oasis Notebook appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.