The unfinished wood box is assembled with tongue and groove laser cut and is filled with more than 100 3″ x 5″ sheets of lined paper. The paper is probably about 24 or 28 lb bond — we used a micrometer but it was also what my printer husband guessed just by holding it in his hand. It’s not index card weight but not too floppy. The paper is very smooth and features medium-grey 5mm lines.

I love to have 3 x 5’s on my desk for a quick calculation, grocery list or other random note.  This box gives me a perfect coral for the stack of paper and it looks great too.

I tend to use 3 x 5s in portrait rather than landscape so the lines are a bit odd for me and they are printed on both sides so I can’t just flip them over and use the other side. Personally, I prefer blank paper for 3 x 5s — years at Hallmark hammered them into me head.

As for the claim that the paper is Fountain Pen Friendly. I can attest that, yes, it is.

The only thing that stumps me is the lines on the paper. It’s fine but I think when I use up the sheets in the box, I’ll just have Bob cut some scrap paper to size for me.

DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided free of charge for the purpose of review. Some items were purchased with funds from our amazing Patrons. You can help support this blog by joining our Patreon. Please see the About page for more details.

The post Paper Review: Curnow Fountain Pen Friendly Notepaper & Box appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

This paper fits the Kokuyo A5 Campus Binder ($12) and likely a variety of other A5 binders with its 20 hole format. I didn’t purchase a binder, however; I just review the loose leaf paper.

The paper is white and 70gsm so it feels sturdier than the ultra-thin Tomoe River paper. It comes in either grid or dotted lines (6mm ruled and 30 lines per page), which is actually a solid line, with tiny dots, allowing you to use it as regular lined paper OR a bit like dot grid.

I tried a variety of fountain pen inks, gel pens, pencils, rollerballs and fine liners and this paper is great! Check out that ink swatch I did with Q-tip and how NOTHING feathered or bled through. I could easily use the backs of each page, which is normally my complaint about most papers – the ghosting that makes it difficult for front and back use.

I haven’t tried too many other Kokuyo paper products, but I have to say I’m really impressed and it’s notebook paper at a really great price point!

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

The post Paper Review: Kokuyo Campus A5 Biz Loose Leaf 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.

Ayush Paper is an Indian company that creates a variety of sketchbooks, canvases and office supply products including a line devoted to fountain pen friendly paper. Specifically, I played with the A5 Fountain Pen Book ($8.00). This spiral top-bound notebook comes with 50 sheets (100 pages) of 100 gsm paper that is a soft ivory. The notebook measure 5 7/8 x 8″ (148-203mm), and each page is perforated at the top for easy tearing. The book comes in dot, grid, plain or lined formats (mine is lined, at approximately 9mm spacing).

So let’s talk about this paper. It’s advertised as fountain pen friendly and promises no feathering or bleeding. It is designed to work with flex nibs and sheening inks, and aims for minimal show-through. It also boasts quick drying times.

I’d say the paper lives up to these promises nicely. I tested it with a variety of fountain pens (plus brush pens, a pencil, various gel and rollerball options) and save for ye olde Sharpie, I had no bleedthrough, no feathering and only minor ghosting on the opposite side. Further, we tested a few ink swatches and nothing bled through! We threw in a few Colorverse inks to check out the sheen (it’s not bad) and it was only those bottle cap swatches that had any bleedthrough at all.

The paper is ever so slightly toothy to the fingertips, but feels smooth to the nib. I have to say, I hadn’t tried this one before and I’m excited to keep using this notebook.

So let’s get to the part where you get to try it too! Peyton Street Pens generously sent us two notebooks for giveaway.

GIVEAWAY: One lucky winner will win two notebooks.

• One A5 Notebook (Top Spiral, Dot, 50 pages)
• One A4 Notebook (Top Spiral, Lined, 50 pages)

I’ve left them wrapped in the packaging but will send them out to you with some stickers!

TO ENTER: Leave a comment below telling us about your favorite paper!  (Play along and type in something. It makes reading through entries more interesting for me, okay?) One entry per person.

If you have never entered a giveaway or commented on the site before, your comment must be manually approved by our highly-trained staff of monkeys before it will appear on the site. Our monkeys are underpaid and under-caffeinated so don’t stress if your comment does not appear right away. Give the monkeys some time.

FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Friday, August 13, 2021. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Monday. ONE winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include your actual email address in the comment form so that I can contact you if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. If winner does not respond within 5 days, I will draw a new giveaway winner. Shipping via USPS first class is covered. Additional shipping options or insurance will have to be paid by the winner. We are generous but we’re not made of money. US and APO/AFO only, sorry.

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this post were provided free of charge by Peyton Street Pens and other vendors for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

The post Review & Giveaway: Ayush Paper A5 Fountain Pen Book from Peyton Street Pens appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

I know this notebook isn’t new, but I love Clairefontaine paper and the whimsical flight illustrations appealed to me. When I received mine I had gotten the Astronaut on the cover.

The Flying Spirit notebooks are A5, 14.8 x 21cm and have 48 sheets (96 pages) of 90gsm ivory paper. The Cover, which is actually 3 panels (the third to be used as a book mark), is made from cardstock. While the Flying Spirit collection does have a blank sketchbook, most have lined paper (brown and black covers available as well). The notebook has a sewn binding in a gold thread that matches the foil logo and illustration on the front cover.

The third panel on the cover gives some brief information on Clairefontaine and notes that the paper is acid free and sourced from sustainable forests.

So let’s get to the paper.

The paper itself is super smooth and I used fountain pens, pencils, gel inks and fine liners with no trouble at all. There was a bit of ghosting on the reverse side, but no bleed through with anything I used. The lines are 5/16″ or .8cm wide, which is a bit wide for me, but perfectly serviceable. In general, I don’t mind ivory colored paper, though I admit it looks a little odd against the bright white cover.

Overall this is a fun little notebook. I suspect it will become a place to jot down knitting design ideas since I can tuck labels and other items into pages with the added third panel to keep them safe.

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

The post Notebook Review: Clairefontaine Flying Spirit A5 Sewn Spine Notebook- White, Lined appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

H. C. Marks (@HCMarks) on Twitter asked “do you know of any stencils with which to draw ruled lines in blank notebooks?”

I have something so much better, at least in my humble opinion. I use a sheet of lined paper that I tuck under my blank page to create perfectly straight lines that are there. But not. Using a guide sheet does not require any prep time. Just slide the sheet behind your current page and start writing.

Using a guide sheet with a blank notebook gives a lot more flexibility. You can sketch and free form on some pages and then use the guide sheets when you want to write. It also means that you get the line spacing you want instead of what the manufacturer decides is best. Write larger? We have a guide sheet for that. Prefer graph paper? We got you covered? Want to mix it up depending on the pen you’re using? That’s where guide sheets really shine. Way more flexibility.

Guide sheets are great with letter-writing pads too.

Harry’s request could not have been more timely as I’ve been planning to make up a few different line widths to share with readers so that you too can try this. The sheets have pretty thick, dark lines (but not as dark as the NEW Bold Lines edition! See below!) that can be seen through most standard writing paper. I’ve tested these sheets in my Rhodia Uni Blank for several weeks.

I have created paper guides in 6mm, 7mm, 8mm and 10mm lined plus 5mm and 10mm graph paper. NEW! I’ve added 5mm and 6mm dot grid to each size.

(I hate to have to make this clarification but these guide sheets are FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. If you need custom sheets printed for your next product, email us!)

The NEW All-in-one PDF document includes the following:

• A4
• US Letter
• A5
• Field Notes size (in a 3-up layout that will fit on standard US Letter or A4 paper)

Print out your favorite line width spacing on a laser or ink jet printer. One copy of the guide sheet can be kept in each of your favorite notebooks and should last for a long time. If you print the guide sheets on heavier weight paper or card stock it can double as a blotter sheet, pen primer or to protect the next sheet from pesky bleed through.

You can still print out individual sheets if you prefer. The links are still available here:

US Letter Size (8.5″x11″):

• 6mm Lined – US Letter.pdf
• 7mm Lined – US Letter.pdf
• 8mm Lined – US Letter.pdf
• 10mm Lined -US Letter.pdf
•  5mm Graph – US Letter.pdf
• 10mm Graph – US Letter.pdf
• All Guide Sheets – US Letter Sized

A4 Size (210 x 297mm or 8.3″ x 11.7″) ADDED Feb. 3, 2015:

• 6mm A4 Lined.pdf
• 7mm A4 Lined.pdf
• 8mm A4 Lined.pdf
• 10mm A4 Lined.pdf
• 5mm A4 Graph.pdf
• 10mm A4 Graph.pdf
• All Guide Sheet – A4 sized.pdf

A5 Sizes (148 x 210mm or 5.83×8.27″):

• 6mm A5 Lined.pdf
• 7mm A5 Lined.pdf
• 8mm A5 Lined.pdf
• 10mm A5 Lined.pdf
• 5mm A5 Graph.pdf
• 10mm A5 Graph.pdf
• All Guide Sheets- A5 sized

Field Notes Sized (3.25″x5.5″) UPDATED Feb. 3, 2015:

• 6mm Field Notes Lined.pdf or 6mm Lined 3-up.pdf
• 7mm Field Notes Lined.pdf or 7mm Lined 3-up.pdf
• 8mm Field Notes Lined.pdf or or 8mm Lined 3-up.pdf
• 10mm Field Notes Lined.pdf or 10mm Lined 3-up.pdf
• 5mm Field Notes Graph.pdf or 5mm Graph 3-up.pdf
• 10mm Field Notes Graph.pdf or 10mm Graph 3-up.pdf
• All Field Notes Guide Sheet.pdf
• All Field Notes Guides Sheets – 3-up layout.pdf

These new sizes have been trimmed down width-wise so there’s no overhang in your pocket notebooks. I’ve also added 3-up layout on a US letter sized sheet.

Field Notes “Dime Novel” Edition

• Field Notes: Dime Novel Edition Guide Sheets.pdf (5 pages, includes lined, grid and DOT GRID on US Letter sized sheets. Should print fine on A4 as well just be sure to adjust your printer setting).

Latest Variation, Bold Lines A5-sized:

I had a request for an A5 version with darker lines so that the guides would be visible through heavier weight paper or would be easier to see. I created the Bold Lines Edition in A5 to start with all the same lined, graph and dot grid as our found in the new All-in-one PDF, just with a heavier black line to improve viewing. Please give me feedback and let me know if you find them useful.

Tips for printing guide sheets:

If you don’t have a PDF app on you computer, I recommend Adobe Acrobat Reader. When printing, be sure that you choose to print at 100% (or “actual size”), do not choose the “fit to paper” option. I ran the lines to the end of the template to maximize guides. Your printer might trim the edges a bit.

If there’s interest, I can make up other sizes as well. Just let me know in the comments what you prefer.

Other Options:

Stalogy Templates :

Stalogy offers templates  in B5, A5, B6 and A6 sizes that fit into their notebooks or any other books of similar size.

Leigh Reyes of My Life As A Verb has created her own A5-sized Journal Guide templates which feature some various custom page layouts . She offers four different formats to download and hopes to make plastic versions in the future.

Ink Journal offers some additional downloadable guide sheets to fit Field Notes-sized and standard Midori Traveler’s Notebooks. They offer bullet journal templates, lined, dot grid and script practice sheets as well as their ink collecting template. These work great with their Tomoe River paper journals.

UPDATES:

1. 11/9/14 Added 5mm and 10mm grid and true A5-sized.
2. 2/3/15 Added A4 and revised Field Notes sizes, added 3-up layout for Field Notes.
3. 8/23/2016 Added links to Leigh Reyes A5 Journal Guides and Ink Journal’s Free Resources
4.  9/24/2017 Added FN Dime Novel Edition formats
5. 10/27/2019 Added Bold Lines A5 edition and All-in-one PDF with Dot Grid
6. 10/11/22 Added Stalogy template links

The post Our FREE Downloadable Guide Sheets: Turn a Blank Notebook into a Lined Notebook appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.