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I just buy store brand or brands aimed at students. I obsess over a lot of things but I don’t get expensive notebooks. I’m just not paying silly money for a blo

I just buy store brand or brands aimed at students. I obsess over a lot of things but I don’t get expensive notebooks. I’m just not paying silly money for a block of paper to write throwaway notes.

BeetleB 4y ago
Most student targeted books don't handle fountain pen ink well. Occasionally I find a cheap notebook that does, but normally you have to pay $7+.
- enriquto 4y ago
  Rhodia and Clairefontaine are cheap (the notebooks with simple covers) and they are the best for fountain pen writing without feathering. Only surpassed by expensive japanese paper.
  - bch 4y ago
    I’m just dipping my toe into the “expensive Japanese paper” (TomoeRiver, Midori) and I think the experience (while writing, and ink-fastness thereafter) might be worth it imo.
    - nextos 4y ago
      Midori MD is very cool. IMHO their notebooks are perfect. There's also an Italian mill that produces outstanding and relatively cheap paper and notebooks, Fabriano.
  - BeetleB 4y ago
    Where can you find Rhodia for prices similar to what GP was talking about (brands aimed at students)? Those are typically under $4 - Target has several under $1. Clairefontaine: Same question. I know it has a great reputation for fountain pen ink, but I had bad experiences with it. In a sense, it's too good. Line strokes tend to be thinner than most other papers. I can't write on them with my F or EF nib - I get a lot of skipping. Others have had the same experience - the paper is just not at all absorbent (hence absolutely no feathering). I had a similar experience with Maruman Mnemosyne. (Just my opinion - I know there are folks who love it). I often use Figurare - it's similarly priced, although some of them feather more than others. I just tried Denik, and it's decent. Not as smooth as Clairefontaine (nothing is!), but handles the ink well enough.
    - enriquto 4y ago
      Here in france you can find them in many supermarkets for about 2 EUR. The plain and dotpad versions tend to be rarer and more expensive.
      - iamacyborg 4y ago
        Makes sense, I wonder if they still teach kids in France to write with fountain pens, I know I had to when I went to school there 25 years ago.
smarx007 4y ago
Maybe "throwaway notes" is the part that makes a difference. After I finish a notebook, I usually sit down and fill out the table of contents for which I normally allocate 2 or 4 pages at the beginning, because I will refer to those notes in the future.
stagger87 4y ago
Top flight grid lined composition notebook for 99 cents on back to school sale. Done.

BeetleB 4y ago

Most student targeted books don't handle fountain pen ink well. Occasionally I find a cheap notebook that does, but normally you have to pay $7+.

enriquto 4y ago
Rhodia and Clairefontaine are cheap (the notebooks with simple covers) and they are the best for fountain pen writing without feathering. Only surpassed by expensive japanese paper.
- bch 4y ago
  I’m just dipping my toe into the “expensive Japanese paper” (TomoeRiver, Midori) and I think the experience (while writing, and ink-fastness thereafter) might be worth it imo.
  - nextos 4y ago
    Midori MD is very cool. IMHO their notebooks are perfect. There's also an Italian mill that produces outstanding and relatively cheap paper and notebooks, Fabriano.
- BeetleB 4y ago
  Where can you find Rhodia for prices similar to what GP was talking about (brands aimed at students)? Those are typically under $4 - Target has several under $1. Clairefontaine: Same question. I know it has a great reputation for fountain pen ink, but I had bad experiences with it. In a sense, it's too good. Line strokes tend to be thinner than most other papers. I can't write on them with my F or EF nib - I get a lot of skipping. Others have had the same experience - the paper is just not at all absorbent (hence absolutely no feathering). I had a similar experience with Maruman Mnemosyne. (Just my opinion - I know there are folks who love it). I often use Figurare - it's similarly priced, although some of them feather more than others. I just tried Denik, and it's decent. Not as smooth as Clairefontaine (nothing is!), but handles the ink well enough.
  - enriquto 4y ago
    Here in france you can find them in many supermarkets for about 2 EUR. The plain and dotpad versions tend to be rarer and more expensive.
    - iamacyborg 4y ago
      Makes sense, I wonder if they still teach kids in France to write with fountain pens, I know I had to when I went to school there 25 years ago.

smarx007 4y ago

Maybe "throwaway notes" is the part that makes a difference. After I finish a notebook, I usually sit down and fill out the table of contents for which I normally allocate 2 or 4 pages at the beginning, because I will refer to those notes in the future.

stagger87 4y ago

Top flight grid lined composition notebook for 99 cents on back to school sale. Done.