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I have a good Shaeffer fountain pen that I use for all of paper writing. But I usually use cheap notebooks for notes and random scribbling. What are people's re

I have a good Shaeffer fountain pen that I use for all of paper writing. But I usually use cheap notebooks for notes and random scribbling. What are people's recommendations for good notebooks?

CharlesW 3y ago
In my experience, JetPens is a great resource for this kind of question. https://www.jetpens.com/blog/The-Best-Notebooks-for-Fountain-Pens/pt/32 https://www.jetpens.com/blog/The-Best-Notebooks-for-Fountain...
0x38B 3y ago
I’ve used Leuchtturm1917 (1) notebooks for the past couple years and recommend them. They have nice paper and an array of sizes and grid patterns - my current notebook is their larger master size; big enough to draw in, which is important to me. At first I bought ruled or grid-pattern notebooks, but have come to prefer blank - with proper writing posture, my writing is straight yet when I want to draw or sketch, there are no lines to get in the way. As far as pens: I’d call myself a fountain-pen addict with my one beloved FP - my Lamy 2000. It survived quite a lot of travel in Eastern Europe with nary a scratch. 1: https://www.leuchtturm1917.us/ https://www.leuchtturm1917.us/ P.S. in the US, Goulet Pens (https://gouletpens.com/ https://gouletpens.com/) is a family-run online shop for FPs and everything related. They’re very active on YouTube as well. Amazon may be cheaper but I’d rather my money go to a company that encourages their employees to vote by giving them the day off on election days. ——- A note on ink: I bought a bottle of Parker Blue ink in 2018 and have written and drawn with it daily from then till now: one bottle of ink lasted nearly 6 years! I can’t imagine how many disposable pens I’d have gone through; a lot. Another reason to love FP inks is that shading adds beautiful variation to what would otherwise be uniform: https://nexus.armylane.com/files/sailor-manyo-yomogi-ink-shading.jpeg https://nexus.armylane.com/files/sailor-manyo-yomogi-ink-sha...
- Brajeshwar 3y ago
  As you said, the inks last for years. That's when I realized, I need to buy the best of the best quality possible with Inks. I'm going to guess I did not do enough research on Parker Inks as the ones I used wasn't good enough. I bought a Lamy, and I'm itching to either import a few or buy them the Japanese ones. Ink filling is like a routine I love, especially with my daughter. She likes fountain pens and she inherited some of mine. I love to lay them out -- the bottles, the ink bloting paper, surgical syringe, napkins, and enough space to not spill -- kinda pretending to be like a Samurai taking care and maintaining his Katana. Even with the convertible, I like to treat it with a clean, precise, and smooth movements of pattens to refill it. I started on the high-quality fountain pen with the Lamy 2000 too -- gifted by Adobe around the time when they bought Macromedia.
wlesieutre 3y ago
I like Rhodia dot grid paper for general use, works well for both writing and doodling and visually structured stuff in tables or boxes
- woleium 3y ago
  i love these!
Brajeshwar 3y ago
I also used to believe in OK-ish to Good Pens but cheap notebooks punctuated with the usual Moleskin, Field Notes, etc. Then I tried some of those Japanese ones -- they are super good and you don't wanna waste and leave no whitespace -- you write and write everywhere. You should try Midori https://www.midori-japan.co.jp/english/ https://www.midori-japan.co.jp/english/ Now, my idea it to stick to a standard size wherever possible; I've chosen A5 as my go-to Notebook and a mix of a lot of good ones and a few of the best ones.
- cvdub 3y ago
  +1 for the Midori notebooks. I bought a nice leather cover and replaced the notebooks inside as they fill up. Or at least I did before I switched to writing on my Kindle scribe. I do miss the analog experience sometimes though.
- 50 3y ago
  I've gifted a couple friends Midori notebooks before. On the go, portable enough to carry in a jacket or back pocket, I'm partial to the A6 blank notebook. Otherwise, I like the free form factor of A5/A4 loose leaf paper, particularly on a spacious desk.
cbfrench 3y ago
I’ve found the Itoya Profolio Oasis notebooks to be excellent. They are inexpensive, but the paper is high quality and does not bleed or feather. I’ve been using them for a few years now, and they’re great. https://goldspot.com/products/itoya-profolio-oasis-notebook-a5-5-8-x-8-3-inches-avocado https://goldspot.com/products/itoya-profolio-oasis-notebook-...
galangalalgol 3y ago
Staples recycled from sugar cane, inexpensive but no bleeding or feathering with any of my pens, and very little show-through except when I flex a bit and go slow, which I don't do in general use. The shading with sheaffer blue-black and pilot blue is pretty good too. My pens are all cheap steel nibs with ef or f japanese, or small italic/stub.
RayVR 3y ago
I am fond of the Maruman Mnemosyne notebooks. Rhodia is a classic and I have nothing negative to say but prefer the “smoothness” of the maruman paper.
- ramenbytes 3y ago
  My thoughts as well.
ramenbytes 3y ago
I gave my thoughts in this comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38874622 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38874622
TheFreim 3y ago
I used Clairefontaine wirebound and Rhodia notepads throughout high school and college, they were great and I suggest both brands.

I have a good Shaeffer fountain pen that I use for all of paper writing. But I usually use cheap notebooks for notes and random scribbling. What are people's recommendations for good notebooks?

CharlesW 3y ago

In my experience, JetPens is a great resource for this kind of question. https://www.jetpens.com/blog/The-Best-Notebooks-for-Fountain-Pens/pt/32 https://www.jetpens.com/blog/The-Best-Notebooks-for-Fountain...

0x38B 3y ago

I’ve used Leuchtturm1917 (1) notebooks for the past couple years and recommend them. They have nice paper and an array of sizes and grid patterns - my current notebook is their larger master size; big enough to draw in, which is important to me. At first I bought ruled or grid-pattern notebooks, but have come to prefer blank - with proper writing posture, my writing is straight yet when I want to draw or sketch, there are no lines to get in the way. As far as pens: I’d call myself a fountain-pen addict with my one beloved FP - my Lamy 2000. It survived quite a lot of travel in Eastern Europe with nary a scratch. 1: https://www.leuchtturm1917.us/ https://www.leuchtturm1917.us/ P.S. in the US, Goulet Pens (https://gouletpens.com/ https://gouletpens.com/) is a family-run online shop for FPs and everything related. They’re very active on YouTube as well. Amazon may be cheaper but I’d rather my money go to a company that encourages their employees to vote by giving them the day off on election days. ——- A note on ink: I bought a bottle of Parker Blue ink in 2018 and have written and drawn with it daily from then till now: one bottle of ink lasted nearly 6 years! I can’t imagine how many disposable pens I’d have gone through; a lot. Another reason to love FP inks is that shading adds beautiful variation to what would otherwise be uniform: https://nexus.armylane.com/files/sailor-manyo-yomogi-ink-shading.jpeg https://nexus.armylane.com/files/sailor-manyo-yomogi-ink-sha...

Brajeshwar 3y ago
As you said, the inks last for years. That's when I realized, I need to buy the best of the best quality possible with Inks. I'm going to guess I did not do enough research on Parker Inks as the ones I used wasn't good enough. I bought a Lamy, and I'm itching to either import a few or buy them the Japanese ones. Ink filling is like a routine I love, especially with my daughter. She likes fountain pens and she inherited some of mine. I love to lay them out -- the bottles, the ink bloting paper, surgical syringe, napkins, and enough space to not spill -- kinda pretending to be like a Samurai taking care and maintaining his Katana. Even with the convertible, I like to treat it with a clean, precise, and smooth movements of pattens to refill it. I started on the high-quality fountain pen with the Lamy 2000 too -- gifted by Adobe around the time when they bought Macromedia.

wlesieutre 3y ago

I like Rhodia dot grid paper for general use, works well for both writing and doodling and visually structured stuff in tables or boxes

woleium 3y ago
i love these!

Brajeshwar 3y ago

I also used to believe in OK-ish to Good Pens but cheap notebooks punctuated with the usual Moleskin, Field Notes, etc. Then I tried some of those Japanese ones -- they are super good and you don't wanna waste and leave no whitespace -- you write and write everywhere. You should try Midori https://www.midori-japan.co.jp/english/ https://www.midori-japan.co.jp/english/ Now, my idea it to stick to a standard size wherever possible; I've chosen A5 as my go-to Notebook and a mix of a lot of good ones and a few of the best ones.

cvdub 3y ago
+1 for the Midori notebooks. I bought a nice leather cover and replaced the notebooks inside as they fill up. Or at least I did before I switched to writing on my Kindle scribe. I do miss the analog experience sometimes though.
50 3y ago
I've gifted a couple friends Midori notebooks before. On the go, portable enough to carry in a jacket or back pocket, I'm partial to the A6 blank notebook. Otherwise, I like the free form factor of A5/A4 loose leaf paper, particularly on a spacious desk.

cbfrench 3y ago

I’ve found the Itoya Profolio Oasis notebooks to be excellent. They are inexpensive, but the paper is high quality and does not bleed or feather. I’ve been using them for a few years now, and they’re great. https://goldspot.com/products/itoya-profolio-oasis-notebook-a5-5-8-x-8-3-inches-avocado https://goldspot.com/products/itoya-profolio-oasis-notebook-...

galangalalgol 3y ago

Staples recycled from sugar cane, inexpensive but no bleeding or feathering with any of my pens, and very little show-through except when I flex a bit and go slow, which I don't do in general use. The shading with sheaffer blue-black and pilot blue is pretty good too. My pens are all cheap steel nibs with ef or f japanese, or small italic/stub.

RayVR 3y ago

I am fond of the Maruman Mnemosyne notebooks. Rhodia is a classic and I have nothing negative to say but prefer the “smoothness” of the maruman paper.

ramenbytes 3y ago
My thoughts as well.

ramenbytes 3y ago

I gave my thoughts in this comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38874622 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38874622

TheFreim 3y ago

I used Clairefontaine wirebound and Rhodia notepads throughout high school and college, they were great and I suggest both brands.