There are few more satisfying moments than when you crack open a brand new journal or notepad. This page is set aside for me to recommend the very best paper products that I come across.
The biggest consideration for me is that all the paper I buy HAS to be “fountain pen friendly”. I almost never write with anything else. That may not be the most important consideration for you. I hope you still find this page informative and helpful — any paper products that are of high enough quality to handle fountain pens well, should easily handle any other writing instrument.
First a Word About Paper
I’ll divide this page up by product categories: notebooks, notepads, letter writing stationery, loose leaf paper, etc. But first a word in general about some brands of paper that I’ve found you almost can’t go wrong with, no matter what the format.
– Tomoe River
Produced in Japan, Tomoe River is a coated paper beloved by the fountain pen community. It is super thin, but it’s coating means that it does not absorb the ink which is what causes “feathering”, “bleeding”, and “ghosting”. Instead, the ink dries on top of the paper, thus retaining it’s intended color and sheen. And there is no problem writing on both sides of the paper.
**UPDATE** We’ve been on a rollercoaster over the past year with Tomoe River. The manufacturer, Tomoegawa, announced that they were discontinuing the line. There was widespread shock in the Fountain Pen community. Thankfully, in November of 2021, we finally got the news that Tomoegawa have sold the rights to produce the paper to Sanzen Paper. Test samples have been encouraging, and we eagerly await full production in 2022.
– Clairefontaine
Produced in France, Clairefontaine is my preferred choice for letter writing. It’s very fountain pen friendly, but it’s thicker than Tamoe River, which makes it beautiful to hold in the hand as single sheets. So, it’s perfect for correspondence, and comes in writing tablet form. They also make good quality matching envelopes for each size.
– Rhodia
You can’t beat Rhodia for general purpose notepads. I use both staple-bound and wirebound formats, and they are a class apart from other pads when it comes to fountain pens. I use Rhodia notepads all day long.
Recommended Notebooks
Before I give you my recommendation for a favorite notebook, let me first mention a very pleasant surprise that I had recently …
– Exceed
I was in Walmart, waiting for Alli as she finished up shopping, and I decided to take a wander through the stationery aisle. I freely admit that I did not expect to find anything of interest. Walmart don’t stock fountain pens, and their paper products are generally of very average quality. But I had nothing else to do as I waited, so I checked it out.
What I found was a line of notebooks called Exceed. I flipped through one, and was intrigued. It was dot grid, had numbered pages and a table of contents in the front like higher end notebooks, but most impressive was how the paper felt. At half the price of most fountain pen friendly notebooks, even though I was still highly skeptical, I had to try one.
Let me just say, I’ve since bought a stack of them. They are actually very good notebooks at around $10! I believe they’re exclusive to Walmart, so I encourage to look for them and try one for yourself.
Now here’s my absolute favorite notebook …
– The Author Notebook
I love this notebook. It screams quality in absolutely every way, and has all the features that you really need:
- A5 (8.39 x 5.31 x 0.55 inches)
- Tamoe River paper! (Coated 68gsm – very fountain pen friendly.)
- 192 pages (numbered)
- Choose dot grid or lined
- 5 striking colors
- Ribbon marker and elastic
- Storage pocket
- Blotting paper sheet included
– What About Moleskines?
The Moleskine brand has become so popular, and I’m often asked why I don’t recommend them. Here’s why … they’re terrible. Completely overrated and overpriced.
The paper itself is actually of very poor quality, and not at all fountain pen friendly. Feathering, ghosting, bleeding … it does it all.
So why is Moleskine so popular? One word. Marketing.
That’s the company’s real genius. They made analog notebooks cool again with the hipster crowd. They did it with spiels like this: “The Moleskine notebook is the heir and successor to the legendary notebook used by artists and thinkers over the past two centuries: among them Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway and Bruce Chatwin.”
What does “the heir and successor” actually mean? Nothing at all. Sure, all those famous creative people probably had a notebook. but none of them had a Moleskine. The company was only founded in 1997.
Great marketing. Very average, overpriced notebooks. Don’t waste your time.
Planners
For more than two years now, I have used only one planner. The Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt. I find it exceptionally good both as a daily scheduler and for tracking goals and objectives. So, I have an annual subscription, and they send me a new planner every quarter. It’s not cheap compared with others on the market, but it I find it exceptionally well designed, and I’m now very familiar with using it. (CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT)
Notepads
As I said above, Rhodia leads the pack when it comes to notepads. They offer a number of different options. Here are the two that I keep a stock of and use on a daily basis …
– Rhodia A4 Head Stapled Dot Grid Notepad
This is the pad I use for study and sermon preparation. It’s akin to a “legal pad”, but enables me to use fountain pens all day long and have a much better writing experience. I write about 10 double-sided pages of notes each week, so one pad will last me about 6 to 8 weeks. I tend to save all my study notes, and this paper archives well. Measures 8 1/4″ x 11 3/4″. (BUY ON AMAZON)
– Rhodia A5 Wirebound Dot Grid Notepad
I keep one of these smaller pads on my desk and another on my bedside table for more general use: short notes, quick lists, messages and ideas. They’re cheaper than the larger A4, but have the same excellent paper. Measures 5.8″ x 8.3″. (BUY ON AMAZON)
Letter Writing Stationery
I’ve written elsewhere about how I discovered the power of letter writing in pastoral care. So these days I go through a lot of supplies, and I’ve settled on the stationery I love to use …
– Clairefontaine “Triomphe” A4 Stationery Tablet
This is the paper I use for most correspondence. It’s a joy to write on, has ample room for content, and makes for a beautiful crisply folded letter that the recipient will receive in the mail. Measures 8.25″ x 11.75″. Contains 50 sheets, lined guide sheet included. (BUY ON AMAZON)
– Clairefontaine “Triomphe” A5 Stationery Tablet
When I want to write a shorter note, I use these “half sheets”. Same beautiful paper. Measures 5.75″ x 8.25″. Contains 50 sheets, lined guide sheet included. (BUY ON AMAZON)
Loose Leaf Paper
– Tomoe River FP B5 Loose Sheets
This is the paper I use for my handwritten Bible project. It’s paper beautiful to write on, and so thin that it will minimize the thickness of the finished Bible. The B5 size is 6.93 x 9.84″ which will be a nice “Bible size”. It comes 100 sheets to a pack. [CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE]
[Click here to check out “My Handwritten Bible Starter Kit.”]
Blotting Paper Products
– Herbin Blotter Sheets
Pack of 10 quality white sheets. These can be used over and over again, so they last a very long time. Measures 4 3/4″ x 6 1/3″. (BUY ON AMAZON)