If you’re looking for fountain pen friendly notebooks, the choices can be pretty overwhelming. I’m not just talking about options like lined versus grid paper. I’m talking about the sheer number of manufacturers who are making amazing notebooks these days. And it’s not just one per manufacturer! Some companies like Life have many different options available. How are you supposed to choose which one will work best for your needs?
I am a bit of a paper junkie, so I’ve accumulated quite a few notebooks in my time. I’ll be trying each one out and letting you know what I think about it. There will be some widely available notebooks in this list, but there will be a few others that might be a little more obscure or harder to find as well.
On this site you’ll find reviews for each notebook I’ve been able to get my hands on. This post will have a bit of general info about each notebook with a link to the full review. I’ll also share some thoughts on notebooks I haven’t posted a full review for yet. At the end of the article you can find a list of all of the notebooks I’ve reviewed so far, along with a link for where you can purchase it. Notebooks will be listed alphabetically. I hope you find this helpful in choosing your next fountain pen friendly notebook!
If you’re more interested in paper than the actual notebook details, you might want to check out my paper rating table that has specific information about each different paper I’ve tested.
Updated 10/12/2020: When I originally wrote this post I wasn’t sure I’d be able to write a blog post for every notebook I tested. It turns out that for the most part I was able to, so I’ve updated this to be a bigger roundup that points to the full review and fewer mini-reviews.
Note: For the purposes of this article, a notebook is either regular or spiral bound book of blank, lined or grid paper. This means no notepads with perforated sheets of paper or journals or planners with printed dates on each page.
To jump directly to a specific notebook, please click on any link below:
Apica CD15
Apica Premium C.D.
Baron Fig Vanguard
Berlin Notebook
Black n’ Red
Clairefontaine Basic
CVS Caliber
Fabriano EcoQua
Elia Note
Exceed Bullet Journal
Graphilo
Itoya Romeo
Kokuyo Campus
Kokuyo Century Edition
Kyokuto Expedient
Leuchtturm 1917
Life Noble Note
Life Pistachio/Vermilion
Logical Prime
Maruman Cover Note
Maruman Mnemosyne
Midori MD Cotton
Midori MD
Minimalism Art
North of Rosemont
Pebble Stationery
Pen Chalet Endless Recorder
Profolio Oasis
SohoSpark Journal
Stálogy Notebook
Taroko Enigma
Tsubame Note
Wild Pages
Apica CD11/CD15
Pages: 68 (34 sheets)
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: 81.4gsm
Page Style: Lined
Size: A5, B5, A7, B7
Apica CD15 Notebook Review
Apica Premium C.D.
Pages: 192 (96 sheets)
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: 86.5gsm
Page Style: Lined, Blank, Grid
Size: A4, A5, B5
Apica Premium C.D. Notebook Review
Baron Fig Vanguard
Pages: 72 (36 sheets)
Paper Weight: 90gsm
Binding: Stitch
Page Style: Lined (7mm), Dot (5mm), Blank
Size: 3 sizes – Pocket, Vanguard (slightly smaller than A5) and Plus
Baron Fig Vanguard Notebook Review
Berlin Notebook
Pages: 48 (24 sheets)
Binding: Staple
Paper Weight: 100gsm
Page Style: Blank
Size: A6
Berlin Notebook Review
Black n’ Red
Pages: 140 (70 sheets)
Binding: Spiral
Paper Weight: 90gsm (24lb)
Page Style: Lined
Size: 8.25″x5.88″ (A5)
Black n’ Red Notebook Review
Clairefontaine Basic Notebook
Pages: 192 (96 sheets)
Binding: Glue
Paper Weight: 90gsm
Page Style: Lined – 8mm, Dot – 5mm
Size: A5, A4
Clairefontaine Basic Notebook Review
CVS Caliber Notebook
Pages: 200 (100 sheets)
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: I don’t know, but if I had to guess I’d say around 70gsm
Page Style: Lined
Size: Approximately B5
CVS Caliber Composition Book Review
Fabriano EcoQua
Sheets: 38-80
Binding: Glue, Coil, Staple
Paper Weight: 85gsm
Page Style: Blank, Grid, Lined, Dot
Size: Many
Fabriano EcoQua Notebook Review
Elia Note Notebook
Pages: 496 (248 sheets)
Binding: Stitched (smyth-sewn)
Paper Weight: 52gsm
Page Style: Lined, Dot, Blank
Size: A5
Elia Note Notebook Review
Exceed Bullet Journal
Pages: 240 (120 sheets), not counting index pages
Binding: Stitched
Paper Weight: 100gsm
Page Style: Lined, Dot
Size: A5
Exceed Bullet Journal
Figurare
Pages: 160 (80 sheets)
Binding: Spiral
Paper Weight: Unknown, but maybe around 80gsm?
Page Style: Lined
Size: A5, B5
Figurare Notebook Review
Graphilo
Pages: 64 (32 sheets)
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: 90gsm?
Page Style: Lined, Grid, Blank
Size: A5
Graphilo Notebook Review
Itoya Romeo
Pages: 140 (70 sheets)
Binding: Spiral
Paper Weight: 109.2gsm
Page Style: Lined, Dot, Blank
Size: A4, A5, B5, B6
Itoya Romeo Notebook Review
Kokuyo Campus
Pages: 75 pages, 150 sheets (including contents page)
Binding: Glue
Paper Weight: 70gsm
Page Style: Lined
Size: A5, B5
Kokuyo Campus Notebook Review
Kokuyo Century Edition
Pages: 140 (70 sheets)
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: 100gsm
Page Style: Lined, Grid
Size: A5
Kokuyo Century Edition Notebook Review
Kyokuto Expedient
Pages: 160, 80 sheets
Binding: Spiral
Paper Weight: 81.4gsm
Page Style: Lined, Dot, Blank
Size: A5, B5
Kyokuto Expedient Notebook Review
Leuchtturm 1917
Pages: 242 (121 sheets)
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: 80gsm
Page Style: Lined, Dot, Blank
Size: A5, B5
Leuchtturm 1917 Notebook Review
Life Noble Note
Pages: 200 (100 sheets)
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: 84.9gsm
Page Style: Lined, Blank, Grid
Size: A4, A5
Life Noble Notebook Review
Life Pistachio/Vermilion
Pages: 32
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: 82gsm
Page Style: Lined, Grid
Size: A6, B6
Life Pistachio Notebook – A smaller notebook filled with amazing paper.
This paper is very smooth and is wonderful to write on. From what I can tell, it is the exact same paper that is used in the Noble notebooks. If you’re a fan of sheen, you’ll be a big fan of Life paper. While it doesn’t quite show as much sheen as Tomoe River, it shows more than most other papers on the market. It also shows a lot of shading for inks that shade. The paper colors that are available match the color in the descriptions. The Pistachio notebooks have light green lines and a very lightly green-tinted paper. The Vermilion notebooks have red lines and orange/cream-tinted paper.
In my opinion, the Life Pistachio and Vermilion notebooks are a good value, especially if you’re looking for a small notebook. If you want to try out Life paper without investing in a Noble notebook, these are a great place to start. The paper is of the highest quality and the notebook construction is simple, sturdy and useful.
Logical Prime
Pages: 80 (40 sheets)
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: ~80gsm
Page Style: Lined, Grid, Dot
Size: A5, B5
Logical Prime Notebook Review
Maruman Cover Note
Pages: 172 (88 sheets)
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: 78gsm
Page Style: Lined
Size: A5, A6, B7
Maruman Cover Note – My daily use notebook for planning. The paper bleeds too much for use with fountain pens.
I started using this Maruman Cover Note notebook as my daily planner at the beginning of 2018. After writing in it almost every day for a few months, I have to say that I am disappointed in the quality of the paper when used with fountain pens. I initially had high hopes for it, as Maruman typically has good paper quality and the paper felt very smooth.
The notebook is well made and I think the stitch binding will stand up to a lot of use. The stitch binding also allows it to lay flat, which is always a good quality for a notebook to have. It has two ribbon page markers, which I have found to be useful when using this notebook as a planner. The paper is actually very nice to write on. It is very smooth, has dark grey lines and a nice ivory color. It has decent shading, but only shows a bit of sheen on the strongest sheening inks.
I don’t think that I have experienced any feathering with this notebook. It also has low to medium ghosting. The thing that really lets this notebook down is the amount the paper bleeds. With normal writing and a variety of nibs and inks, I would say that over 75% have bled through the page, making writing on the reverse side almost impossible. Of course, if you only want to write on one side of a page, this won’t really be an issue for you since I haven’t had any writing bleed through onto the following page.
While this notebook has some good things going for it, I would not recommend it to anyone who wants to write in it with fountain pens. Not only do most pens and inks bleed through the paper, but it also fails to show any sheen for most inks. There are definitely better fountain pen friendly notebook options out there. For full product details, check out the product page on the Maruman website.
Maruman Mnemosyne
Pages: 70-80 (35-40 sheets)
Binding: Spiral
Paper Weight: 80gsm
Page Style: Lined, Grid, Blank
Size: A4, A5, A6, B5, B6
Maruman Mnemosyne Notebook Review
Midori MD Cotton
Pages: 176 (88 sheets)
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: 68gsm?
Page Style: Blank, Lined or Grid
Size: A4, A5, A6
Midori MD Cotton Notebook Review
Midori MD
Pages: 176 (88 sheets)
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: 68gsm?
Page Style: Blank, Lined or Grid
Size: A4, A5, A6, B6
Midori MD Notebook Review
Minimalism Art
Pages: 192 pages (96 sheets)
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: 100gsm
Page Style: Blank, Lined, Dot or Grid
Size: A4, A5, B5, B6
Minimalism Art Notebook Review
North of Rosemont
Pages: 48 (24 sheets)
Binding: Staple
Paper Weight: 104gsm
Page Style: Dot (cross-style)
Size: 4″x5.75″ (approximately A6)
North of Rosemont Notebook Review
Pebble Stationery
Pages: 120 (60 sheets)
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: 52gsm
Page Style: Dot
Size: A5
Pebble Stationery Notebook Review
Pen Chalet Endless Recorder
Pages: 160 (80 sheets)
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: 68gsm
Page Style: Dot, Blank
Size: A5
Pen Chalet Endless Recorder Notebook Review
Profolio Oasis
Pages: 160 (80 sheets)
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: 75gsm
Page Style: Custom Pattern
Size: A5, A6, B5
Profolio Oasis Notebook Review
SohoSpark Journal
Pages: 240 (120 sheets)
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: 80gsm
Page Style: Lined, Dot, Blank
Size: A5
SohoSpark Journal Review
Stálogy Notebook
Pages: 68 (34 sheets)
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: 81.4gsm
Page Style: Lined
Size: B5
Stálogy Notebook Review
Taroko Enigma
Pages: 192
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: 68gsm
Page Style: Blank or Dot
Size: A5, A6
Taroko Enigma – A great notebook filled with the amazing Tomoe River paper.
I use this notebook for my ink journal, in which I test all of the different inks I have. It is made by Taroko Design and uses Tomoe River paper, regarded by many to be the best paper for fountain pens. Its stitch binding allows it to lay flat, but I have found that over time the cover has started to curl a bit and doesn’t sit completely flat with the rest of the book when closed. I have not experienced any feathering or bleeding with this paper (other than bleeding with big ink splats). Since it is the heaver Tomoe River paper, it also only has medium ghosting.
Tomoe River is well known for showing off the different properties of ink and this notebook is no exception. The white paper color will not affect how ink looks. The amount of sheen that it shows is some of the highest you’ll find. It also shows a good amount of shading. These come at a price, though, as dry time is longer than with many other papers.
The Taroko Enigma notebook is a wonderful notebook for fountain pen lovers. The paper quality is amazing and the book is very well made. It even includes an insert that you can place behind the page you’re writing on to keep things smooth and your writing straight. If you want one of the best notebooks around, you can’t go wrong with an Enigma by Taroko Design. If you don’t want wait on an order from their Etsy shop to ship from Taiwan, other notebook options are available on Amazon.
Tsubame Note
Pages: 30, 60, 100
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: 81.4gsm
Page Style: Lined, Blank, Graph
Size: A5, B5
Tsubame Note Notebook Review
Wild Pages
Pages: 96 (48 sheets)
Binding: Stitch
Paper Weight: 80gsm?
Page Style: Blank
Size: Unique sizes, but close to B6 and B5
Wild Pages Notebook Review
Interested in trying some of these papers before buying a notebook? Head over to my shop and pick up a paper sample pack.
Quick Reference Table
| Page Style (Blank, Lined, Grid, Dot) | Binding Style (Glue, Stitch, Coil, Staple) | Size Options | Price Range Low - Under $8 Medium - $8-$12 High - Over $12 | Cost Per Sheet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  Apica CD15 | Lined | Stitch | A5, B5, A7, B7 | Low | $0.07 |
  Apica Premium C.D. | Blank, Lined, Grid | Stitch | A4, A5, B5 | High | $0.14 |
 Baron Fig Vanguard | Lined, Dot, Blank | Stitch | Pocket, Vanguard (A5), Plus | Medium | $0.11 |
 Berlin Notebook | Blank | Staple | A6 | Low | $0.21 |
 Black n' Red Notebook | Lined | Spiral | A5 | Low | $0.11 |
 Clairefontaine Basic Notebook | Lined, Dot | Glue | A4, A5 | Medium | $0.09 |
 CVS Caliber Notebook | Lined | Staple | B5 | Low | $0.04 |
  Fabriano Eco Qua | Blank, Lined, Grid, Dot | Glue, Staple, Coil | Many | Low | $0.08 |
 Elia Note | Lined, Dot, Blank | Stitch | A5 | High | $0.12 |
 Exceed Bullet Journal | Lined, Dot | Stitch | A5 | Medium | $0.07 |
 Graphilo | Blank, Lined, Grid | Stitch | A5 | High | $0.47 |
 Itoya Romeo | Blank, Lined, Dot | Spiral | A4, A5, B5, B6 | High | $0.21 |
 Kokuyo Campus | Lined | Glue | A5, B5 | Low | $0.12 |
 Kokuyo Century Edition | Lined, Grid | Stitch | A5 | High | $0.23 |
 Kyokuto Expedient | Blank, Lined, Dot | Spiral | A5, B5 | Medium | $0.11 |
 Leuchtturm 1917 | Blank, Lined, Dot | Stitch | A5, B5 | High | $0.16 |
  Life Noble Note | Blank, Lined, Grid | Stitch | A4, A5 | High | $0.13 |
  Life Pistachio/Vermilion | Lined, Grid | Stitch | A6, B6 | Low | $0.11 |
 Logical Prime | Lined, Grid, Dot | Stitch | A5, B5 | Low | $0.15 |
  Maruman Cover Note | Lined | Stitch | A5, A6, B7 | High | $0.18 |
 Maruman Mnemosyne | Blank, Lined, Grid | Spiral | A4, A5, A6, B5, B6 | Medium | $0.09 |
 Midori MD Cotton | Blank, Lined, Grid | Stitch | A4, A5, A6 | High | $0.16 |
  Midori MD | Blank, Lined, Grid | Stitch | A4, A5, A6, B6 | High | $0.15 |
 Minimalism Art | Blank, Lined, Dot, Grid | Stitch | A4, A5, B5, B6 | Medium | $0.11 |
 North of Rosemont | Dot (Cross-style) | Staple | A6 | Low | $0.16 |
 Pebble Stationery | Dot | Stitch | A5 | High | $0.11 |
 Pen Chalet Endless Recorder | Dot, Blank | Stitch | A5 | High | $0.28 |
 Profolio Oasis | Custom Pattern | Stitch | A5, A6, B5 | Medium | $0.13 |
 SohoSpark | Blank, Lined, Dot | Stitch | A5 | High | $0.25 |
 Stálogy | Lined | Stitch | B5 | Low | $0.21 |
 Taroko Enigma | Blank, Dot | Stitch | A5 | High | $0.16 |
 Tsubame Note | Blank, Lined, Graph | Stitch | A5, B5 | Low | $0.08 |
 Wild Pages | Blank | Stitch | B5, B6 (approx) | High | $0.35 |
Comments 21
Love the Taroko Enigma. The Tomoe River has always been my favorite. It’s used in my Hobonichi Weeks Mega planner, and it holds up well despite how thin the pages are.
Author
I’m also surprised by how well the Tomoe River holds up to regular use. It seems like it should get beat up, but it never does!
Thanks for exposing some new paper to me. I’ve just used Rhodia and Leuchtturm1917
Author
You’re very welcome! Definitely try out some different papers if you get a chance. They can make writing even more enjoyable!
I hope to soon!
My favorite notebooks for fountain pen are the rhodia a5 dot grids
Author
Rhodia does make some great paper!
Thanks for this great informational roundup!
Author
You’re welcome, Dan. I’ve got an update planned soon, so check back!
Thank you for the review. I also love the papier in the Kokuyo Jibun Techo Bizz.
Author
Glad you enjoyed it! I’ll have to see if I can find one of those notebooks. Thanks for the suggestion!
There’s a Spanish brand, Miquelrius I’d add to your list, with the caveat that they are hard to find in the US. They come in 200 and 300 sheet soft cover journals that are about 6″x*8 and they were under $20 per for the 300 sheet ones the last time I put an order in with them. They come in both lined and graph pages (not sure about dot grid or unlined). The last time I ordered I could only get the black covers (in the past they also had red, blue and green. Paper is pretty FP friendly — I seldom get showthrough or bleedthrough and the paper is fairly smooth. I do what’s called “morning pages” journalling, and so something that’s 600 pages is really useful for me (I go through about three volumes or so per year. Not as nice of course as Tomoe River paper, but heavy enough that you can write on both sides. They used to carry the 200 sheet graph paper ones at Barnes & Noble; they also used to make big spiral bound ones that my husband liked because the pages were printed with a variety of formats — some graph paper, some lined pages, some with boxed sections, and the edges of the paper were color coded (he’d routinely buy the local B&N stores out both here and up near where his mom lived in Massachusetts) but I don’t think Miquelrius makes those any more (I don’t know if those were FP friendly).
No affiliation with the company except as a happy consumer — I LOVE the 300 sheet journals, and since they’re hard to get I tend to stock up and buy a bulk order.
Author
Ruth, I feel like I’ve seen Miquelrius before (I think it was in a stationery shop in SF), but can’t say I’ve ever tried them. I’ll have to keep an eye out for them and grab one the next chance I get!
Thank you for this great post. Of note is that McNally Jackson (Goods for the Study) in NYC stocks Kakimori notebooks using either OK Fools’ Cap paper or Mitsubishi Bank paper.
Author
Thanks for reading, Malcom! That’s good to know about The NYC shop. Hopefully I’ll get to check it out in person someday!
As a brand new FP geek, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the tremendous work you’ve done in compiling these guides and publishing them so that others may partake of your largess. There is an astounding amount of information here and a true
God-send for a beginner like myself.
I have recently began undertaking writing my memoirs and more recently decided I want to enjoy the mechanics of the writing as much as the writing itself, which though rewarding, is hard work. I might as well enjoy it as much as possible and writing with a nice quality pen on decent paper seems like the best way to do that. I have purchased a Lamy, one of the basic ones, that felt good writing with it in my local art supply store. I ordered your Notebook sample pack a few days ago to help me select a suitable notebook that best fits my needs. I’ve been reading your lessons on the many papers available (who knew?) and the properties of pen, paper and ink. Wow! So much to learn!
Thanks again for all this information you’ve provided to us to get a good start!
Author
David, I’m so glad to hear you appreciate the work and are finding it useful! Once you start to experience different pens, inks and papers, I’m sure you’ll find some favorites that will make writing your memoirs that much more enjoyable. Happy writing and best of luck!
I also am very impressed and thankful for your work on paper/notebook reviews. To cover even this many types takes a significant amount of time, work, and meticulous attention in addition to needing to aquire all of them.. I appreciate very much the time, work and the information it has provided. Excellent job
Author
Thank you, Jim! It definitely takes a significant amount of time, but the nice thing about it is at the end of the day I’m still using my pens and inks. Thanks so much for reading!
I LOVE Miquelrius notebooks but have had trouble finding them lately. Have you been able to find them recently??
Author
I haven’t seen any recently, Terri. I used to see them at a shop in Oakland when I lived in SF, but honestly can’t say I’ve seen any for years now.