Apica CD15 Notebook Review

Sometimes you just want a simple, inexpensive notebook that is still fountain pen friendly. I tend to review some fairly expensive notebooks and most people probably don’t want to spend $15-20 on a notebook for random scribbles. If you fall into this category, Apica’s notebooks might be just what you’re looking for. Not only are they extremely fountain pen friendly, but most of them can be had for under $5. Don’t let the price fool you, though. These notebooks should appeal to almost anyone who demands high-quality paper.

Please note: most of the images in this review are of the Apica 3A50 notebook. My CD15 was pretty beat up, so I grabbed a new notebook for the photos. Rest assured, the only significant differences are the number of pages in each notebook and the size of each notebook.

First Impressions

I don’t know about you, but my first impression of this notebook wasn’t very favorable. I’d seen them in a few different shops and they were always inexpensive, especially compared to the other notebooks that I recognized. I immediately, and as you will see, wrongly, assumed that they were not high quality notebooks.

Moving past that, I was also not sure of how to use them. The CD15 doesn’t have very many pages, so it’s probably not the best option for a journal. Still, I was intrigued by the feel of the paper and the price. The paper feels nice and smooth and at such a low price I wouldn’t be out much if it turned out to be poor quality. Let me say that I am very glad I took a chance on this notebook. Read on to find out why.

The Details

Some of these details apply specifically to the CD15 notebook. Other notebooks will have different page counts or line spacing.

• Pages: 68 (34 sheets)
• Paper Weight: 81.4gsm
• Binding: Stitch
• Page Style: Lined (6.5mm)
• Size: A5, B5, A7, B7

Ink-handling characteristics (A table with the following properties can be found at the bottom of this post)

• Sheen: Medium
• Shading: Low
• Bleeding: Medium
• Ghosting: Medium
• Feathering: Very low
• Dry Time: Low

Other features

• Multiple sizes and cover colors
• Index page in some models
• Varying line spacing
• Dedicated Page/Date space on each page

Actual Use

Let’s start by discussing the layout and construction of this notebook. The CD15 and other related “CD” notebooks are all thin, low page-count notebooks. The cover design is exactly the same regardless of which size you choose. Each of these is composed of one signature, which means getting the notebook to open and lay flat can be challenging. The 3A50 notebook that is used in the photos has more pages and two signatures, but you’ll still run into the same issues getting it to stay open.

The CD notebooks all open directly to the first page of the notebook, but I was surprised to find the 3A50 has an index. I suppose it makes sense, as it has more pages (100 pages versus 68 in the CD15). In all of the notebooks, you’ll find the same page layout. Each page has a top and bottom margin, along with a space for the page number and date at the top of each page. The line coloring is a slightly dark grey, but not so dark that it takes over the page.

The quality of the paper in these Apica notebooks is a very pleasant surprise. It is nice and smooth to write on and, in my opinion, can hold its own when compared to notebooks that cost much more. In addition to how pleasant the paper is to write on, it is extremely high-performing! In my writing tests and general use, I observed little to no feathering or bleeding. Ghosting is also surprisingly low and I would gladly use both sides of a sheet.

As for ink performance, this paper will do a great job at showing off your inks. It does show a good amount of sheen, but not as much as other (more expensive) notebooks. It shows less shading, which is surprising. Dry times are good, especially when compared to other notebooks with similar ink performance.

I keep mentioning how inexpensive these notebooks are. At less than $5 each, they certainly don’t cost very much, but let’s take a closer look at how much each page actually costs, especially when compared to other more expensive notebooks. Even though I can find a CD15 for under $5, it only has 34 sheets of paper. The cost per sheet for a CD15 comes out to about $0.15. Compare that to a Midori MD notebook that costs twice as much, but has nearly 3-times the pages and you’ll find that it only costs around $0.11/sheet. In fact, at that $0.15/sheet price point, you can pick up some very nice notebooks like a Life Noble Note or Leuchtturm1917 notebook. Still, you might not always have $10-15 to spend on a notebook, so having one that is high quality for only $5 can be a very nice option.

Conclusion

At the beginning of this review I mentioned that initially I wasn’t sure exactly how to use a notebook with so few pages. After using it for a bit I now almost prefer these smaller page-count notebooks. I end up using them as tracking journals for things like books I’ve read, inks that I’ve used or even tasks and ideas for this website! The size is ideal and the price is right. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the paper is very nice to write on and shows off all of the different inks I use. My big complaint is that they don’t stay open very well. As long as you can find a way to keep the notebook open, that shouldn’t be a huge problem. If you’re like me and initially dismissed the Apica CD15 as a low-quality notebook, you need to get one and see what you’ve been missing. It is definitely worth tossing one into your cart the next time you place an order or, better yet, see one in an actual shop. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

If you’d like a bit more information about how I test papers and notebooks, I wrote an article about my paper rating system.

Interested in trying this paper before buying a notebook? Head over to my shop and pick up a paper sample pack.