Leuchtturm1917 Softcover Notebook Review

Disclaimer: I have left the following post as it was originally written since it does apply to this particular notebook, but for a more complete review of Leuchtturm notebooks, please read my blog post A Tale Of Two Notebooks: Differences In Leuchtturm Paper Quality. I do not recommend you purchase a Leuchtturm notebook based solely on the following review without first reading the other blog post!

Leuchtturm is one of those notebook companies who people seem to either really like or really dislike. They are very popular in the bullet journal community and also with many fountain pen users. They also seem to draw quite a bit of criticism from some fountain pen users. There are a few different reasons for this, which I’ll investigate, but for now let’s start out by taking a look at the Leuchtturm1917 softcover notebook.

First Impressions

My first impression of this notebook is that it is very high quality. The cover feels very nice, both soft and luxurious, and it looks great as well. The notebook has a dense feel, but it isn’t overly heavy. The soft cover gives it some flexibility, but it is not floppy. The paper has an ivory/cream color with small, grey dots. It doesn’t feel super smooth like some Japanese papers do, but still feels like it will be fountain pen friendly.

The Details

The Leuchtturm1917 Softcover notebook is packed with features, which is one of the things that people love about them. Here’s a quick rundown of the details:

• Pages: 121
• Paper Weight: 80gsm
• Binding: Stitch
• Page Style: Lined, Dot, Blank
• Size: A5, B5

Ink-handling characteristics

• Feathering: None observed
• Ghosting: Medium/High
• Bleeding: None observed
• Sheen: Medium
• Shading: High

Other features

• Elastic closure strap
• Rear Pocket
• Soft and flexible faux-leather cover
• Comes in various colors
• 8 tear out pages in back
• Two ribbon page markers
• Numbered pages
• Includes stickers for labeling the spine and inside cover
• Includes three pages for contents

Actual Use

I have to say, this is some very nice paper to write on. I enjoy a little feedback from my paper when I write, which Leuchtturm delivers. If you’re a fan of shading, you’ll love this paper. It has some of the highest ink shading I’ve experienced. It also delivers a good amount of sheen, although not as much as the sheen champion, Tomoe River.

During writing, the notebook does a good job of laying flat. In the first few pages you’ll have to give it a bit of encouragement before the cover stays down, but otherwise it should stay open while you write. The grey dots are not at all intrusive and do a good job at acting as guides without interfering with your writing. The elastic closure band fits fairly tight, but not so tight that you won’t be able to keep a few things in the back pocket. Leuchtturm also knows how to attach the elastic band to the rear cover so that it won’t interfere with your writing (unlike the Clairefontaine Basic clothbound notebook I previously reviewed). One thing that I did notice is that it rubs on the cover material and leaves a worn dent on the top and bottom of the cover. While it’s not a big deal for the performance of the notebook, this might bother some people.

I mentioned that many people love Leuchtturm notebooks. In addition to the nice paper, people love that the pages are numbered and there is a table of contents inside the front cover. This makes them very useful notebooks for people who keep journals, including bullet journals, and want the option to quickly reference and find particular pages. They also come with two page markers, so frequently used pages can be marked and found easily. They also come with some tear out pages in the back, so if you’re ever in need of some paper that you can give to someone, you’ll always have it if you have a Leuchtturm notebook.

I also mentioned that some people do not particularly care for Leuchtturm notebooks. One of the reasons for this is that the paper isn’t super smooth and does offer some feedback. While I personally like paper with a bit of feedback, not everyone does, so that’s one reason why Leuchtturm notebooks aren’t for everyone. Another reason is the amount of ghosting the pages have. While I didn’t observe any feathering or bleeding, I did notice that there is enough ghosting that many people would not want to use both sides of a page.

Conclusion

Overall, the Leuchtturm1917 Softcover notebook is a great notebook. It is well made, feels very luxurious, has great paper and offers more features than many other notebooks on the market. While the paper is fountain pen friendly and can make your inks look great, it does have a high amount of ghosting, making it hard to use both sides of a page. One other thing that I haven’t mentioned yet is the value. These notebooks have a significantly higher cost per page than other premium fountain pen friendly notebooks. Fortunately, you do get additional features for that additional cost, so you might find this notebook worth the price. Overall, Leuchtturm makes great notebooks, but you’ll probably want to think twice before buying one if you want more value for your money or if ghosting bothers you.

Disclaimer: I have left the previous post as it was originally written since it does apply to this particular notebook, but for a more complete review of Leuchtturm notebooks, please read my blog post A Tale Of Two Notebooks: Differences In Leuchtturm Paper Quality. I do not recommend you purchase a Leuchtturm notebook based solely on the previous review without first reading the other blog post!

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