Although I have trouble writing much by hand, I recently found myself in the market for a notebook, and decided to semi-crowdsource recommendations1 from my Facebook friends. I was certain that I had a subset of people who would have opinions about this. Here, anonymized, are their recommendations. Why? Why not?
Before I begin, I’d like to say that I was gratified by how many of my friends hold a particular correct opinion, namely that dot grid is clearly the best of any notebook layout options. I will not be taking questions.
The recommendations:
Moleskine - a classic of the genre. If the indie bookstore you are in does not have a display of these, I am very skeptical.
Leuchtturm1917 - this is very popular among the bullet journal set. I am an avid bullet journal-er for work purposes2, and I mean bullet journal in the traditional “list with rules” format, not the ornate journals that have come to be called bullet journals. I have not used one, but I have perused them and I know there are devoted aficionados.
Baronfig - I don’t have any experience with these, but they are dubbed “science-backed analog tools that supercharge your thinking,” which is exactly the sort of tag line that could have been developed in a lab specifically to target my genome.
Endless - I had not heard of this brand before, but I almost impulse purchased the stealth special edition of the recorder notebook because of the cool sprayed edges. This was an odd impulse on my part, I generally do not like the look of sprayed edges, but there was something very sleek about this one. However, I already have intimidation issues as far as actually using a notebook so I decided not to pull the switch on this one just yet.
Decomposition Books - I have one of these - a spiral dot grid notebook that I picked up in the Atlanta airport bookstore - and it’s quite good. However, I am death on spiral notebooks and seem to mangle anything with a composition book binding. A+ for available designs.
Write Notebooks - Another one I had not heard of, but that looks quite nice. You can even get the hardcover notebook monogrammed - talk about intimidating!
Field Notes - I always get nostalgia when I see these, because I was an earth sciences major and used an actual field notebook on trips (they have really weird paper). If I were in the market for a small, softcover notebook, this would have been a front runner.
reMarkable - This one is a bit of a cheat, because it’s not a notebook - it’s a tablet that is supposed to feel like writing on paper. I have heard from a few people that they really like them, but it’s not what I was looking for.
And finally… the one I chose: Rhodia Rhodiarama - what did it for me is the known quantity of the paper. I first learned about Rhodia paper when I was taking some calligraphy classes, and it’s smooth, lovely, and great for fountain and calligraphy pens. I am hoping that the smoothness of the paper will help me be able to handwrite for longer. Also, last week I impulse purchased a box of colorful fountain pens at a bookstore3 and I want to be able to use them without bleed through or smearing.
Semi- because I ended up going with the notebook I initially sourced, but I greatly enjoyed the recommendations I received and now want more notebooks, despite the facts that a) I cannot handwrite for very long and b) I have never once in my life managed to fill a non-school notebook, and, in fact, I often never even start on them because I’m intimidated that I’ll ruin them with my writing.
I use the Traveler’s Notebook system for this, with the weekly planner with memo notebooks, which works really well for me. The Japanese know their stationery. Prior to that, I used Northbooks dotted notebooks (made in the USA) and created the weekly grid myself. Those are nice notebooks, but I got tired of doing the layout myself, and there’s less bleed through with the Traveler’s.
I blame my mother for planting the fountain pen seed.
oh my, I love this, and, hate this, because I adore notebooks. Through an urgent need for a notebook while traveling 5 or 6 years ago, I found Apica notebooks in an art store - a Japanese brand which I've since filled up six - really nice paper, slim, spiral bound which I enjoy so I can write with it folded. But, they don't seem to be making them anymore so I've had to search to replace them. Then I was gifted three moleskins (7.25x9.75) which I feel obligated to use before buying any new notebooks. I'm almost through the first one, but now you've given me all of these options that I want to try! So, thank you, with just a little bit of regret!
Rhodia is my favorite.