i’m still in my evaluation phase of a handful of different journals and paper types… in general, i think i’m a fan of most notebooks that have tomoe river paper, because it works so nicely with my fountain pens, but some specifics:
- maruman mnemosyne spiral bound: i am using these in lined a4 or a5 format for my morning journals. good daily driver, bleeds a little if you’re overly aggressive.
- apica premium CD: i am currently using one in memo size to jot down notes, ideas, and first drafts for a writing project i’m working on. i have a larger format that i’m planning to use for practicing drawing with fineliner pens, but i haven’t actually done that yet, so i’m not sure how well they go together. paper is SUPER silky and smooth, resistant to bleeding, but the smoothness makes it feels quite a bit different from most other kinds of paper.
(ed. note: the above two were taken from Wirecutter’s article on the best notebooks and notepads)
- traveler’s company: these are not really notebooks themselves, but sort of a system for customizing and evolving your own little custom notebook. you buy a leather cover, which comes with one notebook “refill,” and then you typically will either buy more to stuff in all at once, or to replace your refills as they fill up. it’s a very neat little way to have a nice notebook with some flexible paper choices and cute accessories! these use Midori MD paper, which is very solid, but there are a lot of different varieties you can get, so it’s worth exploring. i would argue the neatest thing about this choice is its modularity, which lets you e.g. explore Etsy listings for custom refills and accessories!
Oct 9, 2024
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moleskine: always reliable. they have a6, hardcover, elastic band, all page styles. a little pricey but ive never regretted.
travelers company notebook: pricy but absolutely worth the investment. you can refill it, and have up to 3 booklets. i usually have a blank, a “sketch paper” and either watercolor or blank ivory. they have lined, graph, calendar, etc as well.
its not hard cover, but it has an elastic band
kokuyo campus notebooks: not really “art” notebooks, but my all time favorite for notes. they have lined, blank, grid, etc. also not hard cover
ngl i also just go on amazon a lot for journals
May 20, 2024
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i carry one everywhere i go, so if i have an idea, an observation, or just want to spontaneously journal out in the wildy, i write it down in the book! i enjoy writing with a nice pen vs typing on my phone and it's kind of therapeutic? it makes you feel more present with your thoughts since there are no notifications to distract you! also you get to practice your hand writing!
the pocket notebooks i use are field notes (grid) and moleskine (blank)
i also love writing with muji pens hehe
Apr 18, 2024
Nothing feels better than a good pen, I got this one from a stationary store in Tokyo called Kakimori. It is refillable with whatever color ink you like and is a traditional rollerball pen So there's not the fuss of more advanced writing utensils like fountain pens with nibs etc. When the cap comes off it extends the pens length and balances it out perfectly but that means when the cap is on it's shorter and more portable, it's also solid aluminum so it's super durable. The notebook is from a gallery in Bangkok that had a bunch of fun random notebooks made by artists. Kakimori also does custom notebooks which is super fun (This is not that one but I'll show off mine in another post)
Side Note: stuffs A lot cheaper in japan
2d ago
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be nice about me not wearing very much makeup or i will commission a hex on you
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sincerity is cool, caring is cool, you are all cool
Feb 28, 2024