Journal Recommendations

**teamacacia** · 12-27-2006, 07:26 AM

Gentlemen,
I am in the need for advice concerning the purchase of a writing journal. I intend to use either my current pelikan 400 fine nib or possibly purchasing something with a finer nib, looking at the sailor xfine and fine right now. I would prefer brown leather or black leather as the cover and a good paper that will take the ink nicely. I am not very knowledgable in this area and look forward to your recommendations.
Thanks

**htownmmm** · 12-27-2006, 07:41 AM

It is possible to find some nice journals @ Borders that use archival paper and are bound in leather.

Marty

**ratcheer** · 12-27-2006, 07:54 AM

Originally Posted by teamacacia

Gentlemen,
I am in the need for advice concerning the purchase of a writing journal. I intend to use either my current pelikan 400 fine nib or possibly purchasing something with a finer nib, looking at the sailor xfine and fine right now. I would prefer brown leather or black leather as the cover and a good paper that will take the ink nicely. I am not very knowledgable in this area and look forward to your recommendations.
Thanks

I have always wanted to do that, too. Well, for the past 18 years or so. But I've never focused on it to the point of actually starting it.

Tim

**kozulich** · 12-27-2006, 07:55 AM

Originally Posted by teamacacia

Gentlemen,
I am in the need for advice concerning the purchase of a writing journal. I intend to use either my current pelikan 400 fine nib or possibly purchasing something with a finer nib, looking at the sailor xfine and fine right now. I would prefer brown leather or black leather as the cover and a good paper that will take the ink nicely. I am not very knowledgable in this area and look forward to your recommendations.
Thanks

I bought mine at Barnes & Noble. Nice paper. Takes fountain ink well. Bound in black or brown leather with gold leaf paper edges and ribbon marker. Very classy, refined, elegant, understated.

**Dennis** · 12-27-2006, 08:02 AM

Consider the Moleskine line of journals. Very nice - I use one for sketching while backpacking.

Dennis

**webguru24** · 12-27-2006, 08:48 AM

+1 for the Moleskine, but you may need a finer nib, as at least in mine, the lines are rather tiny and my medium nib pen can't really get in between.

**teamacacia** · 12-27-2006, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by kozulich

I bought mine at Barnes & Noble. Nice paper. Takes fountain ink well. Bound in black or brown leather with gold leaf paper edges and ribbon marker. Very classy, refined, elegant, understated.

Do you have any pics or something that I may compare with when I go to Borders and/or B&N?
Thanks

**smithno** · 12-27-2006, 12:52 PM

I have tried several including:

Red & Black. From Staples in the US. Heavy paper, I really liked the A5 size.
Miquelrius. Available at Target in the. Nice paper and most of my fountain pens work with it.
Naturals. Books-A-Million store brand. Very much like the Moleskine. The pocket size is slightly bigger than the Moleskine equivalent. Again, the finer the nib the better.
Moleskine - college rule, paper varies, the finer nib on the fountain pen the better.

The order is least expensive to most. I have a couple of Moleskines, but they are too expensive IMHO. I'm a frugle kind of guy. I tend to use the Naturals pocket size and Miquelrius in the bigger size (A5/8.5x5.5+-) because it works well with fountain pens. I like the paper in the Red&Balck, but the binding doesn't want to lay flat. All are good quality widely available.

Choosing a journal is like choosing a fountain pen or shaving stuff; it's a very personal choice and what every works for you is the correct one!

Norm

**Scorpio** · 12-27-2006, 01:21 PM

Yoy may also want to look at your local stationary stores, the kind that do wedding invitations, they carry different types of fountain pen ink friendly paper. In addition, you may want to look in www.fountainpennetwork.com, they have a lot of information and you dont have to register to look around. Hope this helps.

Raf

**Scotto** · 12-28-2006, 06:53 PM

Moleskine paper stinks for fountain pens, IMO. I have used various journals from Levenger for years and have always been extremely pleased.

**fuerein** · 12-29-2006, 04:26 AM

Originally Posted by Scotto

Moleskine paper stinks for fountain pens, IMO. I have used various journals from Levenger for years and have always been extremely pleased.

I agree. Levenger paper works very well with with fountain pens. Nearly all (if not all) the paper they sell is 60lb paper and has very little bleeding with a fountain. When I use my fountains on their paper the only places I end up with bleed throughs are small dots where I lingered for too long with the nib stationary on the paper. I guess that is a bad habit retained from ballpoint writing.

**kozulich** · 12-29-2006, 06:45 AM

Originally Posted by teamacacia

Do you have any pics or something that I may compare with when I go to Borders and/or B&N?
Thanks

No, sorry I don't, and I couldn't find it on their website either. I looked at the moleskine journals and just thought their paper looked too thin for use with a fountain pen. This one that I bought, and I can't remember the name of, has nice thick, smooth paper. Came in several sizes, softbound, and in either classic black bonded leather or british tan bonded leather cover with the word "JOURNAL" embossed discreetly on the front. It looks very much like this but I can't be sure that's the exact one. Description sounds like it except that mine is larger format.

**Woknblues** · 01-02-2007, 05:13 AM

absolutely, moleskine will be perfect. They come in every size and format one would ever need. They are the perfect combination of durability and function and style. Many famous artists and writers have used them. They are also pretty cheap; I found ebay a great source.

**kozulich** · 01-02-2007, 05:54 AM

Originally Posted by teamacacia

Do you have any pics or something that I may compare with when I go to Borders and/or B&N?
Thanks

I did some research over the weekend. My Journal is by Gallery Leather. Hope that helps.

**Trev1960** · 01-02-2007, 06:22 AM

This is what I use (in black) and they are very good
http://www.renaissance-art.com/Prod16/Product.aspx

I did find that the paper had too much "tooth" for a fine nib, the second one i bought I ordered with Zerkell paper. It is not listed in the options but email them and they can help you out, I asked for and received a sample of the paper to test.

**tm3** · 01-02-2007, 07:34 AM

just to add to the confusion, based on info at fountainpennetwork.com (where i did some preXmas research) ...

it has been reported that levenger has changed their paper and the new stuff is not equivalent to the old.

i read a lot of complaints about moleskine and bleedthrough with fountain pens.

**murchmb** · 01-02-2007, 07:42 AM

People have had good results on Moleskine paper with the Lamy 2000 in XF and Namiki Vanishing Points in F. There is also the issue of inks. Some work better than others on particular papers. I would suggest something dries quickly.

**rtaylor61** · 01-02-2007, 10:20 AM

I use the Lamy Safari with my Moleskine journals.

Randy

**supercarl** · 01-02-2007, 12:47 PM

hero 329 works perfectly with moleskine

**ravkesef** · 01-02-2007, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by rtaylor61

I use the Lamy Safari with my Moleskine journals.

Randy

What ink are you using? I find that my Lami Safari (even with an EF nib) bleeds through Moleskine. (I also understand that Moleskine has changed their quality recently, but I still have the old notebooks.)