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Looking at picking up a FP at Office Depot for starters, figured I'd grab a notebook while I'm there. Anybody got a favorite that I can start with?
 
Available at Office Depot? Hmmm...maybe Black n' Red brand if it's there (it's on their website, anyway). That has FP-friendly paper.

Any paper that's marked 24lb or higher. Generally, paper that's 80-90gsm (which is 24lb paper here in the US I think) or above. There are some exceptions, but in general, this is a safe paper weight. If it's not marked, then feel the paper inside if you can. If it feels smooth to the touch and is thick, you could try it.
 
The problem is, here in the US at brick and mortar stores at least, the options are limited. I know that the Ecosystem journals are FP-friendly if you can find them. Ditto for Miquelrius notebooks (I found one at Target of all places, but haven't seen one since) and the "Made in Brazil" old school-style Composition Books once available at Walmart. Black n' Red definitely is.

But other than that, unless you find somewhere that sells Rhodia or Clairefontaine, you're better off looking online. That's what most of us do that don't have a specialty stationery store nearby.

The paper weight helps a lot, but it's also the finish on the surface of the paper that matters. Miquelrius notebooks are only like 70gsm paper weight, but they take FP's very well. The Japanese stationery is the same...a lot of it is lower than 80gsm (Kokuyo/Maruman), but works wonderfully. Tomoe River Paper is very thin, only 52gsm, and you can draw huge calligraphy letters on it with a 6mm nib and it doesn't flinch.

But standard US copy paper with a 20lb/75gsm weight? Feathering and bleedthrough city. Paper just isn't made with fountain pens in mind these days in the US, especially in notebooks. You find what works through trial and error if you're out in the wild searching.
 
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My standard work notebooks are the "Conceptum" books by Sigel. But they may be a bit more than you want to pay (no idea how much they cost in the USA anyway).
 
Staples Sustainable Earth notebooks are great inexpensive notebooks. They are very fountain pen friendly.
 
This is the one that I have been using lately as Office Depot was out of the "Black and Red" notebooks at the time. It works well with my Safari. However, I haven't really used anything else since acquiring my Safari in the last month. I just ordered a Rhodia and it should be arriving next week so I will have to compare them side by side to see how FP friendly the Office Depot Business one really is.

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I know staples has their sustainable earth notebook, they are okay, dont feather ink or bleed through, but it does ghost. Not sure if Office depot has anything like that. Ive found all my fav notebooks online
 
I know staples has their sustainable earth notebook, they are okay, dont feather ink or bleed through, but it does ghost. Not sure if Office depot has anything like that. Ive found all my fav notebooks online
I've learned to not be bothered with ghosting. It used to gnaw at me but not anymore. I wouldn't deprive myself of Tomoe River paper, for example, even though it ghosts like crazy.

But you're right...the OP should just look online and put an order together. It'll save time, gas, and trouble.
 
Ghosting bothers me very much, especially when I use medium or wider nibs. Paper quality is my #1 concern with the notebooks I use.
 
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