» What would be your ULTIMATE journal design?
Once I discovered that there were paper products better suited to my writing habits beyond what a composition book from my local drugstore could provide, I ended up dedicating a good deal of time and energy trying to find what would be my ULTIMATE journal. The one that I would buy by the truckload so I would have enough of it on hand no matter what.
Trying about a billion (ok, maybe not that many) different products, I’ve come to the conclusion that I have two distinct needs to be served. For note taking, I prefer a spiral A5 sized book like the smaller Rhodia Meeting Book. I do not have a suitable flat writing surface in my house so I always use a spiral notebook folded back on itself balanced on my knee. I specifically like the width of the A5 size (5.83 “) for this purpose.
For journaling, my number one preference is a hard bound book which again, I use propped on my knee. Sometimes I even write with the spine balanced in my hand while standing. In either case, an A5 book is too wide. I need something a little thinner, like in the 5.25″ range which is easier to balance. When you aren’t writing on a flat surface, a book that opens flat is much easier to write in. (If you aren’t at a desk or table, you don’t have the leverage to force the pages as flat as they can go.)
I prefer off-white blank pages as white is too much of a strain on my eyes for extended writing sessions, and blank because I love to doodle in my journal. Lines in a journal make me feel like I’m back in high school doodling on 3 ring notebook paper. The paper MUST be compatible with waterbased fountain pen ink and super wet gel pen inks. Bleeding & feathering is unacceptable.
I like the covers to be solid colors like black, red or purple, and I prefer the cover material to not be too slippery that I can’t easily grab it from my bag. Ribbon bookmarks are helpful, but they have to be long enough and made from a material that resists fraying on the ends. (As that is unsightly.) I like the book to have some method of securing it shut – but that method should in no way interfere with how the book functions. (It should not get in the way.)
I appreciate a journal with rounded corners to the pages and the cover because when you get to the end of a page that has squared edges, the corner digs into the palm of my hand.
Having said all that, I want to hear what constitutes your ULTIMATE journal.
Comments
Wow! And I thought I was picky!
My perfect journal lies flat; has a hard back cover, paper that never displays bleed from any fountain-pen ink, perforated pages for removing pages that don’t belong in the journal (e.g., a spontaneous grocery list), and a size that’s easy to grab and carry or stash in a bag. All it took was some changes to the Rhodia Reverse Book; see my Flickr photo, “My Dorky Rhodia Reverse Mod” (http://www.flickr.com/photos/19225243@N03/4229219337/).
I like ISO paper sizes, as they have a geeky basis that appeals to me.
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mgk25/iso-paper.html
For work note taking, I have a Rhodia A4 spiral bound notebook. It replaces a Clairfontaine one that was not spiralbound. I need to have something that can fold back over on itself, to allow for writing while standing, minimize my desk footprint, etc. the paper needs to have lines.
For journals, I perfer A5. Right now, I have a roughly A5ish Moleskine. I like the hard back and the pocket in the back for random objects. I’m thinking about just getting one of their books’o'pockets. Its replacement might be spiral bound, to facilitate writing in odd places (on the bus, etc.). I’m torn on lines–I like having to guide writing, but sometimes they get in the way for drawing, etc.
For the paper, it has to be fountain pen friendly (unlike Moleskine paper). I’m like you–I’d prefer an off-white to a true white (like my Rhodia), but place the highest value on fountain pen compatibility. In any case, I’d prefer the paper not to be perforated. My Rhodia notebook is, and it seems to want to tear out for almost no reason.
I think I became picky once I started doing reviews and seeing all the available options…
I agree with you almost entirely, but I have a few preferences as well. I love leather wrapped journal, whether refillable or permanently bound. Hard or soft is acceptable, but I favor the soft, flexible covers because they feel more organic and I like being able to bend them. Soft covers are much more comfortable in my back pocket, too, as are rounded corners.
Leather color is not the most important issue, but in a perfect world, I would choose a tobacco brown that develops a patina with age. I love handling these after a few months of service. They almost develop a life of their own.
Wet ink-friendly paper is important to me, too. I hate bleed through, but on some of my notebooks, it simply doesn’t matter because I use pencils or ballpoint pens. I love the look of a pale ivory page with just the slightest hint of a line, and if the paper is opaque, I love it even more.
I detest spiral notebooks because I don’t like handling hard, metal objects for notes and the spiral always seems to get in the way. While they are functional for sketchbooks, I won’t use one unless the notebook is very large and the spiral can be placed out of the way when I work. I just don’t like touching the cold, hard metal when I work.
As for ribbon bookmarks, I can take them or leave them as I almost always have something stashed inside my notebook to keep my place. But a closure of some sort is a must, or all of the little things I stash inside will fall out, leaving a trail of litter behind me.
Wow, I guess I never really put these thoughts together in one place before. I never realized I was so picky. Perhaps we should put our heads together to see if we can create the world’sbest journal.
Since you specifically said *journal* . . .
It’s got to be larger than the usual 5×7 “journals” sold by outfits like Paperblanks. I prefer something at least 7×9 or ideally 8.5×11. Hardbound, but opens flat. Creamy off-white paper, or even light gray, with faint lines so that my writing stays straight. Paper of sufficient quality that nothing less than a Sharpie will bleed thru, and give me at least 160 leaves (320 pages). Ribbon marker is handy, but not essential. Don’t need an elastic band to hold it closed, but again, that’s handy to have. Cover should be sturdy enough to write on my knee if I have to and a solid color with no silly logo or cutesy picture printed on it.
Webbies and Habanas are almost perfect and I’m with you on absolutely EVERYTHING you said except spiral bindings. [For manuscripts, I use staple or cloth bound Clairefontaine notebooks because they fold back on themselves and stack neatly, but that's another thread.]
I would lose the logos on the pages, put the lines a hair closer together even tho’ I use BB and OBB and 1.3 stub nibs. I’d like the solid colors to come in a wider variety of shades and intensities. I lean more toward the white paper than the cream, as I want my ink color to stay true, but I’m not obsessive about it.
Otherwise, absolutely everything you said except for spiral bound applies to me. If you’re going to do cream paper, I have a fantasy of light shades, like the Lalo writing paper, but I’d still buy more in white.
Off-white or pale gray, hard back, 7 mm lined, no margins, FP friendly, 90 gsm, 7 x 10, top spiral bound with perforations. Rounded corners nice but not required. 100 pages would be good. Could make 8.5 x 11 size work since many folios are of that size. Smaller than 7 x 10 does not work well with my large handwriting.
I want hard or good soft cover — I have a refillable Excompta where the refills slide into the leather cover. I have come to prefer the medium sized 5X7 or so. Cream paper and definitely no lines. And 100-160 leaves so I have lots of pages to write on.
I used Moleskine notebooks before, but after the shift to fountain pen use I had to find other products that will be friendly to my favorite medium nibs. Until I got a Habana from Karen… I forgot all the other products I’ve tested before. The Habana is the perfect journal for me. I love to write on ruled pages, sometimes I go on writing 2-3 pages of text. If there are some items I feel I can paste on my Journal pages, I do that using an acid-free glue/paste. I also draw on my Journal if I feel like doing it. :)
I have a leather journal which takes 5″ x 8″ paper which I fill with card-stock. I am a fountain pen user (Well, I ought to be since I make them!) and I really like writing on card-stock. I hand-write my blog and edit it as I type it so refillable is essential for me.
It’s close with the current Webbie for me. Like hardcover, elastic closure, pocket in the back. The few “tweaks” I would do on the Webbie: pages lay flat when open, no logo on pages, would like grid paper like in Rhodia pads. Don’t need perforations.
My perfect journal is more of a notebook, a looseleaf system. It’s complicated but my consciousness flows in topics rather than along timelines. I like to be able to have tabs for several topics that are all happening in parallel universes.
I carry a pocket-size molie or clone everywhere but my tool of choice for everything that is important is my Franklin compact-size binder. Great paper, too, although not nearly as great as it was just a few years ago. I’m running out of those stocks.
david boise ID
Pretty clear there isn’t one perfect notebook for all. As for me, I’d like to see something simple – correct the one giant flaw in moleskine – cheap paper – and stop there. A lot of things about the moleskine are correct now: sizes, number of pages, rigid cover, cover weight, elastic, folder…
If there were an a5 blank book that was like a moleskine in every respect except that it had decent paper, I’d stock up.
I’m a little late to the party, but my dream journal/notebook would have:
* 5-6mm lined ruling, with unobtrusive lines (meaning the lines aren’t really thick or dark), small top margin only (no other margins), no logos, possibly a very small page number in the top right corner. Depending upon my needs, the line ruling can be a deal-breaker if it’s too generous. :-( I haven’t been able to find a Clairefontaine/Rhodia notebook that has 5-6mm lined (not grid) ruling larger than A6.
* Available in 2 different sizes–a compact size in the 3.5″ x 5.5″ range and a larger size around 6″ x 8″.
* Nice, hard/firm cover, in a material that’s pleasant to the touch (I have a suede journal with a divine cover), and in a variety of colors (so I can color coordinate for different subjects), with rounded corners (so I don’t jab myself when rummaging in my bag).
* Sewn signature binding, so the pages don’t fall out. I’m not a fan of spirals.
* Somewhere in the 96 – 224 page range (depending upon paper thickness)–I don’t want the notebook to be so thick that I can’t carry it easily, but not so thin that I use it up almost immediately.
* Ribbon bookmarker (I agree that it mustn’t fray) in a neutral color or the same color as the cover.
* Elastic closure is a must–otherwise, notebooks tend to get trashed when they roll around in my bag.
* And of course, excellent, fountain pen-friendly paper–that goes without saying! ;-) I’m not that picky about paper weight, as long as it doesn’t feather or bleed through. I prefer white paper (or the ever-so-slightly tinged Exacompta Forum Basics paper), so my colorful ink shows up well and true-to-color! :-)
The current large Quo Vadis Habana is very, very close to ideal, but the ruling is too wide for my taste and the cover a bit too flexible (and I’d love a ribbon bookmark). And the small Habana is almost perfect for a small journal (I only wish it had a more rigid cover and a ribbon bookmark)! I have a ton of these, because I love them so! :-)
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