Karen Doherty of Exaclair, Inc. was kind enough to send an Exacompta Journal 21 and a Quo Vadis Habana lined notebook for review and I must say they both have lovely paper for fountain pens. Neither will disappoint.
The Exacompta Journal 21 has incredibly smooth 72g paper that has absolutely no tooth. None! Not only can it make a mediocre pen write very well it reduces hand stress to zero as the pen glides across the page. The pale color can look gray or green depending on lighting conditions. Despite that it does not alter the ink color and is very pleasing, a good back drop for the written word. Thinly lined in dark blue, there is some show-through in a vintage way but there is no bleeding. For a journal both are acceptable and not distractions. I could write on this all day long!
The 6mm line spacing on the 5.25″ x 8.25″ paper worked best for me with a fine nib pen. Even writing a bit large for the spaces, I could get thirty-five characters per line which is more than enough to note an appointment or other time related entry. The time notations are small and subtle enough to use the Journal 21 as a daily diary without detraction. And the paper is certainly fabulous for that purpose.
The binder looks like leather and is saddle stitched. Since it lays flat, the entire page is useful, not the case with many journals this size. Glad it’s refillable ’cause it’s a keeper.
The second journal Karen sent is the Quo Vadis Habana in the large 6.25″ x 9.25″ size. The cover is blue-red with the logo discreetly placed in the lower right corner. Rounded corners make it very comfortable in the hand and the color coordinated elastic closure make this journal extremely practical as well as comfortable to use. Unlike many competitors Qua Vadis has placed the closure tightly fixed to the back cover so that when not in use it is virtually unnoticeable and does not make a lumpy writing surface. The Habana earns high marks for this subtle feature.
When it comes to most fountain pen folks, it’s the journal’s paper that counts and for any Clairefontaine fan this is a sure winner. Heavy, acid-free, pH neutral and chlorine free, the paper is excellent with every ink tested and with nibs as wide as 1.1mm. Beautiful shading and true colors on the bio-whitened paper are lovely. The line spacing is 8mm and considered wide by some writers. I found my writing expanded nicely into the large space so it isn’t a problem for me. A benefit is that my largest nibs made perfectly sized letters with little show-through with my test inks, Sailor Gray and Namiki Blue. A very dark ink in a very wet nib might be less satisfactory but still acceptable when writing on both sides of the paper.
Less exciting is the low page count at only eighty per book as well as the non-removable cover. This journal is limited and the cover permanent but the paper quality still makes it worth buying. You just can’t write to your heart’s content. However, your pens and inks will perform at peak so for most of us that’s an acceptable trade-off.
