Moleskine Meets Fountain Pen Ink

And the winner is…

Moleskine Meets Fountain Pen Ink

The Rhodia Webnotebook vs Moleskine Journal Showdown

Many journal devotees would agree the Moleskine A6 journal has cachet to spare. So can a newcomer called the Rhodia Webnotebook (a/k/a The Webbie) best it? With certainty in one key category it does but is it enough to make you switch?

Rhodia Webnotebook vs Moleskine Journal

When it comes to form, Moleskine is exactly what a journal ought to be. The cover is thin but sturdy, the perfect little black book. The ribbon marker is durable enough and the pocket tucked inside the back cover is convenient for all manner of uses. The elastic band closure fits just right and helps keep goodies tucked tidily between the pages. The cream colored pages with pale gray lines are easy on the eyes and discreet. The Moleskine is a classy-looking journal in every respect.

The Rhodia Webnotebook is similar and certainly gives more than a nod to the venerable Moleskine. Unfortunately, it misses in some small ways but puts the Moleskine to shame in the most important one. More later about that.

Addressing form differences first, the Rhodia cover is thicker, sturdy, rigid, and smooth. The elastic band is tight and left permanent indentations on the front and back covers of the sample I received from Exaclair. There is a pocket attached to the back cover just like the Mole.  The inside cover is black with no place to write a name or offer a reward should the journal meet with misfortune. This omission could easily be remedied with a bookplate sticker. The Rhodia does not initially lie perfectly flat like the Moleskine but with use the spine will relax enough to make that less an issue.

The paper is a whole ‘nother subject and in this the Rhodia excels. The images tell the story. The Moleskine paper feathers in places with fountain pen ink but does well with pencil, gel pens, roller balls, and Sharpie Pens (not markers). There is show-through and bleed-through from every fountain pen I used. As one would expect, the finest nibs worked best. Although I didn’t have them on hand to test today, Noodler’s Black or Legal Lapis in a dry Parker ‘51′ extra-fine are the best fountain pen and ink duos I’ve ever found for a Moleskine. The Pilot Prera fine nib tested best of the lot this time.

Moleskine Journal - Front

Moleskine Journal - Reverse

Now for the challenger. The darker cream/gray lined Rhodia paper is thicker, smoother, and absolutely loved nearly everything I threw at it. Finally, double-sided writing is feasible in a small, black journal. No feathering, no bleed-through except with a Sharpie Marker and only the very faintest show-through with anything else.

Prefer fountain pens? This is a match made in heaven at least with the new 90g version. Depending on the ink and pen, drying time can be longer than with the Moleskine but I think it is worth the few-second wait. A piece of blotter paper should eliminate any smearing if that is a concern.

Rhodia Webnotebook - Front

Rhodia Webnotebook - Reverse

For anything but fountain pens, both the Moleskine and the Rhodia work well. The Sharpie Pen was particularly nice. It didn’t even leave an indentation. For compatibility with fountain pen ink though, the Rhodia Webnotebook easily came out tops. Every pen on my desk worked well including the stub and the free-flowing cursive italic, just the sort of versatility that is perfect for an inkophile.

Update: One of the comments below states that the line spacing is larger in the Webnotebook. A side by side comparison of the 9 x 14 cm sized journals used in my test showed no difference between the two.

Note: Another Rhodia Webnotebook review at Rhodia Drive.

Back to Black

It’s been a long summer and life is now starting up on the other side of the break. Back to the desk, a little writing, and a few reviews.

Needing to test a pen without ink prejudice, I decided to bring out my old bottle of Noodler’s Black. Several years ago NB was one of three inks, along with Noodler’s Legal Lapis and Parker Quink BBk, in my business rotation. For a couple of 1940’s Parker “51″ fountain pens, those inks worked beautifully in my Moleskine journals but there were other benefits at least to the black. Its lack of color helped me focus on the words and screen out thoughts about the ink. It also allowed me to judge a pen’s performance without considering aesthetics like shading or outlining, quite useful when I am undecided about a nib. Yesterday was one of those days.

The pen in question was a Leonardo Black Lacquer Calligraphy pen intended for Chinese calligraphy. The nib turns up and allows for a variety of line widths. A review of the pen is on my To Do List but for now suffice it to say it is not for everyone but it is great fun for a change of pace.

The bigger point (Ha!) is that using Noodler’s Black allowed me to focus on the nib and the writing without being swayed by the beauty of the ink. Noodler’s has a good degree of blackness to it though the Leonardo can make it shade from charcoal to black. More importantly the writing flowed unhesitatingly from my thoughts to the paper. That is good. Very, very good. I wrote until the letters blurred and I could no longer be certain the letters were sitting on the paper’s lines, there being multiples of them by day’s end.

When was the last time you wrote that intensely? The black made me do it. I swear it did. So if you haven’t tried it lately, grab a fill of black and see if your thoughts don’t embellish the written word far better than the color of your ink. I dare you!

Leonardo Calligraphy Pen Meets Noodler's Black Ink

Goodies from Levenger

Just took a look at the Levenger site researching the items described below and turned up a neat surprise. The pen selection has been expanded to include some of the best names in pendom including Waterman, Pelikan, Pilot, and Sheaffer to name a few. Of course, all of the Levenger pens are still offered.

Earlier in a slow moment at my desk, I leafed through the latest Levenger catalogue and turned up a couple of items that might be useful for fountain pen lovers. The first is a Double Barrel Pen Clip that looks like it would easily attach two fountain pens to any notebook. I haven’t seen one myself but one review at the link says that it can scratch a pen barrel. So keep that in mind if you decide to take the plunge.

The second item is called a Book Traveler. The small 6 x 9 size would hold a pen along with any of the pocket-sized  journals including a Moleskine. The larger 8 x 11 size would suit many of the full-sized journals. Again, this is an item I haven’t seen but it does look like a great option for journaling on the go.

Moleskine Covers from Molecover.com

If you are a Moleskine lover, Molecover goes live in three weeks, just in time for summer vacations and exotic travels. Good for writing at the local coffee house, too.

Moleskine Volant Journals

The new Moleskine Volants come in great colors, two shades to each package. The Daily Planner has them already and rumor has it they are fountain pen friendly or at least more so than some other Moleskine journals. Anyone have experience with them?

Moleskine Volant

Moleskine has announced red and sky blue versions due out soon.

Moleskine Volant in Red and Sky Blue

Which color would you buy first?

Cartolina Recycled Note Books

Last week I stopped by a charming gift and coffee shop, Marie et Cie, for a Café Americano and a stroll through the lovely gifts and household items. Amongst the stacks of candles, books, greeting cards, and journals, I found a journal I’d never seen before from a Canadian company called Cartolina Cards. Drawn to the lively cover art though expecting the usual mediocre paper, I picked one up for inspection.

Cartolina Note Book

On the back amongst other bits of information, I discovered that the 4 x 6″, 64 page, blank book is made from 100% recycled paper and printed with soy ink. The cover design was created by graphic designer and company founder Fiona Richards. Wow, is she talented! All four designs carried by Marie et Cie are fresh, colorful and a welcome change from the usual black covers most journals sport. An online search revealed nine designs to date. At $4 per single book or $12 for three, they are priced competitively.

The paper banner across the front is removable so all that remains is the word Notes. Actually I wish that was also removable since it looks like a small sticky note and detracts from the cover art. Placed at an angle and off-center might make it fit the design better but this is not a big quibble.

Cartolina Note Book Full Cover

Remember my expectation of “the usual mediocre paper”? Amazingly, the heavy paper is extremely fountain pen friendly. What a surprise! Not one of the first eight inks and pens I tested feathered or bled, not even a hint under magnification. There was a very tiny amount of feathering with a very wet Waterman 52V loaded with Waterman Blue Black ink but that pen feathers on lots of brands of paper. So that’s not an issue for me.

Cartolina Ink Test

The unlined paper does not have a super smooth surface like Clairefontaine but has more the texture of an Apica 6A10 though white like Rhodia. In a larger size, I would enjoy it for drawing. This is the first Canadian paper I’ve tried and I am duly impressed.

Unfortunately, the build quality isn’t exciting. The card stock cover is decent for card stock but not really durable. The cool white paper is attached with only two simple staples that you can see in the second image. The size is good for travel but the journal just isn’t sturdy enough for the abuse it would receive in my handbag. Besides I wouldn’t want to damage the cover art so this journal will remain safe on my home desk out of harm’s way. Actually I would do that with it anyway just to enjoy the beautiful cover art.

With some careful bending, the journal can be made to lay fairly flat but not nearly as flat as a Moleskine cahier. With my large writing, I might turn it sideways making a 6 x 8″ surface and write from top to bottom. Since there was virtually no show-through with my test inks, this option would suit me better.

The Cartolina Note Book has some market penetration in the U.S., Australia, England, and Canada. Plus there is at least one online source at greetQ and it is currently offering free shipping on orders of $30 or more. Or you could watch for them at small stores and gift shops in your neighborhood. You might get lucky like I did. Better yet, make your own luck and ask your favorite local paper shop to stock them. Inkophiles need paper, too.

More at StyleAtHome.com.

Field Notes Journals or Moleskine Cahiers

Field Notes was kind enough to send several journals for review. Lots of fountain users rate them superior to Moleskine cahiers but seeing is believing so this provided a great opportunity to see for myself what all the fuss was about.

Field Notes Journal

These babies come in a three-pack of graph, ruled, or plain paper or a mixed three-pack of one of each style. Each notebook has 48 pages of very white paper held together with three staples and bound in a stiff, brown paper cover. The overall dimensions are 3.5″ x 5.5″ with rounded corners. The lines match the cover color and add to the visual appeal. It’s all very utilitarian, made in the U.S.A., and costs $9.95 for a three-pack. All to the good for a stick in your pocket, take me anywhere, ready for anything journal.

Moleskine cahiers have cachet with their soft texture, cream-colored paper, and pale gray lines. Field Notes journals have a contemporary crispness with unique tan lines on bright white paper that enhances legibility. Moleskine’s plain brown binding offers nothing of interest save a pocket in the back. Field Notes has a printed form inside the front cover for details that are good for cataloguing as well as a place to offer “a handsome reward” should your journal take off on its own and need help returning. The inside back cover has a 5 inch printed ruler, details about the product, specs, and a long list of use suggestions. I especially liked the idea of using my journal for “shady transactions” or “escape routes”. Following “half-ass calculations” they suggest “crop predictions” which I read wrong the first time. Well, it is written in a rather small typeface. I decided the Field Notes people weren’t quite as cheeky as I had originally thought but still ought to be watched just in case.

Now for the pen to paper part of things. Gel pens, roller balls, pencils all work well. No surprise there.

However, Field Notes performance tops Moleskine when it comes to fountain pens. My tests were done on the grid versions of each brand. Field Notes showed minimal feathering and only enough to produce very mildly indistinct edges. Not offensive at all especially for the purpose. Moleskine showed enough feathering with most inks to be a distraction though less so with dry-writers.

Field Notes/Moleskine Cahier Comparison

Here is what I did not expect. Moleskine had no bleed-through and only occasionally the very mildest hint of show-through. As a test there is a little writing with J. Herbin Perle Noire behind the Moleskine title on the right. It is faint and unobtrusive which doesn’t matter since the feathering is beyond my tolerance level though it may be perfectly acceptable to some folks. Field Notes had modest show-through and a little bleed-through except with fine, dry-writers. So depending on pen and ink choice, even the back of a page may be useful with Field Notes.

So what does all this mean? If you use any writing instrument but a fountain pen, Field Notes will deliver a quality American made product that has tons of uses. For non-fountain pen writing Moleskine will do well, too. The slightly heavier Field Notes paper and cover may be more durable than Moleskine but that is beyond the scope of my testing.

However, if you are a fountain pen devotee, consider this: Field Notes journals have one very good writing surface while in most cases Moleskine cahiers have two disappointing ones. Thus Field Notes journals are actually useful – not just attractive. Wanna guess which one I’ll buy next time I need a thin, easy to carry journal?

♦♦♦♦♦

Note that Office Supply Geek bought a Moleskine Volant yesterday that worked well with Noodler’s Blue Black ink in a Pelikan M215 with a fine nib. The Volant is smaller than the Field Notes journal and tiny for my purposes but you might find a use for it.

More on Field Notes at Brassing Adds Character and Spiritual Evolution of the Bean.

In Praise of J. Herbin Perle Noire

Stephanie of Spiritual Evolution of the Bean did a comparison of black inks this week that finally got me to ink a pen with J. Herbin Perle Noire. It’s been on my shelf for months, unloved, since I’m inspired by colored inks. Being inspired means more writing and that’s the whole point. Sometimes it pays to rethink old ways and last night was perfect for being inspired by the most mundane color of ink, basic black.

For the last several days I have been testing paper. Not as much fun as testing ink but paper, ink and pen are a team and if one player lags in performance, it drags down the score for the whole game. As I was looking for yet another ink to test on a paper that should have been performing far better than it was, Stephanie’s post nudged me in the direction of something black. Perle Noire had received only a dip test when it arrived. Nothing special, just a solid black like many other black inks I’ve tried over the years. Time to take that dusty box off the shelf and load my black marble Levenger True Writer F with what I expected to be a satisfactory ink for yet another disappointing test.

Have you guessed where this is going? Indeed, Perle Noire performed beautifully on the paper for which a stellar reputation seemed quite undeserved. That led to another paper that might not deserve the adulation it has amassed, Moleskine. So I grabbed my trusty grid style cahier (long ago dedicated to ink testing) and wrote two short lines, the name of the pen and the name of the ink. That’s all it took to see that for the first time in ages, I had discovered a pen and ink that showed almost no feathering on Moleskine paper. Imagine that! Now that’s an almost so don’t expect perfection if you try this test at home. But it is a very, very acceptable performance. Plus Perle Noire dries very quickly unlike the Noodler’s Black I used to write with in my Moleskine days.

So now I have a black ink for when only basic black will do, J. Herbin Perle Noire. Okay, it’s a duh moment not a eureka moment but I’m happy with my discovery anyway.

Ink, Paper, and Moleskine

Recently I was asked about ink performance and brands of paper. Color ranks number one for me but performance matters. After much experimentation and frustration with inferior brands of paper, I settled on a few favorites that work well with virtually any pen or ink. Sticking with the same paper adds consistency to my test results and using good paper eliminates feathering and bleed-through.

The remaining key issue for me is drying time. Generally the higher the color saturation, the slower an ink dries. Using a very fine nib compensates slightly by laying down a smaller amount of ink. So I tend to use more highly saturated inks in fine and extra fine nibs and I know what to expect when I don’t.

The paper that seems to evoke the strongest opinions is made by Moleskine. Love it or hate it Moleskine says “cool” better than anything currently on the market. Admittedly the journals are handy and come in a variety of sizes and shapes. The buff paper and pale blue lines make for a very classy, vintage-looking journal.

Moleskine paper is highly unpredictable though and not always friendly to fountain pen ink. Sticking a blotter paper or any absorbent paper between pages reduces smudging but feathering is a given with most inks. However, Noodler’s Black, Legal Lapis (a Pendemonium exclusive) and J. Herbin Poussiere de Lune with a vintage Parker “51″ worked well for me during my Moleskine phase. If you’ve discovered good pairings, post a comment. That’s information lots of folks could use.

The sketchbook of Vincent van Gogh (1888–1890)