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.

Iroshizuku’s New Autumn Inks

If you haven’t seen the latest Pilot Iroshizuku colors, it’s likely at least one of them will suit your ink wardrobe for the coming change of season. Fellow pen and ink addict Phthalo was kind enough to send samples recently and it has been a pleasure to slowly work through them.

Yama-guri is a deep neutral brown conservative enough for business and dark enough to be a replacement for black. Tsukushi is a medium brown with a hint of red and a little shading even from a fine nib. It looks promising for flex writing or even a spin with a chunky broad nib. Think dark chocolate versus milk chocolate to grasp the difference between the two browns.

Fuyu-gaki is an eye-popping red-orange/vermilion. It reminds me of Halloween jelly beans and could be a tasty substitute for red if you are an inkophile who likes to change things up a bit.

The new autumn colors are already on the market and can be purchased from Jet Pens amongst other outlets. So grab one or two and be properly dressed for the new season which I have on good authority will arrive in due course. Promise!

Iroshizuku Autumn Inks on Rhodia Paper

When Gold Isn’t Really Gold

In this case it’s Private Reserve Shoreline Gold. It is an interesting name but what does it mean? What color do you picture?

Online swatches make it appear red-orange but it seems to depend on flow and nib size. In a wide nib the color is muted yellow-orange. With a fine nib it looks more golden brown. The sample below was written with a Pilot Custom 98 fine nib on Staples Eco-Friendly (bagasse) paper.

Private Reserve Shoreline Gold

Shoreline Gold is a pretty and fairly saturated ink. It isn’t fast drying so lefties beware. Flow is good as is coverage. Depending on the pen and flow, shading can be terrific.

Color variety from a single ink always intrigues me. It makes each new fill a surprise much like trying a new ink for the first time. What an economical solution to wanting ink variety despite having a strained budget. Definitely good news for a true inkophile.

Yea! Iroshizuku Adds Three New Colors!

Pilot has done it again with its fourth release of colors for the Iroshizuku line. This time two browns and another orange join the party. Think autumn leaves and you’ll have it dead on.

No photos yet from Pilot but you can search Iroshizuku on eBay for a few seller images. The box colors reveal the new orange, Fuyu-gaki (winter persimmon), is brighter and has more blue in it than the previously released Yu-Yake. Tsukushi (horsetail) is an intense, rich brown with 35% more red than Yama-Guri (mountain chestnut). The latter is a rather balanced and versatile dark brown.

In terms of expanding the colors offered, Pilot has been consistently clever in its choices. This new release is no exception. The Iroshizuku line still needs a purple or two, a yellow-green and a wine/burgundy to span the spectrum. But the addition of two browns is a brilliant move in just the right direction.

I’ll delay till the last minute deciding my autumn rotation just in case the new Iroshizuku inks turn up stateside. They look to be worth the wait.

New Limited Edition Pens and Inks from Pilot/Iroshizuku

It must be that time of year for pen companies to birth new products since both Sailor and Pilot have released limited edition items recently. While Sailor has developed the smoke green Pro Gear pictured below with its own ink, Pilot has created three gorgeous inks for Ito-ya in Japan along with three 2009 limited edition colors for the Grance. Not a dud in the bunch.

iroshizuku fukagawa-nezu

iroshizuku shimbashi-iro

iroshizuku edo-murasaki

2009 LE Pilot Grance in Brown

2009 LE Pilot Grance in Water Blue

2009 LE Pilot Grance in Spring Green

A Comment on Inks and Nibs

After a month of quiet neglect in a very soft pen case, my stainless steel Pilot U filled with Iroshizuku Tsutsuji got pressed into service. Amazingly it started up without the slightest hesitation and with perfect color.

Usually inks darken slightly if not substantially but in this case there wasn’t even a hint of shade alteration. This is a testament to the quality of Pilot pens and in this case a pen that is thirty years old. To be sure the ink must be up to the task and Tsutsuji certainly upheld its end. If I owned more than a sample vial, these two would be wedded for life. They are that good together.

Pilot Iroshizuku’s Third Release of Inks

Pilot has just released four additions to its Iroshizuku line of inks, finally moving into the warm end of the spectrum with colors that will enliven any collection. If the online swatches do the ink any justice, Yama Budo is destined for a spot on my shelf and a marriage with one of my rhodium nibbed pens.

Ujuku partners these inks with a Pilot Custom 74 demonstrator and for once I can appreciate the lure of seeing ink through a clear barrel. All four of the new inks would look very appealing in a demonstrator. Staining the converter might be a deterrent but what’s a little risk when it comes to aesthetics?

Phthalo has posted some swatches at her blog that really show the colors well.

Pilot Custom Black Stripe Steel Pen

A new puppy joined the pack today, a used Pilot Custom from January, 1977 in the black stripe look that is so sought after by Myu fanciers. The brushed stainless steel finish has seen some use but still looks great. Unfortunately the clip is imperfect, most likely damaged during the manufacturing process, but no functionality has been lost. It just has a rough spot that I’ve seen on a couple of Pilot pens with the plastic insert, a defect but not a deal-breaker.

The fine nib is a honking-big white gold beauty that has significant flow, more like a Sailor than a Pilot. The nib is typical for a Pilot though with nice feedback but no scratchiness. It’s a handsome marriage of functionality and aesthetics.

Some reviews of the black striped Custom mention that it is heavier than most pens and that is true. However, it is only relevant if one posts the cap but since it is a full sized pen, posting isn’t really necessary. The barrel length and balance are quite comfortable for use without the cap so the overall weight is less than a similarly designed pocket pen like the Pilot Isaac Newton, a pen that is too short to use without posting the cap. So on that score the Custom exceeded my expectations.

As with any used or even NOS pen there is no exchange program so caveat emptor. I’ve purchased pocket pens with hairline section cracks, poor ink flow and scratchy nibs. Only the crack is an insurmountable problem. This striped Custom has an issue that may prove to be similarly insurmountable. Older Japanese pens rarely come with converters, so I popped in one I had on hand. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seat well and that can make a nasty mess at the most inopportune moment. Over the next day or two, I will try swapping a few converters from other Pilot pens to see if the problem was caused by a bad converter. Hopefully, that is all that’s wrong because it is an excellent pen that ought to get consistent use here.

Pilot Custom Steel Fountain Pen

Another review and fantastic photos can be seen at Pen Review Corner.

Japanese Pocket Pens, Converters, Cartridges

If you are interested in Japanese pocket pens, note that they rarely arrive with converters. Each manufacturer uses a proprietary cart or converter design so you will most likely need to buy that separately although some sellers will include a single cart with your purchased pen. Read the fine print to be certain what you are getting since Western style converters and carts just won’t work.

Pilot pocket pens can use the current CON-20 converter but not the larger Pilot converters. Sailor and Platinum pocket pens do not work with the converters currently sold by those companies. There are a couple of workarounds and adapters available for Platinum pocket pens but I have not used one myself to give a recommendation.

Refilling a cartridge is the easiest solution to using an older Sailor or Platinum pen if you intend to use a variety of inks. A pipette or eye dropper can easily be used to do the trick and will fill the cartridge quite full especially compared to a poorly constructed converter. So you just might come out ahead using this option.

Many online vendors offer Pilot and Sailor supplies though Platinum can be a bit harder to locate. The U.S. companies from which I have purchased Japanese carts and converters are Pendemonium, The Pear Tree Pen Company and Swisher Pens though there are many others. All three companies make excellent ink so if you decide to stick with their cartridges, you shouldn’t be disappointed.

Too much black is dull, dull, dull.

Ever noticed how many fountain pens come in black? It’s hard to find a model that doesn’t but especially when it comes to Japanese pens. Black is hard to argue against since it is as all-purpose as it gets. There is no circumstance in which it looks out of place and there isn’t a color of ink that doesn’t suit it. However, when there are a half dozen black pens of the same or similar appearance on my desk, the lack of contrast detracts from the pleasure of using fountain pens. In other words, it’s boring!

So in the spirit of livening things up, quite a few colorful Western pens have joined my pen rotation. However, the nibs just aren’t as narrow as I prefer and none of them are gold. In the under $100 category, steel nibs rule. Not that they can’t be great nibs but steel just doesn’t have the slight give and comfortable smoothness that I’ve come to appreciate in many Japanese pens.

Returning to what worked in the past, I scoured eBay for something that would give me a quality writing experience combined with a gold nib in anything but basic black. A hodgepodge of colors and pen styles would be less than soothing so the logical alternative became white. How simple is that!

White pens look smart and perhaps a tad more sophisticated than black and surely less conservative. However, there is a limited choice in contemporary pens. Sailor offers a couple of excellent models but too pricey for my collection. That leaves vintage pens and probably used ones at that. Fortunately I am fine with a pen that has already proven it is fit for duty. With that I had my niche.

It didn’t take long to refine my search even further to white pocket pens (a/k/a short/longs) from either Pilot or Sailor and made during the 1970s. Tada! It took all of twenty minutes to find several at auction and in a matter of days I became the happy winner of two white Pilot Elite pens with 14K fine nibs. They aren’t even used but rather NOS (new old stock) meaning I get to initiate them.

Now that I’ve found a new focus for the Asian branch of my collection, my desk has that little black dress with white pearls look, just perfect with a glass of wine and some cool jazz. Audrey Hepburn might have felt right at home.