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.

A Sailor Falls for Diamine Steel Blue

I love this color. How’s that for a simple recommendation? Diamine Steel Blue is incredibly nice in my Sailor 1911 with the elegant fine nib. The flow and the color just make using the pen a treat. The Bloc Rhodia No. 16 paper obviously agrees so you don’t have to take my word for it. See for yourself.

Diamine Steel Blue

More aqua and turquoise ink swatches.

Which pen does the trick for you?

If you had to get it down to just one pen that makes the most of your writing as well as makes you happy to use, which one would it be?

I was thinking about that as I made a journal entry a few minutes ago. For the umpteenth time the same pen was not only very kind to my handwriting but it was fun to use and very easy on my hand. It really does top anything else I own, well, at least until the Waterman Carene stub arrives but the jury’s out on that one for now.

Until then, my black and rhodium Sailor 1911 fine nib does the trick for me regardless of the ink. I’ve used J. Herbin Vert Empire and Bleu Pervenche, Diamine Teal and Steel Blue, and Stipula Moss Green. Not a stinker in the bunch. The 1911 has the whole package and never disappoints me.

Do you have a pen that works that well for you? I hope you do because it is exactly what makes using a fountain pen superior to any other writing instrument. Yes, I’m biased but you already knew that.

Hey, do post the name of your favorite pen in the comments. Maybe someone else would find your fave to be the perfect pen, too.

J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche

Aqua and turquoise inks can fight with paper color and make the ink like seem a separate, free-floating element. In the past five years, I’ve probably used fewer than five fills of aqua. For an inkophile that is downright pathetic. Then came the opportunity to request another ink from Karen at Exaclair, so I opted for Bleu Pervenche after reading what Biffybeans had to say about it.

Finally an aqua blue with a little clarity and softness! Bleu Pervenche in English means Blue Periwinkle and whether named for the snail or the flower, it is a lovely color that balances blue and green without a hint of red.

J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche on Rhodia Paper

Its closest competitors are Lamy Turquoise, Diamine Aqua Blue, Rohrer & Klingner Blue Mare, Diamine Turquoise, and Waterman South Sea Blue. Color-wise Lamy Turquoise is a near match though it would take a good eye to see the variations between any of these inks. The biggest difference is in translucency and saturation and this is what sets Bleu Pervenche apart from the pack.

J. Herbin excels at creating soft, watercolor-like inks that evoke the sun-bleached tones of summer. Bleu Pervenche is a perfect example of that skill. With an eyedropper tool and a few calculations, it turns out that Herbin’s version of aqua is about ten percent less saturated and that is what produces the translucency. The result is that the color of the paper shows through ever so slightly modifying the ink to blend better with the overall tone of its background. So white paper produces a clear aqua color while cream paper makes Bleu Pervenche look more saturated, darker, and closer to turquoise. Two ink colors in one bottle is definitely good value.

J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche on Original Crown Mill Cream Laid Paper

In addition its drying time is average and  shading quite good even with a very fine nib like my Sailor 1911 H-F. Bleu Pervenche would be wonderful for a happy letter, thank you note, or a lively journal entry. The only question that remains is which way to use it first…

J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche

On My Desk – 2008/09/27

Variety makes life interesting so now that summer is over, my desk is back to it’s old tricks, collecting pens and cluttering this tiny piece of real estate. There are a number of additional pens inked but they are in a drawer ready to produce a spot of color where needed. Really, isn’t nine at one time enough?

• Lamy Al-Star EF with Diamine Teal
• Lamy Al-Star EF with Pilot Iroshizuku Syo-ro
• Lamy Al-Star EF with Sailor Red-Brown
• Levenger True Writer with Diamine Golden Brown
• Pilot Socrates F with Diamine Kelly Green
• Pilot Namiki Falcon SF with Herbin Larmes de Cassis
• Platinum Pocket Pen F with Platinum Black cartridge
• Sailor 1911 F with Herbin Vert Empire
• Sailor Sapporo F with Noodler’s Legal Lapis

My paper supply rarely changes consisting of HP Inkjet 24#, HP Laser Jet #32, Rhodia lined pads, Exacompta Black Block and an Apica 6A10 Notebook as a daily journal. My “To Do” list goes in a Notebound 7 in x 5 in spiral notebook. The size allows for plenty of notes but still easily fits in my handbag. These notebooks are available in markets, pharmacies and office supply chains but the paper is too inconsistent to recommend. Good stuff is good but the bad is useless for fountain pens demonstrating excessive feathering and bleed through. It’s great for pencils or roller balls if you are willing to compromise.

On My Desk – 2008/06/10

Variety makes life interesting. So I set out to create good variety with only four pens. From super fine to fine with four different weights, diameters and lengths, this rotation is aimed at reducing hand stress.

• Lamy Al-Star EF with Diamine Teal
• Sailor 1911 F with Herbin Vert Empire
• Pilot Socrates F with Diamine Kelly Green
• Platinum Karakusa F with Platinum Blue Black

On My Desk – 2008/5/25

Not sure this will be a daily thing but for at least the near future, a log of what I which pens, ink, and paper get used the most/longest would be a useful record to keep. The best format might be a page that gets posted daily but to get things rolling individual posts will do.

My Apica 6A10 journal is a fixture so I won’t list it except to note the date I start a new one. I keep a variety of Post-Its plus two small Rhodia blocs with grid paper for quick notes on my desk at all times.

• True Writer in green marble with F nib loaded with Diamine Kelly Green
• Lamy Al-star in periwinkle with EF nib loaded with Diamine Teal
• Sailor 1911 in black/rhodium with F nib loaded with J. Herbin Vert Empire
• Lamy Safari in charcoal with EF nib loaded with Platinum Black stashed in a leather pen case

J. Herbin Vert Empire

Vert Empire is a new ink from J. Herbin that adds a new dimension to the green spectrum of the line. This is a medium green that leans slightly blue and definitely sports gray overtones. Flow is excellent as one would expect from the French maker.

Like many Herbin inks there is shading to some letters causing the top of a letter to be paler than the base. It’s a lovely effect that really sets fountain pens apart from any other writing instrument. Herbin and Diamine are the best companies for ink with this characteristic. Others do achieve it though less frequently.

Vert Empire gets a slot in my regular ink rotation for its highly useful color combined with beautiful shading and good flow. My Sailor 1911 fine is enjoying it immensely.

More at Office Supply Geek and La Plume Etoile.