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![POPRUN Blank Journal Notebook, [A5-5.75'' x 8.25''] - 120 GSM Thick Paper, 141 Numbered Pages, Spiral Hardcover for Men & Women with Pocket, Index Tabs, 8 Perforated Sheets, Midnight Green](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41bUm43L+HL._AC_SR100,100_QL65_.jpg)
I have been journaling for 17 years and have used Moleskines simply because I found them first back in 2003, they were cheap, and I never bothered to look for anything else. I recently started using a fountain pen, and, unfortunately, the 70gsm paper of the Moleskine couldn't handle it. I got a Leuchtturm1917 notebook (80gsm paper), which is a bit bigger in A5 size, but I found the Moleskine paper smoother to write across. I would consider the Leuchtturm an upgrade, but at the same time I found this Rhodia notebook. Between the three brands, this Rhodia is the clear winner. The 90gsm Clairefontaine paper is like writing on lotion. It's such a lovely experience. It's a clear winner in this category for the price.
Pros:
-Amazing paper. Really, nothing I've tried yet even comes close if you want a round corner, A5 sized notebook that doesn't have one of those silly elastic pen loops sticking out.
-Durable cover material. It's "soft touch" which is not like Moleskine or Leuchtturm. Some like it, some hate it. I don't care.
-Amazing paper. Wait, did I mention that already? Worth mentioning again. Why else do you write in a notebook? Why not get the one that has the loveliest paper on the market? At this price, it seems like it's mysteriously cheap for such high quality paper.
Cons
-Stupid logo right on the front cover. I really hate branding, and Rhodia putting their logo on the front cover is just annoying. Very few companies do this. I don't know why they couldn't do it more discreetly on the back. Oh well, with this paper, it's not worth arguing.
-No table of contents page or numbering. In 17 years of journaling, I never cared for page numbers or a contents page. Some of you bullet journalers might find this a big strike against this exact model, maybe Rhodia makes another model with pages pre-numbered. But honestly people, if you're going to throw a tantrum because the page numbers aren't pre-printed for you and you can't be bothered to save 2 pages at the beginning of your notebook to make your own table of contents, then maybe you should take a deep breath and consider how tough life really is. The quality of this paper alone negates any need to squabble over such a silly matter. Run your fingers on this 90gsm Clairefontaine velvet disguised as paper and tell me I'm wrong.
- Dot grid pages for journalers like me. I decided to try out dot grid vs the normal blank or lined (ruled) pages. If you are just writing daily for journaling, skip the dot grid pages. You will find that you need to skip "lines" or else the lines will be very close together, unless you have very very small handwriting. Skipping lines, I realized that I get 19 lines of writing per page, vs the 30 something on my Moleskine pages. The lined Rhodia notebook has 28 lines per page. So, if I were drafting a book to publish or writing something to be edited, dot grid paper would make the most sense, as it leaves plenty of space between lines to go back with a fine point pen and make edits and annotations. For me, just journaling and not going back into the text, ruled pages or blank pages make the most sense. Just food for thought.
-Lay-flat-ness. (fixed) My Moleskines simply lay flatter. I found this notebook would not lay nearly as flat. A YouTuber posted a trick that if you take 10 minutes and simply go through each page and flatten the page out at the spine, you'll hear the glue crackling and the spine being worn and stretched, but the spine will loosen up considerably, and the pages will lay very flat. It worked for me. I have faith in the stitching of the notebook, so I'm not worried about it falling apart. Now my beloved Rhodia lays flat and is much nicer to write on. Paperblanks advertises a lay-flat technology, but they use flashy covers (faux prints that are bright and annoying) and also use unconventional sizing. Their "ultra" is close to A5, but just a bit bigger in both directions. Why do they have to be different? Who knows. A5 is just the right size for portability.
In summary, get the Rhodia if you want to feel silky smooth paper against your hand as you lay down your ink.
| Manufacturer | Rhodia |
|---|---|
| Brand | Rhodia |
| Item Weight | 12.9 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 5 x 1 x 1 inches |
| Item model number | 47391EX |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Color | Black |
| Cover Material | Faux Leather |
| Material Type | paper |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Size | A5 |
| Ruling | Dotted |
| Sheet Size | 5 1/2 x 8 1/4 |
| Paper Weight | 90 |
| Paper Finish | Premium Matte |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 47391EX |
