The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 462 - I Know That Sound, I Make It

I break down my recent Sakura Craft Lab review with Myke, and pick his brain on how he handles discussing products like this with such a wide range of outcomes. We also share what specific features we look for when shopping for custom fountain pens.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

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Ro-Biki 2mm Squared Notebook by Yamamoto Paper: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

Ro-Biki Notebooks are unique for many reasons. First, they are an unusual size: 3.6 by 8.3 inches. Second, they contain paper made exclusively by the Yamamoto Paper Company. And third, they are offered with intriguing grid types, including 2mm squared grid and 5mm reticle.

I'm reviewing the Ro-Biki 2mm Squared Notebook. It has a russet-colored kraft paper cover that is waxed, giving it a lovely sheen, and it only gets better with age. The notebook features rounded corners and a chain stitch binding. The chain stitch offers much more flair than the usual pamphlet stitch. Plus, it makes the notebook extra sturdy. You can fold the notebook over on itself without worrying about any paper falling out or damaging the binding.

The notebook has 30 sheets (60 pages front and back) of 70gsm New Chiffon Cream paper. A 2mm grid is lightly printed on each page.

The paper is smooth and is thicker than Tomoe River Paper. It also has a more stationery-like quality.

The paper handles fountain pens perfectly. I tested it with ten different pens and inks. None of the ink feathered or bled through to the other side. Although I did not see any sheen in the writing test, shading was apparent with the wider nibs.

I did ink swabs in the notebook. All of the inks look fantastic on the paper, and some of the inks exhibited sheen, though it is not as noticeable as it would be on Tomoe. Bleed through occurred with many of the swabs.

I also tested a few other writing instruments, including several pens, Sharpies, and pencils. The only bleed through occurred with the Sharpies.

I tried making a pattern using the 2mm grid, but it was really hard to see. This is partly because I'm having major problems with my right eye (I've been to the ophthalmologist three times this week! Yay!), but it's also just a very tiny and light grid. People who love writing small will love this feature, but for me it's not too useful. Obviously, you don't have to write within the 2mm squares. You can use the grid as a guide for larger writing or for drawing.

The Ro-Biki Notebook is well made and durable. Its unusual size makes it suitable as a "Currently Inked" journal, a bullet journal, or a place for lists of any kind. I doubt I would use it for writing lengthy journal posts simply because it is so narrow. But, the nice thing about grids is that you can write in any direction--you could even use the notebook in landscape for sketching or writing.

I purchased my Ro-Biki notebook so long ago, I don't remember where I bought it. But it is available at JetPens for $7.75 or from Vanness Pens for $8.00.

(I purchased my Ro-Biki notebook with my own funds.)

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Kokuyo Twin Ring Edge Title Notebook Review

A lot of Pen Addicts are looking for a new favorite paper right now, due to the uncertainty of Tomoe River's future. It can be frustrating when favorite products fade away, but I find a lot of joy in the quest for new favorites, because you have to play. And playing with stationery is the best.

If you're a paper nerd, you probably already have your runners-up to favorites that you can fall back on that are enjoyable and reliable and will do just fine. But one paper brand that doesn't get the paper nerd worship it deserves is Kokuyo. People are starting to pick up on its awesomeness, but I still feel the need to sing its praises from the rooftops because I don't see it mentioned often enough in "I love this paper" discussions.

For all my playing with paper, this is the closest I've found to a substitute for Tomoe paper in thickness, texture, and performance. It doesn't have quite as much of the sheen-popping power of Tomoe, but it has the thin, crispy texture with the ability to handle puddles of ink with no bleedthrough. You can get it in a variety of formats, and it is remarkably inexpensive.

The specific notebook I'm playing with this week is the Twin Ring Edge Title A5 notebook that came with the Systemic cover system I reviewed a few weeks ago. It's a double wire-bound book with 50 sheets in a unique and useful format that is ideal for work, school, or custom planner pages. Each page is divided into sections, with space on the margins for you to add color coding with markers or highlighters. Each section can be assigned to a task, a day, a journal entry, or you can ignore the label spaces and use it as a 6mm lined notebook.

The paper is archival quality, pH neutral, and acid free, so it will never turn yellow or brittle. It has enough texture to handle pencils of any type, and doesn't bleed or feather with any fountain pen I've ever tried. Even marker sits neatly on the surface with very little show-through. The Sharpie bled slightly, only where the tip of the pen paused at the beginnings or ends of letters.

If you are currently on a paper quest, I highly recommend you try this notebook. It's also only $7. If that still feels too steep for an experiment, you can pick up some of their Campus notebooks for around $3, which have the same excellent paper qualities. And don't forget to enjoy the quest! Discovering a new favorite stationery product is always rewarding, but it's rarely as fun as the search itself.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!