Clairefontaine Basics Clothbound journal. Called "Age Bag" overseas.
Discreet Clairefontaine branding.
From the Exaclair website:
96 pages of 90 g pH neutral, acid-free paper . Paper will not yellow or deteriorate with age.
Smooth satin finish, extra white and exceptionally smooth
Ink-friendly – never bleeds, smears or feathers
Opaque – no see thru – use both sides of the page
Strong – does not tear
Tan Ruled 6 x 8 ¼ C79546
Black Ruled 6 x 8 ¼ C795461
Tan Ruled w/margin 8 ¼ x 11 ¾ C79146
Black Ruled w/margin 8 ¼ x 11 ¾ C791461
Shown here with a large Moleskine for size comparison. Roughly the same size as the ePure, Canteo, Pentalic... A5. (6 x 8 1/4) I have pretty much determined that A5 books are too wide for me to comfortably write on a non-flat surface. (I write on my knee a lot as I don't actually have an uncluttered flat surface to write on at home.)
Cover is extremely flexible. The covers are black and brown kraft paper and would probably be best suited inside a cover.
Close up of the cloth binding. Signatures sewn with linen thread.
The spine allows the book to lie flat, and it opens reasonably flat but at points in the book, you will be writing in/out of a little hump.
Extra points for rounded corners on the cover and paper. Rounded edges are much more comfortable on the palm of the hand when you reach the bottom of the page.
Typical to the Clairefontaine claims, there is no bleeding, feathering, spreading or see-through with any fountain pen inks tested. Ink does dry slowly on the page, so I suggest using a blotter.
The paper doesn't take watercolor paint very well, but then again, it's not really meant for that. I just always like to try. I also tried several grades of Faber Castell drawing pencils, 2H,HB, B, 2B, 4B & 6B. I didn't like the way the 2H wrote at all - way too hard for this smooth paper. B and 2B were my favorites, 4 & 6B were really soft. Markers write beautifully on this smooth paper. (Like Pitt Artist Pens)
I always appreciate when a company includes a reasonably sized top margin on the page, but 8mm ruling is too wide for my tastes. Paper is smooth & shiny, but I experience a weird drag to it when writing with a fountain pen. I don't know how else to explain it. It's smooth, but I wouldn't call it glassy smooth. I would consider using Clairefontaine products on a regular basis if they put their paper in hard cover book that would open and lie flat. I'm anxiously awaiting the US made Rhodia Webnotebook to see if that dream comes true.
Prices run about $8 for the 6x8 and $12 for the 8x11. You can purchase the Clairefontaine Basics online at these stores: alkos.com, wetpaintart.com, pendemonium.com, and artbrown.com .
You can also customize a Basics cover with artwork or your design at notebookengraver.com.
3 comments:
Thanks for the exhaustive review.
I have written on Clairefontaine for about 20 years now. As you probably know this is the notebook of choice of millions of French schoolchildren who have to learn to write with fountain pens in elementary school. (However they don't write on "regular" ruled paper but rather on Seyes ruled.)
Clairefontaine makes dozens of different styles, but their classic notebooks have a plaid cover (various colours) and either soft (plastic-coated cardboard) or hard cover. There are a few small retailers of the hard-cover notebooks online in the USA - sadly I can't remember any right now, but they can be found. They lie quite flat, I think.
Cheers and thanks for your blog, Brigitte.
Ah! It came back to me:
Pendemonium is the shop that sells the plaid Clairefontaine. In their stationery section.
Hi there!
I've been browsing your blog a little, reading reviews on notebooks, fountain pens etc.
Have you ever tried the ones by bookjournals (http://www.bookjournals.com/)?
I've just filled one up, and although for now I'm using a Ciak, because I'm an incurable book-hopper, I really like the bookjournals.
They're nice and sturdy, excellent for knee-writing, great paper for fountain pens etc.
Also, if you have a Lamy with a metal clip (the plastic-coated clips seem slightly thicker), it fits very nicely inside the spiral spine.
They're different in size, obviously, depending on the original book used (which were taken from 'to be destroyed' piles btw, no good books ruined to make a notebook), but for instance the ones made from Nancy Drew books, or the Hardy Boys, have a really nice, compact size.
I don't work for them, I just like their product. ;-)
Oh, and they (once or twice a year) send out some of the nicest newsletters I get.
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