(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)
I think I changed my mind five times about what notebook I would use for my class lecture notes this semester. It's an important decision! If you're reading this, I know you get it. I finally landed on these Clairefontaine Neo Deco A5 notebooks. Whether I made a definitive decision, or if school started before I could change my mind again, will remain a mystery. But I've been writing in these daily for a week now, and they're working quite well for the purpose.
These are A5 sized books with a matte-coated cardstock cover that comes in a variety of gorgeous Art Deco patterns. There are pastels and jewel tones, all with a touch of gold foil shimmer to them. The geometric patterns are particularly stunning. The cover is sewn all along the spine, which gives the pages a secure join. The cardstock is firm enough and the binding thorough enough that the notebook feels a lot more substantial than many softcover notebooks do.
Between the covers are 48 sheets, or 96 pages of 90gsm ivory lined paper. It is very smooth, with almost no tooth to it, but the thickness of the paper creates a slightly cushioned writing experience. Clairefontaine paper has always been a favorite for fountain pen users because of its liquid-ink-friendly properties, and this thicker sheet is even better than the more basic cahiers. Even the broadest, inkiest writing is invisible through the page. Sharpie shows through, but doesn't actually fully bleed through. The paper shows fun ink properties very well, with both shading and sheening standing out.
I do have one criticism of the paper, and that is dry time. Any paper this impervious to bleeding will have a long dry time, but for this paper, you either need to walk away from your page for a while before turning it, or invest in some blotting paper. Even when taking slow notes, I ended up with some ink splotch transfers across pages.
The lines on these pages are also quite widely spaced at 8mm. It's great if you have large handwriting, and sometimes my notes are more legible if I write bigger, but I prefer narrower lines. Better yet, I'd prefer grid patterns. Unfortunately, I can only find these available in wide-lined versions.
Clairefontaine has some of the best paper for the best value in their simple cahiers, and while these cost a bit more than those, they're still a great deal at $8.50. They're nice enough and priced reasonably enough to snag a few of your favorite patterns. I've already stocked up to use them again next semester. If I don't change my mind again.
(Vanness Pens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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