(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 her latest book, Root Rot, is now available for pre-order!)
The Dominant Industry Takasago Notebook is one of those notebooks that makes you want to write in it. Notebooks like this are practically a cure for writer's block, because you can't look at these empty pages without wanting to fill them up.
This notebook is made with paper specifically formulated for fountain pens, with superior ability to show off sheen and shading, prevent bleeding and feathering, and showing off all the best qualities of liquid inks. Notably, this paper does all that while solving the dry-time issue that many coated papers have. While it still takes a moment for the liquid inks to dry, it does so much faster than with other fountain pen friendly papers, like Tomoe River.
Apart from the dry time, this paper reminds me a lot of the old Tomoe River paper. Like TR, this paper is part of an old tradition. Made in a 110-year-old mill, it's a legacy recipe that has taken a lifetime to perfect.
The one issue some users might find fault with is the ghosting. I declare this paper extremely haunted. Just about all writing shows through the page, even pencil. I can even see my fingers through it when I'm turning the page. That doesn't bother me--I still use both sides, but some folks hate that, so it's worth mentioning.
This A5 notebook has 86 sheets of 87.9 gsm white paper. This version is blank, but lined and grid pages are also available. The cover is cardstock textured to look like pebble leather. The cover also has a fold-over on both the front and back, which can be used to tuck notes into or folded over pages to serve as a bookmark. The binding allows the notebook to lay flat easily with no training.
Overall, it's a good construction, good quality, and a pleasure to write in. It does have a slightly high price tag of around $25. Back in the olden days, you could get 200 A5 sheets of Tomoe River paper bound in a lovely linen cover for that cost. But that's not the norm anymore, and this is still a decent amount of very good paper. While the cardstock cover may not be as fancy as some other materials, it makes it lightweight, flexible, and easy to use. It's the perfect format for a trip journal or class notebook, or for a commonplace book. The blank pages may also appeal to artists.
(Brad purchased this notebook from Smruti Pens at regular price at the 2023 Orlando Pen Show.)
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