You know how sometimes you see the measurements of a notebooks and think, “Oh, I know what size that is” and just order it? Yeah, that’s what happened to me when I ordered the Kobeha Graphilo Notebook – Style – 8.3″ x 4.7″ – Blank ($34 or $0.36 per page, ).
I thought it was Traveler’s Standard-size since JetPens listed it as “A5 Slim” so I assumed I’d have an existing cover to use with the notebook. But no. This Graphilo notebook is the same height as a standard Traveler’s notebook but about a half an inch wider. The official measurements for the Graphilo notebook are 210mm x 120mm compared to Traveler’s 210mm x 110mm so that’s a 10mm difference in width. Annoying since the notebook will not fit into a Standard Traveler’s cover. If you have a larger cover designed to hold more notebooks, this one thick insert might fit into but I don’t have any of those.
The notebook also includes 94 sheets/188 pages so its as thick as three or more Traveler’s inserts (as shown in the photo above). If you’re looking for a Traveler’s-sized carry but would prefer not to need a cover and a bunch of inserts, this could be an alternative.
The next thing I noticed was that the cover is a very stiff cardstock made from matte coated paper which reminds me more of the paperboard used for school grade composition notebooks. For a small, simple notebook costing $34, I was hoping for a more upscale cover material — or at least more artisan. I love the more supple feel of covers like Hobonichi and Stalogy so this cover, while supportive for writing on uneven surfaces or in your lap does not lend itself to fanning the pages. Am I the only person who loves to fan the pages of a book or notebook? his might be a “me problem”.
So, even before I got to the point to test the paper I was bummed about this notebook. The paper better dazzle.
Writing Tests:
The paper is a little toothy with one side having slightly more tooth than the other. I’d compared it to Canopus Note or Midori MD Cotton from the standpoint of texture. The color is a natural white, not too bright but will give fairly clean color representations.
Overall, the paper presented no bleeding or feathering and none of the pens I tested seemed to spread ink or appear wider in writing than I expected. The only potential issue was the longer dry time.
Dry time with wetter pens and some inks must be a known issue on the Graphilo paper as the notebook does included a blotter sheet. I experienced some ink drying issues, particularly with sheening and wet inks. I had a lot of particularly wet inks loaded in my pens this week and some took as long or longer to dry than on Tomoe River does. Crazy, right? It is also hot, humid and August in the Midwest so I can’t blame all the issues on the. paper or ink. Everything is sweating right now, even my paper.
Final Thoughts:
Honestly, I would have preferred a standard A5 Slim size and thinner, cahier-style booklets. The paper is pleasant with good weight and tooth despite the size of the notebook and stiff, plasticky covers which I find off-putting. The Graphilo notebooks are available in A5 size with 64 pages (32 sheets) for $15 and available in graph, blank and lined which is probably a more useful format. The Limited Edition version with the Kobe Nagasawa ink bottles on the cover is definitely tempting.
So, I think I was put off by the size and format more than the paper quality though I do think that the more toothy, texture-y Graphilo paper will not be to everyone’s taste. If you prefer slick, smooth, frictionless paper, than I don’t think the Graphilo notebooks will be for you. But if you’re looking to try some new papers, Graphilo is definitely a good quality paper that likes fountain pens.
DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.