LEUCHTTURM1917 344808 Notebook Medium (A5), 249 Numbered Pages, Squared, Berry

This is exactly what I wanted to draft a novel. It has a couple pages for a table of contents in the beginning, it's very light, and with pages suited for use with a fountain pen. They are numbered so you can see exactly how much progress you've made. The pages are also bright white with a nicely spaced grid pattern, and it makes writing with a fountain pen effortless and quite enjoyable for the smoothness of it.I'm not sure I need 2 bookmarks, but what it nice is that they give you labels to put on the cover and/or spine to mark the book, which helps if you have collection of them, which I intend to build. I have tried every single notebook on the market, and none work quite as well for my purposes. It's a combination of being portable and functional because of how slim and light it is, with a no frills design, but with the sense that you have a journal that you would be happy to write your best work in with you best pen.The sheer lack of any branding or silly quotes, even a logo, makes it better in my mind (obviously you need to remove the cardboard flap). There's just a simple, understated Leuchturm1917, on the inside flap, which makes it feel like grandfather's old journal. This should not be something to praise, but so many other companies screw this up.

These have been my go-to notebooks for years now, and there's not a thing I don't love about them except for the RRP (which is why I get them from here). They are perfect for bullet journalling - you really don't need the Bullet Journal version, which is very expensive - any kind of note-taking. I use them primarily as research notebooks, which is where the index and page numbers come into their own. Their hardback construction means they're robust and can take quite a bit of rough handling if necessary. The spine and front labels are fantastic for finding the right notebook on the bookshelf. I use the dot grid versions for fountain pen and ink sampling (see photos), the lined versions for research, and the blanks for sketching. The off-white paper is easy on the eyes, the grey dot grids are 5mm apart. Line width on the lined version is 6mm.You get 251 numbered pages; two contents (index) pages; two marker ribbons; and a pocket at the bag which is where you'll find the labels and which is handy for storing bits and pieces. The paper is 80gsm acid-free, which means if you use an archival ink along with this archival paper, future generations will be able to read your thoughts and marvel!! (if that's your thing).These are the best normal-price-range notebooks I've found for fountain pens, which are what I use almost exclusively. Some people just can't abide shadowing, where you can see the text of the verso (preceding) page, and so if that's a bugbear for you, you might want to try a notebook with a heavier gsm. In my experience, though, there are few modern fountain pen inks that make this an intolerable burden (I am looking at you, J Herbin Emerald of Chivoir). Of course, if you use a gushy flex nib fountain pen, then ymmv.They take most other types of pens as well of course; rollerballs and gel pens, ballpoints. Don't try using a Sharpie or a Copic marker on this paper, because they will bleed right through onto the next page and beyond (although Tombow brush pens aren't a problem). Pens like Staedtler Triplus work fine, as do Sakura.In all, although it has its limitations (as do all things) if you love fountain pens, and you love writing, then you'll love the Leuchtturm.

This is my first Leuchtturm1917 - I got mine in A5 dot-grid (also a first for me) and I have to say I've fallen in love with it.The dot-grid takes a bit of getting used to, so if you've only ever used single ruled or blank paper before, give it a chance before you dismiss it!The paper isn't be-all-and-end-all quality despite many claims; you will absolutely still get ghosting unless you're using pencils or incredibly fine-nibbed pens, but even my XS Faber-Castell PITT artist pen at 0.1mm shows through. That pen is, however, intended to be permanent which could contribute to the ghosting. That being said, I've also used felt tip markers in it (going over some spots three or four times) and I've yet to see bleed-through. If you can live with ghosting, this is a fantastic notebook.There are two ribbon markers, one plain and one bi-coloured. The elastic matches the cover and is springy enough to make sure your Leuchtturm stays closed without threatening to snap at every movement. There is also a pocket on the inside of the back cover, which I am currently keeping the handily supplied Leuchtturm stickers (three square title stickers, two of which are lined and the other of which is blank, and a few spine stickers).The pages are numbered, barring the three index pages and single blank page at the beginning. The dot-grid is 5mm, which I find is pleasantly spaced for my handwriting but also means that I can fit a lot of that handwriting on one page - one of the things I dislike about cheaper ruled notebooks is that it always feels like the ruling is too far apart and I'm wasting space.All in all, if you don't mind ghosting, give this notebook a chance. It's fantastic for bullet journalers with its built-in index and page numbering, or if you're like me and want a notebook to jot down ideas as and when they appear while still being able to easily reference them, this could be worth a shot.