Notebooks & Journals
The Best Notebooks for Fountain Pens, Ranked on Paper the Maker Publishes
Fountain-pen ink is wetter than anything else you will write with, and the only spec that predicts how paper handles it is one most notebook makers print on the box.
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The short answer
Buy the Clairefontaine clothbound A5 if the paper is the point, and the Rhodia Webnotebook if you want that same 90 gsm paper inside a book with a ribbon, an elastic and a pocket. Those two publish 90 gsm, the heaviest weight anywhere on this site. Everything below them is a compromise you should make knowingly rather than by accident.
How we judged these, before any ranking
This site has not written in any of these notebooks, so the ranking cannot rest on feel. It rests on what each maker is willing to put in writing, and the order below follows from four things in this order.
- Published paper weight in gsm. It is the single figure that predicts feathering and show-through, and it is the figure a notebook maker publishes only when the number flatters them. A blank in this column is itself information.
- Published surface finish. Weight is not the whole story. A heavy but open, toothy sheet still drinks ink sideways; a closed, calendered surface holds the line. Where a maker names the finish - brushed vellum, superfine vellum - that is a real claim about behavior.
- Whether the book opens flat. A fountain nib needs the page level under it. Writing into the curve of a spine that fights back is where skipping and railroading start, and it is the failure mode nobody blames on the notebook.
- Cost per page, not cost. A 192-page book at one price and a 160-page book at the same price are not the same purchase, and heavy paper is bought by the sheet.
What is deliberately not in that list: cover material, brand and page count on its own. A leather cover tells you nothing about how ink behaves on the page inside it, and this is the one category where the makers publish enough that we do not have to guess.
The published paper, side by side
| Notebook | Published paper | Pages | Opens flat? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clairefontaine clothbound A5 | 90 gsm brushed vellum | 192 (96 sheets) | Cloth spine, sewn |
| Rhodia Webnotebook A5 | 90 gsm brushed ivory vellum | 160 (80 sheets) | Not published |
| LEUCHTTURM1917 A5 | 80 gsm | 251 numbered | Thread bound, stated to open flat |
| Rhodia wirebound A5 pad | 80 g superfine vellum | 80 sheets, detachable | Wirebound at the head |
| Moleskine Classic Large | 70 gsm, acid free | 240 | Not published |
Quick picks
Ranked for the person doing the buying. Every pick names who it is wrong for.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Clairefontaine Clothbound Notebook, A5, 90 gsm, Blank Ninety gsm brushed vellum in a clothbound A5, which is heavier paper than any hardcover here and usually costs less than the 80 gsm ones. | 90 gsm, the heaviest weight published here | $13.68 - View on Amazon #ad Price as of September 13, 2026. How this is funded |
| 2 |  Rhodia Webnotebook A5, Dot 90 gsm Clairefontaine ivory vellum - the heaviest weight published anywhere on this site, in a book with a ribbon, an elastic and a pocket. | A fountain-pen user, without qualification | |
| 3 |  LEUCHTTURM1917 Medium A5 Dotted Hardcover Notebook 80 gsm paper, 251 numbered pages and a printed contents page, which is why this is the default recommendation in every journaling forum. | The bullet-journal standard | $25.50 - View on Amazon #ad Price as of September 13, 2026. How this is funded |
| 4 |  Rhodia Wirebound Notepad, A5, Dot Top-wirebound with micro-perforated sheets and a rigid back, which makes it the one on this page you can write on standing up. | A pad, not a notebook | $8.52 - View on Amazon #ad Price as of September 13, 2026. How this is funded |
| 5 |  Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Dotted, Hard Cover The notebook everyone knows by sight, on 70 gsm paper that is lighter than its main rival and honest about it. | The recognizable one | $16.37 - View on Amazon #ad Price as of September 13, 2026. How this is funded |
1. 90 gsm, the heaviest weight published here
Clairefontaine Clothbound Notebook, A5, 90 gsm, Blank
Ninety gsm brushed vellum in a clothbound A5, which is heavier paper than any hardcover here and usually costs less than the 80 gsm ones.
#ad Price as of September 13, 2026. How this is funded
Ninety gsm is the number that makes this notebook interesting. On this site the heavy-paper argument usually stops at 80 gsm, and the books that publish 90 - the Rhodia Webnotebook, this one - are the two a fountain-pen user should look at first.
The finish matters as much as the weight. Clairefontaine's brushed vellum is a smooth, closed surface, which is why ink sits on top of it and dries slowly rather than sinking in and feathering. That is a genuine trade: cleaner lines, longer to dry.
What you give up is fittings, not paper. There is no ribbon, no elastic and no pocket, and the cover color arrives at random. If those things matter to the person opening it, this is the wrong book and the price gap explains itself.
| Paper weight | 90 gsm, brushed vellum finishTen grams above the Leuchtturm1917 and twenty above the Moleskine Classic.Source: Amazon listing - Clairefontaine Ref 9540C Clothbound Notebook, A5 |
|---|---|
| Sheets | 96 sheets, 192 pagesSource: Goulet Pens - Clairefontaine Classic Clothbound A5 Notebook |
| Size | A5Source: Amazon listing - Clairefontaine Ref 9540C Clothbound Notebook, A5 |
| Ruling | Plain (blank)Source: Amazon listing - Clairefontaine Ref 9540C Clothbound Notebook, A5 |
| Cover | Film-coated card cover with a cloth spineThe listing states the cover color ships at random from the assorted pack.Source: Amazon listing - Clairefontaine Ref 9540C Clothbound Notebook, A5 |
| Page markers and pocket | Not publishedNo ribbon, elastic or rear pocket is listed. This is a plain book, and the hardcovers that cost more are buying you those fittings. |
What it does well
- 90 gsm published, the heaviest paper weight on this site.
- Brushed vellum surface, the reason fountain-pen ink does not feather on it.
- Costs less than most 80 gsm hardcovers.
What it does not
- No ribbon, elastic or rear pocket.
- The cover color is not chosen by the buyer - it ships at random from the assorted pack.
- Card cover, not a hard board, so it does not survive a bag the way a hardcover does.
- Blank only in this reference, which suits drawing more than lists.
Skip this: Skip this as a gift if the unwrapping matters. A random-color card-covered notebook is an excellent writing instrument and a flat present; buy it for yourself and give a journal gift set instead.
2. A fountain-pen user, without qualification
Rhodia Webnotebook A5, Dot
90 gsm Clairefontaine ivory vellum - the heaviest weight published anywhere on this site, in a book with a ribbon, an elastic and a pocket.
90 gsm is the number to buy this for. Against 70 gsm Moleskine paper that is roughly 29 percent more paper between one page and the next, and that is where fountain-pen show-through stops being a problem.
The trade is page count. 160 pages against 251 for the Leuchtturm1917 at a similar size - heavier paper in a book of the same thickness means fewer sheets. That is physics, not a cost saving.
Ivory rather than white is a real preference axis. It is easier on the eye under a desk lamp and it flattens the contrast of a photograph, which matters if anyone is posting pages.
| Paper weight | 90 gsm Clairefontaine brushed ivory vellum10 gsm above the Leuchtturm1917 and 20 above the Moleskine Classic.Source: Amazon listing - Rhodia A5 Webnotebook, Dot, Black |
|---|---|
| Pages | 160 (80 sheets)Source: Amazon listing - Rhodia Webnotebook, A5 |
| Size | A5, approximately 5.5" x 8.25"Source: Amazon listing - Rhodia Webnotebook - A5 |
| Fittings | Leatherette cover, inner pocket, ribbon page marker, elastic closureSource: Amazon listing - Rhodia Webnotebook, A5 |
| Page numbers | Not publishedNot numbered. Rhodia does not target the indexed-journal use case. |
What it does well
- 90 gsm Clairefontaine paper, the heaviest weight published here, and the safe choice for fountain-pen ink.
- Ivory stock is comfortable under artificial light.
- Soft leatherette cover, pocket, ribbon and elastic as standard.
What it does not
- 160 pages, roughly two thirds of the Leuchtturm1917's count.
- No page numbers or contents page.
- Less recognizable as a brand than the other two, which matters in a gift.
Skip this: if the recipient keeps an indexed bullet journal. No page numbers means hand-numbering, and at 160 pages they will run out sooner than they expect.
3. The bullet-journal standard
LEUCHTTURM1917 Medium A5 Dotted Hardcover Notebook
80 gsm paper, 251 numbered pages and a printed contents page, which is why this is the default recommendation in every journaling forum.
#ad Price as of September 13, 2026. How this is funded
Numbered pages plus a printed contents page is the whole reason bullet journaling settled on this book. An index needs page numbers, and printing them saves the user writing 251 of them.
80 gsm against the Moleskine Classic's published 70 gsm is a 14 percent difference in paper weight, and it is the difference most people notice as ghosting on the reverse of a page.
Two ribbons is not decoration in a journal that has an index. One marks the index, one marks today.
| Paper weight | 80 gsmSource: Amazon listing - LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Hardcover Medium A5, Dotted |
|---|---|
| Pages | 251 numbered pages, with 8 perforated detachable sheetsSource: Amazon listing - LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Hardcover Medium A5, Dotted |
| Size | A5, approximately 5.75" x 8.25" (145 x 210 mm)Source: Amazon listing - LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Hardcover Medium A5, Dotted |
| Fittings | Blank table of contents, two page markers, gusseted rear pocket, elastic band, archival stickersSource: Amazon listing - LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Hardcover Medium A5, Dotted |
| Binding | Thread bound, opens flatSource: Amazon listing - LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Hardcover Medium A5, Dotted |
What it does well
- 251 pre-numbered pages and a blank contents page, ready for an index.
- 80 gsm published, the heaviest of the three mainstream hardcovers here.
- Thread bound, so it lies flat from the first page.
What it does not
- Still not fountain-pen-proof; 80 gsm reduces show-through, it does not eliminate it.
- The dot grid is fainter than some users want for straight-line work.
Skip this: if the recipient has never mentioned journaling. A 251-page dotted notebook handed to a non-journaler is 251 blank pages of obligation. See how to pick a journal as a gift.
4. A pad, not a notebook
Rhodia Wirebound Notepad, A5, Dot
Top-wirebound with micro-perforated sheets and a rigid back, which makes it the one on this page you can write on standing up.
#ad Price as of September 13, 2026. How this is funded
A top-bound pad is a genuinely different object from a side-bound notebook and the difference is where you can use it. The rigid back means it supports itself, so it works on a knee, in a corridor or standing at a bench - which is the same reason clipboards exist.
Micro-perforation is the detail that separates a pad from a notebook with a spiral. The sheet comes away along a clean line rather than a torn edge, so a page handed to somebody else does not look ripped out.
Eighty sheets is not many, and that is correct for the format. A pad is a consumable that gets torn down and replaced, not a book you archive.
| Binding | Wirebound at the top edgeA pad rather than a book - sheets flip up and over rather than turning sideways.Source: Amazon listing - Rhodia Wirebound Notepad, A5, Dot |
|---|---|
| Paper | Clairefontaine 80 g superfine vellumSource: Amazon listing - Rhodia Wirebound Notepad, A5, Dot |
| Sheets | 80, detachable and micro-perforatedSource: Amazon listing - Rhodia Wirebound Notepad, A5, Dot |
| Backing | Ultra rigid back boardThis is what lets it be used without a desk under it.Source: Amazon listing - Rhodia Wirebound Notepad, A5, Dot |
What it does well
- Rigid back means it works with no desk under it.
- Micro-perforated sheets tear off clean rather than ragged.
- Published 80 g Clairefontaine vellum, the same stock class as the brand's notebooks.
What it does not
- Eighty sheets goes quickly if you are not tearing them off.
- A top wire means your hand rests on it at the top of every page.
- Nothing holds the removed sheets - it is a pad, so filing is your problem.
Skip this: if you want to keep what you write in order. A pad is designed to be dismantled; if the notes need to stay bound and in sequence, buy a sewn or spiral notebook instead.
5. The recognizable one
Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Dotted, Hard Cover
The notebook everyone knows by sight, on 70 gsm paper that is lighter than its main rival and honest about it.
#ad Price as of September 13, 2026. How this is funded
70 gsm versus 80 is the entire technical argument between this and the Leuchtturm1917, and it is a real one: lighter paper shows more of what is on the reverse. Whether that matters depends entirely on what the recipient writes with.
What Moleskine has that its rival does not is recognition. For a gift that is worth something concrete - the recipient knows what it is before they open the card.
No page numbers and no contents page. For freeform notes that is irrelevant; for an indexed journal it is 240 numbers to write by hand.
| Paper weight | 70 gsmMoleskine publishes this, and it is 10 gsm under the Leuchtturm1917.Source: Amazon listing - Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Dotted, Hard Cover |
|---|---|
| Pages | 240Source: Amazon listing - Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Dotted, Hard Cover |
| Size | Large, 5" x 8.25"Source: Amazon listing - Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Dotted, Hard Cover |
| Paper stock | FSC certified, acid free (pH neutral)Source: Amazon listing - Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Dotted, Hard Cover |
| Page numbers | Not publishedPages are not numbered and there is no printed contents page. A bullet journal user will number them by hand. |
What it does well
- Universally recognized, which does real work in a gift.
- FSC certified, acid-free paper with a published weight.
- Slightly thinner block than the Leuchtturm for the same page count, so it carries better.
What it does not
- 70 gsm ghosts more than 80 gsm with gel and fountain pens.
- No pre-numbered pages or contents page.
Skip this: if you know they use a fountain pen. Buy the Rhodia at 90 gsm instead and spend the difference on ink. See Leuchtturm1917 versus Moleskine.
Ninety grams is the line, and it costs you drying time
Two of these publish 90 gsm and the rest do not. That is the whole reason the list is ordered the way it is. Heavier, more closed paper keeps wet ink sitting on the surface instead of wicking into the fibers sideways, which is what feathering is - the line growing fuzzy edges seconds after you write it.
The catch is on the same coin. Ink that has not soaked in has not dried either. Clairefontaine paper is famous in equal measure for perfect lines and for smudging under a hand that moves across the page too soon, and if you write left-handed that is not a footnote, it is the deciding factor. Pens for left-handed writers is the other half of this problem.
What 'fountain pen friendly' does not mean
It does not mean no show-through. Hold any of these pages up to a lamp with a wet nib on the reverse and you will see the writing. Ghosting is normal on every weight sold here; what heavy paper prevents is the ink actually coming through to the other side as a wet mark. Paper and ghosting separates the two properly.
It also does not mean every ink. A broad wet nib loaded with a heavily saturated ink will defeat 90 gsm; a fine nib will look immaculate on 70. The nib is at least as big a variable as the paper, which is why nib sizes explained is worth five minutes before you buy either.
Cost per page changes the ranking
The Clairefontaine gives you 192 pages of 90 gsm. The Rhodia Webnotebook gives you 160 pages of the same weight, from the same paper mill, plus a leatherette cover, a ribbon, an elastic and an inner pocket. The premium is real and it buys fittings, not paper.
That is a genuine fork rather than a ranking problem. If the book is going in a bag every day, the fittings earn their money. If it sits on a desk and gets written in, they do not, and the cheaper book is the better buy on identical paper.
The Moleskine is on this list on purpose
At 70 gsm it is the worst paper here for a fountain pen and it is still the notebook most often given to someone who has just been given a fountain pen. Putting it last with its number printed is more useful than leaving it off, because somebody is about to buy the pair.
If the recognition is the point - and for a gift it often legitimately is - buy it knowingly and pair it with a fine nib rather than a broad one. Leuchtturm1917 vs Moleskine has that argument at full length.
Questions people actually ask
What paper weight do I need for a fountain pen?
80 gsm is the point where most fountain-pen ink stops showing through as a wet mark, and 90 gsm is where it becomes unusual. Below 80 you are relying on a fine nib and a dry ink to save you.
Is Clairefontaine or Rhodia better for fountain pens?
They publish the same 90 gsm paper and Rhodia's notebooks are made with Clairefontaine paper. Choose on format and fittings: the Rhodia Webnotebook has a ribbon, elastic and pocket, and the Clairefontaine clothbound has more pages for less money.
Will a fountain pen bleed through a Moleskine?
Moleskine publishes 70 gsm, the lightest here, so a wet or broad nib frequently comes through. A fine nib with a drier ink is usually survivable. Buy it for the recognition, not for the paper.
Why does my ink feather on expensive paper?
Weight is not the same as surface. An open, toothy sheet wicks ink sideways at any weight, which is why the makers who name a finish - brushed vellum, superfine vellum - are telling you something the gsm figure does not.
Does heavier paper take longer to dry?
In practice yes, because the ink stays on the surface instead of soaking in. That is the same property that stops feathering, so it is a trade rather than a flaw - and it is the main reason left-handed writers often prefer lighter paper.