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Paper.

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Ludovico

Member
Nice! I've been checking the shipping status nonstop...which is dumb because I can't even use it proper until January, but still!!

I think I'll wait until it arrives to post all of my writing acquisitions from the last month.
Thanks a ton, Bagels
thanks ;_;
 

Bagels

You got Moxie, kid!
Bagels, you are a plague on my wallet, but I love your threads. I'm pretty much sold on a Hobonichi I think. I'm going to wait until next year's edition comes out. I can't justify spending that much on a planner that starts on January when about 3/4ths of the year is already over haha. I also got some Clairefontaine paper which feels pretty great to write on. The Rhodia dot matrix paper looked pretty incredible. I wanted something that is spiral bound for now however, and I wasn't seeing any of that that anywhere.

We're picking up the 2015 edition Hobonichi. It came out last week. It starts with December of this year. You can also wait until February to get one that starts with April.

I adore the cover I got. It's not the cheapest add-on, but it feels super well made. There's a small "Hobonichi 2015" tag in the back, but I can see this one cover lasting me well past the coming year. The most popular designs sell out super fast (Earthbound :'( ), so I'd snag one sooner rather than later if you want one.

I got a free pen and tissue holder with my planner, too!

I'll discuss it in the thread, but people also make fake Hobonichis - "fauxbonichis" (that's actually a pretty clever name!) - out of other A5 or A6 notebooks. They fit in the Hobonichi covers (which would be much harder to replace, I imagine. You can find leather covers on Etsy, but the official one has such nice pockets and stuff!). The term gets abused a tad - I don't think drawing in a cheap notebook makes it a "fauxbonichi." People seem to use the term for any visual diary, but then you're missing out on the actual planner features of the original. You could go ahead and section a nice notebook and make a little template for daily, weekly, and monthly pages, if you wanted to, but there's something about getting a planner with things all laid out that just works on my brain. You'd also miss out on the INCREDIBLE paper. We can talk about all that in the new thread!

SteveWinwood - I'd love some pics of your Hobonichi (that sounds dirties than it should)! Like, say, a good picture to show the size, and I'd love to see the English language content in the back of the planner. Mine is all in Japanese, so I have no clue what the heck it says. I've memorized the kanji for "Sunday," so I'm well on my way to fluency, but I'm not there yet.
 

slapnuts

Junior Member
Interesting thread, I some how got sucked into reading this thread for a while for some odd reason when i really do not have any kind of interest in various sorts of paper lol ...but i kinda do appreciate paper a bit more now, thanks for the time killer, i definitely learned something.

peace

Edit: I took a quick peek at your post history and now i gonna read up on "mechanical pens" lol...thanks again for the in-depth info
 

Bagels

You got Moxie, kid!
Interesting thread, I some how got sucked into reading this thread for a while for some odd reason when i really do not have any kind of interest in various sorts of paper lol ...but i kinda do appreciate paper a bit more now, thanks for the time killer, i definitely learned something.

peace

Edit: I took a quick peek at your post history and now i gonna read up on "mechanical pens" lol...thanks again for the in-depth info

Thanks! Enjoy my silly threads! I linked them all in the OP.
 

MR4001

Member
SteveWinwood - I'd love some pics of your Hobonichi (that sounds dirties than it should)! Like, say, a good picture to show the size, and I'd love to see the English language content in the back of the planner. Mine is all in Japanese, so I have no clue what the heck it says. I've memorized the kanji for "Sunday," so I'm well on my way to fluency, but I'm not there yet.

These are the back pages from my 2014:

70CPY8Y.jpg


A page with international size charts

LNv4WQZ.jpg


Country and dialing codes

usMRzoT.jpg


National holidays - all run-of-the-mill stuff so far...

HXlrRZC.jpg


...Now the fun stuff - a guide to sushi

Gs9m82P.jpg


A guide to sake and a smaller guide to using chopsticks

3E4ZO59.jpg


Finally, a little treatise on tea drinking around the globe - pardon the censoring: the last page is for contact details
 
Christ, I desperately want to buy a Hobonichi planner, but I'm wondering if I should just wait to start the 2015 version. I hate the idea of only filling out 3 months of the 2014 version!
 

MR4001

Member
The 2014 has been unavailable since early August. The 2015 is the one now on sale.

NB: The Hobonichi starts on the 1st of December, so you've only two months to wait to start using it...
 

peakish

Member
Well OP, after many threads your enthusiasm finally got to me. I've ordered a Midori MD notebook to scratch my research notes in instead of having them all over the place and I'm super close to splurging on a Hobonichi. Next up: finding a better pen.

The only issue is that my handwriting is too poor to fit in nice books so now I'm making an effort at improving that, too. Damn it.
 
Well OP, after many threads your enthusiasm finally got to me. I've ordered a Midori MD notebook to scratch my research notes in instead of having them all over the place and I'm super close to splurging on a Hobonichi. Next up: finding a better pen.

The only issue is that my handwriting is too poor to fit in nice books so now I'm making an effort at improving that, too. Damn it.

Great notebook choice! I'm sure you can do a lot better, but writing with a .38MM-width Pilot feels great on Midori paper.
 

Sera O

Banned
I like the concept, but I've never been good with planners with dates printed in them. I tend to leave it for weeks at a time and then waste half the book that way.

In the past while, I've been using a Midori Traveler's Notebook. I love it - it's all scarred-looking now from beating around in my bag. The paper is very good for fountain pen, but the real selling point is the flexibility and the variety of stuff I can fill it with, even ignoring how easy it would be to create refills.

When I finish up the blank and squared notebooks in it right now I may try to make my own refills out of tomoe river, rhodia dot, and some kind of sketchpad paper. Midori TN refill format only requires a saddle stapler to make so it doesn't seem too tough.
 

Kientin

Member
We're picking up the 2015 edition Hobonichi. It came out last week. It starts with December of this year. You can also wait until February to get one that starts with April.

I adore the cover I got. It's not the cheapest add-on, but it feels super well made. There's a small "Hobonichi 2015" tag in the back, but I can see this one cover lasting me well past the coming year. The most popular designs sell out super fast (Earthbound :'( ), so I'd snag one sooner rather than later if you want one.

I got a free pen and tissue holder with my planner, too!

I don't know how I missed that this is the 2015 edition. I r teh dumb. Anyway, I bought an A5 with a chocolate orange cover. Looking forward to it. Now please excuse me, I have to perform CPR on my wallet.
 

Mdk7

Member
Awesome thread!

I never go anywhere without my moleskin.

If I feel like making more of a serious drawing I'll get some Bristol. It's good to buy some expensive paper sometimes so you don't go goofing off too much.

Here's the one I'm on right now, hopefully this photo shows the texture. Strathmore Bristol Vellum.

I said WOW (at your stunning art).
 

MR4001

Member
My 2015 Hobo' has arrived in this year's green and blue box (last year's was yellow and red); going to try and keep it sealed until the first of January...

Does anyone here read Japanese? I got a funky flyer and I'm wondering what it says.

Oh - and I've just realised I've been pronouncing Techo wrong all this time, LOL: I've been saying teck-oh, rather than tea-cho. Derp.
 
The OP is sensational.

God I really want a Hobonichi Planner....but I really don't need one...I wouldn't use it...

Edit - Caved. Gone with black silicon case and I ordered some extra paper just for the hell of it too.
 

Bagels

You got Moxie, kid!
Massdrop has the large (A5) Rhodia Webnotebooks in a variety of colors right now. It's a 3-pack, which would be $90. It's sitting at $70, with free shipping. If a few more people join, it drops to $65, which is a very attractive price. If you want a Moleskine-like notebook, but with actual quality paper, this is the place to be. Get 3 for yourself, or go in on a pack with a friend. I love me some Rhodia Webnotebooks.

Sign up for massdrop with that url and I am on my way to free stuff.

(I mentioned in the fountain pen thread, but they currently have a Pilot vanishing Point for $105, which is an amazing price for the best pen I own!)

Hobonichi Techo thread coming up, now that I am done moving!

:D
 

mantidor

Member
I didn't see this thread before, I approve.

I have spend too much money in a lot of moleskines, but something told me that they are overpriced and hyped when there are probably better and cheaper alternatives, I'll give the OP a more thorughly look. Thanks!

What does OP think of Canson paper? it's the one more easily available around here.


And this is old but I felt like answering:

On a slightly different paper craft topic I love to fold origami, however the really complex designs require a much thinner type of paper than is normally used. Do any paper experts know which type is best for that sort of craft? It needs to take folding multiple layers without tearing and must hold a crease well.
here is a butterfly as thanks for any suggestions

aluminium_foil_big.gif


Models end up gorgeous, but aluminum foil is not kind with mistakes, so if you mess up you might as well start over, and it's also painfully delicate, sinking is almost impossible.

However... it's so shiny! you can use a big square to make it easier.
 
Awesome thread!

I never go anywhere without my moleskin.

If I feel like making more of a serious drawing I'll get some Bristol. It's good to buy some expensive paper sometimes so you don't go goofing off too much.

Here's the one I'm on right now, hopefully this photo shows the texture. Strathmore Bristol Vellum.

I'd kill to be able to draw like that.
 

peakish

Member
My Hobonichi Planner arrived yesterday.

It is amazing.

Did everybody else receive theirs yet?
Got mine today. It's super cute! I'm really impressed of how they packed in some 400 pages into this format. Hopefully I'll manage to use it, not used to having any type of planner to write stuff in. If not, it wasn't that expensive anyway so.
 

Bagels

You got Moxie, kid!
How is that coming along? I'm ready for a new Bagels thread.

I'd like to have it up on December 1st. That's the day the 2015 model starts on. Seems fitting!

Trying to make another thread about something completely different in the meantime! I get in the mood to make threads about esoteric stuff and I just can't help myself.
 

kess

Member
Both my Copic and Prismacolor markers bleed through my Moleskin pocket sketchbook. Kind of irritating. Glad it was on clearance for $5.

Alcohol based markers will bleed through Moleskine paper easily. The form factor is nice and all, but it's basically on the same level as a reputable brand of sketch paper. Try Bee Super Deluxe or Crescent Rendr.
 

Nakho

Member
Awesome thread!

I never go anywhere without my moleskin.

If I feel like making more of a serious drawing I'll get some Bristol. It's good to buy some expensive paper sometimes so you don't go goofing off too much.

Here's the one I'm on right now, hopefully this photo shows the texture. Strathmore Bristol Vellum.
IMG_1270.jpg~original

Holy shit...! This is amazing. Be right back, paging Kaneko for a new SMT monster designer.
 

Bagels

You got Moxie, kid!
Any tips for improving handwriting?

I never got around to answering this!

I had awful handwriting most of my life. The three things that really helped were 1) finding pens and pencils I really liked and 2) slowing down my writing. I was forced to slow down because I broke my hand, but you could just choose to do it, too. This is a more recent development, but 3) practicing calligraphy.

Many people swear that fountain pens make their writing better all by themselves. I feel like this is the case for me, but I saw a more dramatic example when my wife started trying out fountain pens. The Pilot Plumix, in particular, instantly made her writing look way nicer. She doesn't really like the design of the pen or the scratchiness of the nib, but she loved the result.

I think the biggest benefit of having great pens is just that they encourage you to write more. That was maybe the biggest thing for me. I got so into finding new pens and pencils and I found that I just enjoyed the act of writing more when I had decent tools to work with. I still just jot down quotes and words for fun.

Slowing down is probably the universal key to better handwriting. The way most of us are taught, speed is prioritized over everything else. I can write pretty quickly now, but having a time when I had to slow down was crucial to developing letter forms and stuff. Slow way down to make your writing neater and you can speed up later once the muscle memory is there.

You don't actually have to do calligraphy for it to improve your writing. Studying it a bit can help on its own. For one thing, you can find letter forms that really inspire you. The other thing is studying the ductus, or the sequence of strokes you use to make a letter, can guide your handwriting. I love this book because it's super well written, gives you a broad overview of all sorts of styles, and includes practical guides to producing each script. It actually inspired some tweaks I made to my own handwriting.
 
Holy shit. I suddenly want to buy that paper and one of those dope pens. This/all these threads are amazing. Looked great using the reader function in mobil safari, never bothered with it on a thread until now lol.
 

Bagels

You got Moxie, kid!
Holy shit. I suddenly want to buy that paper and one of those dope pens. This/all these threads are amazing. Looked great using the reader function in mobil safari, never bothered with it on a thread until now lol.

Do it! Pilot Metropolitan + Rhodia dotpad. $25 that will CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

Glad you enjoy my silly threads!


*PM me your address if you'd like a holiday postcard/note from me!
 
My brother just bought Clairefontaine Triomphe based on this thread. He'll use one of the fountain pens from your other thread (that I got him as a present) to write letters to his fiancée while he's in Iraq. I think he was reminded of your threads after seeing my Hobonichi Techo.

Thank you from the both of us for imparting your knowledge on these subjects.
 

Bagels

You got Moxie, kid!
My brother just bought Clairefontaine Triomphe based on this thread. He'll use one of the fountain pens from your other thread (that I got him as a present) to write letters to his fiancée while he's in Iraq. I think he was reminded of your threads after seeing my Hobonichi Techo.

Thank you from the both of us for imparting your knowledge on these subjects.

That makes me really happy! It's National Handwriting Day today, so it seems extra appropriate! I have gotten so much joy out of writing by hand and I'm so happy to see other people pick it back up!

Here's my latest notebook acquisition:

The Woodchuck company specializes in making products with various types of woods. They make phone cases, laptop skins, flasks, cufflinks, and, most importantly, notebooks! They offer several different types of wood, including mahogany and walnut, as well as my favorite - Birch. My family has been visiting the same island in Maine for 5 generations now, so it's super meaningful to me. When I saw they offered Birch, I had to have a Birch Island notebook made. I had a piece of stationary with a design by a fellow Birch Islander. I scanned it and NeoGAffer Prax cleaned it up and converted it to vector art for me. Woodchuck can do wood inlay or laser etching on any of their products (they ask for clean vector art for best results). I received the finished result in about a week.


It turned out even better than I had hoped!


It feels and looks phenomenal. I'm happy to report that their paper is superb, too, and my fountain pens look nice and sharp, with no feathering, ghosting, or bleed through. The paper is quite thick and very smooth.

I'll use the notebook as a journal for my trips to the island as well as a place for sketches and calligraphy related to my favorite place.

The large notebook I got (approximately A5) was $50 with the laser etching or wood inlay ($30 with a plain wood cover, or one of two standard designs they have). The smaller one is $40 with custom art or text ($20 without). So it's pricey (although the $30 base price isn't that bad for a really nice notebook!), but you can make something really wonderful and meaningful for yourself or as a gift. I have so many ideas for notebooks for people now! Highly, highly recommended!
 

LeleSocho

Banned
In the US, “standard” paper (“letter paper”) measures 8.5 x 11 inches. It’s often referred to as “eight and a half by eleven” or “a piece of paper,” or, “what the fuck do you mean ‘what size of paper,' Bagels? The fuck is wrong with you?” The other commonly used size is “legal” paper, which is 14 inches long because lawyers are assholes.

As a side note, the origins of the precise measurements of 8.5 inches by 11 inches are not known. It does, admittedly, deliver a pleasing rectangliness.

The rest of the world follows ISO 216 standards for paper. The sizes are sensibly related but it doesn’t lend itself well to dumb jokes, so I won’t say much about it.



The basic letter sheet of paper in Europe is A4, which is 8.27 by 11.7 inches (210 × 297mm). Europeans are more cultured than Americans, so they need that extra space to say smart things.
Just when i thought i saw all the stupid differences between the US and Europe/rest of the world... i mean even paper size?
 
Bagels, would a Rhodia dot pad be sufficient for casual ink drawings? I kinda want to participate in inktober this year in an effort to improve my drawing skills, and have been thinking about the dot pad cuz it'll help me with proportions.
 

Bagels

You got Moxie, kid!
Bagels, would a Rhodia dot pad be sufficient for casual ink drawings? I kinda want to participate in inktober this year in an effort to improve my drawing skills, and have been thinking about the dot pad cuz it'll help me with proportions.

It should work great! The dots are so helpful for keeping lines straight, sizing things, working on spacing, and so on. I like to practice calligraphy on dotpads. I will say that many people, looking at any finished work, tell me they HATE the dots. They can be a tad distracting if you are just looking at someone else's work. One compromise is to print out a dot sheet, or use a fine Sharpie to really darken the dot grid. You then slide this writing guide under the page you want to work on. This works great with Tomoe River paper (and looking back at calligraphy and writing in my old Hobonichi, GODDAMN do inks look so good on Tomoe River!) as it is so thin.

So...yeah. Dotpads are great for practice, but you can also find ways to use even better blank paper (Rhodia R or Tomoe River, to name my two favorites) if you want to!
 
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