I have a bunch of Stalogy A5 notebooks and use them exclusively with fountain pens. The slight toothiness and faster dry-time compared to Tomoe River is great for long-form writing. (I did NaNoWriMo in a Stalogy last year.) I like the unobtrusiveness of the tiny date notation since I never use it anyway.
It is so weird. I had an A6 Stalogy where every ink feathered like crazy, all the pens (not just fountain pens) just not the Jetstream ghosted or bled through. And now I have a B6 and all my pens I'm now mostly using M nibs and crazy inks work perfectly in it. No ghosting, no bleeding nothing.
How interesting that we all have different preferences and tastes! I adore Stalogy notebooks and use them all the time, with fountain pens, ball point, gel. Even with the Double B/C nibs, I never had "bleedthrough". Shadowing, yes, but I don't mind that. I don't use the day/date on the top, or the time grid along the side. I like Tomoe River paper, too, but either can't find a notebook size I want, or the price is prohibitive. I enjoy the notebook having 365+ pages.
Absolutely love Stalogy 365 notebooks as a non-day timer. Used them at work for years with. MB, Pelikan’s, Visconti’s, Conklin’s, Retro 51’s, never an issue with F, M, and B nibs…even BB ! Retired and still use them for notes working on Master’s degree #2….happy to take it off your hands….
Bahahaha You definitely had me with that title. My ol' lady eyes ignore the writing. I like that the grid is so faded because I ignore that as well. If anything, I wish that the grid was larger, to accommodate my writing. What I like about the Stalogy is the compactness and the smoothness of the paper. It doesn't feather or bleed-thru with specific inks--but as you've discovered, it does with others! There is ghosting, but not enough to be distracting to me. I used mine for taking notes and used a Pilot Metro with Noodler's black. It also worked well with my rollerball pens. It's not what I would uses for "preservation" journaling purposes, tho. It fit well into a TN and I just bent the spine to make it lie flat. That spine has been indestructible! But now I just make my own notebooks and so I never ordered any replacements. Perhaps I'll do a flip-thru vid--will add that to The LIST. Ha! P.S. I honestly never paid attention to the gold writing on the outside and until your review, had NO idea it said, "What should have been, is." I actually had to go and look to see if mine said that!
Wow! I’ve never had this problem. I have teeny tiny writing and stick to fine nibs, so maybe that’s it or maybe there are paper batch issues? I do love ghosting, but can’t tolerate bleed through or feathering. I love my Stalogy notebooks - this must have been so disappointing for you.
@@jacobus57 In any paper that is not onion skin paper I don't see how it limits the use. You can perfectly use the second page for writing, note taking etc. Unless you need to do swatches or some specific ink sampling which is not common people do every day :D I am not a fan of ghosting but it is not an issue for me as long as I can see what is written on the other side.
Well. I wouldn't rank it so low. Yeah, it cant handle broad and stub nibs. But for daily journalling, i like it. Ghosting is something i enjoy. If that annoys anyone, this is not the notebook for them. So far my inks haven't feathered. I use fine and medium nibs usually.
I went back in mine and noticed no feathering with my Pilot E95s Fine but a loooot of feathering with my TWSBI stub nib. Both had the same ink in the pen.
Wow, this is so surprising to me! I've used a lot of Stalogies and I've never had a problem with feathering or bleedthrough, using medium nibs and a variety of different inks (mostly Pilot Iroshizuku). Sorry you had this experience.
Thank you very much for the honest review. I was doubting on getting one of these because I found contradictory comments on youtube and instagram about their “fountain-pen friendly” qualities. Some feathered, some were perfect. The conclusion I get is that there is no consistency in the quality of these notebooks. Thanks again for taking the time to record, edit and publish. A lot of youtubers don’t make the effort if it’s not a positive review, and I think this is very important for the fountain pen community to have this honest reviews, specially in this post-covid era where we buy a lot more online than we used to.
I have found it is astoundingly sensitive to hand oils. You have to write with something under your hand or an artist glove. Any hand oils, and feathering and bleedthrough with any ink and any nib can occur. You are not wrong though. The paper is pleasingly tactile, but... I won't be getting a second notebook - not for me.
I’m so happy to see this video. I thought something was wrong with me because I do not like the paper AT ALL. It feels so weird to write on no matter what pen I use.
I have one Stalogy A5 notebook, and it's for "non-fountain" pen use. I use a little heavier paper for fountain pen use, but that is my preference. I agree, the paper is a mixed bag on the type of ink and pen used, but I use it for daily note taking and not artistic nor for bullet-journaling. My pen of use is usually the Retro 51 ballpoint, but occasionally the rollerball pens are used, when I forgot my ballpoints. Why not use fountain pens? It's must be because I am being lazy, or just forgetful to carry one. I don't carry a backpack or briefcase, so it's usually what I have in hand. Great review by the way. Thank you Kerry for sharing your videos!
I’ve used a B5 Stalogy as my daily log for the last few years; tracking hours for billing clients, appointments, events, etc. It’s the best option I’ve found with a full 24-hour timeline in a minimum of 1/2-hour increments, which I need for my client hour tracking, and at least 365 days so it holds a full year of daily logs. I mostly use pencil, ballpoint, and gel pens with it. An occasional fountain pen, if it has fine or extra-fine nib and is loaded with a drier ink seems to work, and dries quickly, which is important as a lefty. I also find using a shitajiki/writing board behind the page I’m writing upon makes a huge difference in making the grid more visible and in reducing “dents” and ink transfer to adjacent pages. I find everyone’s seemingly favorite Original Tomoe River paper to be a nightmare with fountain pens, as with some inks it never seems to dry and smears and has extreme show-thru with even the finest of nibs and driest of inks. I suppose that’s why there’s a variety of paper types and notebook styles - we all prioritize different features and have different use cases.
Well, what a bummer! Great review & I very much appreciate the honesty. I bought one of these notebooks a few months ago based on all the hype, but I have yet to use it. It was next after filling my current Taroko Enigma A5. The main reason I use fountain pens is because of all the variation & properties of the ink. I like to see all the shading, outlining, sheening, etc. Seeing that the Stalogy cuts that to a minimum is a real disappointment. But I’m so glad for the review so that I can look for something else. I did use the Taroko Enigma’s for a long time and they were fantastic, but recently they made a paper change and now my current one behaves exactly like your Stalogy. The search continues. Thank you for your videos. I really enjoy them!
I like the Stalogy A5 BUT the date is so small and the lines are so faint I believed I was starting to go blind. I never experienced that level of feathering with the A5.
i'm currently using the stalogy notebook with pretty wet japanese ef/f/mf nibs and they show off shade/sheen very well while drying quickly. it's nothing like tomoe river sheen but it still sheens! i like the ghosting aspect because i think it looks very vintage and reminds me of onionskin although it only happens with darker inks.
I purchased a stalogy notebook and had the same exact experience, I ended up giving it to my mom so she used it as her bullet journal with "regular" pens- usually ball points or gel pens and she doesn't have an issue. I ended up purchasing one more just to see if I also got a "bad" notebook and again had the same experience. I've tried different inks and nib sizes, 98% bled or feathered so again off to my mom it went. The paper to me also feels beautiful, but just doesn't work for me. My mom loves them so it's a win for her. And no- neither of us can see the words clearly even with glasses on lol
I think something has changed or they have QC issues. The first A5 Stalogy I got, same as yours, was perfect and I did use it for the whole year! Was so proud. But, then I immediately bought one for the year after that and it feathered sooo badly I had to switch before the first week was over.
I quit on STÁLOGY because of the feathering with Pilot Iroshizuku and a broad Pelikan nib. I'm using Pebble Stationery Cosmo Air Light exclusively right now. It's awesome.
My Baystate Blue feathers and bleeds like crazy on (old) Tomoe River paper, so I have decided that the behaviour of Baystate Blue doesn't say anything about paper quality. But of course that wasn't the only problem you were having with the Stalogy. I might be able to live with the feathering as it doesn't happen with all pen-ink-combinations, but I prefer papers that bring out the sheen, so I don't think this notebook is for me.
It is the correct notebook and I would definitely say the experience with the fountain does depend on nib and ink! I love the paper for other reasons outside of fountain pen use
I agree with @lunar onion. I'm on my 3rd Stalogy A5 365 notebook. I use fountain pens exclusively (EF, F, M, and 1.1 stubs) with mostly well-behaved inks like Diamine, J. Herbin, Pilot and Sailor. When I first started using a Stalogy for journalling, I was a bit bummed, too. Does it show sheen like TR paper? No, it does not. It doesn't get as crinkly with use, either. However, I like that the paper is smooth with a reasonably short dry time (i.e., limited ink spearing) compared to other smooth papers. There's some ghosting, just like with TR paper. I have not had major feathering issues; at worst, I've had a few letters in a word that will feather on the odd page. Definitely much better than any Leuchtturm I have used. The grid is faint but visible (unlike their dot grid), and while the perpetual calendar at the tops is hard to read, it's discreet enough to be easily ignored. Not my favourite notebooks, but more accessible and affordable than my favourite TR notebooks.
Oh my, I’m really surprised to hear this. My stalogy did not feather at all, though it really does kill off all the sheen so I just stock up on more Tomoe 😌
I adore stalogy for what it is, as a bullet journal, where I draw all my own layouts. I love how well the binding holds up, and the feel of the paper but I use only a fine nib Pilot vanishing point with de atramentis document black ink. I don’t like it for fountain pens or regular journaling. I would agree with your assessment from a fountain pen standpoint.
How odd! I have a Staology thin notebook A4 size, it says on the back "016 notebook". I have used all sorts of ink in it, from Pelikan, Diamine, colorverse, to noodlers and not one of them have feathered. The surface has an odd feeling, almost slick, but it takes ink very well and I am very pleased with it. Your notebook has to have another kind of paper than my Staology or you had a notebook from a bad batch.
I have experienced both ends of the feathering quality, and I have a theory about it, because I experienced them in the same notebook.....more than a year apart. My theory is that the paper is not archival quality, and changes over time and exposure to air, light, etc. So now I keep my Stalogies in their plastic sheaths until I'm ready to use one, and try to use them quickly. Or not for fountain pens.
Ugh, the Stalogy. It gives me love hate feelings. It's definitely not great for fountain pens. The paper only seems to work well with EF or F point nibs and dryer inks. It's nice to write on but you cannot have any sort of wet inks. Shading inks are good but still, you lose a lot of ink properties when you're restricted to the smallest nibs. If you just want to journal and write it's great. If you want it to have flair with sheen and wider nibs, you're SOL.
I recently bought one from Amazon, and mine does bleed thru with fountain pens, but hardly no feathering. I think it's a solid notebook, similar to Leuchtturm1917.
I’d love this notebook if it came with tomoe river paper! I really like the minimalist aesthetic. I’m going to use mine as a sketchbook, bc of the humidity here (England) everything even the fine nibs feather. :( it’s quite expensive as well… definitely worse than Leuchtturm! I’m using a A5 Leuchtturm and I’m pretty happy, I am staying away from Noodler’s inks and pigment inks for this Leuchtturm notebook. My favourite thing about Leuchtturm is the index and page numbering.
@@6ta8hs I have. It’s humidity I think, the paper would degrade overnight if I left my journal open (which I often did) I’d noticed how the paper exposed to air/humidity at night would feather while the next page would be slightly better… very strange (I do live in England in a very old house)
Bad batch of paper?? I like the look of the notebook. Rounded corners, thinner paper, and unobtrusive grid. Paper looks like a light shade of cream? Bright white strains my eyes. The print on top would be ignored anyway. All my pens are Japanese F, EF, and UEF, and those may not obviously feather. Gonna try this one. Thanks!
You and I both like the same kinds of fountain pens, so i have a question for you. 🤓 Have you tried Archer & Olive notebooks? If so, how do with fountain pens? Most reviews are from people who are not "real" fountan pen users. If they include fountain pens in a pen test, it is like one lone Lamy Safari with a standard black ink. It is clear that the paper does not have bleed-through or even ghosting But, Does the 160gsm paper from Archer & Olive feather?🤔 Does it show sheen or Shading?🤩 I cannot find answers to these questions.😪 Any help would be appreciated!😁
ya Michael...I get your concern...I think the people that use them...are not like you or myself...looking to all the inks that sheen and shimmer or real broad gushy pens...I think the Tomoe River was the best...but who knows now with the Tomoe "S"...new paper.I have heard that even the old Tomoe River ...68gms did not behave the same as the 52gsm...and I am about to buy a book with 68gsm Tomoe River paper...she thinks???? right...I bet there can be PAPER mock-offs...just like fashion mock-offs...I have never had an Archer and Olive...but seriously doubt they are gnna rock the socks off your jazzy inks. I think these new ink manufacturers...should be selling paper that works with their inks...since it is getting slim pickings these days.
I can’t fit any writing into that grid and that top corner font size has me thinking I’m going blind, so I hate this book with a passion and it cost me far too much as well. I am so disappointed with it. Who do they think can see that top text? Ridiculous. 😂
Thanks for letting me know. The Stalogy seems to be all over in the planner community and I’ve been considering it. I would hate bleed through and that alone has changed my mind,
I haven't been as disappointed in a notebook as I have been with my a6 Stalogy since I tried using a Moleskin notebook. Both were overhyped in terms of paper quality, everyone I saw who reviewed them said they were fountain-pen friendly, which was why I got them. When it comes to my Stalogy notebook specifically, I liked the page layout, which reminded me of the Hobonichi without the extra planner-related stuff like calenders I'd never use, so I was looking forward to it even more than I was the moleskin I tried...... I'll stick to the Hobonichi.
I use these to practice my writing in Japanese, especially to practice kanji. I use the one with graph paper one so I can split the kanji into quadrants while I practice. I can only use fine nibs on it though otherwise ink will bleed through. These doesn't bother me too much, because I only use fine or fine when writing in Japanese
I adore the Stalogy but was first introduced to it before I started using fountain pens for the first time since primary school. I love it with gel pens & ballpoint; I’ll be using another one in 2023 and I’m curious about how it will hold up with fountain pens.
Great review, thanks! I have one of those and I have mixed feelings. I use it for every day office work note-taking with fountain pens and I quite like it. I have noticed the ghosting (normal for paper this thin) but I have not had that much bleeding (but still a bit more than with Tomoe river paper). I guess I have been lucky either with my copy or with my combination of inks and pens. I do like that it feels kinds coarser than Tomoe river paper, which is super smooth. I do like swithcing from one to the other.
I enjoyed this video (liked and subscribed). Since this notebook didn't work out for you, can you tell me which notebooks you recommend I try (if able, share a few so I can try a few)? I am new to journals and notebooks, so any necessary details so I get the correct notebook/papers would be greatly appreciated. I typically draw / sketch with dip pens, technical (drafting) pens, or Sharpies - on vellum, mylar, or rolled sketch paper (the very translucent paper). I would like to get a journal with paper that is very thin (similar to the paper in Bibles, or the rolled sketch paper) - I believe people call it Tomoe River paper (but I'm not certain, since all this is new to me, and I'm just stumbling on different terms and such). Any suggestions you can provide will be greatly appreciated. Oh, I do plan on using fountain pens with these notebooks as well, and since you know a lot about papers, fountain-pens, and ink - I figured I'd reach out and ask. Thanks in advance!
I have a Stalogy notebook. I ended up just using ballPoint pens with it. It is not a fountain pen friendly notebook. Paper feels really nice with ballpoint pens.
Just got the very same notebook and I 200% agree with you: quality is just barely above Leuchturnum. I wonder if people that likes them with fountain pens have ever tried others. It does suck and I was also extremely disappointed.
i just double checked my Staology and didnt have issues. tho i'm a japanese F/EF user for the most part. there is some feathering but. that was not the norm. i will admit that i have no shine/sheening inks really with what im doing right now..
I have tried Noodlers many times and Noodlers ink bleeds and ghosts like crazy. I have used several Stalogies and I have really liked them, but they do ghost a bit since it is thin paper.
I've had a tough time finding a notebook that hits most of the important marks for me, lack-of-bleedthrough being g just one of them. About the only one that does it for me is also the hardest to find: Figurare's A4 double-wire wirebound. Paper, IMO, is as close to fountain pen-friendly as they come, front and back covers are stiff enough to allow writing without, let's say, any visible means of support, pages lay perfectly flat, and while nit exactly cheap, they're hardly the King's ransom a lot of allegedly high-end notebooks. Have you aver tried them?
I'm currently getting a gift set together. Getting a notebook, a pilot e95s (burgundy) some ink. And a single pen case holder. Would you happen to have any suggestions for a pen case?
By the way, have you ever tried the Dingbats notebooks? If there is already a review please let me know the link to it and if not… please do one! They’re expensive, but I like the quality a lot.
Excellent Video. I liked that you used the “Oreo” method when presenting bad news; saying good,bad, good news. I’ll watch your narwhal rose gold video.
Bad notebook or not, there is just too much mean, cynicism in this video. I am not affiliated with the people who make or market the notebook, and I do believe in honest reviews, but this is just too rude to the people who offered to send one for free.
Seriously?! If anything there was a lot of positive offered for what looks like a performance dog. I love that even though the notebook was comped, Kerry was honest. Frankly, your comment makes less than no sense.
You got it wrong, if you understood good feel , you would not comment like you did, I have used many brands .,it as good as tomoe river , better than midori , you do not run down good products , which need no additional cover it is good as it comes like you did , You get 0 on 10 for your review, I guess you maybe using fountain pens once in a blue moon so can you review comment?
100% wrong this is a great notebook! Only one that offers 365 pages for a reasonable price and size! I have had Midori Jibun Hobonichi Leuchtturm Moleskine so when I say this is the BEST I know what I am talking about. BTW I only use high end fountain pens and high ends inks on my notebooks!
I have a bunch of Stalogy A5 notebooks and use them exclusively with fountain pens. The slight toothiness and faster dry-time compared to Tomoe River is great for long-form writing. (I did NaNoWriMo in a Stalogy last year.) I like the unobtrusiveness of the tiny date notation since I never use it anyway.
It is so weird. I had an A6 Stalogy where every ink feathered like crazy, all the pens (not just fountain pens) just not the Jetstream ghosted or bled through. And now I have a B6 and all my pens I'm now mostly using M nibs and crazy inks work perfectly in it. No ghosting, no bleeding nothing.
How interesting that we all have different preferences and tastes! I adore Stalogy notebooks and use them all the time, with fountain pens, ball point, gel. Even with the Double B/C nibs, I never had "bleedthrough". Shadowing, yes, but I don't mind that. I don't use the day/date on the top, or the time grid along the side. I like Tomoe River paper, too, but either can't find a notebook size I want, or the price is prohibitive. I enjoy the notebook having 365+ pages.
Absolutely love Stalogy 365 notebooks as a non-day timer. Used them at work for years with. MB, Pelikan’s, Visconti’s, Conklin’s, Retro 51’s, never an issue with F, M, and B nibs…even BB ! Retired and still use them for notes working on Master’s degree #2….happy to take it off your hands….
Bahahaha You definitely had me with that title. My ol' lady eyes ignore the writing. I like that the grid is so faded because I ignore that as well. If anything, I wish that the grid was larger, to accommodate my writing. What I like about the Stalogy is the compactness and the smoothness of the paper. It doesn't feather or bleed-thru with specific inks--but as you've discovered, it does with others! There is ghosting, but not enough to be distracting to me. I used mine for taking notes and used a Pilot Metro with Noodler's black. It also worked well with my rollerball pens. It's not what I would uses for "preservation" journaling purposes, tho. It fit well into a TN and I just bent the spine to make it lie flat. That spine has been indestructible! But now I just make my own notebooks and so I never ordered any replacements. Perhaps I'll do a flip-thru vid--will add that to The LIST. Ha!
P.S. I honestly never paid attention to the gold writing on the outside and until your review, had NO idea it said, "What should have been, is." I actually had to go and look to see if mine said that!
Thank you for your honest opinions as always. You have saved me some heartache as I would have been disappointed for sure.
Wow! I’ve never had this problem. I have teeny tiny writing and stick to fine nibs, so maybe that’s it or maybe there are paper batch issues? I do love ghosting, but can’t tolerate bleed through or feathering. I love my Stalogy notebooks - this must have been so disappointing for you.
Why do you love ghosting? I'm not being snarky, but given one loses the use of both sides of the paper, I can't fathom why anyone would love it.
@@jacobus57 In any paper that is not onion skin paper I don't see how it limits the use. You can perfectly use the second page for writing, note taking etc. Unless you need to do swatches or some specific ink sampling which is not common people do every day :D I am not a fan of ghosting but it is not an issue for me as long as I can see what is written on the other side.
I am a big fan of Stalogy. I love it for all my pens. In fact I am planning on going back to it after my Hobonichi cousins are full.
Well. I wouldn't rank it so low. Yeah, it cant handle broad and stub nibs. But for daily journalling, i like it. Ghosting is something i enjoy. If that annoys anyone, this is not the notebook for them. So far my inks haven't feathered. I use fine and medium nibs usually.
I went back in mine and noticed no feathering with my Pilot E95s Fine but a loooot of feathering with my TWSBI stub nib. Both had the same ink in the pen.
Yeah.. anything above medium, its not gonna be easy to write on this paper..
Another "enjoy ghosting." Given that ghosting limits the use to a single side of the paper, why do you enjoy it?
@@jacobus57 I have never found ghosting limits me to using one side of a notebook. Bleed through, definitely, but ghosting is fine.
Wow, this is so surprising to me! I've used a lot of Stalogies and I've never had a problem with feathering or bleedthrough, using medium nibs and a variety of different inks (mostly Pilot Iroshizuku). Sorry you had this experience.
Thank you very much for the honest review.
I was doubting on getting one of these because I found contradictory comments on youtube and instagram about their “fountain-pen friendly” qualities. Some feathered, some were perfect. The conclusion I get is that there is no consistency in the quality of these notebooks.
Thanks again for taking the time to record, edit and publish. A lot of youtubers don’t make the effort if it’s not a positive review, and I think this is very important for the fountain pen community to have this honest reviews, specially in this post-covid era where we buy a lot more online than we used to.
I have found it is astoundingly sensitive to hand oils. You have to write with something under your hand or an artist glove. Any hand oils, and feathering and bleedthrough with any ink and any nib can occur.
You are not wrong though. The paper is pleasingly tactile, but... I won't be getting a second notebook - not for me.
I’m so happy to see this video. I thought something was wrong with me because I do not like the paper AT ALL. It feels so weird to write on no matter what pen I use.
But isn’t that the one thing she said she liked about it?!
I have one Stalogy A5 notebook, and it's for "non-fountain" pen use. I use a little heavier paper for fountain pen use, but that is my preference. I agree, the paper is a mixed bag on the type of ink and pen used, but I use it for daily note taking and not artistic nor for bullet-journaling. My pen of use is usually the Retro 51 ballpoint, but occasionally the rollerball pens are used, when I forgot my ballpoints. Why not use fountain pens? It's must be because I am being lazy, or just forgetful to carry one. I don't carry a backpack or briefcase, so it's usually what I have in hand. Great review by the way. Thank you Kerry for sharing your videos!
I’ve used a B5 Stalogy as my daily log for the last few years; tracking hours for billing clients, appointments, events, etc. It’s the best option I’ve found with a full 24-hour timeline in a minimum of 1/2-hour increments, which I need for my client hour tracking, and at least 365 days so it holds a full year of daily logs. I mostly use pencil, ballpoint, and gel pens with it. An occasional fountain pen, if it has fine or extra-fine nib and is loaded with a drier ink seems to work, and dries quickly, which is important as a lefty. I also find using a shitajiki/writing board behind the page I’m writing upon makes a huge difference in making the grid more visible and in reducing “dents” and ink transfer to adjacent pages. I find everyone’s seemingly favorite Original Tomoe River paper to be a nightmare with fountain pens, as with some inks it never seems to dry and smears and has extreme show-thru with even the finest of nibs and driest of inks. I suppose that’s why there’s a variety of paper types and notebook styles - we all prioritize different features and have different use cases.
Well, what a bummer! Great review & I very much appreciate the honesty. I bought one of these notebooks a few months ago based on all the hype, but I have yet to use it. It was next after filling my current Taroko Enigma A5. The main reason I use fountain pens is because of all the variation & properties of the ink. I like to see all the shading, outlining, sheening, etc. Seeing that the Stalogy cuts that to a minimum is a real disappointment. But I’m so glad for the review so that I can look for something else. I did use the Taroko Enigma’s for a long time and they were fantastic, but recently they made a paper change and now my current one behaves exactly like your Stalogy. The search continues. Thank you for your videos. I really enjoy them!
I agree totally with this review! I usually use gel pens with it since it seems so finicky with my fountain pens. It is now my “work notes” notebook.
I like the Stalogy A5 BUT the date is so small and the lines are so faint I believed I was starting to go blind. I never experienced that level of feathering with the A5.
i'm currently using the stalogy notebook with pretty wet japanese ef/f/mf nibs and they show off shade/sheen very well while drying quickly. it's nothing like tomoe river sheen but it still sheens! i like the ghosting aspect because i think it looks very vintage and reminds me of onionskin although it only happens with darker inks.
Love these notebooks and use them with all my fountain pens including my broad nibs with no problem
Jealous!
Sorry to hear. I’ve been using a b6 for a couple years now and LOVE mine!! No feathering at all!!! Ghosting yes but I don’t mind that so much.
I purchased a stalogy notebook and had the same exact experience, I ended up giving it to my mom so she used it as her bullet journal with "regular" pens- usually ball points or gel pens and she doesn't have an issue. I ended up purchasing one more just to see if I also got a "bad" notebook and again had the same experience. I've tried different inks and nib sizes, 98% bled or feathered so again off to my mom it went. The paper to me also feels beautiful, but just doesn't work for me. My mom loves them so it's a win for her. And no- neither of us can see the words clearly even with glasses on lol
I also give notebooks I can’t use to my mum.
Stalogy with fountain pens is totally fine. You just have to find the ink and pen combos that work. When in doubt, use Quink.
I think something has changed or they have QC issues. The first A5 Stalogy I got, same as yours, was perfect and I did use it for the whole year! Was so proud. But, then I immediately bought one for the year after that and it feathered sooo badly I had to switch before the first week was over.
Oh boy!
I'm in my third Stalogy and have never had any problems with any pens or inks.
I quit on STÁLOGY because of the feathering with Pilot Iroshizuku and a broad Pelikan nib. I'm using Pebble Stationery Cosmo Air Light exclusively right now. It's awesome.
My Baystate Blue feathers and bleeds like crazy on (old) Tomoe River paper, so I have decided that the behaviour of Baystate Blue doesn't say anything about paper quality. But of course that wasn't the only problem you were having with the Stalogy. I might be able to live with the feathering as it doesn't happen with all pen-ink-combinations, but I prefer papers that bring out the sheen, so I don't think this notebook is for me.
So, that was a surprise and rather a disappointment! Thanks for an honest review.
Thank you for reviewing this! I know a lot of people like this brand of notebook but I like to use fountain pens a lot so I'll steer clear
It is the correct notebook and I would definitely say the experience with the fountain does depend on nib and ink! I love the paper for other reasons outside of fountain pen use
I agree with @lunar onion.
I'm on my 3rd Stalogy A5 365 notebook. I use fountain pens exclusively (EF, F, M, and 1.1 stubs) with mostly well-behaved inks like Diamine, J. Herbin, Pilot and Sailor. When I first started using a Stalogy for journalling, I was a bit bummed, too. Does it show sheen like TR paper? No, it does not. It doesn't get as crinkly with use, either. However, I like that the paper is smooth with a reasonably short dry time (i.e., limited ink spearing) compared to other smooth papers. There's some ghosting, just like with TR paper. I have not had major feathering issues; at worst, I've had a few letters in a word that will feather on the odd page. Definitely much better than any Leuchtturm I have used. The grid is faint but visible (unlike their dot grid), and while the perpetual calendar at the tops is hard to read, it's discreet enough to be easily ignored. Not my favourite notebooks, but more accessible and affordable than my favourite TR notebooks.
Oh my, I’m really surprised to hear this. My stalogy did not feather at all, though it really does kill off all the sheen so I just stock up on more Tomoe 😌
I adore stalogy for what it is, as a bullet journal, where I draw all my own layouts. I love how well the binding holds up, and the feel of the paper but I use only a fine nib Pilot vanishing point with de atramentis document black ink. I don’t like it for fountain pens or regular journaling. I would agree with your assessment from a fountain pen standpoint.
How odd! I have a Staology thin notebook A4 size, it says on the back "016 notebook". I have used all sorts of ink in it, from Pelikan, Diamine, colorverse, to noodlers and not one of them have feathered. The surface has an odd feeling, almost slick, but it takes ink very well and I am very pleased with it. Your notebook has to have another kind of paper than my Staology or you had a notebook from a bad batch.
I have experienced both ends of the feathering quality, and I have a theory about it, because I experienced them in the same notebook.....more than a year apart. My theory is that the paper is not archival quality, and changes over time and exposure to air, light, etc. So now I keep my Stalogies in their plastic sheaths until I'm ready to use one, and try to use them quickly. Or not for fountain pens.
(Also I'd recommend purchasing from a store with climate controlled storage, so it doesn't arrive already like this...)
Ugh, the Stalogy. It gives me love hate feelings. It's definitely not great for fountain pens. The paper only seems to work well with EF or F point nibs and dryer inks. It's nice to write on but you cannot have any sort of wet inks. Shading inks are good but still, you lose a lot of ink properties when you're restricted to the smallest nibs. If you just want to journal and write it's great. If you want it to have flair with sheen and wider nibs, you're SOL.
I recently bought one from Amazon, and mine does bleed thru with fountain pens, but hardly no feathering. I think it's a solid notebook, similar to Leuchtturm1917.
Paper-wise they are nowhere near the same quality though. 😊
I’d love this notebook if it came with tomoe river paper! I really like the minimalist aesthetic. I’m going to use mine as a sketchbook, bc of the humidity here (England) everything even the fine nibs feather. :( it’s quite expensive as well… definitely worse than Leuchtturm! I’m using a A5 Leuchtturm and I’m pretty happy, I am staying away from Noodler’s inks and pigment inks for this Leuchtturm notebook. My favourite thing about Leuchtturm is the index and page numbering.
Have you ever used Tomoe paper? I am not quite sure it’s humidity to blame.
@@6ta8hs I have. It’s humidity I think, the paper would degrade overnight if I left my journal open (which I often did) I’d noticed how the paper exposed to air/humidity at night would feather while the next page would be slightly better… very strange (I do live in England in a very old house)
Tomoe would never do that on me, neither Leuchtturm paper weirdly.
Have you tried Rhoda notebooks or Goalbooks?
@@ASimplegoddess I have! They are really god! :)
Bad batch of paper?? I like the look of the notebook. Rounded corners, thinner paper, and unobtrusive grid. Paper looks like a light shade of cream? Bright white strains my eyes. The print on top would be ignored anyway. All my pens are Japanese F, EF, and UEF, and those may not obviously feather. Gonna try this one. Thanks!
You and I both like the same kinds of fountain pens, so i have a question for you.
🤓
Have you tried Archer & Olive notebooks?
If so, how do with fountain pens?
Most reviews are from people who are not "real" fountan pen users.
If they include fountain pens in a pen test, it is like one lone Lamy Safari with a standard black ink.
It is clear that the paper does not have bleed-through or even ghosting
But,
Does the 160gsm paper from Archer & Olive feather?🤔
Does it show sheen or Shading?🤩
I cannot find answers to these questions.😪
Any help would be appreciated!😁
ya Michael...I get your concern...I think the people that use them...are not like you or myself...looking to all the inks that sheen and shimmer or real broad gushy pens...I think the Tomoe River was the best...but who knows now with the Tomoe "S"...new paper.I have heard that even the old Tomoe River ...68gms did not behave the same as the 52gsm...and I am about to buy a book with 68gsm Tomoe River paper...she thinks???? right...I bet there can be PAPER mock-offs...just like fashion mock-offs...I have never had an Archer and Olive...but seriously doubt they are gnna rock the socks off your jazzy inks. I think these new ink manufacturers...should be selling paper that works with their inks...since it is getting slim pickings these days.
I can’t fit any writing into that grid and that top corner font size has me thinking I’m going blind, so I hate this book with a passion and it cost me far too much as well. I am so disappointed with it. Who do they think can see that top text? Ridiculous. 😂
Thanks for letting me know. The Stalogy seems to be all over in the planner community and I’ve been considering it. I would hate bleed through and that alone has changed my mind,
You should have followed “Would I recommend it?” with: “Sure, to someone I hate.”
🤣🤣🤣
Come on. Now you guys are being mean to this poor little book.. 😢 i still would highly recommend for fine and medium nib writers.
I haven't been as disappointed in a notebook as I have been with my a6 Stalogy since I tried using a Moleskin notebook. Both were overhyped in terms of paper quality, everyone I saw who reviewed them said they were fountain-pen friendly, which was why I got them.
When it comes to my Stalogy notebook specifically, I liked the page layout, which reminded me of the Hobonichi without the extra planner-related stuff like calenders I'd never use, so I was looking forward to it even more than I was the moleskin I tried......
I'll stick to the Hobonichi.
I use these to practice my writing in Japanese, especially to practice kanji. I use the one with graph paper one so I can split the kanji into quadrants while I practice. I can only use fine nibs on it though otherwise ink will bleed through. These doesn't bother me too much, because I only use fine or fine when writing in Japanese
I adore the Stalogy but was first introduced to it before I started using fountain pens for the first time since primary school. I love it with gel pens & ballpoint; I’ll be using another one in 2023 and I’m curious about how it will hold up with fountain pens.
Great review, thanks! I have one of those and I have mixed feelings. I use it for every day office work note-taking with fountain pens and I quite like it. I have noticed the ghosting (normal for paper this thin) but I have not had that much bleeding (but still a bit more than with Tomoe river paper). I guess I have been lucky either with my copy or with my combination of inks and pens.
I do like that it feels kinds coarser than Tomoe river paper, which is super smooth. I do like swithcing from one to the other.
Thank you.
I enjoyed this video (liked and subscribed).
Since this notebook didn't work out for you, can you tell me which notebooks you recommend I try (if able, share a few so I can try a few)?
I am new to journals and notebooks, so any necessary details so I get the correct notebook/papers would be greatly appreciated.
I typically draw / sketch with dip pens, technical (drafting) pens, or Sharpies - on vellum, mylar, or rolled sketch paper (the very translucent paper).
I would like to get a journal with paper that is very thin (similar to the paper in Bibles, or the rolled sketch paper) - I believe people call it Tomoe River paper (but I'm not certain, since all this is new to me, and I'm just stumbling on different terms and such).
Any suggestions you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
Oh, I do plan on using fountain pens with these notebooks as well, and since you know a lot about papers, fountain-pens, and ink - I figured I'd reach out and ask.
Thanks in advance!
I have a Stalogy notebook. I ended up just using ballPoint pens with it. It is not a fountain pen friendly notebook. Paper feels really nice with ballpoint pens.
Just got the very same notebook and I 200% agree with you: quality is just barely above Leuchturnum. I wonder if people that likes them with fountain pens have ever tried others. It does suck and I was also extremely disappointed.
i just double checked my Staology and didnt have issues. tho i'm a japanese F/EF user for the most part. there is some feathering but. that was not the norm. i will admit that i have no shine/sheening inks really with what im doing right now..
I have tried Noodlers many times and Noodlers ink bleeds and ghosts like crazy. I have used several Stalogies and I have really liked them, but they do ghost a bit since it is thin paper.
I have used a Stalogy with gel pens. Although they don't feather, there is a lot of ghosting.
I've had a tough time finding a notebook that hits most of the important marks for me, lack-of-bleedthrough being g just one of them. About the only one that does it for me is also the hardest to find: Figurare's A4 double-wire wirebound. Paper, IMO, is as close to fountain pen-friendly as they come, front and back covers are stiff enough to allow writing without, let's say, any visible means of support, pages lay perfectly flat, and while nit exactly cheap, they're hardly the King's ransom a lot of allegedly high-end notebooks. Have you aver tried them?
Thank you for this review. I am happy with my Tomoe river and Rhodia..
Wow 1st time seeing a stalogy that size…nice tfs
hmm.. the feathering is a bother. I hadn't heard that about the stalogy notebooks before...
I'm currently getting a gift set together. Getting a notebook, a pilot e95s (burgundy) some ink. And a single pen case holder. Would you happen to have any suggestions for a pen case?
By the way, have you ever tried the Dingbats notebooks? If there is already a review please let me know the link to it and if not… please do one! They’re expensive, but I like the quality a lot.
I haven’t yet, but it’s on my radar!
Every fountain pen ink and nib size I’ve tried in STALOGY 365 notebooks bled badly! Garbage notebooks.
I had the same experience with Stalogy. I certainly won't be buying anymore of them.
Excellent Video. I liked that you used the “Oreo” method when presenting bad news; saying good,bad, good news. I’ll watch your narwhal rose gold video.
Totally agree with you. I can't wait to finish my A5. I don't like this paper at all.
I have up on mine :(
‘Please hold…’ 😂😂😂
I wish I could show you pictures of how poorly stalogy paper behaves with my fountain pen. I should have listened to you and I didnt :(
Good morning Keri! Thanks for the review. And OH YAH!!! Im the first to comment! Wooo
Bad notebook or not, there is just too much mean, cynicism in this video. I am not affiliated with the people who make or market the notebook, and I do believe in honest reviews, but this is just too rude to the people who offered to send one for free.
Seriously?! If anything there was a lot of positive offered for what looks like a performance dog.
I love that even though the notebook was comped, Kerry was honest. Frankly, your comment makes less than no sense.
Never heard of these, but wow, what a dog! It doesn't look any better than a Moleskin.
This is disappointing that its not worthy of fountain pens!
That is not A5 notebook, possibly A4
It's lens distortion. It's pretty clear it's not an A4.
@@jacobus57 You are right, it is lens distortion. What size do you think it is? I am talking about the full open notebook (not one page)
wrong
Odd.
You got it wrong, if you understood good feel , you would not comment like you did, I have used many brands .,it as good as tomoe river , better than midori , you do not run down good products , which need no additional cover it is good as it comes like you did , You get 0 on 10 for your review, I guess you maybe using fountain pens once in a blue moon so can you review comment?
100% wrong this is a great notebook! Only one that offers 365 pages for a reasonable price and size! I have had Midori Jibun Hobonichi Leuchtturm Moleskine so when I say this is the BEST I know what I am talking about. BTW I only use high end fountain pens and high ends inks on my notebooks!