So my OVERALL ranking, reflecting my preferences and needs, based on this loose test (best at the top): Kokuyo Campus Standard Apica CD Studio Neat Keepbook Midori MD Standard Tomoe River S Leuchtturm 80gsm Baron Fig Moleskine Karst
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Papers I have never used, but have heard I should test: LIFE notebooks (though I’ve been lead to understand it’s near indistinguishable from Apica CD) Maruman Mnemosyne Rhodia Clairefontaine Leuchtturm 120gsm paper (found in the Bullet Journal only)
aug 24, 2025, 8:59 pm • 0 0 • view
For those in Europe and can endorse Clairefontain and also Oxford Optik paper, dry time is not instant but it show colours *very* well. and it available in everything from A5 journals to loose leaf and A4 oversize binders with dividers etc
aug 25, 2025, 8:30 am • 1 0 • view
have tried life and apica and maruman: all very good notebooks! though don't try to do any heavy layering of ink on apica, i got hit with some very obvious ghosting and some bleedthrough (easy to cover up imo) my two clairefontaine books that were gifts from a friend were also good
aug 25, 2025, 1:35 pm • 1 0 • view
I haven't tried all the papers you mention, but your rankings are very much in line with mine for the ones I have tried. Midori MD Cotton is probably my absolute favorite. It behaves much like the standard MD but has a bit more feedback and better texture (very exact and specific, I know).
aug 24, 2025, 9:32 pm • 2 0 • view
It feels like at the end of the day something will always pull me back to the MD paper, but from a journaling standpoint it hates stamp inks and LOVES dirt. I’m so torn on what to mainline for next year.
aug 24, 2025, 10:08 pm • 1 0 • view
Oof, I don't use stamps so haven't run into that :/ I've gotten into making my own notebooks which means I get away with format/binding/paper combos that are exactly my preference. Otherwise, I would probably land on MD as best compromise, and their clean and minimalist design is in my sweet spot.
aug 24, 2025, 10:40 pm • 0 0 • view
If Midori made general notebooks with their Cotton paper (instead of just a few blank books and blank pads) I'm sure I'd like it even better -- the Cotton is better at resisting hand oils than the standard MD, and wonder if that might help with stamps/dirt as well.
aug 24, 2025, 10:42 pm • 0 0 • view
Life as being similar to Apica Premium I can get behind -- I think it is a bit more ghosting/bleedthrough resistant though, and rank it slightly higher. They don't do dot grid though, which is my favorite style.
aug 24, 2025, 9:36 pm • 2 0 • view
Maruman Mnemosyn I would also have in the ballpark of your top three in terms of performance (dry time, low feathering/bleedthrough, showing ink character), and has been good in my experience for low ghosting. The paper feel is more Apica smooth than Midori soft, in my opinion. And lots of layouts.
aug 24, 2025, 9:40 pm • 1 0 • view
My main issue with using them for my main journal is spiral bound notebooks give me The Agita.
aug 24, 2025, 10:06 pm • 0 0 • view
Yeah, I'd never use one for journaling. Maruman Mnemosyne is great for work meeting notes for me, and I'm still working through a ten-pack of their A7 notepads for "tuck into pen case" on the go. I've used their non-premium ones too, like this B5 (turned on side). vanness1938.com/products/mar...
aug 24, 2025, 10:24 pm • 0 0 • view
The non-premium paper is decent, but thinner and enough ghosting to be touch and go using both sides -- but spiral bound means I just flip everything over reporter pad style, and now I have a desk pad I can use for tracking work projects. But wouldn't say any of that is for enjoyment of using it.
aug 24, 2025, 10:27 pm • 0 0 • view
You might like to try Kobeha Graphilo paper, too. It is kind of expensive but it's excellent for fountain pen. Decent dry times, crisp lines, great colour rendition, and it shows off sheen and shading very well. It's just a little bit textured.
aug 25, 2025, 8:24 am • 1 0 • view
Apica seems to have some problems with consistency of quality. The one notebook I got from them (CD Premium) had massive issues with bleed-through. Yurisari paper is very nice (and affordable!) although I have seen people complain about qc as well.
aug 25, 2025, 8:19 am • 1 0 • view