Tomoe River Hardcover Notebook - BLANK

I've got several Tomoe River notebooks from different manufacturers, but this one is hands down the best. Blake put a lot of thought and care into the materials, craftsmanship, and packaging. The hardcover is rugged, yet lays flat, the paper is to notch for fountain pens, and I love the laminated guide sheet. The card stock guides with other books are nice, but they inevitably get ruined over time - the lamination solves that issue. The way Blake and company package the book for shipment was way above and beyond. It's packed so the corners of the hardcover won't get crushed in shipment, plus the book itself was wrapped so nicely, you could hand it over as a gift just as received. The hand written thank you note from Blake is a really nice touch, too, although I'm sure he'll have to stop that as his business continues to expand (which I hope it does). I'll never buy another notebook from anyone else after finding the Paper Mind. Excellent job! Many more orders to come!

When first opened, I instantly realized this was made by someone that has very high standards. I’m a fountain pen addict so I’ve used most of the brand name journals out there, but this one is on another level. It actually made me stop and really look at it, examining the nuances that set it apart from all the others. It lays perfectly flat and is very comfortable to write on. I’m not an expert on how journals are made, but I was blown away by how nice and sturdy this is. I like the simple, minimalistic design with perfectly round corners and how tight everything feels. There’s a strong outside band that helps keep it closed. Another neat touch is the inside and outside cover pages are a deep grey color that looks really sharp with the green hardcover. The blank Tomoe River Sanzen paper is lovely for fountain pens and very smooth. The paper color is a perfect white, with minimal ghosting that shows sheen, shade and shimmer well. It’s not too bright that it’s distracting, but not too dark either if that makes sense. It comes with a handy pink blotting paper and an a5 guide to use with the blank pages. But what’s brilliant about this guide is that it’s laminated and you can clearly see the lines/grid through the paper. I even tried this guide with other paper like cosmo air and the lines/grid are dark enough to see on all my paper types! Plus, b/c it’s laminated, I don’t have to worry about getting it dirty or tearing. Another bonus about the guide is that it lines up to fit perfectly with the paper. I’ve had other journals that came with guides in the past, but they would stick out of the paper a tiny bit. If you like precision, then this notebook is for you.

Customer service was excellent. Blake was extremely kind and quickly answered all my questions. The shipping time to Houston was fast and everything was packaged safely with great care. I appreciate the hand written note that was sent as well. If possible, I would be ecstatic if these notebooks came with dots or even grid in the future. This has been a wonderful experience all around and I look forward to shopping here in the future. You’re in good hands with The Paper Mind.

Controversially, I prefer this paper to the old 52gsm tomoe river paper because I can now comfortably write on both sides of the page. It lays flat and the laminated ruled guide that came with the blank paper version fits perfectly. I was also really impressed by how quickly I received my order given it was shipped internationally. The personalised note from Blake was a lovely touch

The 52 gsm Tomoe paper is what many Hobonichi planner fans love. For the fountain pen users, the paper is able to show off the ink’s beauty very well. It is strong but without the bulk. The price may seem high at first, but this is 400 pages of Tomoe River paper, bound in a hard cover. The inclusion of a bookmark, an elastic strap, a blotter paper, and a rule/grid guide sheet (a pencil board with lines that one can clearly see) are all the features that make this notebook very useful and surpass other notebooks with this paper. Some are priced even higher without any of these features. Thank you for offering such a great product.

This is an updated review for this notebook and, as such, is reflective of both this product and The Paper Mind.

First the notebook:

Everything about this notebook is of the finest quality. It has a terrific hardcover that protects the pages but also has an exceptional hand feel. I find this much more desirable to the many notebooks on the market that use leather or faux leather these days and is more akin to old cloth covered books you find at the library. The binding lays perfectly flat, and the built in book markers are a nice touch. Lastly, the paper is exceptional and a pleasure to put a pen to. Writing, sketching, doodling all feel delightful with a variety of nibs. And of course, my ink shows all of its potential on this paper. Nothing else reveals the color nuance, sheen, or shimmer quite like tomoe river paper.

Secondly The Paper Mind:

I had a slight issue with the first notebook I was sent. It was functional and in tact, but there was, to my perception, some slight damage to some of the pages that had occurred somewhere along the way. Blake has gone above and beyond to remedy this situation. My wife and I have ordered a number of notebooks from Blake and they’ve all been perfect except for this one time. For him to remedy the situation so quickly brings a complete ease of mind when ordered what was already a top tier product.

I've got several Tomoe River notebooks from different manufacturers, but this one is hands down the best. Blake put a lot of thought and care into the materials, craftsmanship, and packaging. The hardcover is rugged, yet lays flat, the paper is to notch for fountain pens, and I love the laminated guide sheet. The card stock guides with other books are nice, but they inevitably get ruined over time - the lamination solves that issue. The way Blake and company package the book for shipment was way above and beyond. It's packed so the corners of the hardcover won't get crushed in shipment, plus the book itself was wrapped so nicely, you could hand it over as a gift just as received. The hand written thank you note from Blake is a really nice touch, too, although I'm sure he'll have to stop that as his business continues to expand (which I hope it does). I'll never buy another notebook from anyone else after finding the Paper Mind. Excellent job! Many more orders to come!

When first opened, I instantly realized this was made by someone that has very high standards. I’m a fountain pen addict so I’ve used most of the brand name journals out there, but this one is on another level. It actually made me stop and really look at it, examining the nuances that set it apart from all the others. It lays perfectly flat and is very comfortable to write on. I’m not an expert on how journals are made, but I was blown away by how nice and sturdy this is. I like the simple, minimalistic design with perfectly round corners and how tight everything feels. There’s a strong outside band that helps keep it closed. Another neat touch is the inside and outside cover pages are a deep grey color that looks really sharp with the green hardcover. The blank Tomoe River Sanzen paper is lovely for fountain pens and very smooth. The paper color is a perfect white, with minimal ghosting that shows sheen, shade and shimmer well. It’s not too bright that it’s distracting, but not too dark either if that makes sense. It comes with a handy pink blotting paper and an a5 guide to use with the blank pages. But what’s brilliant about this guide is that it’s laminated and you can clearly see the lines/grid through the paper. I even tried this guide with other paper like cosmo air and the lines/grid are dark enough to see on all my paper types! Plus, b/c it’s laminated, I don’t have to worry about getting it dirty or tearing. Another bonus about the guide is that it lines up to fit perfectly with the paper. I’ve had other journals that came with guides in the past, but they would stick out of the paper a tiny bit. If you like precision, then this notebook is for you.

Customer service was excellent. Blake was extremely kind and quickly answered all my questions. The shipping time to Houston was fast and everything was packaged safely with great care. I appreciate the hand written note that was sent as well. If possible, I would be ecstatic if these notebooks came with dots or even grid in the future. This has been a wonderful experience all around and I look forward to shopping here in the future. You’re in good hands with The Paper Mind.

Controversially, I prefer this paper to the old 52gsm tomoe river paper because I can now comfortably write on both sides of the page. It lays flat and the laminated ruled guide that came with the blank paper version fits perfectly. I was also really impressed by how quickly I received my order given it was shipped internationally. The personalised note from Blake was a lovely touch

The 52 gsm Tomoe paper is what many Hobonichi planner fans love. For the fountain pen users, the paper is able to show off the ink’s beauty very well. It is strong but without the bulk. The price may seem high at first, but this is 400 pages of Tomoe River paper, bound in a hard cover. The inclusion of a bookmark, an elastic strap, a blotter paper, and a rule/grid guide sheet (a pencil board with lines that one can clearly see) are all the features that make this notebook very useful and surpass other notebooks with this paper. Some are priced even higher without any of these features. Thank you for offering such a great product.

This is an updated review for this notebook and, as such, is reflective of both this product and The Paper Mind.

First the notebook:

Everything about this notebook is of the finest quality. It has a terrific hardcover that protects the pages but also has an exceptional hand feel. I find this much more desirable to the many notebooks on the market that use leather or faux leather these days and is more akin to old cloth covered books you find at the library. The binding lays perfectly flat, and the built in book markers are a nice touch. Lastly, the paper is exceptional and a pleasure to put a pen to. Writing, sketching, doodling all feel delightful with a variety of nibs. And of course, my ink shows all of its potential on this paper. Nothing else reveals the color nuance, sheen, or shimmer quite like tomoe river paper.

Secondly The Paper Mind:

I had a slight issue with the first notebook I was sent. It was functional and in tact, but there was, to my perception, some slight damage to some of the pages that had occurred somewhere along the way. Blake has gone above and beyond to remedy this situation. My wife and I have ordered a number of notebooks from Blake and they’ve all been perfect except for this one time. For him to remedy the situation so quickly brings a complete ease of mind when ordered what was already a top tier product.