Rhodia A5 Webnotebook, Dot, Black (47391EX)

Why it's worth it

A dot-grid A5 with 90gsm Clairefontaine-family paper, which is the surface fountain pen users keep coming back to. Wet broad nibs don't feather and don't bleed, and ink colors look noticeably richer than they do on ordinary journal paper.

The paper is the whole point. The 90gsm Ivory Brushed Vellum is sized to resist absorption, so ink sits on the surface instead of soaking into the fibers. That's what stops feathering — those fuzzy hairline spreads off your letters — with a wet nib. If you've written in a fountain pen and watched your careful handwriting turn woolly, this paper solves it.

Your inks will look better here than anywhere else in this guide. Shading inks show their light and dark variation. Sheening inks actually sheen. The smooth surface also lets a nib glide with almost no drag, which changes how long you can write before your hand tires.

From our review of 12 journal notebooks for daily writing, by Genevieve Dubois, Home & Living Expert

What we like

• +The paper is the whole point
• +Your inks will look better here than anywhere else in this guide
• +The dot grid gives you structure without lines in the way

What to know

• –It's overkill if you write with a ballpoint
• –There's no page numbering, no index, and only 96 sheets
• –It's the priciest way to get a page here