Paperblanks Notebooks: A Fountain Pen-Friendly Notebook That Looks Good on Any Shelf

Introduction

Some notebooks draw you in from across a bookshop, and Paperblanks notebooks are firmly in that category. Widely available in local bookshops and online, they are hardcover books with striking cover artwork, different closing mechanisms, and a rubberized-feeling outer that makes them feel more like keepsakes than disposable notepads. The question worth asking, though, is whether they are actually good to write in, especially with fountain pens.

What Makes Paperblanks Stand Out

The designs are what usually pull people in first, and that was true here as well. Every cover is inspired by a literary or music manuscript. One notebook features the Arroganzig manuscript of Schubert, with the composer’s signature embossed on the back. Another carries George Orwell’s actual working manuscript for 1984, complete with his scratchings-out and corrections, which is genuinely fascinating to study. The third is The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas, in a thicker, more book-like format with a hidden magnetic latch instead of a flap.

The books are designed in Canada and made in China. The inside covers and back flaps include short background pieces about the artwork, the author or composer, and where the original manuscript is held, which adds a nice layer of context. Each notebook also has a folder built into the back cover for storing loose papers. They lay flat nicely for the most part, come with bookmarks, are well bound, and genuinely look good stored upright or flat on a shelf.

The tested notebooks came from a local discount book shop, brand new, running roughly seven to twelve dollars depending on size. Prices vary widely depending on where you buy, but at that range the value is hard to argue with.

Fountain Pen Performance: The Smaller Format

The smaller format notebook appears to use lighter paper than the two A5 versions, based on feel, and it still performs well. Writing with fountain pens produced even lines, and ink colors stayed true. The paper has a slight tooth and a little texture, and it is watermarked, which is visible when held up to the light.

The main trade-off became clear quickly: this paper does not show much shading or sheen. Even a medium nib with an ink that usually shades well produced very little. On the plus side, testing with a wet medium Diplomat nib and a Pilot Vanishing Point showed clean lines and no bleed-through, only the faintest dots of show-through with heavier swatches. Writing on both the front and back of pages produced no real problems.

Fountain Pen Performance: The A5 Notebooks

The A5 notebooks feel slightly thicker and smoother than the smaller one, though the watermark is still present. Testing included a particularly wet pen-and-ink combination, and the results were largely the same: clean lines, accurate color, and no bleed-through. Show-through started to appear with Bay State Blue and a heavy swatch, plus a touch of show-through with a wet medium Diplomat nib, which interestingly did not show on the thinner smaller-format paper. Even so, it would not stop most people from writing on both sides of the page.

The honest weakness across all three is shading and sheen. If you choose inks specifically for those properties, this slightly textured, watermarked paper will mute them. If you care more about clean lines, true color, and minimal bleed, it holds up nicely.

The thicker A5 notebook is almost certainly the same paper as the other A5, just in a blank version rather than lined. Extremely broad nibs will probably bleed through, as they would on most papers not specifically designed to handle that, but for typical fountain pen use these performed well.

Value and Buying Advice

At roughly seven to twelve dollars each, these are beautifully made, functional, and distinctive books. The thicker A5 includes considerably more paper than the smaller format at a similar price, which makes the value even better. They are hardcover, well bound, long lasting, and will look good on a shelf long after you have filled them.

One caveat worth keeping in mind: paper can vary from batch to batch. The three tested here were all fountain pen-friendly, but your experience may differ. For most fountain pen users who are not chasing maximum shading and sheen, Paperblanks are an easy recommendation and something genuinely different.

Conclusion

Paperblanks notebooks combine striking manuscript-inspired covers, hardcover durability, and paper that handles everyday fountain pen writing with clean lines and true colors. The lack of shading and sheen is the one real compromise, but for a beautiful, long-lasting notebook at a reasonable price, they are well worth a look.