Notebooks and paper are to pens what inhaling is to exhaling. I have my reliables: Kokuyo Campus (not the localized version, which has lesser-quality paper), Midori MD, Daler-Rowney Ivory. Kokuyo Campus lined notebook refills are locally available. My suitcase is heavy with notebooks every time I come back from Singapore. I wish I could find more  Life Noble Note plain notebooks but the brand’s distribution is erratic.
So I’m always on the lookout for fountain pen-friendly notebooks and paper in Manila, even in the most unexpected of places.
Artwork is a happy crazy local tee shop that just happens to have notebooks. They’re called Artwork Doodle Books. The covers are silkscreened and the notebooks are tucked inside. I gravitated towards the skull, of course.
Inside is 135 x 182 mm off-white plain paper.
Fine flexible nibs will induce slight feathering, but surprisingly not too bad. Standard fine, medium and broad nibs will work. The paper won’t stand up to washes, but accepts colored pencil with grace. Don’t bother writing on the reverse side of the pages, as the paper lets ink bleed through even if it resists feathering up to a point.
We found this little green notebook in Dimensione, of all places. The shop sells small furniture and home accents, with an impulse table stacked with gift items, including notebooks. The paper has tooth and absorbs ink well.
This notebook also came from Dimensione, and it’s safe to say it won’t stay with me. A pity because the cover is so pretty.
On the paper front, I recommend  Bevania Splendorgel, distributed by Premier Paper. The name amuses me no end. I imagine Bevania Splendorgel to be some kind of Valkyrie hipster on a flaming fixie.
It comes in three weights: 85, 170 and 270 gsm. All withstood the assault of my favorite flex nibs.
The paper is available in National Bookstore. The white variant’s good, but ivory is easier on the eye.
Have you had any serendipitous finds lately?
