Ever since the Muji branch in Rockwell opened, I’ve visited at least once a week. It takes effort not to buy something each time. Inside Muji I feel like I can buy serenity, a well-ordered life, and really cool notebooks.
Dot grid notebooks have dots instead of a regular lined grid like graphing (also known as quadrille) paper. Â This is meant for architects, designers, and people with a fetish for drawing straight lines. A full-on grid can be too distracting, so connecting the dots makes sense. This one from Muji is kraft-y and earthy, with textured board covers and toasted-oatmeal colored paper. I’ve also seen it in standard white.
I wanted to use the notebook for calligraphy and handwriting practice. I encourage people who want to practice cursive to use quadrille notebooks, like those from Rhodia and Miquelrius, to keep the angles of letters consistent. A dot grid notebook has guides so you can write in a straight line, and at the same time indulge in more freeform strokes. This version of the Muji “dotted line” notebook (their term for dot grid) is easier on the eyes than flat white.
Fountain pens like this notebook. I used one of my scratchier vintage nibs in the sample above. The lack of feathering made me quite cheerful. I also flooded the bottom of the test sheet with ink and water, using a folded pen. It handled the abuse well, buckling to absorb the water but not letting any of it through.
I tried watercolor as well, and discovered the paper can handle quick washes, like what you would do in a sketchcrawl.
(No, I don’t know why there is a fruit growing out of his head.)
The A5 notebook is worth the P275. Pick up a couple before Muji runs out of stock (as they seem to do often, and not just in the stationery section).
