Review: Rhodia Notepad

I received this Rhodia Staple Bound Notepad as a sample from Exaclair, Inc., and it is completely perfect for me.  With my love of micro tip pens, which I classify as under 0.5mm in width, I sometimes have a hard time finding paper that is receptive to such a fine point.  With this Rhodia, that is not problem at all.  All of my micro-tip pens get right to work as soon as they hit the paper.  On the flip side, the 0.5mm and wider tip pens work fine as well, but I noticed that they take a split second longer to dry than usual.  That won't affect me with this smaller size notepad (4.3 x 6.7 in.), but I may have to watch that if and when (and there will definitely be a when) I go to larger sized Rhodia products.

In the end, this is a very functional and useful notepad for me personally.  The styling of Rhodia products is great, and the paper is a pleasure to write on.  I look forward to trying out several more of their products.

Rhodia Staple Bound Notebook Specs:

# 80 g acid-free white vellum paper
# Pale violet lines
# 80 sheets
# Micro perforated for clear and easy removal
# Unique scored cover folds neatly over the back
# Stiff back cover makes writing or sketching easy

Comments

[Diane]

I can't believe you're just now discovering Rhodia! Rhodia and Clairefontaine (I use both for stationery) are incredible. I also like the Rhodia pencils, although the matte orange finish does pick up dirt.

[Diane]

P.S. Do you have any Blick Art stores in your area? They carry Rhodia and other great notebooks.

[Stephanie (Biffybeans)]

I think I started using these before I found fountain pens. This paper, (the Clairefontaine paper) does need a longer drying time with FP inks, or any pen (Sanford Liquid Expresso comes to mind) with a wet nib. It's good and it's smooth, but if like me, you use these little pads for quick notes, (open, jot, shut) you might want to a blotter sheet or you will end up with a book filled with the smudgies. (Like me)

[dowdyism]

@Diane - I've known about the Rhodia for a while, but I guess I just never got around to ordering any online. Unfortunately, there is no Blick or any other cool art supply store near me. :(

@Stephanie - Thanks for validating what I thought I was seeing. I'll need to sick my Lamy on it to see how that works as well.

[Nrepose]

I haven't found a pen yet that doesn't write good on Rhodia paper. Nr

[SF Susan]

It's easy to get Rhodia pads where I live, but I had avoided them because they're mostly vertical, stapled or spiral bound, and I wanted small side-bound Moleskine-type notebooks. But I finally bought their largest writing tablet to take notes in meetings and classes. The pages tear out very neatly at the top, and the front cover is scored so that it very neatly folds over to the back when in use. The large ones come in black as well as the orange. I wish they also made them with narrow lines instead of the grid, but the gridlines are pale enough to not be too much of a distraction.

The minute I used the Rhodia I fell in love with the paper. Every pen (gel or fountain) I have writes better on Rhodia paper. It's true that fountain pen ink takes a bit longer to dry, but it doesn't soak into the paper and feather, and I get a lovely clear line, a little finer than the same pen on other papers. Even my wood pencils write better on the Rhodia and keep their points longer.

[Belinda]

Yes, dear Notebook Addict, you are on to a winner! I really like the Rhodia pads for making lists, although I prefer Clairefontaine notebooks for everything else. What I most like is a grid of lines rather than squares, but these days you're hard pressed to find that (except in the Clairefontaine range). I'm about to start using my new Whitelines find - squared, again, but very promising in all other ways (and wirebound, which I'm fine with, especially because you can store the pencil there). I use only pencil for notes so a pen and ink user's going to have to rate these for 'bite' and show-through.

[G. Hall]

ANYTHING from Clairfontaine or Rhodia will be excellent. Their paper is the best, bar none. As to an earlier comment that FP ink bleeds: it depends entirely on what ink you use. The heavier inks do take a few secs to dry. The Noodlers, Sheaffer, Lamy, Pelikan inks do very well.

[Stephen]

Okay, is this really an addiction?

This is one of the best known paper brands in the world!

I think an addict would have found it by now. :-)

[dowdyism]

lmao Stephen! I think it is only since I realized my pen addiction that I needed something better to write on - and I think I found it. :)