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@@michelletrujillo2818 I’m so glad to hear your experience was better than mine. My intent was simply to be transparent in my decision. If I wasn’t showing it on RUclips I might have stayed subbed longer. I just worry about the few issues I’ve had and people being disappointed. I don’t think it’s a bad company just not the right fit for me right now. Unsubscribing is harder than other companies. Her quality is average (there are a lot of great sticker companies) and I didn’t enjoy that it was 4 months from the time I purchased a sub (3 months from last time the post office last touched it) and when they would issue a refund because it got lost. I get it but it felt really long. I’m not sure if it is though. I’m really glad you enjoy them so much and hope you continue to.

@@pinklola2105 love that so much!!! Do you post on Instagram or anywhere I would love to see. I call it sticker art lol …thank you so much. I swear it’s not an addiction but umm sometimes my bank account corrects me.

They work so well with Mandy Lynns stickers as well! They do take a while to get here but it's so worth it.

Thank you. The Matte Black is so great and I'm loving have a fine nib on it. I really need to order a needle point to try.

Totally agree. I'm so confused about everything and don't know what to think so I'm just going else where. Glad it's not just me who's feeling that way. I miss seeing Drew on the channel as well. So glad he at least is still making videos but miss the pen content. I really like Jetpens as well. I don't order from them enough.

@@atlasstationers1939 you guys are great and the discord community is amazing. Thank you for bring so much joy to this hobby. Fingers crossed I’ll get to visit the store come summer.

@@hivona I love watching the staff on the RUclips videos and it seems like such a great atmosphere. I agree I might be in more trouble if I lived closer but I’ve decided I need to take one road trip this year to see the shop in person. Maybe I’ll make it a video we will see. Ohh the pen nook looks really nice. I think for my next one whenever that ends up being (I never actually plan these things) I want to get one of the special nibs. What’s your favorite estie so far?

Thank you. I really try hard to be transparent about these things.

That’s such a great point about buying slow, thank you for sharing that advice! I got a little over enthusiastic this last year and ran into that problem. I want all the pens but you really need to spend time with them to understand and appreciate them. I think the same is true with inks and paper...its so much fun seeing how they respond to different mediums. Loving this new Hobby. :) Thanks for taking the time to comment and such sound advice.

@ ohh I’m not saying that is me, just good advice that really will help you learn what you like and dislike. I heard this after I bought most. I bought 14 gold pilots last 14 months. Still pilot and Platinum steel nibs are a great value. Yes ink is similar really imo 30 bottle is what I try to stay around. I have 50 samples. But some people are ink focused and some pen focuses. We create lots of duplicates in our collections ink,pen and nib.

I'm so glad you liked it! It's so fun to put things like this together. Thanks for the comment.

I'm glad she got back to you. It has to be such a headache for all these companies. It is really sad to see the paper die like this. It might have been easier on all of us if they had just stopped making it and found a new alternative (well maybe I don't know). As for fountain pen inks I haven't found one yet I know my Pilot iroshizuku take-sumi (black ink) which is my favorite seems to have the most issues so far or maybe it's just that I use it the most. As far as non fountain pen inks I know my uni Jetstream is the best with the paper I've found which is a ballpoint with a oil based ink. The website says that it's not compatible with all water based inks but I don't know any oil based fountain pen inks. If there is an oil based ink that would probably be the best I think. I'm also guessing we need a drier ink and from looking around at dry black ink recommendations it looks like a lot of people suggest Pelikans Brilant Black. It's under $10 for a bottle on Amazon so I think I'll give it a try. Let me know if you have any luck and I'll try to do the same.

@@MyMagicalPlanner I know! Small companies, doing their best to run honest businesses with transparency and the best of intentions... Hopefully someone will hear the cries of this amazing community and help to find the solution. I know I won't be giving up my fountain pens or my planners! Thank you for the suggestion! I will give the Pelikan a shot. I am terrified to try the Pilot Iroshizuku inks on this paper because I have used them quite a lot and they do seem very wet. Thank you for making this video. I felt validated 😄. Take care, and best of luck!!

I think that's why I'm having the most issue honestly. I love the layout I have and it really works for me so it's hard to switch to something that doesn't have everything I want in a layout. I might have a work around for places like just scribbles I have a friend who gets a us post address that they then ship to her in the UK, she gets a lot of items so I'm not sure on the cost but I can ask her what the service is called if you want, just let me know. Same UK friend is using a Filofax with her fountain pens and hasn't had any issues. I'm holding back on Hemlock and Oak for the same reason I don't want to buy another planner just to have it not work. Same on the washi and stamping I have two little work around for them. With the washi I'm using undo if I really have to move it, not ideal but it works. For stamping I've actually found using my water based tombows for the ink works the best, haven't had any bleed through as of yet. Someone else said stamping on something else first worked for them but I'm not very good at that. Hope that helps.

That was so smart.

Totally get you! It can be a real pain figuring out what works. I’ve got a few journals too, and it feels like a never-ending search for the perfect one! I have a small notebook from Moleskin but haven't tried anything else I'll add it to my list to take a closer look at.

It is and I just want it to work like the old paper, if only I had a time machine. Your probably right on the hand oil, I alway forget that's a thing with some of these papers. Thank you for the reminder.

Thank you for taking the time to comment. It's so hard and a lot of us just feel bad for the shop owners. I appreciate all the hard work you are putting into finding a solution. Feel free to add a link to your article if you want, I think people would find that helpful. I'm excited to see what product your coming out with...if it's another planner with better paper sign me up :)

someone else mentioned them today. I hadn't heard of them at all so I'm for sure going to test them out.

That was a really smart idea. I haven't heard of Bookfell, I'll need to add them to my list of things to checkout :) Paper is so important especially with fountain pens. I'm not sure people who don't use them can fully understand the difference it makes. Thank you for your kind and thoughtful comment.

I didn't realize Hobonichi did a special treatment, I wonder if they stopped to save on cost. Hmm adding this to my research list. When we knew the paper had changed it was easier to understand the changes with the fact that it should be the same paper as last year but is performing so much differently I'm just confused as to why. Honestly I think that's part of why it's so hard for me. I need a reason for the difference other than it's a bad batch. I think there will be a lot less people buying Hobonichic next year honestly. I'm pretty sure I won't be unless there is a change.

@@MyMagicalPlanner Yeah I'm going to pay very close attention to what the different planner companies are saying about the paper in August/September when it comes time to think about next year's planners.

I'll add it to my list of videos to do. Might take me a bit but honestly it's super easy. I use a small pippet to add a drop of ink to whatever I'm swatching and simply spread it out with a plastic bag. I tried to use a paint brush once but I had such a hard time cleaning it that this seemed better. The process is always changing though as I learn new things.

I have to say I think that was smart to switch away from TRP. The biggest nib I have is a M and I can't even imagine the issues a broad would have. It's so great to hear you have found something that works well in it's place. Maybe the cream will grow on me. :) If it's between cream and functional paper I'll take cream. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment.

I have to wonder if Hobonichi them selves have tested there product, because I would think it would have come out in a quality check. I did go back to their page today to look at the exact wording of the promises about the paper. I feel a bit like I didn't read the fine print since what they say is that it's more resistant to bleed through, referencing the previous paper. I don't feel like it's holding up to that but it also doesn't say it's resistant to all bleed through. They also added a little thing in a drop down menu for fountain pen use that says "TRP is designed to prevent bleed-through, but some fountain pens and water-based ink pens are not compatible with this paper." Then they recommend pen testing. With those two things I feel like they don't have to do anything so they won't but it does feel misleading to me. I need to look if I have any non water based inks (I've never payed attention). Your complete right that if they don't do something to earn back the trust of their customer base they will really feel it from here out. I'm not sure that large of a refund would be doable but maybe a discount for your next, an apology, or maybe an extra pen that is not suppose to bleed through? I don't know but it just doesn't feel right.

That is a really good point that I hadn't actually thought about. I love that they took the time to develop their own paper! I've added it to my research list. Thank you so much for the recommendation. Oh I have tried the clairefontaine paper it was a while ago so I forgot but thanks for the reminder.

ok that for sure is going on my list. Kinbor is a brand I hadn't heard of so I did a search and Aliexpress came up is that were you got yours?

@ yes

I‘m using the Midori Cotton paper for my printed inserts and it behaves very well with FP ink. Other Midori paper is too smooth for me and way too yellow. The Cotton Paper gives a nice feedback, nibs do not slid around on this paper and the color is more into white than yellow.

a few people have suggested them so it's been added to my list as is travelers notebook because I think they are the same company or use the same paper.

Thank you for that insight:) it's always nice to see what others like and why.

Let me know when your video comes out. I'm subbed to you but I sometimes miss things and I'm really interested to see what you have to say. BTW great channel. I agree with the response really lacking. I went back and reread what Hobonichi says about the paper today and went when did we go from it's great for fountain pens to some fountain pens and water-based ink pens are not compatible wit this paper. It's not on the initial review of the planners but there is a little drop down menu that says test fountain pens before regular use. I feel a little like I didn't read the fine print on something. Also I'm not sure but aren't pretty much all inks fountain pen or otherwise water-based. This seems to imply other forms of ink aren't as susceptible but alcohol based markers are even worse and permanent ink is too. So I'm a little confused at what ink we are suppose to use. I do have a wonderland coming from a friend, which was incredibly sweet of her. So I'll get to try that out but stocking up may not be a bad idea if you like the layout. Thanks for taking the time to write a comment and put so much thought into it. Looking forward to your video.

That's pretty much the response I got. I can say from my own pen test I've had the best luck with a .5 or smaller point pen. The uni jetstream seems to do the best and you can get it with multiple colors if that helps. I also didn't message for a refund but just to let her know there was an issue back in Oct I think (I didn't realize really how bad it was until I started using it) but my pen test back then showed there were real issues. I figured giving her a heads up would help her figure out what to do before we all started using it but she never responded in any way. I don't know maybe she never saw it?

Ok that's the best idea for that little notebook. I was trying to figure out what to do with it because just tossing it felt wrong. Thanks for the idea. I'm sorry it was so bad though, that just stinks.

Thank you :)

It’s really hard. I don’t know what the right solution is but admitting there are issues would be a start I think. It’s a hard pill to swallow with the price we pay for these planners.

I don’t have that paper on my list yet what planner are you using? I want to make sure to add it to the list I’m making. There are more paper options than I realized out there which gives me hope that a good replacement can be found.

@@MyMagicalPlanner It's 5-year journal from Crena. Crena does make their own paper and notebook.

@@lkessler1 I’m sorry your having issues as well. It just sucks. The wonderland should be safe this year I think since they had stocked up on the old paper but this is the last year of that. What size sterling ink did you end up getting? I’m curious if some sizes were less affected than others. Sanzen from my understanding isn’t willing to admit or change the paper so I think the community will have to adapt. I’m telling my self that this will be the push to move us into a new more amazing planner paper. It might be a delusion but I’m going with it lol

@ thank you. I have three sizes from Sterling Ink: B5 vertical, B6 daily and a pocket size.

I don’t think I’ve heard of that paper but I am for sure going to look into it. Ring planners are popular this year so that’s something for us all to consider. I just googled it and saw pen addicts review. It looks really impressive I wonder why no one has thought to use it.

@@MyMagicalPlanner I'm guessing because tomoe river was tried and true that everyone just jumped onto Sanzen without giving it (View Corona) a try. With people having so much trouble with sanzen paper, there will be some shops that look for paper alternatives.

That was really smart to stock up. I should have done the same. It’s going to be one of those painful transition years I think for the planner community. We will need to grieve for a paper lost completely now and search for something new. Isn’t that how we leap forward in innovation and creativity? That’s what I’m hoping for, something good to come out it in the end.

@@theyarngoeson ok I thought the skipping was me being pretty new to fountain pens and doing something wrong. It still might be lol. I’ve had mix success with other pens most of them bleed through as well depending on the page. The uni jetstream is the one that seems to work the best but I hate having to consider that in a book I purchased just for my fountain pens. I have a stalogy regular notebook that I forgot about until someone else mentioned them and the paper is really nice so I’m going to look at them more closely. I’m really happy it’s working for you.

@@kailahmom1 I appreciate your point of view but unfortunately it’s not limited to fountain pens most of my other pens also bleed through the paper. Forget using dot markers, highlighters, mild liners. I get less bleed through with my fountain pens overall. If it was as simple as not using a fountain pen I think I could get past it but it really is more you can see my tomoe river pen test video for that. This is about finding a new solution. But it’s also a fact of being told that a paper is made for fountain pen use and buying a product with that expectation that is also part of the issue. But I also understand what matters to me may not be what matters to you. As for the anxiety part for a person who struggles with pretty significant anxiety (as in a medical diagnosis) saying this shouldn’t cause them anxiety is very shamming. I’m happy that it doesn’t cause you issues and I wish I was the same but honestly I’m broken so it dose. My planner is my life line to keeping my anxiety in check and when that’s not working life can be overwhelming especially in a house full of kids who have anxiety, adhd, autism, ocd and host of other quirks. Change is hard here and I realize that’s my issue but I also feel let down by a product that I had grown to depend on. I’m really glad you’re not having problems but please don’t discount people who are because it may be more than you see.

This is our hobby. It’s important to us. Just use a different pen? I buy this paper and these expensive planners to use my fountain pens in. Judgy Judgerson. 😝🙄

Maybe it wouldn’t be a big deal if it was a $15 planner but Hobonichi boasts the best paper for fountain pens and charges a premium price for their products. I am not directly affected by this issue with any of my notebooks, but I would be very disappointed if I were and I’m worried for the planner small businesses that could lose a lot of money with this.

Yeah, even my ballpoint pen is bleeding through in this year's planner. That's a problem. You should expect better performance from expensive paper than what you can buy at Wal-Mart.

@ so true! My 0.3 pens I think are doing ok for the most part if that helps and uni jetstream .5 and using stickers helps because you can write on them instead. I wish this wasn’t a thing.

@@paperkae anytime :) I’m glad it was helpful. It’s somehow easier when we know it’s not just us or our specific planner or at least it is for me.

Is that the midori one? I'm going to try and do some research today based on peoples interest to see what papers might be helpful. If it's not the midori one can you send me a link so I make sure I'm looking at the right one?

@ it is the midori one. It’s so beautiful and I would love to try it but it’s hard to find… it has 2 A6 pages per day so it’s a bit thick but if it performs I will hunt it down :)

Hibino uses TRP as well. I just met a person who was upset at how their paper works with fountain pens.

Exactly!!! I feel so bad for the smaller companies that are going to be blamed and they really are stuck between a rock and a hard place. The repercussion are so much more than this year for them. I kept telling my self it's not that bad you have spend way to much on these to give up on them, and I love the layout! but I don't know that I can stick with it and I enjoy my fountain pens so much I don't want them to not get used. Total and complete mess sums it up perfectly. Thank you for leaving a comment it helps to know we are not alone or over reacting (ok I might be but at least I know it's not just me).

YES. I think part of the problem might have been so many companies trying to get the "best paper" and demand made them cut corners but that's just in my head I have no proof. I think we are going to see some companies either switch paper completely or just not be able to bounce back from this. It's been slowly going down hill for a few years with the paper quality but I think we have hit the point were they have gone to far. Once you loose trust with your customer base it's really hard to gain it back. By not addressing the issue people are loosing trust with not only Sanzen but Hobonichi and other planner companies. There seems to be a general feeling of being lied to and then having those feeling pushed back at the customer as they expect to much. With the economic trends I'm seeing I'm guessing Planner prices will go up so people are going to focus on two things cheap and works or expensive but worth the cost because it's a few better product. I also think we will see a huge up swing in digital planning as people are no longer able to afford luxury planners and can use a tablet to get the same writing feedback for memory. This is without putting a lot of through in to it so maybe I'm wrong. I think the Jibun might end up being the leader but it's hard to say. Will be interesting to see how the year goes. That all being said yes start practicing those ninja fingers for next year, what ever planner replaces the hobonichi base will not be expecting the love it's about to get.

@MyMagicalPlanner well said. I agree %100 personally I can't use digital just because....well I'm older than the internet, and my brain only works on paper! Lol

I've had take a note for three years. Highly recommend. No issues this year

@michelleadams5609 thanks for the information I've always been curious about Take a Note and it's definitely on the short list for 2026 :)

TAN use 68 gsm TRP though. I have no idea whether the 68 gsm is affected by these issues, or if TAN just had older paper in storage.

From a business perspective I 100% agree. This is a horrible situation for all involved. The magnitude of the problem is so huge that at the end of the day there will be repercussions to all those businesses. My personal though is that coming out with a statement saying hey we have paper issues we understand, we are working on a solution for next years planners and in the meantime here are some things that work be it pens, inks sticker fixes etc. Small business are going to be damaged either way either by loosing trust in a product or by the refund perspective. I wish there was an easy fix that would help both the planner community and the planner sellers because I really do feel bad for so many of the small planner companies.

@MyMagicalPlanner good point. Open communication vs. Outright dismissal of the situation would be appreciated and prudent. I'm intrigued how this will eventually go. My heart does go out to all the companies involved along with the disappointed customers. It's unfortunate when demand soars for a product, the quality suffers. Take care and thanks for the thought provoking video. :)

I really appreciate you taking the time to share your insights! I hadn't considered the cultural difference but it's a huge factor. My husband used to work for a Japanese company and it was interesting to see how different things were done. It awesome to have someone who understand paper chime in. I feel like they are cutting a corner not realizing how important whatever step is. I agree last years paper while not the old paper was fine or acceptable, this year just isn't. I'm with you on next year. I might be done with all Tome River paper from here on out. I do wonder if Hobonichi will switch to a different paper because I think a lot of people are feeling that way. I think they feel lied to about the paper and then are being told it's their fault which I don't think will end well for them. Thank you for not only taking the time to respond but adding such valuable information.

@@MyMagicalPlanner I laughed a lot when I learned that sometimes Japanese firms hire honorary Americans or Europeans to say how it is, because Japanese are genetically incapable of not being yes men to their bosses, haha. I think it's both business (their stock is already very low, so they can't afford a paper-gate) and cultural decision, but with culture being so different for them and non-Asians it reads to us badly. I touch a lot of paper and can easily figure out what is what and I still never expected the feeling of "offness" I got with this year's Tomoe. By just touching it I knew it was gonna be a ride this year. And not all batches are the same, i also got blank white paper A5 notebooks and they are not very different from before. Maybe this was 2023 batch? No idea. But I do feel almost Stockholm syndrom'ed by hobo and I really don't want to combo-break my almost 10 year streak. As for switching paper- I have no clue. Hobo is so intertwined with Tomoe River as a brand and my guess is they had a lot to do with revival of production, likely they have some long term contracts with the producer- their paper is thinner than stock Tomoe (maybe which is why other planners don't have as many issues?), it will be hard for them to swap and even harder to convince already jaded buyers. The question still remains- how many people care about hobo and how many care about tomoe river first. (ie. I never cared about hobo- their famous quotes they are so proud of? I never read them, expecting some wise sayings like usual- today I read one for the first time time - and while they are a hoot and we had a day today reading them in my office, because wtflmao?!??! XD, I really wish they aren't taking the space. But seriously, wtf hobo? Who picks those quotes XD). Just once thing- Hobonichi doesn't say outright it is our fault we expect too much, it's just the sentiment underlying in their reply. They, hobo, are doing everything right, evrything is to specks, diferences happen, so there is no issue. I think they even changed descriptions on their pages from "good with inks" to "good with some inks, needs testing" to cover their bases.

I agree that this is a Sanzen across the board issue. This is the first time I’m hearing problems with a Sterling Ink planner (which I have two of…and I’ve been a bit lazy with set up, but have had no problems with the Energel 0.4 which I’ve seen on people’s Hobo Weeks and Cousins.) I did do a fountain pen test/regular pens test in the back when I first got it, and zero problems, looked great. The paper feels good…but like the Hobo Cousin, I’ve heard that the problems are sporadic throughout the paper. When you advertise as being good at something, and you fail at that, that’s unacceptable, particularly for the price point they are asking. When I buy a Rhodia notebook, the paper performs like every single other Rhodia, and it performs wonderfully. For next year’s planner, I’m not going to buy one with TRP. I was a BuJo person for years, and having a notebook works for me…as a time saver, there are plenty of stamps and stickers you can buy to make calendars and things like that, which in total probably cost less that a $60 Hobonichi (made with a junky cardstock cover, so you have to spend more money to cover it with something else 🙄) and I hope that the smaller independent companies are looking at using different paper in their planners. I think this is a time that other paper companies can really step up and say, “we make great paper that will work well with fountain pens, water colors, markers, gel pens, etc” and approach these companies and say, ‘use our paper, you won’t have problems.” I would point at two companies to make a change (addition) with their planners and/or paper: Midori - the cream is lovely, but people want a white option, make the same stuff in white. Rhodia: You make all of your wonderful regular notebooks in white…why are your planners in cream…and I mean yellow basically. Leuchterm 1917 (regular 60gsm?) make all your notebooks in the 100 or 120 gsm and sell your planners in two 6 month books if you want a page a day. The regular Leuchterm just bleeds way too much…and it’s too cream. Iroful: now is your time to shine…start ramping up production because you’ve been found and a lot of people like you. Kokuyo - you make a fabulous paper in the Business paper, and pretty darn good in the Campus. I know you make the Jibun Techo, but you could make an A5/A6 that’s a little less intense and less colorful, and fits in normal size covers, or just sell your paper to all of these wonderful independent planner companies and they can work their magic with it. The quality control for TRP is abysmal right now and Japanese cultural practices are going to totally destroy this paper’s reputation (if it hasn’t completely already.) I’m amazed that people are even saying “maybe I’m being too picky…” No! The product advertises itself as being able to do something and it’s failing to do that. That’s not being picky, that’s expecting something to perform as advertised. Hobonichi’s “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain” gaslighting of their customers is ridiculous. Their statement of “this falls within in our quality standards” tells me that their quality standards are crap, and they don’t care about their customers, and they want to overcharge you based on name alone and expect you to keep quiet about paying top dollar for a piece of junk. I really hear you, OP, and if Hobonichi and TRP only sold in Japan, then maybe their customers would put up with it. But this is a global product, and other cultures aren’t going to…and other companies are going to yank your customer base with a product they stand behind that is consistently what is claims to be. (Sorry for the rant…this whole situation just gets me going…especially hearing people questioning themselves vs questioning a product because…it’s the Great and Powerful TRP and/or Hobonichi!!!! Their product is the problem, not the user. Even that ugly ballpoint they give you when you make a mega order is bleeding through the pages. Bye bye, Hobo and TRP, you are losing your customer base and doing absolutely the opposite of even trying to save your sinking ship.

​@@mollymollie6048 Eta: I copied their email in another top comment under the vid. no worries, the rant is warranted, I agree with majority of what you said, except that sometimes white paper isn't an option, as it can lose properties due to bleaching the pulp and the only reason I'm still considering hobo next year, is because it would be my 10th year with, I'm pretty much very not into combo breaking, lmao. But! I won't let you besmirch the love of my life, Jetstream ballpoint they're adding, I don't think we can be friends after that 🤣 Tho I never heard of ballpoint bleeding, this is the lowest low if true.

@ Yep, it bled through the Weeks on another channel, who’s as frustrated as she is. They have a Twine and Paper…intermittently messed up, bleeding, feathering, and the Weeks is pretty unusable. (Sorry, about abusing your favorite ballpoint…I come from a time when the Bic ballpoint and Mead notebook paper was all we had…it was dark and sad…so I see ballpoint and immediately hug a delightful Pentel Energel to my chest!) I figured that getting the paper super white would make a real change…but obviously Rhodia makes a ton of white paper, so no problem there. Maybe Midori likes differentiating themselves with their cream, and it fits with Travelers esthetic. But, they have some white paper as well, I swear…it might be time for them to start experimenting…although, I don’t think they have any shortage of people buying their stuff. Idk why Rhodia makes their planners so yellow. Leuchterm, I’m not a fan of their OG notebook, and I’ve heard good things about the 100/120 (can’t remember.) They aren’t super yellow…but I think they’re overpriced for what you get, imo. Thanks for supporting my rant. Now I’m worried about my Sterling Ink…although, if it starts giving me problems, it does. I’ll just deal with it and experiment with other notebooks. I can BuJo with anything…you can slap your own cover on any notebook and buy some good quality Kokuyo Business printer paper and print out calendars, etc and glue them in, or use a plastic rings binder or whatever. I feel bad for people who have loved this product for years and no longer have something that was a part of their daily lives. I also hate the blame the customer attitude and just ignoring that people shelled out a lot of money for what they thought was a high quality product. Hobonichi has become so cash grabby with the insane prices they charge for their “accessories.” I would see people unboxing thousands of dollars worth of covers, etc, and think…jeez, their marketing really got to you, I guess. I hope you can pay that credit card bill! Their business practices really really turned me off. I totally get it that you have to have year 10, it makes total sense. I’m like that with the 5 year journals…I’d never get one cause I’d think I’m jinxing myself into assuming I’m around for 5 more years (I’m not old, it just feels like you are assuming something and you’ve tempted the jinx!) 🤣

I really appreciate your suggestion! It’s always helpful to hear what works for others, and I’m excited to give MD paper a try! I'm making an order of some other papers and will make sure I include a Travelers Notebook. I want to make a part two to share all the additional paper/planners people are suggesting.

I kept looking at them but every time I see the Tomoe River Paper at this point I don't trust it. Have you had any issues with the paper this year? Maybe I'll do a bit more research to see the difference. I think they might use a different thickness of paper. Thank you though I love hearing about companies that are amazing.

@MyMagicalPlanner I have never had any issues with bleeding, feathering, or even ghosting, really. They use 120gsm paper, so it's quite thick (I can't go back, everything else just feels so thin and flimsy to me now 😅). And I use *a lot* of colour; felt-tip pens, Tombows, Mildliners - like, I throw *all* of my supplies at my planners. 😅😅 That said, I haven't used a fountain pen on their paper yet, but others do and I haven't heard of any issues. Here's a review that includes ink swatches: ruclips.net/video/HsEo4z_OaBE/видео.html

You and I have had two very different experiences with Hemlock and Oak I have found them to be very unhelpful in the customer service department I had a notebook from them that when arrived had creased pages and a damaged spine and their response was abysmal. It took two weeks for a reply and then they refused to replace it with me offering to pay return shipping for the damaged one nope not ever buying from them or archer and olive again.

@Pym1975 Wow, that really surprises me! I'm not saying that I don't believe you, but it's so far away from who I know them to be. I can understand that it would take them a little while to reply, they are a small company after all, so an actual human has to find time to get back to people. 2 weeks makes sense, in that context. As to the rest of it, just. Wow. That's very surprising to me. Without having been a part of the conversation myself, it's hard for me to fully assess the situation. But if it were me, I would reach back out to them. I know that they wouldn't want anyone to end up with damaged products or to have a bad experience with them as a company. It might not result in a refund, discount, or credit, but it might provide you some closure. I would probably say something along the lines of: "This was an experience I had with your company and I felt really let down. I'm hoping this can be a learning experience and that we can work together to try to resolve this." Couldn't hurt. 🤷‍♀️