LiveNotes A5 Staplebound Journal by PenGallery

Product Description (From the Manufacturer):

In our search for writing perfection, we created LIVENOTES especially for fountain pen livers.  Made with Tomoe River paper, LIVENOTES offers a luxurious writing experience with most pens and inks.  The low feathering and smooth finish of these pages will also showcase sheen and shimmering inks, letting you fully explore the art of writing with pen and paper.  LIVENOTES notebooks are exclusively brought to you by PenGallery.  These notebooks are great for bullet journaling.

Basic Info:

• Brand: LiveNotes by PenGallery
• Cost: 12.90 MYR (approximately $3.10 USD)
• Pages: 64
• Format: Dot Grid
• Paper: 68 GSM Tomoe River
• Binding: Staple-bound
• Colors offered: Purple, Orange, Black (Spiral-bound)

Pros:

• Cost.  A similarly-spec'd Tomoe River notebook from Goulet Pens costs $8 USD.
• Some unusual color options for Tomoe River notebooks (orange and purple), though this may be a con if you're looking for more traditional colors
• Tomoe River is a fountain pen champ no matter what notebook it's in
• Good customer service.  The company forgot to pack in one of my notebooks; they promptly issued a refund, including some of the shipping cost.

Cons:

• Format.  This notebook is only offered in dot grid, so if that isn't your flavor you'll have to either get used to it or look elsewhere
• Construction.  The notebook feels cheap (because it is).  While it survived daily use for a month, it also hasn't left the house due to COVID.  I can't help but wonder if it'd hold up to my pre-COVID routine.
• Shipping is either cheap and slow (taking weeks to arrive), or fast and as much as 9 notebooks (115 MYR, or $27 USD).
• The binding / printing is somewhat sloppy.  Some of the grids are obviously misaligned on the page, for example
• (Nit-pick) As I stated above, they forgot to pack in one of the notebooks I ordered.  I am only listing this as a nit-pick because of the quick customer service response
• (Nit-pick) The branding on the spine isn't my favorite.  While I wouldn't call it gaudy, and it certainly isn't a deal-breaker for me, those seeking a more "stealth" or minimalist approach may be turned off.

Conclusion:

The notebook comes with its fair share of issues (see: cons).  It's hard to be too upset about any of them, though, because of the price.  Are there things I would change about this notebook?  Absolutely.  Am I likely to find anything better in the same price bracket (especially anything that offers Tomoe River paper)?  Absolutely not.  Ultimately, while there are better notebook / stationery experiences to be had (especially when Tomoe River is involved), they are regularly 5-10 times the price.  If you want a Tomoe River notebook at a rock bottom price (and you don't mind the aforementioned concessions), this may be your new favorite notebook.

Write Notepads & Co "Lined Notebook" (Wire-bound)

I purchased this notebook on the recommendation of The Gentleman Stationer.  When the product appeared in the article, "The Best Paper for Everyday Writing," I decided to give them a try.  While I can't recommend the notebook without caveats (see below), there is definitely a lot to like here.  Will it replace Tomoe River as my paper of choice for fountain pens?  Read on to find out.

Basic Info:

• Price: $20 USD / notebook, bulk discounts available
• Paper Type:70 GSM "bleed and feather resistant" paper
• Format: Lined (also available in dot grid and "meeting" format)
• Pages: 120
• Link

Pros:

• Wire binding means that the notebook is truly "lay flat."  This also means that the notebook can easily be folded over and act as its own writing surface
• Paper lives up to its promise of being bleed and feather resistant; I tested it across a wide variety of inks (though the widest nib grade I regularly use is M, so take that for what you will)
• Cover is subtly designed and aesthetically pleasing
• Notebook offers a larger size than the typical A5, meaning it may be a good fit for those looking for something about as portable as an A5 with a few more inches to write on
• Notebook comes in a variety of formats and colors.  I bought one in "black" and "kraft."  I seriously considered buying one in "pistacio" as well, but ultimately decided against it (because I have so many notebooks, lol)

Cons:

• The wire binding can be uncomfortable under the hand, especially after a long writing session
• Paper doesn't bring out the "magic" of inks like Tomoe River, and is a bit, "toothier," as well.
• The covers (especially the back cover) frayed over time, despite the notebook rarely leaving the house (what with the global pandemic).  There were no catastrophic failures, but it makes me wonder how well the notebook would hold up under more strenuous testing
• The unusual size means it'll require a custom cover (if that's your jam)
• A few of the metal rings bent a bit.  Again, there were no catastrophic failures and the notebook is still functioning as intended (save the last couple of pages, which are harder to turn), but it raises concerns of durability

Conclusion:
There's a lot to like about this notebook.  While the paper hasn't dethroned Tomoe River as my "go-to" choice for fountain pens, it's plays well enough with my pens and inks that I haven't minded using it as a daily driver.  There are some things I would change (I wish they offered an A5 version) and some things that require trade-offs compared to other notebooks (e.g. the binding style), but it's done its job admirably.  If you're not a fan of Tomoe River or if you want to try something different, this product is worth a look.