Back in January when I went on a bit of a notebook binge, I picked up a Leuchtturm 1917 Hardcover Notebook Metallic Edition (A5 size, dot grid, $26.00). Honestly the notebook was just plain pretty. And, to my knowledge, I haven’t ever tried a Leuchtturm notebook.
The Leuchtturm 1917 Metallic is a hardcover notebook in A5 size available in Gold, Silver or Copper. I opted for silver. The cover is textured, almost giving it a faux fabric feel, and it’s a bit sparkly, though I don’t see any actual glitter. Inside, the notebook is full of 125 pages of 80gsm paper in dot grid (totally my jam). It also has 2 pages for a table of contents, two silver ribbon bookmarks, an expandable pocket at the back, and an elastic closure.
If I’m being 100% honest, it mostly looks and feels like another notebook that I really love: my well loved and slightly worn Rhodia Goalbook. Both are A5, and feature about the same number of pages, the extras (bookmarks, pockets and elastic). The Rhodia is a softcover whereas this Leuchtturm edition is hardcover, but the weight between the two is virtually the same.
The biggest difference I noticed between the two has to be the paper.
The Leuchtturm paper is a slightly different weight (80gsm vs Rhodia’s 90gsm), but the primary thing I noticed is that it’s toothier, more textured. Rhodia’s paper is super smooth, almost like it’s coated. So as I wrote I noticed that my ink went down on the paper differently. Whereas the ink sort of sits on top of the Rhodia coating and takes a short time to dry, the Leuchtturm paper sort of absorbs the ink a bit more. There’s no feathering or bleeding, and dry time is quicker; it’s just a very different texture.
Do I like it better than my Rhodia? I don’t know! I can definitely feel the difference when I touch the paper, and as I write, but I don’t know which one I prefer. Have you tried both? What do you think?
I wish the Leuchtturm came in white-white, but otherwise it’s my preferred daily notebook. Good paper, and the hardcover means it holds up better than a softcover. The Rhodia paper is lovely, but the dry time can be an issue.
I’ve really wanted to love the Leuchtturm notebooks, but the standard ones with 80GSM paper I have had a really hard time with bleeding and ghosting. About once a year, I get inspired to try one of the notebooks to see if anything has changed, or to try to convince myself that I had a bad experience. But I’ve been through a few now and unless they advertise a change, I won’t buy another. Now the 120GSM edition – I have tried those and LOVE them. I’ll put up with the extra weight and bulk for that experience!
Hmmm I didn’t notice that, but I tend to write with fine nibs so I may not have. Glad to hear there’s heftier paper to do the trick!
I have tried both, my personal style is for wetter pens, nibs and inks, and Leuchtturm is definitely more ghosty and bleeding than my Rhodia Webbie A5. So I stick w Rhodia.
I carried several silver 1917s over the years at work. I liked they paper but also the way it matched my silver MacBook.
Ooo I like the aesthetics!
I may try it out. I love my Rhodia Goalbook but I do need a blotter paper sometimes.