I reviewed the initial Dingbats* notebook back in 2016, right after they first came onto the market. I was generally pretty impressed with the overall make of these notebooks, including the paper. Since then, Dingbats* has introduced new cover styles and seems to have grown their business nicely.
Apparently, Dingbats* had received some feedback about the paper in the initial notebooks, which was somewhat absorbent and could result in some bleedthrough and feathering with especially wet fountain pen nibs and ink. In response, they released the new "Earth Collection," which includes 100gsm coated cream paper that is more fountain pen friendly. Personally, I found the original Dingbats* paper to work more than adequately with the pens and inks that I tend to use day-to-day, but it's always good to see companies respond to what the market demands.
The new 100gsm coated cream paper is super nice, and Dingbats* has included marked tabs on the edges of the page to allow you to code/organize different sections of your notebook.
And the new Dingbats* paper is, indeed, great with fountain pens. It's coated to better handle fountain pen ink, and feels like Rhodia or Clairefontaine. The Earth notebooks retain most of the useful features of the other versions (a pen loop, dual ribbon bookmarks, lay-flat design, rear pocket, etc.) BUT the pages are no longer perforated - a touch disappointing but perhaps necessary due to the thicker paper?
A writing sample on Dingbats* new coated paper, in cream with dot grid. No noticeable feathering or bleed whatsoever.
Takeaways and Where to Buy
I'm almost finished with the Midori MD A5 that I've been using as my "work notebook"/hybrid bullet journal, and I have this Earth notebook lined up as the replacement. Note that the Dingbats* notebooks are ever-so-slightly larger than standard A5 notebooks, so if you are purchasing to fit a specific notebook cover, be aware that it may not work. For the record, I managed to fit the Earth notebook into my Nock Co. A5 Seed cover, but it was a tight squeeze.
Many thanks to Dingbats* for sending me this notebook for review! Dingbats* notebooks may be purchased directly from the Company's online store, and the Earth series starts at $22.95 with free shipping on orders over $35.
Disclaimer: Dingbats* provided me with this notebook free of charge for review purposes. This post contains affiliate links.