TRAVELER's Notebook vs. Yamamoto Ro-Biki: What's the Difference?

Since I’m becoming something of a notebook system specialist (Check out our new resource here!), I sometimes get questions about how the different systems compare to one another. While the Traveler’s Notebook is the most widely known “tall narrow” notebook format, there’s another option out there: The “Ro-Biki Note” series of notebooks from Yamamoto Paper. Online photos can create the perception that these two systems are related and/or interchangeable, and that’s not necessarily the case. Here are a few key differences:

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The Ro-Biki canvas cover is actually more of a wrap. It ships with a velcro strap that not only closes the cover but also allows you to secure pens and other accessories in the outside pocket.

• Different Measurements. While both Traveler’s Notebook and Ro-Biki are the same height (8.25”), the Traveler’s refill notebooks are roughly 4.25” wide, and Ro-Biki notebooks are 3.75” wide. This means that Ro-Biki notebooks will fit in a standard-size Traveler’s Notebook cover but a Traveler’s refill will be too wide for the Ro-Biki canvas cover (unless you trim the Traveler’s refill down).

• Different Paper. Both brands use excellent paper that works well with a wide range of writing instruments - including fountain pens. Traveler’s Company mostly uses Midori MD paper for its standard refills (both companies share the same corporate parent), while also offering a wider range of options including watercolor, sketch, and ultralight Tomoe River paper. For the Ro-Biki notebooks, Yamamoto has chosen a soft cream-colored paper that I’ve seen identified as either “Chiffon Cream” or “Soliste” (which is one of the select papers in Yamamoto’s latest round of A4 packs). Again, both brands use good paper and this will come down to personal preference.

• Different Build/Aesthetics. Traveler’s Company uses a cord-based system to hold the refills inside a basic leather cover that closes with an elastic band. The Ro-Biki is a bit more unique, in that Yamamoto has commissioned a cotton canvas cover that incorporates a zippered case and pockets along the outside. If you enjoy the Ro-Biki paper and notebook dimensions, you might find that the Ro-Biki also offers more built-in functionality out of the box, though this comes at the expense of customization. Those looking to avoid leather might also prefer the Yamamoto option.

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I might take a Ro-Biki to the beach next week, since I can take it to the pool and down to the water without worrying about water getting splashed on leather.

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Sorry, some of my writing had to be blurred here, for personal reasons.

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Ro-Biki notebooks attach to the canvas cover by sliding the back cover of one notebook into a pocket, and then attaching additional notebooks to the “anchor notebook” using two supplied rubber bands, which are very thin and unobtrusive. Oh, and can we also get a shout-out for reticle grid? It’s one of the more underutilized rulings, IMHO.

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Regardless of which stationery pouch I’m carrying, I have post-it notes, stamps, and document flags with me.

Takeaways and My Personal Thoughts

Traveler’s Notebook and Yamamoto Ro-Biki Note are different products that I suspect will appeal to different users. Traveler’s Notebook is more of a truly customizable system/system techo, while I’d characterize Ro-Biki as a notebook with a bit of built-in functionality in the canvas cover (which may be perfectly adequate for many users). Update: I’ve published a YouTube demonstration of me setting up the Ro-Biki, plus a size comparison with the Traveler’s Notebook.

Personally, I love Yamamoto’s Soliste paper, and I’ve enjoyed using one of the Ro-Biki reticle-grid notebooks for testing. This was enough to make me grab one of the covers for myself, as I already have Soliste hole-punched in my Plotters for general writing and the Ro-Biki Note paper has the same soft feel to it. (I’d love to confirm whether these are indeed Soliste notebooks - stay tuned.) Whatever paper it is, it’s handled all my inks quite well, and it makes me want to keep writing with it.

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As of today, we have Yamamoto Paper Robiki covers and Robiki-Note notebooks in stock, and of course we continue to offer the full Traveler’s Notebook lineup and the new similarly sized Lochby Voyager Journals. Come see us in-store this week, starting tomorrow and Friday from 1-6, and Saturday from 10-6. Next week (July 13-20) we will be on vacation so get your shopping in before then!

Time to Pick a New Personal Journal: Maruman Mnemosyne Hardcover A5 Journal

It's time to pick a new notebook! This weekend I finished a personal journal (an Atelier Musubi bank paper A5, bound in soft fabric), and while I enjoyed my time with it, I was ready to move on. The Musubi Journal itself was an exceptionally well made book: The binding and cover held up well over the course of nearly two years, despite a fair amount of travel in my briefcase alongside laptops, pen cases, scissors, sharpened pencils, and who-knows-what-else. And while I find bank paper quite ink friendly, it's never been my favorite paper for everyday writing. Hand oil can cause problems with skipping and feathering on the lower half of a page, and for my personal journal, I don't want to worry about always having blotting paper or a calligraphy smudge-guard handy. So the next choice for an everyday notebook/journal was always going to be something more no-nonsense.

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Whenever I choose a new notebook, planner, or journal, I run the risk of paralysis-by-analysis. As expected, I found myself overthinking this decision, so (late) last night as I was leaving I walked out of my office into the main shop area and pulled a Maruman Mnemosyne A5 Hardcover journal in mint green off the shelf. I've been excited about these Mnemosyne journals since I first saw them at last year's NY Now and have been looking for a way to get one into the rotation. (We won't talk about how long it actually took Maruman to get these things to the U.S. market.)

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I love a good pre-printed Table of Contents. Especially one that is long enough to use as a true index. Which you will need on a 250-page notebook.

So why did I choose this notebook?

• Reliability. Mnemosyne paper works well with all inks + pencil, with decent dry times, no feathering, and very little bleedthrough. The paper in the journal is a step up, at 90gsm instead of the typical 80gsm in the Mnemosyne spirals and the 70gsm in the Maruman Basic notebooks. While I don't really push paper all that much in notebooks that I use as personal journals - I’m writing, not testing inks - I've had no issues with any fountain pens that I've used in my first few days of writing.

• It's "Just a Notebook." The Mnemosyne journal looks nice, but at the end of the day it will appear, to the non-stationery-addict eye, indistinguishable from your typical Moleskine, Leuchtturm, Anecdote, Endless, or other similar A5 hardcover with an elastic closure. The fact that I have a dozen just like it sitting outside the door to my office and a few more in my personal stash removes the block you sometimes feel when you have a really nice notebook that you’re hesitant to use because you don’t want to mess it up.

• Table of Contents. In the Musubi, I made the rookie mistake of not reserving pages for an index or table of contents. The Mnemosyne does that for me, with a four-page table of contents that allows for 21 entries on each page. Whenever I finish a notebook, I go back and flip through to highlight pages with ideas I want to remember and possibly develop further elsewhere. The table of contents will let me do that in real time as I work through the notebook, or during my close-out review after I finish. The pages are also pre-numbered for easy reference.

• Open Layout with Lots of Paper. This notebook contains 239 numbered pages (including the TOC) - a lot of paper for a journal in this style. The ruling is a .5mm dot grid. For bullet journalers and those who like to create their own charts and layouts, Maruman has included markers in the margins that you can use as guides. I probably won't use this particular notebook as a bullet journal or other homemade planner, but the functionality is there. You also have two ribbon bookmarks and the standard kraft paper envelope attached to the back cover.

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

I'm only a couple of days in, but so far this Mnemosyne journal is exactly what I needed, and importantly, exactly what I expected from Maruman in terms of no-nonsense quality and functionality. If you're looking for a hardbound dot grid notebook in the classic A5+elastic style, this version is fountain pen foolproof and should last you for the bulk of the year, depending on whether you're a daily journaler and how much you write each day.

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Available from most Maruman retailers, including our own shop, the Mnemosyne Hardcover Journal comes in black, navy blue, grey, and mint, and is currently priced at $39. While the price would seem higher than similar notebooks, this notebook has a noticeably higher page count (240 pages vs. the usual 190-200), and of course you get the Mnemosyne quality. The most remarkable aspect of this entire release is Maruman's decision to release Mnemosyne products in colors other than black. For me, the mint is clearly the winner, and I'd love to see a darker green, like they used in the Kleid x Mnemosyne collaboration. The newer A5 flex cover notebooks included a white version, but I could see that getting pretty dirty over the course of a year.

Come see us in-store! As noted above, we have the journals shown here, the rest of the Mnemosyne lineup, and more. Note that we have special hours on July 3rd and 4th. Saturday hours of operation will be per the usual 10am-6pm.

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The Mnemosyne (bottom) is a thick notebook with lots of paper!

Notebook Review: Maruman Spiral Note Basic Notebook

Lower-cost paper for higher-cost times? You can’t dispute that recent events have been frustrating and confusing for U.S.-based stationery enthusiasts (and lovers of analog products in general) as a significant portion of them are made outside of the country and now subject to higher tariffs. With the cost of most products sourced outside the U.S. already having increased 10% or more, many of us find ourselves searching for lower-cost options. Fortunately there are many options out there that can probably absorb future price increases without destroying value.

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The main review ink I used for this review is Taccia Aomurasaki, in a medium JoWo Nib (Hinze Taschenstift). We reviewed this pen and ink combination earlier this week!

The notebook I’m reviewing today, the Maruman “Spiral Note” Basic Notebook, is one such product. Considered a more economical counterpart to their flagship “Mnemosyne” notebooks, the Spiral Note features 70gsm paper (as opposed to 80gsm Mnemosyne), a simple kraft cover, and a single-wire spiral binding (compared to the Mnemosyne’s double). Maruman offers a multitude of different rulings, including .5mm grid or dot, 6.5mm lined, 8.0mm lined, and blank. There are 80 sheet and 40 sheet options, and pages are perforated, allowing you to easily tear out/archive individual pages. Perforations are a huge plus for me, as a perforated page allows me to take meeting notes in an A5 spiral notebook and then hole-punch any sheet I might want to move to one of my notebook systems.

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While this isn’t what I’d consider a heavy-sheening paper, you can see a hit of sheen on the blue ink here.

Despite the slight decrease in paper weight, performance remains impressive. To me, the paper feels slightly slicker than Mnemosyne, and somewhat similar to Tomoe River 68gsm, though maybe not quite as tactile? I’ve had no issues with feathering or bleedthrough, except for some pinpointing where I really bore down hard with the writing pressure, or did an especially wet swatch. Because the paper is relatively lightweight, darker inks may have some slight show-through on the other side, but you can easily use both sides of a page. I would say that the paper shows off sheen and shading moderately well.

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An especially wet writing sample, using a Schon DSGN Monoc Nib that I recently had Matthew Chen grind to a Kodachi. You can read more about it here.

So Who Is the Maruman Spiral Note Basic Notebook For?

While I think this is a great everyday notebook for anyone, I’d consider it perfect for a few different categories of users:

• People who use a LOT of notebooks, especially writers who draft longhand, or those in other note-intensive jobs. These are also perfect for those who want a more visually low-key option, since the simple kraft cover is unobtrusive and blends in alongside all of the generic office-supply-closet notebooks.

• Those who need to be able to scan or file individual pages and need a “looseleaf” option. Perforations are a too-often overlooked feature, in my opinion, especially for professionals who want or need to take notes on paper but have confidentiality obligations that require them to periodically shred paper. It’s nice to be able to do that without having to destroy the entire notebook.

• Students. If I had known about these notebooks in college they would have been the only thing I’d have used. I’d have used different rulings for different purposes, and then have the notebooks match.

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

If you’re looking for a low-cost, functional spiral notebook that features perforated pages and works well with most inks, I consider the Maruman Spiral Note Basic Notebook to be an excellent option, especially given that it currently costs $5.50 to $8, depending on size and page count. If I had to draw an immediate comparison, it would be to the now-discontinued Write Notepads spiral notebook. While the Write Notepads notebook definitely felt like a higher-end product, with a thicker cover and a more substantial spiral, it also cost $20. You simply couldn’t churn through these notebooks at the pace that I did, and I ended up having to find lower-cost everyday options, especially when I started doing different kinds of work that required me to regularly shred notebooks.

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Come check out our full range of Maruman in person!

These notebooks fit a market niche that I felt was lacking in our shop, so as of now we carry them in the B5 and A5 sizes, in both 80 and 40 sheet options. I believe some A4 formats are also available, which we may consider adding in the future. As I mentioned above, prices start at $5.50 and run up to $8, depending on format and page count. For those looking for something more upscale (with a sturdier plastic cover), we also stock many other Maruman products, including the excellent Maruman Mnemosyne notebooks and the Maruman x Kleid collaboration with the 2mm grid ruling.

Everything shown here is also available in our brick and mortar shop, which will be open regular hours this week (Thursday-Friday 1-6pm, and Saturday 10am-6pm). Come take a tour of our new look shop, which we’ve recently been updating. You can also read more about different fountain pen friendly papers in this archived post, and don’t miss the comments section!

Plotter Walkthrough: How I Use My Plotter Binders (Video)

This one’s been a long-time coming. Readers have been asking me for more notetaking and organizational “technique” content, which I’ve discovered is pretty hard to do here on the blog. It’s much easier to show people how I use various notebook systems, and in-store customers have remarked that my store demonstrations and explanations would make compelling video content. I’ve previously done similar videos on Roterfaden and certain of the Lochby cases. Today I walk through three of my Plotter binders, including the Mini 5 (Pocket-size), Bible Size, and Standard A5. I’ve also written some about what Plotter is and how I use it, but in this video I actually flip through all of the notebooks and talk about the accessories and how they each fit into my workflow. I’ve also added Chapters so that you can jump to the specific notebook you want to hear about, but please do listen to the intro because it does provide a general overview of Plotter and the overall role it plays for me.

Note: We are not Plotter retailers, and have no affiliation with the brand other than that we enjoy using their products. I will note that many of the items we sell (including looseleaf papers and paper pads from Midori, Clairefontaine, Yamamoto Paper, Nakabayashi, and Iroful) can be trimmed and/or hole-punched to use in Plotter and other notebook systems, which is actually how I personally use much of the paper I consume.

We are supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Our brick and mortar shop will be open Thursday and Saturday this week, and this Friday by appointment. Typically we have regular Friday hours, but I need to finish upgrading some displays and plan to take the afternoon to do that work. Come see us on Saturday and check out the new look!

Searching for the Perfect Personal Notebook: How Does the Lochby Field Journal Mini Compare?

I’ve been thinking about notebooks even more than I normally do (and that’s a lot). Why? I’m in the middle of reading “The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper” by Roland Allen. This book has received a lot of attention in our circles, and for good reason. Though I’m still in the middle of the read, so far it’s a fairly comprehensive account of the role notebooks have played in human intellectual life over the centuries, and not just the work of artists, writers, and scientists, but merchants, businesspeople, and everyday readers and thinkers looking for a place to keep track of their thoughts. As someone who’s incapable of separating thinking from writing by hand, I bought this book immediately, and its given me many, many ideas for how I can better use my notebooks in my everyday life in a more systematic fashion so that I don’t lose track of ideas and merely preserve my own thoughts for posterity. You can expect to see more written on this book in the future, and some of the concepts already have popped up in recent posts on notetaking and related tools I’m experimenting with.

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I use a lot of notebooks. My Plotter A5 serves as my main “working notebook.” I also keep an informal journal, which is a standard notebook that I write in regularly, as well as a Midori 5-year Diary that serves as a daily log. (You can read more about this setup here.) What I would love to find, however, is a functional smaller notebook that’s portable enough to take with me everywhere, yet still large enough to use for meaningful writing. The 3.5” x 5.5” pocket notebook, made popular by Field Notes, is the gold standard for many. My issue with Field Notes? They fall apart with heavy pocket carry unless you add a secondary market cover, and sometimes I wish I could easily carry multiples because they make great single-subject notebooks to rotate through depending on which project has your attention.

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I find that the Field Journal Mini feels the best with two or three notebooks loaded into it. Four will fit, but it’s somewhat bulky and makes it difficult for the notebooks to lie flat when writing.

So is Lochby’s latest release, the “Field Journal Mini”, a possible solution? I took one of the covers with me on this past weekend’s trip to the NYC trade shows, and came away impressed with both the size and functionality. For those unfamiliar with the Field Journal layout, it’s a waxed canvas cover that includes four sets of cords, allowing you to carry up to four slim notebooks bound together “Traveler’s-style.” The larger A5 Lochby Field Journal has been around for years, and has proven to be one of the most enduringly popular item in our shop and at pen shows. Presumably in response to customer requests, Lochby recently released the “Field Journal Mini” designed to fit pocket notebooks.

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The front cover features one single pocket and two card slots.

I personally like the Field Journal Mini A LOT - maybe even more than the A5 version. I currently have mine set up with two notebooks and index cards tucked into the back inside pocket. The front cover has smaller slots for cards, receipts, post-its, and more. While not traditionally “pocketable,” the Field Journal Mini slips easily into the outside pocket of a bag, and will probably fit a larger coat pocket. A full-size pen fits into the elastic pen holder, and won’t extend past the cover, which is an issue that makes smaller notebooks somewhat awkward to carry with a pen attached. All of this made the Field Journal Mini an excellent trade show notebook.

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Lochby has also modified the aluminum closure - it’s lighter and not as bulky. Often with Lochby products there is a short “breaking in” period where the canvas loop needs to stretch and soften a bit for the hook-and-loop system to work easily, but I didn’t experience that at all with the Field Journal Mini.

I found it somewhat fortuitous that the Field Journal Mini was released just as I rediscovered index cards. While I don’t see myself carrying more than a couple of pocket notebooks at any given time, I’m happy to fill the rest of the binder up with index cards. 3x5 cards slip easily into the back and front covers. When I’m done with the cards I can then transfer them into a card filing system or discard them if they don’t have notes I want to retain long-term.

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Lochby prices their products competitively, and this one is no exception. The Field Journal Mini is priced at $49, and comes in Lochby’s three standard color combinations of Brown/Honey, Navy/Tan, and Black/Tan. Each Field Journal ships with a Lochby 68gsm Tomoe River refill (pocket-notebook sized), and additional refills are available for purchase separately. I wanted to test these out for myself before I ordered a lot of them for the shop, but I’m impressed and will likely place a larger order in the coming weeks. As of now we still have a handful available.

Thank you for reading! The Gentleman Stationer is supported by the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you’d like to visit our in-person location, you can view directions and up-to-date hours here.