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Seven Seas "MicroDot" A5 Grid Journal

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  • Placing the included blotter sheet under the page makes the blurriness of the ghosting disappear.
  • Fun with brush pens!
  • The water-based ink crinkles the thin paper. We love that!
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  • Some people don't like the ghosting from the page underneath, but we love it. It adds a bit of whimsy.
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Price:
$27.00
Rating:
( 61 product reviews )
Shipping:
Calculated at checkout
Max Purchase:
5 unit(s)
Quantity:

Microdot v2.0

 

After many years, the Microdot is finally back! This time with the Sanzen Tomoe River paper.

We've also improved the dot. Last time, it was .8mm, and this time we made it substantially smaller - 0.6mm. And the bullseye-style dot repels less ink than a solid dot.

Printing is also improved -  our double-sided printing is more precise, superimposing the back dot with the front dot, for a more precise look.

 

Note: There was a printing error that cause the case text to be off center. As a result, we have lowered the price by a dollar. This error is just on the case, it does not affect the notebook itself.

 

Features:

  • Flexible, semi-stiff coated fabric cover.
  • Smythe-sewn (thread-bound), lay-flat binding
  • White Tomoe River paper - lots and lots of it
  • No cover printing or branding except for the back end sheet
  • Comes with a kraft slip case

 

The pages are "thread-bound", which is a very old and still the best production method of bookbinding. Thread-bound pages are sewn (with a special sewing machine) into signatures, which are gathered to form a text-block, which is then cased into a cover. This method allows the journal to lay flat with no stress to the spine, and for that reason it is the absolute best method for binding a book (including a library book) that sees the daily rigors of opening, closing and pressing down with the hands. It can even be folded back on itself. If you were to go on an around-the-world trip over the course of many months and needed to document your experiences in great detail, this journal would certainly be up to the task.


The paper size is A5 (148x210mm or 8.3x5.8 inches), and 15mm thick. The cover is made of a coated fabric, similar to buckram, but a bit less coarse and heavy duty. The cover has also been made stiffer through the use of a core board sandwiched between the fabric and the end sheets. You can use the book as-is, or put it inside a leather, cloth, paper, vinyl, fabric, etc. outer cover.

 

Tips:

 

  • The notebook will lay flatter if you bend it back on itself a bit. Go ahead and bend it backwards! It won't break.
  • If you use a fine-to-medium fountain pen, the ink will generally dry fast enough. If it doesn't, close the book on the included pink blotter sheet.
  • If you use a pencil, softer leads such as 2B and 3B work well.
  • Pencil marks erase very cleanly from this paper, and using a high quality eraser is pure pleasure. Don't be surprised if you find yourself making mistakes on purpose.
  • If you find the book a bit thick for your writing style, please read this.

 

Recommended accessories:

 

 

Specifications:
 

  • Size A5, 210x148mm, 15mm thick, (8.3x5.8x0.7 inches)
  • White-color (which is really an off-white) Tomoe River "Notebook" paper
  • 5mm dot grid
  • 480 pages (240 leaves), no lines, rounded corners
  • Lay-flat thread binding
  • Flexible, tough, thin water-resistant coated-fabric cover
  • Ivory-colored end sheets
  • Comes with one A5 blotter paper
  • Made in Japan

 

ABOUT MANUFACTURING VARIATION: We've found that Tomoe River paper, and thin paper in general, is unlike working with "regular" weight papers such as 20 lb bond, laid, wove, etc. papers (we have actually be unable to find any binders in the US that are willing to work with TR paper). Tomoe River paper is very sensitive to humidity, and when bound in a thick book by machine as ours are, some unexpected variations can occur. So far, we've experienced the following (also please see the pictures):

  1. Rippled pages
  2. A subtle "waviness" on the edge of the book block
  3. Dog-eared pages (rare)

None of these issues will affect the writing surface or quality of the writing experience, and it's not practical for us to go through each book page-by-page (these issues can be quite random). However, if for any reason you are not satisfied with the book you receive, please let us know (dave@nanamipaper.com) and we'll do our best to rectify the situation. Thank you for your understanding!

For more information and design goals, please read the Seven Seas Journal Fact Page.

If you'd like to compare this journal to the cost of other journals, please see our notebook value comparison.

Did you know that Hemingway wrote with a pencil? We like to think that, had he known about the Seven Seas Standard, he would have used a fountain pen. Here's the full story.

 

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Product Reviews

Previous | Showing reviews 11-20 of 61 | Next

  1. Once you write in it, it's fine! 4 Star Review

    Posted by on 10th Mar 2021

    I've wanted to try a TR notebook for a while, read about some, searched some and ended up here. Many of the notebooks were out of stock and I had the notebook itch that I needed to scratch. My then current book only had 20 pages left; I couldn't wait anymore! Then I saw the dots and wondered, would it really bother me? No. It's not harsh, though yes, it could be lighter/smaller. But honestly, you're going to write in the book and those dots disappear. But your handwriting will still be straight!

  2. In Love! 5 Star Review

    Posted by on 5th Feb 2021

    I love this journal! I was hesitant because of some of the reviews about the shadowing of the micro dot, but I took a chance and I'm glad I did. The paper is amazing, but that's a given. I place the blotter sheet or blank piece of paper under and I'm good to go. It's simply beautiful and truth be told, I LIKE that it's different from other dot grid journals. I think it gives it character. Needless to say... I'm in love.

  3. Highly Recommend! 5 Star Review

    Posted by on 9th Dec 2020

    I have been using some version of Nanami’s A5 journals for three years now and am about to start my fourth. The Crossfield is so far my favorite, but the Microdot is great as well. There are 480 pages which lasts me a year, and the Tomoe River Paper is wonderful. This will be my second year in the Microdot. I wouldn’t mind if the microdots were a bit lighter or fainter and the pages came numbered, but I’m otherwise very happy with this notebook that I use as an “everything journal”. The paper takes fountain pen ink, charcoal, glue for collages, and watercolors very well. I have even used acrylic paints on occasion without problems. The binding is strong and I love how the book opens up flat. Their customer service is wonderful and I received my new order in about 3 days- very fast, prompt delivery. I’m excited to start my fourth year with this company. I highly recommend Nanami’s notebooks.

  4. Amazing! 5 Star Review

    Posted by on 5th Dec 2020

    I’ve always wanted to order from Nanami Paper and never had the opportunity to. Being a TR addict, I knew I had to have this Microdot notebook. I couldn’t be happier with it! Very fast shipping and BEAUTIFUL quality. Came in it’s own box too. Highly recommend and I’ll be ordering from you again. Thank you!

  5. Incredible Value 5 Star Review

    Posted by on 27th Sep 2020

    I would be surprised to find a TRP notebook at a better value than this. 240 sheets of TRO at around $25 is unheard of. Not to mention the thin but very tough covers and excellent binding. Nanimi paper has outdone themselves! Next I am hoping to get an opportunity to try the 68gsm TRP!

  6. It might be 5 stars but I haven't used it yet 4 Star Review

    Posted by on 16th Sep 2020

    This is my second notebook I have bought from Nanami. Their quality is outstanding! I chose this because no other pattern was in stock (dying for the grid notebook) and I actually like that it's more bold than the crossfield. Sometimes I need a guide for what I'm writing and want the dots to be more pronounced. So far it looks great, it will be my Bujo for 2021.

  7. Very nice. 5 Star Review

    Posted by on 6th Sep 2020

    Bought it as a present for my notebook-addicted partner. Lovely paper, lovely binding. The microdot grids are not obtrusive, and are elegantly printed. As many have noted, the pages are quite thin, but they are amazing in terms of quality and consistency. Absolutely worth the money spent.

  8. My favorite notebook for journaling 5 Star Review

    Posted by on 3rd Sep 2020

    I love my Nanami Seven Seas dot grid notebook! I’ve used every notebook out there, and this is my favorite. I use watercolors, fountain pens and paper ephemera in my notebook, and the Tomoe River paper in this journal responds beautifully to them all. What I love most about the Seven Seas notebook is how well made it is. I’m not easy on my journals. They get stuffed with photos and washi tape and paper. I fold the binding back on itself and toss it around in my bag, and it just holds up to all my abuse. The stitching is very solid. I trust that my notebook will hold up for a very long time.

  9. Best fountain pen journaling paper, period! 5 Star Review

    Posted by on 5th Aug 2020

    Since finding tomoe river paper during my fountain pen adventures, I have not looked back. The most amazing paper to hold and show impressive inks, keeping them from bleeding through and still allowing a wet flow of ink to enhance the shading. Thank you Nanami for being dependable and fabulous!
    480 pages lasts me just over 3 months of jounaling. Satisfying.

  10. Overwhelming Dot 3 Star Review

    Posted by on 2nd Aug 2020

    It eludes me as to why this dot grid pattern was design in such a way. As much as I love Tomoe River paper my sentiments over this dot grid design is not the same. Though I have seen the images posted I wanted to see this for myself in person and took a gamble and ordered the journal. The "dot in dot" design is overwhelming and distracting to say the least. One light grey dot would have sufficed in my opinion. I understand that sometime you want to stand out from the crowd and make a product more appealing and somewhat different but in this case it wasn't the case for me. I find the craftsmanship and quality of this journal above par. Sadly this journal will be delegated over to my grandchildren to doodle and draw on.

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