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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)

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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 21-30 of 61 | Next

  1. Best Dot Journal I’ve Found 5 Star Review

    Posted by on 15th Jul 2020

    The Nanami Seven Seas Micro Dot is the best dot grid journal I’ve found. I’ve tried all sorts: Moleskine, Leuchtturm, Rhodia, Mindori. The Seven Seas beats the lot. Right off the bat, its use of Tomoe River sets it apart. This is the best paper for fountain pen users. It brings out the characteristics of ink in a way that even Rhodia and Clairefontaine do not. And the thinness of the paper means you can get more than 400 pages in the same dimensions (length, width, and thickness) as other standard A5 notebooks such as the Leichtturm 1917 which only gives you 250 or so. With the Seven Seas I have enough pages that I don’t need a separate bullet journal and journal journal. There is no bleeding or feathering on the paper, unlike what I’ve experienced with Moleskine and the 1917. And the Seven Seas’s binding and cover construction allow it to lay flat with minimal effort for comfortable writing. If you don’t need the pocket or the enclosure strap of other “bullet journals”, and want the best possible paper and construction for pure writing, I don’t see how the Seven Seas can be beat. Even if those things appeal to you, I’d still suggest the Seven Seas because the writing experience is just so much better. Cheers!

  2. The absolute best Tomoe River notebook 5 Star Review

    Posted by on 21st Jun 2020

    I'll start by talking about the ruling, as that is what sets each type of Seven Seas journal apart. The microdot is an innovative ruling that solves the issue of inks pooling away from dots in a dot grid. When a dot grid is printed, the ink that makes up the dots acts as a hydrophobic spot on the paper. This lessens that effect and makes letters and words more uniform as they meet the ruling. You should definitely give it a shot.

    On the notebook itself - it's the best money can buy. Don't be fooled by and of the other 52 gsm Tomoe River notebooks, as I have tried them all. The stitched binding is the real deal. You can crease it and fold it to your heart's content along the spine, and the notebook lies flat from the very first page. The notebook is incredibly durable as a result, and with a cheap cover, it won't sustain any wear whatsoever while you fill it up. Show through/ ghosting is overstated by the people who take issue with it. Bleedthrough is nonexistent. Simply the best.

  3. Exactly what I was looking for 5 Star Review

    Posted by on 15th Jun 2020

    This note book checks all the boxes: TR paper, durable cover, and no frills. It’s functional and refined at the same time. The dot pattern is really cool, and I disagree with the assessment that they are too pronounced. It’s personal preference surely, but to me they’re just right. This is my new loyal notebook!

  4. excellent journal 5 Star Review

    Posted by on 13th Jun 2020

    I highly recommend this journal to anyone but especially to fountain pen lovers. Writing in this journal is pure pleasure. It lays flat so its very comfortable to write on each side.

  5. Amazing notebook 5 Star Review

    Posted by on 24th May 2020

    I am very happy with this purchase. Fast shipping , great packaging. I will definitely be purchasing another notebook in the future

  6. I can actually SEE the format! 5 Star Review

    Posted by on 19th May 2020

    I have tried the Crossfield, Writer, and now the Microdot. I am so happy that I can see the dots very well, yet they are not obtrusive at all! The quality is superb, though I do suggest a nice cover for your Seven Seas. My main journal pen is a Pelikan Broad and there is no other notebook I prefer... the sheening is wonderful, and there is absolutely no bleed through. What a terrific notebook! You can't go wrong!

  7. Best paper for Fountain Pens; period 5 Star Review

    Posted by on 27th Apr 2020

    I have sampled several different kinds of paper over the years, nothing has compared to the way Tomoe river paper holds up to fountain pen ink. Nanami makes a beautiful full package with tomoe river paper, dot grid, lots of pages. Can't be beat! Thank you Nanami!

  8. Absolutely Incredible Notebook 5 Star Review

    Posted by on 10th Apr 2020

    I love notebooks that use Tomoe River Paper and this is one of the best I've ever purchased. The binding is well done and strong and it lays flat quite nicely, which makes it perfect for how it use it (work bullet journal). It's a pleasure to write in and it makes taking notes during meetings an actual treat! I will definitely order this notebook again!

  9. The more I write, the more I love it. 5 Star Review

    Posted by on 18th Feb 2020

    I have been using a Seven Seas microdot as my daily journal. I use mostly M nibs and love wet flowing inks, so the drying time requires a purposeful effort not to smudge when turning pages or passing a hand over a finished page for any reason. But this is a small habit to have to form for the pleasure of this writing experience. I love the microdots, I don't find them intrusive at all. In fact, I appreciate the gentle guide keeping my lines reasonably straight. I can't recommend the Seven Seas MicroDot highly enough.

  10. Good for Fountain Pens 5 Star Review

    Posted by on 12th Feb 2020

    I recently purchased this journal because I had gotten some J Herbin Emerald of Chivor ink and the sheen wasn't showing up in my current journal, which was a leuchturm 1917. I purchased this journal after seeing that tomoe river paper is good for fountain pen ink. Now that I have this journal, the ink has that nice red sheen and isn't just plain blue. There's no bleedthrough even though the paper is thin. The journal is nicely constructed and arrived fast.

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