This is the return of the 6th Edition Seven Seas Writer with the ORIGINAL TOMOEGAWA 52gsm cream Tomoe River paper!

Sorry they cost so much, but we have only a small batch, and with small batches the costs of materials, printing, sewing, gluing, binding, storage, transportation etc. cannot be spread out like it can over a huge order (typically 1000s of notebooks for us)

There is a limit of 2 notebooks per customer. This is very likely the LAST ORIGINAL TOMOEGAWA-MADE TRP in existence (unless we get lucky, which is highly unlikely).

This is NOT the "new" TRP, Tomoe River "S" or Sanzen TRP - it is the ORIGINAL TRP that was made since the 1980s up until a few years ago, when the formula and name were sold to Sanzen Paper.

Please note that each journal will have a small (20x20mm) hologram seal affixed to the inside back cover. This seal is super thin and placed between the back cover and the end sheet, so it will not interfere with the writing experience. It is non-removable.

ABSOLUTELY NO RETURNS ON THIS ITEM.

Is this "OG" TRP better than the current offering by Sanzen-san? I'd say it's different. From my experience, it's a bit smoother, i.e. has less "tooth", but that's not a good or bad thing. Some people prefer more tooth, others less. I do think the newer versions of TRP have been less reliable (i.e. prone to bleed-through) than the OG, which is not an issue if you're not using fountain pens. I also got a lot of complaints about using Noodler's inks on any version of TRP. 

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Thanks to its cult-like following, Tomoe River paper needs no introduction, so onward to the Seven Seas Writer!

We like to think of the Seven Seas Writer not as a great fountain pen notebook, but rather as a great notebook that just happens to be fountain-pen-friendly. Therefore, regardless of your chosen writing instrument, you will enjoy this notebook's substantial page count (480), pleasant heft, subtle printed lines, lay-flat capability and unassuming character.

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 automated 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 impregnated cloth, stiffened through the use of a core board sandwiched between between it and the end sheets. You can use the book as-is, or put it inside a leather, cloth, paper, vinyl, fabric, etc. outer cover.

For more information, please read the Seven Seas Writer and Standard Notes and also the Seven Seas Tomoe River Journal Facts.

Tips:

• The notebook will lay flatter if you bend it back on itself. Don't be afraid to do this - the binding is very strong. there is no way the pages can fall out by themselves.
• 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, 2B and softer leads work well.
• Pencil marks erase very cleanly from this paper. Use a high-quality plastic eraser.
• If you find the book a bit thick for your writing style, please read this.

Recommended accessories:

• Cheap Notebook Cover and Insert
• MF Faux Leather A5 Notebook Cover with bookmark
• Seven Seas + Gfeller Kip leather cover
• Herz of Japan Italian leather covers
• Super Clips and Mini Clips
• Hard or soft writing mats - Order size A5; larger works well too
• Blotter paper - Order size A5 (please note that the notebook already comes with one sheet)

Specifications:

• Size A5, 210x148mm, 8.3x5.8 inches
• Cream-color Tomoe River "Notebook" paper,  52gsm
• 480 pages (240 leaves) with rounded corners and 7mm lines
• 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)

Except for a torn page, none of these issues 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 table.

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