I think the first notebook that I absolutely had to have was the oversized “Master A4” by Leuchtturm1917, which I learned about back in 2012 or 2013. Even though I write relatively small, and use an A5-sized notebook or smaller for around 60+% of my writing, something about having that large canvas for your ideas appealed to me, and ever since I’ve always had at least one larger-format notebook in rotation.
I finally found a portfolio that allows me to carry and A4 notebook and A4 writing pad back-to-back. For the curious, the Plotter A4 pads are punched along the top because you can fold them in half or tri-fold them to insert them into a A5 binder.
To put things in perspective, A4 paper is longer than standard U.S. “letter” size, and exactly double the size of an A5 sheet. (You can either cut an A4 page in half or fold it in two to get to A5.) While common worldwide - especially in Europe - A4 notebooks are still considered non-standard here in the U.S., making them somewhat difficult to locate outside of specialty stationery retailers. Over the past few months, I’ve had the privilege of accumulating some of my favorites for the shop, several of which I have in my personal rotation. They include:
Midori MD A4 Notebook. Though currently only available in a blank format, the large format Midori is an excellent notebook for fountain pens. Not only does the paper handle ink well, without bleeding and feathering, but it showcases the color of the ink nicely.
Midori MD Cotton F3 Notebook. While “F3” notebooks are sized for sketching, with slightly different proportions, they are close to A4. I’ve found that the Midori MD Cotton F3 Notebooks will fit many A4 covers, including the Midori MD Paper Cover which is what I’m using in the picture at the top. I love the soft feel of cotton paper, and I currently have one of these larger MD Cotton Notebooks set up as my “currently inked” journal.
Midori MD Light A4 Notebooks. Sold in packs of three, these Midori MD A4 notebooks are available in lined or grid rulings, as well as blank. You can fit two of these refills into any of the A4 Midori Notebook covers, and they also clip well into Roterfaden binders.
Nakabayashi Logical Air Notebooks. The thinner Nakabayashi paper handles ink very well, and comes available in both larger B5 and A4 formats. Because I love the multi-lined ruling (something akin to Seyes or French-ruled), I will likely be rotating one of these into my A4 Roterfaden in the near future.
Maruman Mnemosyne Spiral Notebooks. Fountain pen enthusiasts love Maruman’s Mnemosyne notebooks because they’re both quality and cost-effective. These durable spiral notebooks feature a heavy-duty cover and excellent paper, and the pages are micro-perforated for easy removal and filing/scanning. Honestly, to me the perforations are Mnemosyne’s biggest selling point, especially for professionals.
Clairefontaine Staplebound French-Ruled Notebooks. Long a paper of choice, Clairefontaine Staplebound refills are slim enough to fit multi-notebook covers and portfolios. The Seyes/French-ruled paper remains my favorite paper of all time. (Wire/Spiral-bound versions are also available.)
A Note on Carrying A4 Notebooks and Notepads
I’ve long been frustrated with the fact that many bags and portfolios for the U.S. market are built around 8.5” x 11” letter-sized paper. There’s nothing more frustrating than having the edges of your notebook torn up by the zipper on a too-small briefcase or messenger bag, or finding that your A4 notebook with good paper won’t fit your expensive leather portfolio because it was made with a shorter notebook in mind. One hack I’ve discovered is using laptop sleeves as portfolios, since they tend to be both long and wide enough to accomodate A4. The classic tote bag is also a great option. And since I seldom carry a laptop with me everywhere, I often stick my A4 notebooks and pads into the laptop compartment of my briefcase or backpack, which also gives them extra protection.
A4 Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter show in the laptop compartment of the Peak Design Everyday backpack.
Sensing a need in the market, we’ve started bringing A4-sized covers and portfolios into our own shop. We currently have the full line of Midori covers in materials ranging from simple PVC plastic to heavy-duty Japanese craft paper to undyed natural goat leather. We also offer A4 Roterfaden Taschenbegleiters, both in the classic three-clip format, as well as the newer two-clip A4 portfolio with multiple zippered pockets, one of which is designed to hold a tablet or laptop up to 13”.
One of the main reasons I decided to start the shop is to focus on products that I believe are underemphasized, and quality A4 notebooks (and their related accessories) are key tools that I personally use every day. Look for more A4 options in the months to come!
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