Paper
LEUCHTTURM1917 notebooks
The best-organized notebook on the shelf, and the one whose paper generates the most argument. Both things are true.
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LEUCHTTURM1917 more or less invented the modern structured notebook: 251 numbered pages, a blank table of contents at the front, two ribbon markers, a pocket in the back cover and a set of stickers for labeling the spine. Nothing else at the price is as thought-through.
The paper is a separate question, and it is the one people argue about.
Quick picks
Ranked for the beginner buying their first setup. Every pick names who it is wrong for.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No image LEUCHTTURM1917 A5, dotted Numbered pages, a printed index and a pocket, in the notebook that made bullet journaling a thing — but the paper is the thinnest here. | Structure, if your ink is well behaved | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now. How this is funded |
| 2 | No image Dingbats Wildlife A5, dotted 100 gsm cream paper in a hardcover journal, which is the specification Leuchtturm buyers keep asking for. | Structure plus heavier paper | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now. How this is funded |
1. Structure, if your ink is well behaved
LEUCHTTURM1917 A5, dotted
Numbered pages, a printed index and a pocket, in the notebook that made bullet journaling a thing — but the paper is the thinnest here.
#ad No live price right now. How this is funded
The structure is genuinely excellent: numbered pages, an index you fill in yourself, two ribbons and a pocket. Nothing else at this price is as well organized out of the box.
The paper is the argument against. Read the buyer feedback on the maker's own listing and it splits down the middle on bleed-through — which is exactly what happens when paper is adequate for a dry nib and marginal for a wet one.
If you write with a fine nib and a dry ink, this is a fine book. If you have just bought a broad nib and a wet blue, it is the wrong one.
| Extent | 251 numbered pages, A5, dottedSource: LEUCHTTURM1917 A5, dotted (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
|---|---|
| Maker's claim | Acid-free and ink-proof paperThe maker's own wording. Buyer feedback on the same listing is openly split on bleed-through, which is why we do not repeat the claim as a finding.Source: LEUCHTTURM1917 A5, dotted (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
| Paper weight | Not publishedThe US listing for this edition does not state a gsm figure. We do not fill it in from a comparison chart. |
| Extras | Blank table of contents, expandable pocket inside the back coverSource: LEUCHTTURM1917 A5, dotted (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
What it does well
- Numbered pages and printed index
- Hardcover with a pocket and two ribbons
- The most widely stocked structured notebook
What it does not
- No published paper weight on the US listing
- Bleed-through reports are genuinely split
- Costs as much as notebooks with better paper
Skip this if you write with a broad nib or a wet ink — pair the structure you want with paper that can take it.
2. Structure plus heavier paper
Dingbats Wildlife A5, dotted
100 gsm cream paper in a hardcover journal, which is the specification Leuchtturm buyers keep asking for.
#ad No live price right now. How this is funded
100 gsm is the number that removes the argument. At that weight a wet medium nib is comfortable and a broad is workable, which is not true of the 70-80 gsm books this competes against.
The format copies the structured-journal template closely — hardcover, elastic, pocket, ribbon — so you are not trading features for the paper.
Cream paper warms every ink slightly. If you have chosen a color carefully, it will not look the same here as on white.
| Paper weight | 100 gsm, acid-free, creamSource: Dingbats Wildlife A5 (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
|---|---|
| Maker's claim | Made for fountain pens, gel ink and markers; outperforms standard 70-80 gsm paperThe maker's own wording on its listing.Source: Dingbats Wildlife A5 (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
| Format | A5, dot grid, vegan leather hardcoverSource: Dingbats Wildlife A5 (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
| Extras | Inside pocket, elastic closure, bookmarkSource: Dingbats Wildlife A5 (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
What it does well
- Published 100 gsm, comfortably above the fountain pen threshold
- All the structured-journal features
- Coated cover survives a bag
What it does not
- Cream paper shifts ink colors
- Heavier and thicker than a comparable 80 gsm book
- Less widely stocked than the market leader
Skip this if you want ink colors to read true — buy a white-paper notebook instead.
What the listing publishes, and what it does not
The maker's own US listing for the A5 dotted hardcover states 251 numbered pages, an acid-free and ink-proof paper, a blank table of contents and an expandable back pocket. It does not state a weight in grams per square meter.
We are not going to supply one. Comparison charts on other listings and figures quoted in reviews are not the maker's specification, and this site does not transfer numbers between sources — see how we choose.
The bleed-through argument
Read the buyer feedback on the maker's own listing and it divides almost evenly: some report no bleed-through at all, others report ink bleeding through the pages. Both groups are describing the same notebook honestly.
That pattern is what a paper looks like when it is adequate for a dry fine nib and marginal for a wet broad one. The variable is not the notebook, it is what people are writing with — which is exactly why we have separate pages on nib width and ink wetness.
Who should buy one
Anyone who wants structure and writes with a fine nib and a dry-to-moderate ink. In that combination the notebook is excellent and the argument does not apply to you.
If you write with a broad nib or a wet shading ink, buy the structure elsewhere. Dingbats Wildlife publishes 100 gsm and offers the same feature set, and Rhodia's Goalbook publishes 90 gsm.
What it is genuinely best at
- Finding things again. Numbered pages plus an index is a real system, and no amount of paper quality substitutes for it.
- Surviving a year. The binding and cover are built for daily carry.
- Availability. It is stocked everywhere, so replacing volume seven of a series is never a problem.
Questions people actually ask
Is LEUCHTTURM1917 paper good for fountain pens?
It depends on your pen. Buyer feedback on the maker's own listing splits roughly evenly on bleed-through, which is the pattern you see when paper is fine for a dry fine nib and marginal for a wet broad one.
What GSM is a LEUCHTTURM1917 notebook?
The US listing for the A5 dotted hardcover does not state a weight. We record it as not published rather than transfer a figure from a review or a comparison chart.
What is a good alternative to LEUCHTTURM1917 for fountain pens?
Dingbats Wildlife publishes 100 gsm with the same structured-journal features, and Rhodia's Goalbook publishes 90 gsm with numbered pages and an index.
Does LEUCHTTURM1917 have numbered pages?
Yes — 251 numbered pages in the medium A5 hardcover, with a blank table of contents at the front and an expandable pocket in the back cover.