Paper
Rhodia vs LEUCHTTURM1917
The two structured notebooks people cross-shop most, and the comparison turns on one thing: only one of them tells you what its paper weighs.
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These two are the default cross-shop for anyone who wants numbered pages, an index and a dot grid. They are close on price, close on features, and genuinely different on the one specification that decides whether a fountain pen is happy in them.
| Rhodia Goalbook A5 | LEUCHTTURM1917 A5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Published paper weight | 90 gsm | Not stated on the US listing |
| Maker's bleed claim | Fountain pen friendly, no bleedthrough, minimal ghosting | Acid-free and ink-proof paper |
| Numbered pages | Yes | Yes — 251 |
| Printed index | Yes | Yes, a blank table of contents |
| Ruling | Dotted | Dotted, lined, squared or plain |
| Yes | Yes, expandable | |
| Group | Clairefontaine group | LEUCHTTURM1917 |
The difference that matters
Rhodia publishes 90 gsm for the Goalbook. LEUCHTTURM1917's US listing for the A5 dotted publishes no weight at all.
That is not a small distinction on a site that ranks on published data. 90 gsm is comfortably above what a wet nib needs, so the Goalbook is a known quantity: buy it with a Medium and a saturated ink and it will cope. With the Leuchtturm you are buying on reputation, and the reputation is genuinely split — buyer feedback on the maker's own listing divides roughly evenly on bleed-through, which is exactly the pattern you see when paper is fine for a dry fine nib and marginal for a wet broad one.
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 Rhodia Goalbook A5, dotted 90 gsm paper, numbered pages and an index, built specifically for the bullet-journal method. | Bullet journaling with a fountain pen | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now. How this is funded |
| 2 | 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 |
1. Bullet journaling with a fountain pen
Rhodia Goalbook A5, dotted
90 gsm paper, numbered pages and an index, built specifically for the bullet-journal method.
#ad No live price right now. How this is funded
The Goalbook is the one Rhodia book that publishes its paper weight, which is why it anchors our GSM guide. 90 gsm coated is comfortably enough for a wet fountain pen.
Numbered pages and a blank index are the structural half of the bullet-journal method, and having them printed saves an hour of setup.
It is a large, heavy book. That is fine on a desk and less fine in a jacket pocket.
| Paper weight | 90 gsmSource: Rhodia Goalbook A5 (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
|---|---|
| Maker's claim | Fountain pen friendly, with no bleed-through and minimal ghostingThe maker's own wording on its listing. We have not tested it.Source: Rhodia Goalbook A5 (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
| Size and ruling | A5, dottedSource: Rhodia Goalbook A5 (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
| Designed for | Bullet-style journalingSource: Rhodia Goalbook A5 (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
What it does well
- Weight is published, and it is enough for a wet nib
- Numbered pages and index printed in
- Coated Clairefontaine-group paper
What it does not
- Heavy
- Slow drying
- Costs more than an unbranded dotted notebook
Skip this if you do not use a page-numbered system — you are paying for structure you will not use.
2. 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.
Where the Leuchtturm is genuinely better
Ruling choice
Dotted, lined, squared or plain, in the same book with the same structure. The Goalbook is dotted and that is the end of the list. If you want numbered pages and an index but you write pure prose and would rather have lines, the Leuchtturm is the only one of the two that offers it.
Page count and availability
251 numbered pages, and it is stocked essentially everywhere. For anyone keeping a numbered series over years, being able to buy volume seven without hunting is a real advantage.
Where the Rhodia is genuinely better
It tells you what you are buying
The published 90 gsm plus an explicit maker claim about bleedthrough is more information than nearly anything else in this category provides, and it removes the guesswork entirely.
The paper family
Rhodia sits in the Clairefontaine group, whose coated paper is the reference point most other paper gets measured against. The Rhodia profile and the Rhodia vs Clairefontaine comparison cover what that means in practice — including the one real drawback, which is that coated paper dries slowly.
The drying-time footnote
Coated paper keeps ink on the surface, which is what makes lines sharp and what makes them slow to dry. For a right-handed writer that is invisible. For a left-handed writer who smudges, it is the one argument that runs the other way — and in that specific case an uncoated 90 gsm book is the better purchase than either of these.
Verdict
| If you | Buy | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Write with a broad nib or a wet ink | Rhodia Goalbook | Published 90 gsm removes the risk entirely. |
| Write with a fine nib and a dry ink | Either | Both are fine; choose on ruling and price. |
| Want lined or squared, not dotted | LEUCHTTURM1917 | The Goalbook is dotted only. |
| Are keeping a numbered series for years | LEUCHTTURM1917 | Easier to replace, more pages per volume. |
| Want the most paper for the money | Neither | A Clairefontaine 1951 is the same 90 g/m2 for far less, without the structure. |
| Are left-handed and smudge | Neither | Both are coated and slow-drying — see inks for left-handers. |
Questions people actually ask
Is Rhodia or LEUCHTTURM1917 better for fountain pens?
Rhodia's Goalbook publishes 90 gsm; LEUCHTTURM1917's US listing publishes no weight, and buyer feedback on it splits on bleed-through. With a broad nib or a wet ink the Goalbook is the safer purchase; with a fine nib and a dry ink both work.
What GSM is the Rhodia Goalbook?
90 gsm, stated on the maker's own listing, along with a claim of no bleedthrough and minimal ghosting.
Does LEUCHTTURM1917 publish its paper weight?
Not on the US listing for the A5 dotted hardcover. It states acid-free, ink-proof paper and 251 numbered pages, but no figure in grams per square meter.
Which has more ruling options?
LEUCHTTURM1917, by a distance — dotted, lined, squared and plain in the same structured format. The Rhodia Goalbook is dotted only.
Is there a cheaper way to get this paper?
Yes, if you can do without the structure. A Clairefontaine 1951 is the same published 90 g/m2 in a stapled softcover at a fraction of the price — you give up the cover, the numbered pages and the index.