Apica CD Notebook Review

I love notebooks. I’m one of those crazy people that always has a few empty ones on the shelf just in case. I purchased the Apica CD Spiral Notebook when I visited Paperquirks a few months ago. They don’t have it available on their website yet, but you can find it online at Vanness Pens.

The B5 notebook measures 9.9" x 7" and holds 50 lined sheets of paper. The top and bottom lines have dots to help you make graphs or diagrams. The notebook cost $6. The cover is very sturdy. B5 size notebooks can be hard to find in the United States, but it’s my favorite size for my school notes.

The Spine

The spiral binding seems strong, I haven’t had any bending issues.

The paper behaves pretty similar to Rhodia, and shows shimmer without issues. The ink dries pretty quickly.

The paper handles fountain pens pretty well, no feathering or bleeding, and even shows just a little bit of shading.

The only issue with fountain pens on this paper is that it’s a bit sensitive to hand oils. On the right hand side of the picture above you can see where the ink didn’t take because the paper had already soaked up oil. My hands aren’t unusually oily, but the paper seemed rather oil sensitive. The paper works best if you keep an extra sheet under your hand as you write.

The paper did handle highlighters and gel pens well. The paper is very slick, so it’s not the best for pencils, but it does ok.

Overall, this paper performs pretty well for fountain pens, and great for gel pens. If you like Rhodia, give this one a shot. It’s pretty affordable, a great size, and performs well.

Disclaimer: I purchased this product myself, and all photos and opinions are my own. There are no affiliate links on this page.