My Favourite Notebook | Leuchtturm1917 Review

It’s been a little while since I reviewed the lined Leuchtturm 1917 notebook so I thought I would do an updated version as the dot grid Leuchtturm has been my constant companion over the last 6 months and (I think) is now my official favourite notebook.

The Leuchtturm 1917 is a hardback notebook and around A5 size. As I’ve mentioned before Leuchtturm, Rhodia and Moleskine all sell an A5 size notebook but they all still manage to be slightly different too. Inside you have 250 numbered pages with dot grid paper. There is also an index at the front so you can mark important pages.

When I originally chose this notebook I was looking for something to use as a visual diary. As in I was looking for a notebook where I could sketch, paint and keep ideas which come from things I see in everyday life. This year in particular it was important I had a notebook like this because it’s something art schools want to see as part of a portfolio.

This meant I had specific things I was looking for in a notebook. If you haven’t already guessed the Leuchtturm fulfilled all these requirements making it my now favourite notebook.

As I had to take a large quantity of notes I needed lined paper or something similar. The dot grid paper is good choice as it’s not as obtrusive. This also made it neater when the time came to scan certain pages. The paper had to be quite thin, again making it easier to scan. Also I personally hate really chunky notebooks.

When I started using this notebook I was also using the Muji 2017-18 Planner. After a few months I switched to just using the notebook. The brilliant thing about the bullet journal system is that it’s really flexible and you can just use in whatever notebook you happen to have.

I usually tell people to not go straight out and buy one of those Leuchtturm1917 notebooks to use as a bullet journal. Especially if you haven’t used the bullet journal system before. This is because Leuchtturms are expensive and you don’t actually need one to bullet journal. I’ve been bullet journaling for 4 years now and this is the first time I’ve used a Leuchtturm.

I think that’s the thing I love most about this notebook. It’s so flexible. It has loads of pages so I don’t need to worry about buying a new one any time soon. It’s well made so it still looks nice despite spending a lot of time being beaten up in my rucksack. The paper is a good enough quality that I can use dry and wet media on it. And I can also use it as a planner in conjunction with planner printables or by using the bullet journal system.

FINALLY

This is my favourite notebook for a reason. It’s great for students. Its flexible enough to be whatever I need it to be, visual diary or planner. And it’s strong enough that it can stand up to being used constantly. Yes I still think the Leuchtturm1917 is a little expensive for what you get, but I also think they are worth a bit extra.

MORE LIKE THIS:

• I Tried Using A Bullet Journal As A Sketchbook
• How To Migrate Into A New Bullet Journal
• How To Set Up A Bullet Journal For The New Year