Gear Focus: The LOCHBY Refills
So you've decided on the gear you want to get. The Field Journal and Pocket Journal each get one Dot Grid Refill when you first get it but you're wondering... should you also purchase the other ones? What you look for in a notebook will depend on which community you belong to—fountain pens, EDC, artists, writers—and what you intend to use the refills for. We've found that each one has found a lot of us for our refills!
In today's blog post, we want to answer a few frequently asked questions about the refills just in case you're still on the fence on whether to get the rest! We went over the reviews, snagged some photos, and compiled answers to help you make a better, more informed decision!
What's this about Tomoe River paper?
Tomoe River paper, made from Japan, is legendary in the fountain pen community as fountain pen friendly paper! This is because even though its light and thin, it's very resistant to feathering and bleed through—something known to happen when you use fountain pen ink on ordinary paper. Ghosting is kept at a minimum too; you'll hardly notice it!
Aside from its distinct smooth and silky texture, what makes Tomoe River paper highly prized among fountain pen users is the way it shows off ink colors very well. It's definitely our top choice when it comes to fountain pen friendly paper!
What are the refill variations you have for each journal?
For the Field Journal: the Dot Grid, Ruled, Wide Ruled, Plain, and the Planner refills.
For the Pocket Journal: the Dot Grid, Ruled, and Plain refills.
What's the difference between the Ruled and Wide Ruled refills?
Our Ruled and Wide Ruled refills have a 2mm difference with the Wide Ruled having 25 lines in total.
Can you tell me more about the Planner refill?
Our Planner refill has 6 monthly spreads and 26 weekly spreads but what makes it really special is how it only has the days of the week filled in. This means that you can use it ANYTIME. Whether you're getting into planning in the middle of September or the end of the year, you're fine—no paper is wasted because the pages are customizable. All you have to do is fill in the months and dates and then you're all set!
Is it stapled?
It's not! Our refills have a stitched binding which we understand a lot of other people also prefer.
How many refills can fit in your journals or gear?
For the Field Journal: six of these fit inside at one time—four using the elastic cords and one on each flap, front and back. The pockets on the left-hand side when the Field Journal is open can also fit a Pocket Journal refill.
For the Pocket Journal: two of these fit at one time, one on each flap, front and back.
One or two (depending on what tools you have in it) of our Pocket Journal refills can also fit in the back pockets of our Tool Roll.
The Pocket Journal itself fits inside the Venture Pouch so the refills will no problem.
Why are the refills more expensive than other notebooks?
Tomoe River paper is considered premium paper and you'll find that our prices are competitive with other Tomoe River paper notebooks. Of course we understand if it's not for you as it's more preferred by fountain pen users, writers, and artists. This is the reason we made our notebooks standard sizes in case you wanted to find notebook replacements.
So what other notebooks can fit?
Here's a quick guide:
Field Journal — all A5 notebooks will fit in the back flap of it unless it's really thick (2" and above).
Pocket Journal — the refill that goes with it has dimensions of 3.5" x 5.5" (89mm x 140mm) so anything this size and smaller will fit inside just fine. And yes—this includes the Field Notes!
What other questions do you have about the LOCHBY refills?
Are there others that haven't been asked or weren't covered in this post? Let us know in the comments or by clicking on the chat option on the lower left-hand side of any screen on the website! We'd love to answer them for you.
