Thanks for the suggestions, I’ll start my shopping. 
Much appreciated!
Nothing expensive, she purchased me a nice Cross fountain pen. I’ve used Cross pens most of my life so that was her default. 
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I’m thinking this one will work nicely. Anyone have any experience with this one or something similar given my criteria? It is also on sale.
I have not used the Levenger version. Staples sells something that is essentially the same, and I have that system. They make a punch that you can use to make the necessary slots in any paper to use with this system. You can buy unbound high quality paper for fountain pen use and put it into your own books. If you don’t want to both punch and perforate your sheets, when you take them out of the notebook, use a paper cutter to slice off the edge.
Generally speaking, you don’t want highly absorbent paper with a fountain pen, because the ink will bleed and blotch.
I admit, however that I rarely look at paper quality despite using fountain pens. I am not a true aficionado despite having collected pens of all types for about 30 years. For highly absorbent paper, however, I just switch to ballpoint.
This is called a disc-bound system.
If you try this, buy the punch if the notebook looks viable for you for long-term use.
Thanks you, will do! Thanks for the advice.
I used to have this Levenger system. I grew disappointed with it … really you can have all the frills you want but it’s still down to the quality of the paper for fountain pens. I found their paper “fine” for ballpoints, “kinda okay” for rollerballs, and “uck” for fountain pens.
I’d also question why it’s on deep discount. The good news: it’s on deep discount. The bad news: it’s on deep discount (i.e. they might be doing away with the line). Of course there could be other reasons for the discount but it’s something to consider.
Clearly, she hasn’t! 
(Sorry! Couldn’t resist! We hit 40 next year!)
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my wife tells others that the secret to a successful marriage is to set low expectations.
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They have sales every quarter at 25% off most items, and twice a year, 40% off Circa items.
What I did when I used this kind of notebook for teaching, was I bought a cover, discs and a punch, and bought my own paper by the ream.
HP 25 LB laser printer paper works well for all but the broadest nibs and wettest inks. I used Omni Graffle to make .pdfs of the layouts I wanted.
You can do the same thing with Staples disc bound system, but the covers and rings aren’t as lasting.
For a really high-end system, check out the Plotter System, from the company that created the Traveller’s Notebook.
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Yes, definitely the way to go! The punch is the key. My wife used this Levenger system (with punch and her own choice of paper) for about 7 years. Then she tired of it, but served her well for that time period.
Good to hear they do regular sales.
JetPens does some very nice reviews of paper (and pens). For an online shop they do a great job. Obviously, even better if there’s a good “regular” store near you that carries a variety of the paper notebooks already mentioned. Here’s a couple of their pages:
and
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I like the Dingbats Notebooks because they include a pen holder thingy. I cannot count the number of pens I’ve lost until that. My preferred size is A5, because I just use them for very very quick notes during meetings when I don’t have my computer with me.
Not exactly the answer you’re looking for, but I highly recommend listening to the Pen Addict podcast. They talk in-depth about fountain pens, ink, paper, and notebooks. Plus they’re just fun to listen to. I don’t even own a fountain pen and I enjoy the show.
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Thanks, I’ll subscribe now. This will broaden by podcasts listening.
For what it’s worth, Leuchtturm has an adhesive pen loop meant for its own notebooks, but I’ve used them very successfully with other notebooks (including a Remarkable tablet – the stylus is a tight fit, but it works). Looks like it’s now in multiple colors too.
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Good recommendation, enjoyable to listen to, but in the end, very expensive for me. 
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I second the recc for The Pen Addict podcast. And I would also like to recc The Gentleman Stationer. An attorney with an appreciation of analog and digital, he has a carefully curated shop and a useful Website.
See especially his series on The Digital Divide.
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Me too!
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