I decided to purchase a high-quality leather Levenger discbound notebook, along with additional discs, paper, and two very good pens. Though my workflow is 99.9% paperless, I find that using pen and paper stimulates deep thinking and helps me outline book chapters and articles. I could use a Bic pen and a legal pad, but I enjoy the experience of writing with a leather notebook, fine paper, and good pens.
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I enjoy journaling with pen and paper. It’s nice to escape from the screens.
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I was looking at a TUL system from Office Depot for a day, and I found that the paper that I bought from them was too thin and wouldn’t snap over the plastic discs easily without bending. 24 pound paper at a minimum and heavier probably would be better.
Sticking with a Office Depot business notebook for scheduling for the remainder of 2025. Really wanted to keep using travelers company notebooks, but they won’t by design lie flat when writing.
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I bought a leather Levenger notebook for my 3 month sabbatical. I’m writing in it tonight. Beginnings of a book outline on letter size paper, with “asides” on smaller (“junior” I think they call it) sheets. Pelikan 200 fountain pen. Cape May “Coastal Evacuation” (double IPA) and a “focus” Apple Music playlist via speakers on an AirPort Express to set the mood.
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Buy supportive comfortable shoes, clothes that will last more than 2 years, foods without added sugars (ice cream excluded), and writing tools that make you happy.
You can skimp on everything else.
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Sounds nice!
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I cut costs of disc binding papers by cutting up Amazon packaging. With punches from Rollabind and Staples M Arc plus a bulk order of discs purchased years ago I am pretty much self-sufficient in this arena. I like the ease with which pages can be re-ordered in a disc bound notebook. My first exposure to the system was on the now defunct DIY Planner web site.
However, for several years now the only things that I had bound this way were recipes and notes thereon (one binder full of Christmas-related baking recipes/notes) more recently these have been joined by printouts of textbook pages from an online language course I am following.
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I’m thinking about purchasing a Levenger paper punch to reduce paper cost.
There are two punches from Levenger; one is more expensive, but more sturdy, too.
Yes, I saw one that is smaller, punches I think 5 pages. The other was larger and I believe punched 15 pages. I’ll go with the larger, sturdier model.
I was a student, and went back and forth over which one to get. I bought the less expensive one, and it didn’t quite last the year. I wasn’t abusive, but I think it was meant for infrequent use, because it literally fell apart.
Levenger sent me a refund as store credit, and I bought the larger model, which is still working two decades later.
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Good to know! Thanks.
I’ll second the recommendation of the larger one. It’s a workhorse!
-Eric
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I use the same paper for disc binding as in my printer but it isn’t quite weighty enough for constant changes however it does suffice for occasional handling such as my recipe collections.
You might want to go with paper that has a higher g/sq. m. rating. It’s that weight that make the Levenger brnaded paper more expensive.
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Know what you mean. Physically writing is massive part of my workflow, eNotebook & Mont Blanc set.
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You have more money than I do. 
Nah, gifted when left previous role. They saw how much I love to write 
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Do this, and get the sturdy one. I use my disk-bound notebooks to keep both hand-written and printed material in one place for easy reference.
Levenger used to sell large packs of unpunched paper, but alas, no more. You can get unpunched paper in pad form, but they’re more expensive than the unpunched packs were.
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