Rhodia Rhodiarama Softcover Notebook Review (A5, Lined, Saphir)

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Bottom line: The Moleskine’s more sophisticated French cousin, with better paper, a softer cover, a color range that makes a statement, and a ribbon bookmark that’s actually orange. If you’ve been using a Moleskine because you didn’t know there were better options at the same price, this is the review that’s going to cost you something.

Scribbright rating: 5 out of 5

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The Rhodia origin

Rhodia is a French stationery brand founded in Lyon in 1934 by brothers Henri and Robert Verilhac. The orange covers that became the brand’s signature were chosen, according to legend, partly for visibility and partly because nobody else was using orange, a design logic that looks obvious in retrospect and requires genuine conviction at the time. The pads established the brand’s reputation for smooth, fountain-pen-friendly paper, which carried over into the notebook line. And they make most other notebooks look like merde, eh?

The Rhodiarama is the premium softcover offering, built around the same Clairefontaine 90 gsm vellum paper used in Rhodia’s wider range. Rhodia and Clairefontaine are both owned by Exacompta Clairefontaine, the French stationery conglomerate that also owns Rhodia, G. Lalo, J. Herbin, and a significant portion of the European stationery world’s serious paper supply. When the Rhodiarama says “Clairefontaine paper,” it means Clairefontaine paper made by the same company, not a licensing arrangement.

→ If you’re building out a writing setup, the Scribbright reviews section covers everything from fountain pens to mechanical keyboards to writing tablets.

The paper

The 90 gsm Clairefontaine vellum is the product’s real statement of intent, and it’s a stout one.

Vellum, in this context, refers to the surface texture: smooth, slightly bright, with a finish fountain pen users describe as glass-like in the best sense. Ink sits on the surface rather than being absorbed immediately, producing sharper lines and more vivid color than most journal paper at any price. The ivory tint is easier on the eyes than bright white under artificial light, and it makes fountain pen inks look better than they do on white paper: warmer, richer, less ephemeral, like you’re jotting Something Important.

The shading and sheen behavior on Clairefontaine paper is crazy good, to get really technical about it. For fountain pen users who care about how their inks express themselves, this paper is one of the surfaces where inks show their full character. A Pilot Iroshizuku or a Diamine ink on Clairefontaine vellum looks different from how it does on cheaper paper. This is the paper’s gift and also its minor liability: it dries slowly. Wet inks need a moment, and left-handed writers or anyone who moves quickly across the page will want to let the line dry before the hand follows. This is a known property of smooth vellum, but a petty price to pay for what the surface delivers in return. Please remember this when your sleeve gets smeared, Lefty.

There is no bleed-through worth noting. No ghosting on the reverse side. Both sides of every sheet are fully usable, which at 80 sheets delivers 160 pages of genuinely excellent writing surface.

The cover and construction

The saphir cover is the reason you notice this notebook across a room. Rhodia’s color range for the Rhodiarama runs from conservative (black, taupe) to vivid (anise green, raspberry, coral), and saphir sits in the sweet spot: distinctive without being aggressive, the kind of blue that suggests intention rather than decoration. The soft faux leather has a slight texture that feels premium without being stiff. It flexes completely flat, which contributes to the lay-flat binding’s effectiveness.

The sewn binding is the structural choice that matters most for daily use. Glued bindings fail. Sewn bindings don’t. After the notebook is full and resting on a shelf, a sewn binding permanently holds its pages. The Rhodiarama will outlast most of the notions written in it.

The orange elastic closure and orange ribbon bookmark are Rhodia’s signature details, present on every product in the line. They’re orange even when the cover is blue, which might be a charming brand consistency or an aesthetic provocation, depending on your tolerance level. The expanding back pocket holds receipts, cards, folded pages, and the various paper ephemera that accumulate in a notebook’s life. The ribbon is wide enough to stay in place and narrow enough not to bulk the pages.

How it compares to the Moleskine

The Moleskine Classic Hardcover, reviewed on Scribbright, is the default premium notebook for writers who haven’t explored the category. The Rhodiarama costs about the same and outperforms it on paper quality in a way that’s immediately noticeable. The Moleskine’s 70 gsm paper shows ghosting with fountain pens; the Rhodiarama’s 90 gsm Clairefontaine vellum doesn’t. The Moleskine’s hard cover offers more protection for the pages; the Rhodiarama’s soft cover is more flexible and pleasant in the hand. The Moleskine has the better origin story mythology; the Rhodiarama has the better paper.

For writers who use ballpoints or gel pens, the Moleskine is a fine choice, and the paper difference is less relevant. For writers who use fountain pens, finer rollerballs, or any wetter ink, the Rhodiarama is the clear winner at the same price point.

The lineup

The Rhodiarama comes in A5 and A6 sizes, in lined, dot grid, and blank formats, in over a dozen cover colors. The A5 lined reviewed here is the most versatile configuration for writers: large enough for prose and notes without being awkward in a bag, ruled for the writers who think in lines. The dot grid is better for writers who sketch, diagram, or want structure without visible ruling. The blank is for writers who find all ruling an imposition, which is a valid position.

Pros

• 90 gsm Clairefontaine vellum is among the best fountain pen paper available in a notebook at this price
• No bleed-through, no ghosting; both sides of every sheet are fully usable
• Sewn lay-flat binding opens flat and holds permanently
• Saphir cover is genuinely beautiful; wide color range suits most preferences
• Orange ribbon and elastic are Rhodia signature details that work in practice
• Expandable back pocket is more useful than it sounds
• Soft cover is flexible and pleasant; different experience from hard cover notebooks

Cons

• 90 gsm vellum dries slowly; wetter inks need a moment before the hand follows
• 80 sheets (160 pages) is fewer than the Leuchtturm 1917’s 125 sheets at a similar price
• Soft cover offers less page protection than a hard cover notebook
• Orange ribbon and elastic against non-orange covers is a divisive aesthetic detail

The verdict

The Rhodia Rhodiarama is the notebook you move to when you’ve religious about using notebooks and have been using a Moleskine and suspect there might be something better. There is, and it’s this. The Clairefontaine paper alone justifies the price over any competing notebook at the same level, and the cover quality, construction, and color range make it an object worth carrying. The saphir cover, specifically, is the kind of blue that makes other notebooks look like they’re not trying.

Get the Rhodia Rhodiarama on Amazon →

Michael Semer is a writer and editor who is running out of desk space for notebooks and has accepted this as a permanent condition.

→ More gear worth knowing about: Scribbright reviews writing tools, notebooks, keyboards, and desk essentials for writers who take the work seriously.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Rhodia Rhodiarama? The Rhodia Rhodiarama is a premium softcover A5 notebook made by Rhodia, a French stationery brand founded in Lyon in 1934. It features 90 gsm Clairefontaine ivory vellum paper, sewn lay-flat binding, a flexible faux leather cover in over a dozen colors, an orange elastic closure, a ribbon bookmark, and an expandable back pocket. Available in A5 and A6 sizes, in lined, dot grid, and blank formats.

Is the Rhodia Rhodiarama good for fountain pens? Yes, among the best in the notebook category at this price. The 90 gsm Clairefontaine vellum produces sharp lines, vivid ink color, excellent shading and sheen, and no bleed-through on the reverse side. The tradeoff is drying time: smooth vellum dries slower than more absorbent paper. Wetter nibs and fast writers should allow a moment before the hand follows the line.

How does the Rhodia Rhodiarama compare to the Moleskine Classic? Both are A5 premium notebooks at similar price points. The Rhodiarama has better paper: 90 gsm Clairefontaine vellum versus the Moleskine’s 70 gsm stock, with no ghosting versus visible ghosting with fountain pens. The Moleskine has a hard cover that protects pages better. For ballpoint and gel pen users, the Moleskine is a fine choice. For fountain pen users and finer rollerballs, the Rhodiarama is the stronger option on paper quality alone.

What colors does the Rhodia Rhodiarama come in? Over a dozen colors including black, taupe, saphir (sapphire blue), anise green, raspberry, coral, violet, and others. All versions use the same orange ribbon and elastic closure regardless of cover color, which is a Rhodia brand signature.

What is Clairefontaine vellum paper? Clairefontaine is a French paper manufacturer owned by Exacompta Clairefontaine, the same parent company as Rhodia. Vellum refers to the smooth, slightly bright surface texture. At 90 gsm it’s heavier than most notebook paper, acid-free, pH neutral, and fountain pen friendly. It’s widely considered among the best writing paper available in production notebooks.

How does the Rhodia Rhodiarama compare to the Leuchtturm1917? Both are A5 fountain-pen-friendly notebooks in the same price range. The Leuchtturm has more pages (125 sheets vs 80), numbered pages, a table of contents, and is considered slightly more absorbent paper that dries faster. The Rhodiarama has better paper surface quality for ink expression: more shading, sheen, and vivid color. The Leuchtturm is better for organized note systems; the Rhodiarama is better for pure writing and fountain pen use.

Is the Rhodia Rhodiarama binding durable? Yes. The sewn binding is more durable than glued bindings used in many competing notebooks. Pages won’t fall out after extended use. The lay-flat opening is consistent from the first page to the last and holds throughout the notebook’s life.