Hardcover or Softcover? Rhodia Webnotebook vs Rhodiarama Softcover Journal
If you hang around fountain pen people long enough, a few notebook names come up over and over—and Rhodia is almost always on that list. Two of their most-loved options are the Rhodiarama Softcover Journal (sometimes also confusingly labelled Webnotebook) and the Rhodia Hardcover Webnotebook. On paper (literally), they look very similar: A5 size, ivory 90 grams-per-square-meter (gsm) paper weight, fountain-pen friendly, with the standard rulings you're used to from Rhodia, like lined and dot-grid (my personal preference).
So why do people swear by one versus the other?
Let’s walk through how they differ, and how each one fits into the lives of writers, journalers, planners, and ink nerds.
The Common Ground: Rhodia’s 90 gsm “Secret Weapon”
Both the Rhodiarama Softcover and the Webnotebook use Rhodia’s premium 90 gsm ivory paper—the same French-milled stock that’s beloved in the fountain pen community.
What that means in practice:
- Clean ink lines – Very little feathering, even with wet nibs.
- Minimal show-through and bleedthrough – You can usually use both sides of the page, even with broader nibs.
- Great for shading and sheen – The surface is smooth enough to show off complex inks.
- A bit longer dry time – Not crazy, but it’s not super-absorbent paper. If you’re using a firehose stub nib with a sheening monster ink, give it a beat.
If you’re imagining yourself:
- Setting up longform journaling sessions with your favorite gold-nib pen
- Keeping a reading journal or ink log where color accuracy and legibility matter
- Using fine or extra-fine nibs at work and wanting crisp, professional-looking notes
Both notebooks will absolutely do the job. The real choice isn’t the paper—it’s the format.
Rhodiarama Softcover: Your Flexible Daily Carry
The Rhodiarama Softcover A5 (6" x 8.25") is the one that loves being tossed into your bag and brought everywhere.
Key traits:
- 160 pages (fewer than the Hardcover Webnotebook, which has 192)
- Soft, flexible cover – Faux leather that feels nice in the hand and bends instead of denting.
- Slimmer profile – Fewer pages than the Webnotebook, so it feels lighter and a bit more casual.
- Just enough structure – It’s not floppy like a thin paperback; it still has presence, but it’s more forgiving than a hard cover.
This is the notebook you pick up when you picture yourself:
- Curling up on the couch at night with a cup of tea, doing gratitude journaling
- Running daily to-do lists and quick notes, flipping it open and closed all day
- Carrying one notebook that works as a hybrid planner/journal you’re not afraid to “mess up”
- Keeping an ink testing book where you’re constantly adding swatches, scribbles, and notes
The soft cover gives it a slightly more relaxed vibe. It feels less like “This is my Official Archive of Thoughts™” and more like “This is the notebook that actually lives my life with me.”
If you’re someone who likes to throw a notebook into a messenger bag, use it on cramped café tables, or write sprawled out on the couch, the Rhodiarama Softcover feels very natural in those settings.
Rhodia Webnotebook (“Webbie”): The Long-Term Anchor Journal
The Rhodia Hardcover Webnotebook A5 (5.5" x 8.25") is the classic hardbound option—what a lot of people think of as their “real” journal or main notebook.
Key traits:
- Sturdy hardcover – Faux leather that holds its shape and protects the pages inside.
- 192 pages – 32 pages more than the softcover gives you extra paper for long-term projects or longer journals.
- Heavier, more “formal” feel – It looks and feels like a dedicated volume.
This is the notebook you pick up when you imagine:
- Keeping a multi-month or year-long journal that you’ll want to look back on in the future
- A work notebook that travels to meetings and lives on your desk as your central capture point
- A project journal for a novel, campaign, or big life project where you want everything in one place
- An ink diary or collection log where you’re documenting pens, inks, and combinations over time
Because the cover is rigid and protective, it’s great for people who:
- Toss notebooks into backpacks with laptops, cables, and other gear
- Like to write without a perfect surface (edge of a desk, lap, etc.)
- Want their notebook to feel like a bound volume, not just a pad of paper
If the Rhodiarama Softcover is your everyday companion, the Webnotebook is your anchor—the one that sticks around as a single, coherent “book” of your thoughts.
So… Which One Should You Choose?
Here’s a simple way to think about it:
Choose the Rhodiarama Softcover if you want:
- A lighter, more flexible daily carry
- Something that’s easy to throw in a bag or jacket and bring everywhere
- A notebook that feels friendly and casual enough for lists, scribbles, and mixed-use
- A great home for bullet journaling, hybrid planning, or “life catch-all” notes
Imagine: you’re sitting in a café with your favorite medium nib inked up with a shading teal, blocking out your week on dot grid pages, jotting grocery lists in the margins, and scribbling tomorrow’s meeting notes. That’s peak Rhodiarama Softcover territory.
Choose the Rhodia Hardcover Webnotebook if you want:
- A durabler, hardcover journal that feels substantial
- More pages in a single volume for long projects or long-term journaling
- Something that will live on your desk, nightstand, or bookshelf as a “real” book
- A dedicated home for serious journaling, work notes, or long-running projects
Picture this: a favorite gold-nib pen, a rich, slightly wet blue-black ink, and a Rhodia Webnotebook that’s slowly filling up with months of daily entries, sketches in the margins, and glued-in ephemera. When you’re done, it looks and feels like an actual book of your life.
The Good News: You Can’t Go Wrong with the Paper
From a fountain pen perspective, both notebooks deliver what people love about Rhodia:
- Smooth, consistent paper
- Great behavior with a wide range of inks
- Enough resistance to keep writing controlled, without feeling like writing on glass
So your decision isn’t “which has better paper?”—it’s “how do I want this notebook to live with me?”
- If you want something casual, flexible, and always-in-your-bag → Rhodiarama Softcover.
- If you want something solid, archival, and long-term → Rhodia Webnotebook.
And if you’re a true stationery person, you already know the third option:
…you pick one of each and give them different jobs.
Pick one up at Bottle and Plume today!