Is the LEUCHTTURM1917 Medium Hardcover Notebook Worth It?
Worth it, if you write enough to notice the difference
around $25price at time of review — check Amazon for current
- Worth it ifYou journal regularly and want the pages to survive years, not weeks
- Skip it ifYou mainly need a scratch pad for quick lists
Amazon shoppers rate it 4.7 out of 5 across 35,365 ratings. That is their number, not ours.
By Maya Bennett, kitchen & home · updated 2026-07-29
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There's a particular kind of frustration in journaling: you press your pen to the page, and instead of a clean line, the paper puckers, the ink feathers out at the edges, or the whole notebook won't stay open without you pinning it down with your elbow. That's the moment that decides whether a notebook earns a permanent spot on your desk or gets shoved in a drawer half-used. The leuchtturm1917 medium hardcover notebook is aimed squarely at people who've had that fight and are tired of it.
Here's the bit that actually matters, and it's easy to miss in a product photo: this notebook is thread-bound, not glued. The pages are stitched together in sections and sewn to the spine, which is why the book opens flat on a table instead of springing shut. Once the spine can rest flat, your writing hand doesn't have to fight the book, so it's actually usable on a train or balanced on your knee. The paper is 80 gsm and treated for ink compatibility, which matters more than it sounds if you write with a fountain pen or a wet gel: thinner, uncoated paper means more show-through, so the weight and coating are doing quiet, unglamorous work every time you write. The numbered pages and blank table of contents turn a plain notebook into something you can actually index, so an idea from months ago becomes findable instead of lost in a stack. The gusseted back pocket and elastic closure band are the last piece, somewhere to stash loose sheets or receipts, and a way to keep the whole thing shut when it's face down in a bag.
So you're not really buying a notebook, you're buying a spine that behaves and paper that doesn't punish your pen. Once those two things are handled, the only friction left when you sit down to write is whatever's in your head, which is exactly what a journal is supposed to do. The real question isn't whether it's a nice notebook, it's whether flat pages and bleed-resistant paper are worth paying more than a supermarket pad.
Worth it if
- You journal regularly and want the pages to survive years, not weeks
- You write with fountain pens or wet ink and need paper that resists bleed-through
- You like being able to find old entries via numbered pages and a table of contents
Skip it if
- You mainly need a scratch pad for quick lists
- You go through notebooks fast and don't want to pay more than a dollar-store price
- You don't care whether the spine lies flat while you write
Casual note-takers who go through notebooks fast and don't care much about paper quality
If you journal often, write with a fountain pen, or want something you'll still be flipping through in a decade, this is a quiet yes. If you fill a notebook every few weeks with grocery lists and phone numbers, save your money for something disposable. Either way, you now know exactly what you'd be paying for.
Check price on Amazon · around $25 or Add it to your Amazon cart to sit on it
Before you go
Does the LEUCHTTURM1917 notebook bleed through with fountain pens?
The 80gsm paper is treated for ink compatibility so most fountain pens and gel inks sit on top cleanly, though very wet or broad nibs can still push through on any paper this weight.
Is the LEUCHTTURM1917 medium the same size as A5?
Yes, medium is LEUCHTTURM1917's name for its A5-sized notebook, measuring roughly 5.75 by 8.25 inches.
Full spec sheet
| Brand Name | LEUCHTTURM1917 |
|---|---|
| Unit Count | 1 Count |
| Item Weight | 0.26 kg |
| Cover Material | Faux Leather |
| Paper Size | A5 (5-7/8 x 8-1/4) |
| Pages | 251 pages |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Item Dimensions L x W | 8.25"L x 5.75"W |