As with any notebook, the real star of the show should be the paper and the paper in this one does not disappoint. Fountain pen inks resist feathering and there is no bleed through. Ghosting is certainly present but not at all bothersome. The description says "smooth paper" but I feel that it has some pleasant tooth to it.

The lay flat binding does, indeed, lay flat. I'm curious to see how this holds up over time with the exposed stitching and cardstock cover, but would definitely recommend this notebook to anyone looking for something a bit nicer than your run-of-the-mill Moleskine. Well done, Northbooks!

A5 X Dotted Bullet Notebook

Heavy paper accepts small watercolor drawings and fountain pen ink does not bleed through. Reasonably priced. I’m still forming my opinion on these but so far very favorable. Interesting binding does open flat. Waiting to see how it holds up but so far, perfectly.

I remember when dot grid journals were something new, different and rare. Now there are so many versions and companies making them it feels like most are just trying to make money on a fad.I love supporting an American company that strives to meet its customer's needs with true value.The new A5X lay-flat journal is just that. It is well designed, truly lays flat, and provides (for me at least) exactly what I need in a journal. The minimalist approach is just right in my opinion. Thank you!

The book itself is great --- it does lay flat, I really like the design of having white space around the edges, and the cover is a kind of heavy black matte card stock. The pages are clearly numbered, too, and the paper is thick and the dots spaced 5mm apart --- great for everyday use of all kinds.

Northbooks has clearly thought over how to best improve their books, and this is a great step towards that goal. As a side note, when I ordered the book it came with a slightly damaged/crumpled corner. I emailed Northbooks with the issue, and they sent me a replacement, no questions or hassles, and it arrived VERY quickly. This is the essence of good customer service, imho --- problems will come up, but they fixed it in an efficient and reasonable way.

Excellent company!