Tsubame Notebook Square Note lined

The Tsubame Square Note S1401 is a Japanese notebook in an unusual square format of 14 × 14 cm – compact enough for your pocket, spacious enough for structured notes. It contains 80 pages of Tsubame's proprietary Fools Paper at 81.4 g/m², produced in Tokyo since 1947. Its distinctive exterior – speckled grey cover, black spine with gold embossing – has remained unchanged since the first edition.

Features

• Fools Paper, 81.4 g/m², acid-free: The paper is neither too smooth nor too rough – a lightly absorbent, matte surface that guides the nib evenly without resistance. Fountain pen inks dry pleasantly quickly, without feathering or bleeding through.
• Free from fluorescent dyes: The natural white paper is gentle on the eyes even during long writing sessions – no brightening effect, no blue cast, just a calm, creamy-white background.
• 5 mm grid, water-based printed: The grid lines are printed with water-based ink – they sit within the paper rather than on it, preventing the writing surface from being raised. The grid is subtle yet clearly legible.
• Thread binding: The block lies flat on the table without pages breaking or coming loose. This traditional binding method makes the notebook significantly more durable than glued pads.
• Square format 14 × 14 cm: The square page shape gives layouts and sketches more freedom than portrait formats – no preferred orientation, no fixed top.

Use & Tips

• Fountain pens with fine to medium nibs: Fools Paper reveals its best shading behaviour with water-based fountain pen inks – shading and sheen are distinctly visible on this surface, ghosting remains minimal enough for double-sided use.
• Stub nibs and calligraphy: The 5 mm grid works well with stub nibs from 1.1 mm onwards – the squares help maintain consistent letter heights without imposing rigid lines.
• Sketching and layout planning: The square format suits floor planning, isometric sketches and bullet journal layouts where landscape and portrait orientations are equally valid.
• Gel rollers and liquid ink pens: Even quick-drying gel refills and ink-based rollerball pens flow cleanly on Fools Paper – no swelling of grid lines, no trailing marks.
• White fountain pen ink: On the natural white background, white fountain pen ink appears less contrasty than on cream-coloured paper – for corrections or overlays, lighter backgrounds work better.

For Paper Enthusiasts

Tsubame produces Fools Paper exclusively in spring and autumn – according to Tsubame Note, water temperature is crucial for paper quality, as it affects fibre structure during the sheet formation process. The neutral Fools Paper (Tsubame Acid-free Fools Paper) was developed in collaboration with papermakers to maximise long-term stability. Grid lines are applied not by letterpress but with water-based ink – which is why grid points may be minimally offset from page to page. This is not an error but a characteristic of this printing method that preserves the paper's fibres.

Technical Specifications