Resources

So, how do I do it? How do you get your own bujo supplies? Here’s a running list of what I use with (affiliate) links for you to get your own.

This list is both what I carry every day and other tools that make journaling that much more fun.

None of these are required, they’re just what I use after years of trial and error. Everything here is sturdy, affordable, and field-tested.

My current journaling kit

I explain my reasoning behind each piece in this post. I’ll update this list as I refine my kit, but for now, here’re the supplies at my side every day:

Notebooks

 Leuchtturm1917

A high-quality notebook that can stand up to the rigors of everyday use. They also sell these as official Bullet Journals with an extra bookmark!

Rhodiarama

The Rhodia have incredibly high-quality paper (even better than a Leuchtturm!).  I use the lined version every day for Morning Pages and random vent sessions.

Scribbles That Matter

I’ve recently begun using the new Scribbles That Matter notebooks as my daily Bullet Journal and fell in love! These Hardcover notebooks come in a soft sumptous leatherette and come with a built in Key/Color code page, Index and a Pen Test page! The paper is super high quality 100 gsm (for reference, Leuchtturm  paper is 80 gsm). This paper can hold up to heavy fountain pens, markers, even watercolor with no bleed thru! These notebooks are an excellent choice for begginers and experts alike!

For a more detailed review of this notebook with pics, click here!

Pens

Pilot Metropolitan

Great everyday use pen and the perfect beginner’s fountain pen! Also, this pen comes with an adapter so you can buy your own fancy inks!

Lamy Al-star

This pen has a heavier ink flow than the pilot metropolitan. Better for getting your thoughts onto the paper smoothly and quickly. It also has a smooth metal body and is extremely simple to refill.

Tombow Fudensuke Brush Pens

These are my absolute favorite pens in the world! These make fancy lettering so easy, anyone could do it! Highly recommended if you like fancy headers and quotes in your journal!

Markers

Staedtler Fine Liners

This is a pack I honestly use every day. They’ve held up for 2 years now! They also come in small packs of 8 or 10 that’s very affordable.

Pencils

Pentel Twist-Erase Mechanical Pencil

The best mechanical pencil I’ve used so far! They are so affordable and so easy to buy refills for. The long eraser makes this the perfect pencil for beginner journalers.

What Not to Buy

I’ve been Journaling every day for about 2 years now. I’m currently entering my 4th Bullet Journal! In that time I’ve tried a lot of supplies. Here’s a list of things that didn’t make the cut. I’ll update this as I keep field testing new products.

Moleskine

I’m so sorry to say it, but I can’t recommend this as a Bullet Journal. My very first Bullet Journal was a Moleskine because I had always loved using them for random entries and sketches. But when I started a system like the Bullet Journal where I used it every single day…it just didn’t hold up. Not only do you have to draw in your own index, but I had pages popping out of the spine before I had even finished it. My daughter started a journal of her own, and the exact same thing happened to hers. It just doesn’t hold up everyday use.

Don’t get me wrong, I would still use these notebooks for more random journaling and list keeping, even a sketchbook. They are beautiful and have a wonderful history. But when it comes to using it EVERY SINGLE DAY, it just didn’t work out.

Lamy Safari

Now I love my Lamy’s. And I even have a fondness for this one in that it is a perfect shade of purple, and it has a nice grip. But unfortunately, it just doesn’t write as smoothly as you would expect a fountain pen to write. It seems to scratch the paper as it moves across. Now maybe I got a defective one, and I’d love to hear if you’ve had a better experience. But for me, I keep the Safari around as a backup and as a wonderful pop of purple in my pictures. If you’re starting you’re own Bullet Journal, I wouldn’t recommend starting with this pen.

I’ll continue to update this list as I field test more journaling supplies. I hope this was helpful and gives you some good ideas going forward for your own journal. Have you personally tried any of these before? What was your experience? Let me know in the comments!