Leuchtturm1917 vs MD Notebook:
Which Is Better for Bullet Journaling?

Two of the most critically acclaimed notebooks in the world, compared honestly — for Singapore bullet journalers, writers, and everyday carry.

SGD 32–38

★ Wirecutter Pick

vs

SGD 22–28

★ Wirecutter Pick

Paper Quality

Leuchtturm's 80gsm paper has a quality that's genuinely difficult to describe until you've written on it: a slightly powdery feel, a gorgeous cream tone, and light blue-gray rulings that seem to disappear under your handwriting. There's a satisfying toothiness — a gentle friction that gives pen nibs and pencil tips something to catch on. The ruling is 6mm, which is slightly narrower than the typical 7mm, so your handwriting will appear a little smaller than usual. Ghosting is visible when held up to light, but minimal in practice. For fountain pen users with very wet inks, Leuchtturm now makes a 120gsm version specifically designed to eliminate bleed-through.

MD Paper is engineered specifically for fountain pens — Midori does not officially state the paper weight, but it measures around 80gsm. The surface treatment makes feathering almost non-existent even with wet nibs, and ink dries with exceptional saturation. MD Paper fans describe it as having a silky smoothness that the Leuchtturm doesn't match. For fountain pen writing as the primary use, MD Paper wins. For general writing — ballpoints, rollerballs, fine-liners — Leuchtturm is the better all-rounder.

Leuchtturm1917 — 80gsm cream paper, numbered dot grid

MD Notebook — Japanese MD paper (~80gsm), silky smooth

For Bullet Journaling

Leuchtturm1917 was effectively designed alongside the bullet journal method — and it shows. Every page is numbered. There's a dedicated table of contents at the front. The dotted grid is available as a ruling option. Leuchtturm is what most bullet journal guides recommend, and the recommendation is earned: the built-in structure removes setup work so you can start indexing from day one.

MD Notebook doesn't offer a dotted grid. Its ruling options are lined, blank, and 5mm grid (square, not dots). Pages are unnumbered. If you want to bullet journal in an MD Notebook, you'll be creating your own numbering and index system from scratch. One detail worth noting: the MD grid uses an open-frame format where lines don't fully intersect, keeping the page airy rather than cage-like. Thicker registration tick-marks run along the outer margins, letting you quarter the page by eye without counting individual squares — useful when building weekly spreads. For most people following the standard bullet journal method, Leuchtturm is the obvious choice. MD Notebook rewards writers who prefer a blank canvas over a structured system.

Leuchtturm1917 Bullet Journal Edition — purpose-built for the method

Organisation & Navigation

Leuchtturm's built-in system is comprehensive: 249 numbered pages, a four-page table of contents at the front, index labels for the spine and cover, two satiny ribbon bookmarks that extend past the bottom of the notebook, and a back pocket for loose papers or receipts. Finding an entry written months ago takes seconds with the index.

MD Notebook includes a single ribbon bookmark and a belly band. No page numbers, no index. This isn't an oversight — the MD is designed for immersive, forward-only writing, not retrieval. If your journaling is about the process rather than the archive, it's fine. If you use your journal as a reference system, Leuchtturm is the clear winner.

Design & Character

Leuchtturm1917 — pronounced "loy-stum," meaning "lighthouse" in German — is a precision-engineered object available in a wide range of colours. The hardcover opens flat and stays that way, and the build quality is consistent across the full colour line.

MD Notebook is quieter and more restrained: a plain cream cover with minimal branding, no colour range, no flourish. The spine is exposed cheesecloth mesh, and each notebook ships wrapped in a sheet of traditional glassine wax paper rather than a box — a quietly deliberate choice. Writers who find brightly coloured notebooks distracting tend to gravitate toward the MD for its visual neutrality. It's intentionally unassuming — the design says nothing so the writing can say everything.

Leuchtturm1917 — available in a wide range of colours at Cityluxe

Value Over Time

MD Notebook is the more affordable option at SGD 22–28, and its paper quality relative to price is exceptional. Leuchtturm costs more at SGD 32–38, but the index, numbered pages, and dual bookmarks add genuine functional value the MD doesn't provide. Over a year of regular journaling — three to four notebooks — the cost difference is around SGD 30–60. Choose based on how you actually journal, not price alone.

For bullet journaling specifically, Leuchtturm1917 is the clearer choice — the dot grid, numbered pages, and index are features the method was built on. For fountain pen writing and pure journaling pleasure without a structured system, MD Notebook's paper is in a different league. If you're torn: come in to the WorkRoom and write in both. The paper difference is one of those things that has to be felt before it makes sense.

In-Store at the Cityluxe WorkRoom

Both notebooks are available to write in at the WorkRoom. Feel the paper difference yourself — it matters more than any description can convey.

Leuchtturm1917. MD Notebook. Both in stock.

601 Sims Drive, #04-05, Singapore 387382. Mon–Fri 11am–7pm, Sat 12:30–6pm. 11-min walk from Aljunied MRT (EW9). Free visitor parking.