Over the past year, we’ve been closely monitoring the ongoing quality surrounding Tomoe River paper. While many batches have been excellent, we’ve also seen enough variation that we felt it was important to begin exploring additional paper options for the long-term future of Sterling Ink notebooks. That led us to testing Koji 52gsm paper.

Koji was selected very intentionally because it is extremely similar to 52gsm Tomoe River paper in weight, thickness, writing experience, and overall feel. The paper tone is also very close, with Koji appearing only slightly warmer in color. Our goal was never to “replace” Tomoe River paper outright. Rather, we wanted to responsibly test an alternative that offers a comparable experience while helping us reduce reliance on a single paper source. At the moment, many of our Tomoe River notebook styles are sold out, and we understand the frustration surrounding restocks. As a small business carrying a very large range of notebook sizes, page counts, rulings, and cover variations, it simply isn’t feasible for us to fully stock two separate premium paper lines that are this similar to one another. Instead of splitting inventory across nearly identical paper types, we are approaching this carefully and intentionally: continuing to evaluate paper quality, testing alternatives in smaller runs, and focusing on maintaining a sustainable, reliable notebook lineup long term.

We truly appreciate everyone who continues to share thoughtful feedback with us throughout this process. Your input genuinely helps shape the future direction of Sterling Ink notebooks.