Clairefontaine Age-Bag Black Notebook A5 - Graph

I'm still looking for the perfect A5 notebook. The Leuchtturms are good, even great, but the paper is inconsistent. Dot book paper is more absorbent than the grid books (seems ridiculous, I know) which still bleed with juicy, saturated inks. I've also developed a serious dislike for the pre-printed clues, like "Date:" at the top of each page.

Good: these Clairefontaine notebooks are minimalist and have perfect paper for fountain pens. Bad: the soft covers can annoy. Worse: they don't lie flat at all near the front and back without standing on them. Neutral: I miss the extra cost features of the Leuchtturms (pouch at the back, self-adhesive labels, bookmarks, and page numbering), but at $11, I'll adapt.