--- title: "Clairefontaine Classic Wirebound A4: Paper & Rulings" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/clairefontaine-classic-wirebound-notebook/" description: "Clairefontaine Classic Wirebound A4 notebook explained: 50 sheets of 90 g/m² Vélin Velouté paper, 8 mm lined or French-ruled, size vs US Letter, and origin." category: "Notebooks" type: "Spiral notebook" published: 2026-10-22 updated: 2026-10-22 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 6 products: - name: "Clairefontaine Classic Wirebound A4 notebook, 50 sheets, 90 g, lined with margin (68145C)" brand: "Clairefontaine" brand_origin: "France" made_in: "Not stated" material: "90 g/m² Vélin Velouté paper (PEFC); soft card cover; double wire binding" price_band: "$$ ($5–20 per notebook, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Clairefontaine Rhodia (Exacompta Clairefontaine group); sold in the US by Exaclair" model: "Cahier reliure intégrale A4, Metric range, lined + margin (68145C); French-ruled is 68141C" mpn: "68145C" gtin: "3329680681451" url: "https://www.clairefontaine.com/fr/3384-5376-cahier-reliure-integrale-68141c.html" --- # Clairefontaine Classic Wirebound A4: Paper & Rulings > The Clairefontaine Classic Wirebound A4 is a double-wire notebook of 50 sheets (100 pages) of smooth 90 g/m² Clairefontaine paper, well known among fountain pen users. It measures 210 × 297 mm (8.3 × 11.7 in) and comes lined at 8 mm with a red margin, French-ruled (Seyès) or graph, in assorted cover colors. It sits in our $$ band. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/clairefontaine-classic-wirebound-notebook/ - Category: Notebooks - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-22 - Updated: 2026-10-22 ![Clairefontaine Classic Wirebound A4 notebook drawn to scale, closed with a blue cover and open on 8 mm lined pages with a red margin, inset of the double wire](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/clairefontaine-classic-wirebound-notebook-16x9.png) *The A4 notebook at 1 mm = 0.78 px; cover color is one of several shipped at random.* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Clairefontaine Classic Wirebound A4 notebook, 50 sheets, 90 g, lined with margin (68145C) | Clairefontaine (by Clairefontaine Rhodia (Exacompta Clairefontaine group); sold in the US by Exaclair) | France | Not stated | 90 g/m² Vélin Velouté paper (PEFC); soft card cover; double wire binding | – | $$: $5–20 per notebook | - Made in (Clairefontaine Classic Wirebound A4 notebook, 50 sheets, 90 g, lined with margin (68145C)): Not stated. Clairefontaine's French product page for 68145C doesn't print a country of manufacture, and neither do Goulet Pens or Goldspot. Clairefontaine's history page says paper, envelopes and notebooks are all still made at its Étival-Clairefontaine site in France, but it doesn't tie that to this item. Source: https://www.clairefontaine.com/fr/contenu/16/historique-patrimoine ## Key takeaways - Each notebook has 50 sheets (100 pages) of 90 g/m² Vélin Velouté paper, per Clairefontaine. - It measures 210 × 297 mm (8.3 × 11.7 in) and about 10 mm (0.4 in) thick, per Goulet Pens. - The lined version (68145C, EAN 3329680681451) has 8 mm lines and a red left margin. - Goulet ships covers in assorted colors at random; Goldspot says they're laminated and water-resistant. - Goulet ranked the French-ruled and lined A4s Nos. 95 and 97 on its best-seller list on October 22, 2026. ## What is the Clairefontaine Classic Wirebound notebook? **It's Clairefontaine's everyday A4 double-wire notebook, filled with the same 90 g/m² paper that made the brand popular with fountain pen users.** In France it is the cahier reliure intégrale of the Metric range; US shops call it Classic Wirebound. Goulet Pens sells it lined, French-ruled and graph. On October 22, 2026, the French-ruled and lined A4s were Nos. 95 and 97 on Goulet's best-seller list, with 136 and 117 reviews. ## Classic Wirebound A4 specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Clairefontaine (Exacompta Clairefontaine group), France | | Model | 68145C lined + margin; 68141C French-ruled | | Size | A4, 210 × 297 mm (8.3 × 11.7 in) | | Thickness | 10 mm (0.4 in) (Goulet) | | Sheets | 50 (100 pages), not perforated (Goulet) | | Paper | Vélin Velouté, 90 g/m², white, PEFC | | Ruling | 8 mm lines with red margin; Seyès; graph | | Binding | Double wire, side-bound | | Price band | $$ ($5–20 per notebook) | Clairefontaine lists the cover as soft card; Goldspot says it's laminated and water-resistant. ![A4 page drawn to scale over a US Letter outline, with an 8 mm lined ruling and red margin shown at full scale](https://stationerytimes.com/images/clairefontaine-classic-wirebound-notebook-rulings.svg) *A4 against US Letter, and the 8 mm ruling at four times the scale.* ## How good is the paper? **Very smooth and well sized, which is why fountain pen shops stock it.** Clairefontaine uses its Vélin Velouté paper at 90 g/m²; Goulet describes a satin finish for maximum smoothness. That's heavier than the 80 g/m² in a standard Leuchtturm1917. Goldspot calls it fountain pen and marker friendly. For the same paper in a smaller, stapled book, see the [Clairefontaine 1951 Staplebound](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/clairefontaine-1951-staplebound-notebook/). ## Which ruling should you choose? **Lined for notes, French-ruled for handwriting practice, graph for math.** The lined version has 8 mm lines and a red margin on the left, per Goulet. French ruling is the Seyès grid used in French schools, which Clairefontaine calls grands carreaux; Goulet suggests it for practicing handwriting. Clairefontaine's French page lists more rulings, including 5 × 5 mm squares, that aren't always sold in the US. ## Who is it best for? **Anyone who writes a lot with fountain pens and wants a full-size page.** Goulet files the lined A4 under novel writing, and suggests the French-ruled version for handwriting practice. The double wire lets the notebook fold back on itself, so it takes up half the desk space when open. Students who take long lecture notes, writers drafting by hand and anyone practicing calligraphy-style handwriting get the most out of the large page. If you'd rather carry something smaller, Goulet also sells Classic Wirebound notebooks in pocket size, and Classic Staplebound notebooks in A5 and pocket sizes. ## Is A4 bigger than US Letter? **Taller and slightly narrower.** A4 is 210 × 297 mm; US Letter is 215.9 × 279.4 mm, so an A4 page gives you about 18 mm more height. Our [paper sizes guide](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/paper-sizes-explained/) compares both. A Letter-size sheet fits inside the notebook only if you trim about 6 mm off the width. US binders and sheet protectors are made for Letter, so check yours before you buy. ## How does it compare with other spiral notebooks? **Better paper, fewer sheets.** An [Oxford 1-Subject spiral notebook](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/oxford-1-subject-spiral-notebook/) is a cheaper school staple with more sheets; the Clairefontaine has 50 sheets of 90 g/m² paper made for ink. If you want a heavier wirebound book with more sheets, Clairefontaine sells the same model with 74 to 180 sheets in some rulings on its French site. ## Where is it made? **Clairefontaine doesn't say on this product's page.** Its history page says the company has made paper at Étival-Clairefontaine, in eastern France, since 1858, and that paper, envelopes and notebooks are all still made on that site. Neither Goulet nor Goldspot prints a country of origin, so check the back cover. For other notebooks that suit fountain pens, see [best notebooks for fountain pens](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-notebooks-for-fountain-pens/). ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Clairefontaine paper good for fountain pens? Yes, it's one of the papers fountain pen shops recommend most. Goulet describes its 90 g paper as having a satin finish for smooth writing, and Goldspot calls it fountain pen and marker friendly. ### Is A4 the same as US Letter? No. A4 is 210 × 297 mm; US Letter is 8.5 × 11 in (215.9 × 279.4 mm), about 6 mm wider and 18 mm shorter. ### What is French ruling on a Clairefontaine notebook? It's the Seyès grid, the ruling used in French schools, which Clairefontaine calls grands carreaux. Goulet sells it as the French-ruled version and suggests it for handwriting practice. ### Can I choose the cover color? Not at Goulet Pens, which receives the notebooks in assorted color packs and ships one at random. ### Are the pages perforated? No. Goulet lists no perforation on the Classic Wirebound A4, so pages tear out along the wire. ### How many pages are in a Clairefontaine A4 wirebound notebook? This one has 50 sheets, which is 100 pages. Clairefontaine also makes the same notebook with 74, 90, 112 and 180 sheets in some rulings. ## Sources - [Clairefontaine (France): Cahier reliure intégrale 68145C (A4, 50 sheets, lined + margin, Vélin Velouté 90 g/m², soft card cover, Metric range, EAN 3329680681451; read October 22, 2026)](https://www.clairefontaine.com/fr/3384-5376-cahier-reliure-integrale-68141c.html) - [Clairefontaine (France): Historique & Patrimoine (paper mill at Étival-Clairefontaine since 1858; paper, envelopes and notebooks still made on site)](https://www.clairefontaine.com/fr/contenu/16/historique-patrimoine) - [The Goulet Pen Company: Clairefontaine Classic Wirebound A4 Notebook, Lined (50 sheets, 90 g, 8 mm lines, red margin, double wire, 10 mm thick, assorted colors; code CF-68145C; 117 reviews; read October 22, 2026)](https://www.gouletpens.com/products/clairefontaine-classic-wirebound-a4-notebook-lined) - [The Goulet Pen Company: Clairefontaine Classic Wirebound A4 Notebook, French-Ruled (Seyès; code CF-68141C; 136 reviews)](https://www.gouletpens.com/products/clairefontaine-classic-wirebound-a4-notebook-french-ruled) - [The Goulet Pen Company: Best sellers (French-ruled at No. 95, lined at No. 97, October 22, 2026)](https://www.gouletpens.com/collections/best-sellers) - [Goldspot Pens: Clairefontaine Wirebound Ruled with Margin Notebook, 8.25 × 11.75 in (laminated, water-resistant covers; brushed vellum 90 g; fountain pen and marker friendly)](https://goldspot.com/products/clairefontaine-notebk-wb-rwm-50s-8-1-4x11)