--- title: "Clairefontaine My.Essential Notebook: A5, 90 g Paper" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/clairefontaine-my-essential-notebook/" description: "Clairefontaine Age Bag My.Essential explained: a sewn A5 notebook, 14.5 × 21 cm, 192 pages of 90 g/m² ivory Vélin Velouté, numbered pages, index and origin." category: "Notebooks" type: "Journal" published: 2026-10-22 updated: 2026-10-22 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 3 products: - name: "Clairefontaine Age Bag My.Essential sewn notebook, A5, dot grid, Black (793431C)" brand: "Clairefontaine" brand_origin: "France" made_in: "France" material: "Ivory Vélin Velouté paper, 90 g/m², PEFC; glossy card cover with leather-grain embossing; sewn binding" price_band: "$$$ ($20–75 per notebook, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Clairefontaine Rhodia (Exacompta Clairefontaine group); sold in the US by Exaclair" model: "793431C (A5, dot grid, black)" gtin: "3329687934314" url: "https://www.clairefontaine.com/fr/3524-7222-myessential-carnet-brochure-cousue-age-bag-793421c.html" --- # Clairefontaine My.Essential Notebook: A5, 90 g Paper > The Clairefontaine My.Essential is a sewn A5 notebook from the Age Bag collection: 14.5 × 21 cm, 96 sheets (192 pages) of ivory 90 g/m² Vélin Velouté paper in dot grid, lined or 5 mm squares. It adds an 8-page index, 184 numbered pages, 16 detachable pages, an elastic, a ribbon and two pockets, and is made in France. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/clairefontaine-my-essential-notebook/ - Category: Notebooks - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-22 - Updated: 2026-10-22 ![Clairefontaine My.Essential A5 in black, closed with its elastic and opened on ivory dot-grid numbered pages](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/clairefontaine-my-essential-notebook-16x9.png) *The My.Essential closed and open, drawn to scale (1 mm = 1 px).* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Clairefontaine Age Bag My.Essential sewn notebook, A5, dot grid, Black (793431C) | Clairefontaine (by Clairefontaine Rhodia (Exacompta Clairefontaine group); sold in the US by Exaclair) | France | France | Ivory Vélin Velouté paper, 90 g/m², PEFC; glossy card cover with leather-grain embossing; sewn binding | – | $$$: $20–75 per notebook | - Made in (Clairefontaine Age Bag My.Essential sewn notebook, A5, dot grid, Black (793431C)): France. Clairefontaine's French product page says the Vélin Velouté paper is made in France by Clairefontaine and that the notebook is hand-finished (façonné à la main). It doesn't name a separate country for the binding. Source: https://www.clairefontaine.com/fr/3524-7222-myessential-carnet-brochure-cousue-age-bag-793421c.html ## Key takeaways - Clairefontaine's French site lists the My.Essential at 14.5 × 21 cm (5.7 × 8.3 in) with 96 sheets (192 pages). - The paper is ivory Vélin Velouté at 90 g/m², made in France by Clairefontaine and PEFC certified. - There are 184 numbered pages, the last 16 detachable, plus an 8-page table of contents. - Rulings are 5 mm dot grid, lined or 5 mm squares, in six cover colors; the black dot-grid book is reference 793431C. - US retailers sell it in our $$$ band ($20–75). ## What is the Clairefontaine My.Essential? **The My.Essential is the sewn A5 journal of Clairefontaine's Age Bag collection, with numbered pages, an index and Clairefontaine's 90 g/m² paper.** Age Bag notebooks have card covers tinted through and embossed to look like grained leather. Goulet Pens pitches it as a field book, lab book, research journal or daily log, and recommends it for bullet journaling. It does the same job as the hardcover dot-grid journals from Leuchtturm1917 and Moleskine, with a lighter card cover. ## Clairefontaine My.Essential specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Size | A5, 14.5 × 21 cm (5.7 × 8.3 in) | | Sheets | 96 (192 pages) | | Page layout | 8-page table of contents + 184 numbered pages, last 16 detachable | | Paper | Vélin Velouté, ivory, 90 g/m², PEFC | | Rulings | 5 mm dot grid · lined with header box · 5 mm squares with header box | | Binding | Sewn (brochure cousue) | | Cover | Glossy card, tinted, leather-grain embossing | | Extras | Elastic and ribbon matching the cover, small front pocket, gusseted back pocket | | Colors | Black, Red, Blue, Green, Grey, Tobacco | | Reference | 793431C (dot grid, black) | | Made in | France | All figures are from Clairefontaine's French product page. ![The 192 pages of the My.Essential in order: 8 contents pages, 168 numbered pages and 16 detachable numbered pages](https://stationerytimes.com/images/clairefontaine-my-essential-notebook-pages.svg) *Where the index, numbered pages and tear-out pages sit.* ## Is the paper good for fountain pens? **The 90 g/m² Vélin Velouté paper is the main reason to buy this notebook, and Clairefontaine sells it on its smoothness.** Clairefontaine says it gives a unique glide; the same family of paper is in the [Clairefontaine 1951 notebook](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/clairefontaine-1951-staplebound-notebook/) and the [Triomphe pad](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/clairefontaine-triomphe-pad/). At 90 g/m² it is heavier than the 80 g/m² paper in most A5 journals, which helps against show-through. We haven't tested the My.Essential ourselves; our [best notebooks for fountain pens](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-notebooks-for-fountain-pens/) compares it with Rhodia, Midori and Tomoe River. ## How do the index, numbered pages and pockets work? **Number, index, file: the My.Essential is set up so you can find a note months later.** Every page from the first ruled page on is numbered, and the 8-page table of contents at the front lets you list topics against page numbers, the core habit of bullet journaling. The last 16 numbered pages are detachable, per Clairefontaine, for lists or notes you want to hand on without tearing the binding. A small pocket inside the front cover takes cards or stamps, and a larger gusseted pocket at the back holds receipts, tickets or loose sheets. The elastic and the ribbon match the cover color. Because the cover is card rather than board, the book is lighter and more flexible than a hardcover journal, but it gives less support when you write on your lap. ## Which ruling should you choose? **Choose dot grid for bullet journals and mixed notes, lined for prose, and the 5 mm squares for maths and tables.** The lined and squared versions have a header box at the top of each page; the dot grid doesn't. All three have the same 192 pages, numbering, index and pockets. Our [dot grid vs lined vs grid](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/dot-grid-vs-lined-vs-grid/) guide goes deeper on rulings. ## How does it compare to a Leuchtturm1917 Medium? **The My.Essential has heavier, smoother paper and a lighter card cover; the [Leuchtturm1917 Medium](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/leuchtturm1917-a5-notebook/) has a hard cover and more pages.** | | Clairefontaine My.Essential | Leuchtturm1917 Medium | |---|---|---| | Size | 145 × 210 mm | 145 × 210 mm | | Pages | 192 (184 numbered) | 251, numbered | | Paper | 90 g/m² Vélin Velouté | 80 g/m² | | Cover | Card, leather-grain | Hard cover | | Pockets | Front and back | Back | ## Where is the Clairefontaine My.Essential made? **Clairefontaine says the paper is made in France by Clairefontaine and the notebook is hand-finished.** Clairefontaine is part of the Exacompta Clairefontaine group, and Exaclair distributes it in the US. ## Frequently asked questions ### How many pages does the Clairefontaine My.Essential have? 96 sheets, or 192 pages: an 8-page table of contents and 184 numbered pages, the last 16 of which are detachable, per Clairefontaine. ### What paper weight is the My.Essential? 90 g/m² Clairefontaine Vélin Velouté in ivory, the same family of smooth paper Clairefontaine is known for. ### Is the Clairefontaine My.Essential good for bullet journaling? It has the features bullet journalers look for: a 5 mm dot grid, numbered pages and an index. Goulet Pens recommends it for bullet journaling. ### Does the Clairefontaine My.Essential lie flat? It is sewn (brochure cousue), which lets a notebook open flatter than glued bindings; Clairefontaine doesn't make a lie-flat claim, and we haven't tested it. ### What colors does the My.Essential come in? Clairefontaine lists Black, Red, Blue, Green, Grey and Tobacco, though not every color comes in every ruling. ### What is Clairefontaine Age Bag? Age Bag is Clairefontaine's collection of notebooks with tinted card covers that imitate leather grain; the My.Essential is its sewn A5 journal with numbered pages. ### Is the Clairefontaine My.Essential made in France? Yes. Clairefontaine says its Vélin Velouté paper is made in France and the notebook is hand-finished. ## Sources - [Clairefontaine (FR): My.Essential carnet brochure cousue Age Bag (793431C dot, EAN 3329687934314, 14.5 × 21 cm, 96 sheets / 192 pages, 184 numbered pages, last 16 detachable, 8-page contents, elastic, ribbon, 2 pockets, 90 g/m² ivory Vélin Velouté made in France, hand-finished; read October 22, 2026)](https://www.clairefontaine.com/fr/3524-7222-myessential-carnet-brochure-cousue-age-bag-793421c.html) - [Goulet Pens: Clairefontaine Basic My Essential A5 Notebook, Black, Dot Grid (96 sheets, 90 g ivory, 5 mm dots, numbered pages, contents, pockets; US listing)](https://www.gouletpens.com/products/clairefontaine-basic-my-essential-notebook-a5-black-dot-grid) - [Goulet Pens: Clairefontaine Basic My Essential A5 Notebook, Grey, Dot Grid](https://www.gouletpens.com/products/clairefontaine-basic-my-essential-a5-notebook-grey-dot-grid)