Apica Wizard Notebook Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

In the world of high-quality, affordable notebooks, you really can't go wrong. This is one of my favorite categories of notebooks because they provide so much value for the price. For just under $8, you can get a fantastic notebook that includes a sturdy binding, tough covers, and 70 sheets of high-quality paper.

There are several comparable options in this particular market, but right now we're looking at the Apica Wizard notebook. This is a newcomer to JetPens, and it's a welcome edition. The only option you have is between gray or blue covers — both of which are subdued colors.

Look & Feel

The Apica Wizard has a sturdy feel to it. It features a twin ring spiral binding that can take a beating (although you could probably bend them if you stuff it into a bag with other large objects). The front and back covers are both made of a medium thickness card stock that will hold up to your average semester of commuting. It's not nearly as thick as something like a Doane Paper Idea Journal, but it's a sturdy thickness.

The first page features a blank line for a title, followed by an index table. Like most Apica papers, there's a "No." and "Date" area in the upper outside corner of each page, followed by 6.5mm-ruled light gray lines with a dot next to each 5th line. Nothing ground-breaking here — very standard.

The front cover has a unique design compared to most of these economical spiral notebooks. It's very simple and somewhat spartan, and doesn't come in overly pastel colors. I'm so accustomed to pastels or ornate designs on these notebooks that I'm not entirly sure if I like it or not. I think my subconscious appreciates the subdued, calm cover design. It's refreshing and still manages to pique your interest.

Paper

How's the paper do? Great. Like most Apica papers, it handles fountain pens with ease. It's not the smoothest paper, but it is very resistant to feathering and show-through. It's a fantastic work horse of a paper. There's a tad of ghosting when writing on the back of a page, but for my tastes it's completely bearable. If you're using a gel pen, pencil, or fine fountain pen, you'll hardly notice anything showing through.

Dry time for the paper is quick, probably because the paper tends to soak the ink up since it lacks a smooth coating on top.

When you consider the price for this notebook ($7.25 right now), there's really nothing to complain about with this paper. It's a fantastic deal if you tend to enjoy spiral-bound notebooks of semi B5 persuasion.

Overall

This is an easy notebook to recommend. If you need a notebook of the semi B5 size and don't mind lined paper, this is definitely worth your time and money. I also like that there's no difference between the blue and gray covers. A lot of notebooks use a color scheme to denote different line formats, blank, grid, etc. paper types. I like that the color option is simple here: just pick the one you like better (or both).

This is a fantastic notebook that packs a lot of value into 70 pages. Definitely give it a try!

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Apica Premium C.D. Notebook A6 Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

There are as many different types of notebooks as there are fountain pens it seems, but you can also argue that each different type excels in different areas for different purposes. In this case, I've had the honor of reviewing an extremely high quality notebook from Apica that continues to blow my mind when I write in it.

The Apica Premium C.D. notebook is one of the most high-quality books I've had the pleasure of using. It makes me smile to move the pen across the page because it glides so effortlessly and never produces any feedback — sometimes I'm amazed that it's even making a mark on the page because it feels so smooth.

According to JetPens, the paper in these notebooks is called "A.Silky 865 Premium," and that's a very apt description. This is a premium product offering from Apica, so the price coincides with that, but it really is worth it if you value the pleasure of writing on paper as smooth as silk.

Of course, there are plenty of other premium notebook offerings from Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Kokuyo, Mnemosyne, and more, but I don't think any of them are as smooth as the paper in this Apica notebook. It really is incredible. Don't get me wrong, the other high-quality notebooks have some awesome paper, but it just isn't glassy smooth like this one.

The notebook I got is a blank version, and I think I'd prefer lines next time, but that's just my own preference. I'm too sloppy of a writer to use a blank notebook effectively.

Moving on from the paper in the notebook, the rest of the book is high-quality as well. The stitching and binding is neat and tight, the covers are sturdy but just a bit flexible, and the notebook is easy to open and lays flat without much problem.

The size I have is A6 (4.1 x 5.8 inches) and contains 96 sheets, although other sizes are available. The A6 size is a bit large for pockets, but does well in purses and smaller pockets in bags.

Quite simply, this notebook comes at a premium price for good reason. It's a dream to write in, and it's built to last. Oh, and it looks pretty classy at the same time. I love the silver embossing and accents. Want to try out a fancy new notebook? Give an Apica Premium C.D. book a try.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Apica CD Notebook Review

I've done a few notebook reviews in the past several weeks, so don't take it lightly when I say that this is one of the best value notebooks available today. The Apica CD11 A5 notebook has quickly flown up the ranks in my mind of notebook ratings. Let's take a look at my reasons for such an opinionated statement.

The Paper

Wowzers — this is some nice paper. It's on par with the Clairefontaine paper that I've reviewed, but it's available at a lower price. $6.95 is the price at JetPens for the A5 size. Oh, and that price includes 3 notebooks that have 28 sheets a piece. I know, right?

The paper is white with gray-blue lines. According to JetPens, the lines are 7 mm apart, which is similar to narrow or "college" rule. It's very smooth to the touch and when you write. Every pen that I've used with this paper has performed admirably. I haven't noticed any negative qualities with the paper except with one ink, but I'll cover that later.

In all the inks and pens I've tried, there's been no feathering (except for one ink) and no bleed through to speak of. Every pen I've tried glides effortlessly over this paper. It's as smooth as can be.

I noticed some feathering when I used J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir on this paper. I used the inks in two pens, and they both had the same symptoms. I wasn't really surprised when the Plumix created some feathering, but I was perplexed when the Kaweco EF also did it. My only answer is that there's some property (or properties) in the Eclat de Saphir that make it susceptible to feathering on this paper. I haven't noticed this behavior from this ink on other papers. Strange.

Anyway, apart from that one downside, I love this paper.

The Style

I went with the navy cover, but the other color options aren't bad. I might end up trying other colors out at some point. JetPens offers these books in yellow, white, sky blue, red, navy, mustard, light green, light blue, and black.

The cover is a thick paper that seems to do OK with regular wear and tear. Personally, I think a nice leather cover would be a great addition to this book. The paper just isn't thick enough to stand up to some of the abuse it might see during its tour of duty. There's silver decorative print (or black, depending on the cover color) and designs on the front cover, and minimal product information on the back. The paper has a nice texture that adds to the feel and aesthetic of the book. Overall, it looks nicer than what it cost.

The book is bound with thread. So far, it's a strong bind and the book has no problem laying flat once you've broken it in a little.

The Value

For the quality of paper in this notebook, you really can't beat the price. Like the description from JetPens says, these "notebooks are ideal for your basic writing needs." Yes, they're relatively inexpensive. Yes, they're fairly basic and offer no perks. But they offer a writing experience that is friendly to every pen I've tried. That's difficult to come by. Give these notebooks a shot! They're available in the A5 size that I've reviewed here, or in semi B5.

(You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution, Twitter, and App.net.)