Kokuyo Campus High Grade Notebooks (CYO-BO and MIO) Review

I bought a Kokuyo Campus notebook with CYO-BO paper over a year ago with intentions of reviewing it, but Kokuyo had another plan. I'm not sure when it happened, but they stopped selling the high grade notebooks with the CYO-BO paper. This is a shame, but it looks like they're replaced it with another notebook. The Kokuyo Campus high grade with MIO paper. So, which one is better, and is the MIO worth buying now?

The Similarities

The notebooks both share quite a few similarities. From what I can tell, the only differences are the number of pages in the notebook and what kind of paper they use.

Both notebooks are semi-B5 (9.9x7") and have 7mm ruling with subtle blue-gray lines. There's an area at the top of each page for a title or subject, a number, and the date. Each notebook has 30 lines per page.

A complaint of mine for both notebooks is the binding. It's some sort of glue binding, and it makes it difficult for some of the pages to lay flat, causing some wrinkling in the page that you're trying to write on. This wasn't a huge deal since I could bend and abuse the notebook into submission, but it was an annoyance.

Both papers are archive-safe and acid-free. The MIO notebook has a page at the beginning for your name, subject, etc, while the CYO-BO does not.

I mentioned I didn't like the glue binding, but I am a fan of the shiny silver tape that they use to cover the binding on the outside. Both notebooks have covers that are made of slightly light-weight cardstock. They won't hold up well in a back-pack.

The Differences

The only difference in these notebooks is the paper. In a sentence, the CYO-BO paper is thick and velvety, and the MIO is thin and light. They're both smooth and handle inks extremely well – I haven't noticed any feathering – but the paper weight is a major difference.

The CYO-BO notebook is about twice the thickness as the MIO notebook, even though there's only a 20 sheet difference.

CYO-BO Performance

I'll keep this brief since it's no longer for sale. This is a spectacular paper that handled all of my pens and inks with great ease. No feathering, hardly any show-through, and not much feedback. Great paper. I'll be disappointed when I finish this notebook.

CYO-BO Front

CYO-BO Back

MIO Performance

This is a lovely paper. First touch makes you think of the Tomoe River paper. It's thin, light, and smooth. It's not Tomoe River paper, though. Despite being thin paper, there's no feathering at all. There's a good amount of show-through, but that's to be expected for thin paper. Keep in mind, I'm talking about show-through, not bleed-through. I haven't seen any bleed-through.

The paper feels almost slippery with certain pens. Particularly gel pens – they wanted to slide off the page. I like this effect, but it could take some adjustment. Fountain pens felt great and there is just enough tooth to maintain excellent control of the nib.

Kokuyo explains that the MIO paper stands for "Mobile Ideal Original" paper. I'm not sure what that means, but I can vouch for the quality of the paper.

MIO Front

MIO Back

Conclusion

The Kokuyo Campus high grade MIO notebook is an excellent writing tool. It's extremely thin and handles pens and inks with ease. I love the size of semi-B5, but they also sell A5 for this notebook.

The major cause of hesitancy for me is the paper thickness. Being so thin, there's a good amount of show-through on the back sides of the paper. For me, this means I can't use both sides of the sheet. Effectively, this is a 30-page notebook for me, unless I use gel pens that are less than 0.5mm or pencils. Given the price, I don't think this is a good value. Still, it's fun to try and experience the silky smooth paper. Hopefully, Kokuyo will keep this notebook around for a while longer.

JetPens offers the MIO notebooks with blue and red accents in B5 or A5, and as bundles.

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

JAWNS No. 1 Notebook Review

Instagram is one of my favorite tools for discovery of new and interesting products. It is where I first stumbled on the ridiculously cool Pilot Kakuno and, more recently, where I found a curious notebook with a curious name: JAWNS.

JAWNS is an acronym meaning Journal for All things Written Needed and Sketched. An all encompassing name for an all encompassing notebook, JAWNS tries to cover it all with the number of features they pack into a 3.6" x 5" notebook. I think they succeeded.

The first thing that caught my eye in the early images I saw was the use of two credit card slots inside the front cover. While that idea isn't exactly new and novel in leather memo book covers, it is less frequently seen built into a paper cover notebook. JAWNS uses 80 lb. Yupo cover stock to handle the added wear and tear the cover gets. If Yupo sounds familiar, it is the same water and tear proof paper used in the Field Notes Expedition Edition. The JAWNS cover is going to hold up well to daily use.

That's good, because the front card pockets are only the beginning. The inside back cover contains a single full-length utility pocket for larger paper notes, receipts, stickers, etc. While that is standard fare in many notebooks, the money pocket across the insdie back length of the notebook is a cool addition. Before I dropped my singles in there I assumed it would be a full-depth pocket but was pleasantly surprised that it was only half-depth, meaning your bills are easily accessible as if they were in a bi-fold wallet.

When it comes time to jot down your innermost thoughts, international flight changes, or make a depression robe shopping list, the uncoated 50 lb. triangle grid paper in the JAWNS notebook gets the job done. It's not fountain pen friendly as evidenced by the writing samples, but handled everything else (except the Pilot FriXion) well. The rollerball and liquid ink pens were the best, with my Kuretake Mangaka 02 Purple getting the call for the handwritten portion of the review.

In talking with Daniel, the co-founder of JAWNS, simplicity and freedom drive the design behind the brand. That shows through in this limited all-white design, with cool added touches like embossed stamping and an edition card with specs like manufacture date and edition run. Future editions will include varied cover styles, designs, and colors.

Where does the JAWNS brand notebook fit in this great big world of paper at our fingertips? At $12 each it isn't cheap but it provides high utility. For urban warriors bouncing through the city or travellers looking to lighten their load it is ideal. It is a notebook begging to be used and carried daily with the inclusion of the card pockets and money pocket. Leave the junk behind and simplify with JAWNS.

Big thanks to Daniel and JAWNS for providing this review sample free of charge. Daniel has also offered up a discount to all Pen Addict readers for 15% off at checkout by using the code PENADDICT. The offer expires on 3/28 so get on it if you want to give JAWNS a try.

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.)