Posts filed under Notebook Reviews

Darling Clementine Letterpressed Notebook Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter.)

When you love paper and ink, you love letterpresses. It just comes with the territory. I've never had the good fortune to play with one myself, but I've seen a number of them in action, and they never fail to enchant me. And it has (of course) led to a fondness for letterpressed notebooks and stationery. When I saw the Darling Clementine Letterpressed Notebooks pop up at JetPens, and saw they had one that had a feather quill, inkwell, notebook, books, knitting, and tea ALL ON THE SAME COVER, I was pretty much sold. Honestly, the paper inside could have been made out of cocktail napkins and I'd still have wanted it.

The notebooks come in two-packs, and this set features some of the best and coziest things in the world. They are staple-bound with 64 pages of blank, kraft, 40# paper. The price seemed a bit high to me until I read more about the company and printing process, then my geek brain took over and all was well with the world again.

The covers are handprinted with a Heidelberg press (go ahead and take a moment to fall down a YouTube wormhole of letterpress videos; I'll wait). They're a nice, tactile cardstock, and the printing process leaves them with a neat debossed texture. This is the sort of cover that I plan on cutting off the notebook and putting on the wall when it's purpose is served.

The paper is fairly fibrous and absorbs liquids, so I didn't have much luck with fountain pen ink, paints, or markers. Bolder tips caused slight bleed-through, though it wasn't as dire as I'd expected. Very fine, firm-tipped pens tended to snag on the paper fibers. Graphic liners, rollerballs, gel pens, and colored pencils all worked very well.

I think these would make great journals, scrapbooks, commonplace books, or sketchbooks. The A5 size is perfect for travel, and they're thin enough that they could even be used as inserts for an A5 traveler's notebook cover--though then you wouldn't get to see the lovely pressed covers. Overall, I'm pleased, and I'm glad the paper is more useful than I'd worried it might be. I often avoid kraft paper, but this paper seems more resilient than what I've encountered in past experiences. I'm glad the charming cover seduced me, and now I've got my eye on their other products.

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

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Posted on February 23, 2017 by Sarah Read and filed under Darling Clementine, Notebook Reviews.

Rhodia A6 Pad Holder Review

Finding covers for your favorite notebooks is not the easiest task. I should know, seeing as I own a company that makes pen cases which also hold notebooks. Sure, finding something to hold your favorite 3.5” x 5.5” memo book is not that difficult, but the choices dwindle quickly once you start looking other paper sizes.

Rhodia is a big player in the aforementioned other paper sizes, featuring a range of pads from A7 through A4, and outliers like the mini 2” x 3” note pad, or the popular 3” x 8-1/4”, which is used frequently for task lists. If anyone has incentive to add accessories to their product lineup it is Rhodia.

There are six different pad holder sizes, each available in Black or Rhodia Orange, plus a single stray Silver pad holder with orange stitching for their 3-3/8” x 4-3/4” No. 12 pad. My choice for this review was the Rhodia Pad Holder Black 4.5 x 6.25 Graph Notepad, which holds Rhodia’s A6 sized note pad. This size and format is perfect for on the go writing, which is also a situation where I am most likely to use some type of cover.

The pad holder is simple to use. The back cover of the note pad slides into a sleeve on the inside back of the pad holder, covering about two-thirds of the cover. The front cover slides in similarly on the inside front of the pad holder, covering around one-third of the cover. When closed, it provides a perfect fit and good protection. When opened, the pad holder allows the front cover to slide enough to allow for the pad to flip back, while still staying inside the pad holder.

One issue I ran across is I have to use my non-writing hand to hold down top flap while writing on the bottom page. This is due to the smaller notebook size. The smaller the pad, the more likely the cover is to flip up. It’s not a deal-breaker by any means, and you may already do this as a habit with your smaller pads. I was able to fold the top of the cover under the pad easily, which helped when writing.

The pad holder itself is well made. It is soft to the touch, and has solid stitching. It even has a pen loop, although it is only designed to hold normal-to-narrow barreled pens. Most fountain pens will have a tough time sliding in the loop. The paper, well, what can I say. It’s Rhodia, so it is some of the best on the market.

The pad holder I reviewed is only $15.50 at Goldspot, and comes with a matching note pad on the inside. The smallest size, for the A7 note pad, is $11.50, and the big A4 size runs $42. These prices are very fair for the product, and the fact paper is included. If you are looking for added protection for your top-bound note pads, Rhodia might have the perfect pad holder for you.

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

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Posted on February 6, 2017 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Rhodia, Notebook Reviews.

Write Notepads In The Pines Limited Edition Pocket Notebook Review

In my never-ending quest to buy fewer notebooks, I did exactly what I was not supposed to do: Buy more! I couldn’t help it though. The Write Notepads Winter 2016 release, titled “In The Pines”, was too nice to pass up. I had some experience with Write before, but buying and using these sealed the deal for me. Write Notepads are amazing.

In The Pines spoke to me on several different levels. First off, the design is stunning. The deep forest green cover with the silver stamping is clean, and not overdone. I appreciate the minimal look. The packaging the notebooks come in is a knockout, as with all of Write Notepads limited releases. The design makes you pick them up. The quality found on the inside keeps you coming back.

In my previous experiences with Write Notepads, pencil has been the name of the game. They are wonderful for graphite, and In The Pines is no exception. There is something about the feel of a pencil on their page that is different than other brands. It’s a match made in writing heaven.

I convinced myself I would only be using pencil in this notebook, specifically the Caran d’Ache Swiss Pine I recently bought on sale at Anderson Pens. How perfect is that matchup? But, for this review, I needed to throw some ink at the page as well, and I was happy with the results.

Fountain pens are at the forefront of my usage, and this notebook handles them as well as expected for a non-fountain pen specific paper. My fine and dry nibs were fantastic, with no feathering or bleed. My wide and wet nibs didn’t feather, but there was some bleed. Not much though, as you can see on the back side of the page. All in all, In The Pines handles fountain pens better than many pocket-sized notebooks on the market. Gel, ballpoint, and rollerball pens all behaved nicely, too.

Shipping a paper product that is usable for the vast majority of people is no easy task, and Write Notepads has accomplished that.

We discussed Write Notepads subscription service on the podcast last week, and lo and behold, look what is now available. Memberships are now open, and with my wonderful experience with In The Pines, there was no doubt I was going to sign up. The newsletter announcement didn’t make it easy though. In fact, the newsletter was a full-on train wreck. I’m glad I’m paying them for notebooks, not marketing. Stick to the analog gang!

Of all the things I don’t need, I’m excited to have more notebooks coming my way from Write Notepads. The writing experience is excellent, and I find myself reaching for them constantly because they are enjoyable to use. Check them out if you are looking to add more high-quality notebooks into your life.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!