Posts filed under Notebook Reviews

Story Supply Co. Pocket Staple Notebook Edition 407 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.)

I'm late, and not even fashionably so, to the Story Supply Co. party. They launched right when I hit pocket-notebook-overwhelm in my own stash, and I was on a self-imposed moratorium. And even though I loved their name (I love stories more than I love pens--shh, don't tell), and I love their awesome mission to bring writing and creative expression to underserved communities--I still was not allowed to buy any more pocket notebooks.

I'm really sorry I waited. These notebooks are delightful. I can already hear my stash growing again.

This 407 edition was named to honor the 407 Kickstarter backers who helped launch the brand. I would also like to thank those folks--you've done the world a great service. This special edition has a wine-colored 100 lb cardstock cover, embossed with the logo. The cover has a gorgeous linen-finish texture to it. It feels fantastic, and it's both rugged and elegant. It's bound with copper staples and the standard 48-pages, here in 70 lb dot grid.

Every writing tool I tried loved this paper. It was a bit smooth for a soft pencil, but I had no trouble even with my broad, wet fountain pen nibs. To really put it to the test, I dragged one around with me on a four-day writer's conference, using it to take notes on panels, write down people's contact info or book titles, and as a general daily journal. I was deliberately hard on it. And if you look closely at the notebook that's outside of the label in the picture--the one that's face-down--you can kind of see fingerprints on it. As in...it still looks new. I was almost disappointed in its durability because I wanted it to look as loved as it is. But you're just going to have to take my word for it--or, better yet, try them out for yourself.

For every pack you buy, a Story Supply kit will be sent to a kid in need--and those voices, those stories really need to get on paper. So load up! Forget whatever silly rules you have about pocket notebook quantity limits. You'll get some great notebooks, and so will the next generation of storytellers.

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

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Posted on June 8, 2017 by Sarah Read and filed under Story Supply Co., Notebook Reviews.

Lucrin A5 Leather Notebook Review

Lucrin first came on my radar last year when they sent me several leather pen accessories to review. They were well designed and well made, and I have the three pen tray in use on my desk to this day.

The A5 Leather Notebook is the latest Lucrin product to hit my desk, and my feelings are much more mixed on this one. There is no doubt it is beautiful, but the performance is lacking. At over $150 as configured I expect more. Like it should clean my pens and re-ink them when I’m done writing more.

This notebook sits solidly in the gift category at this price point, so is it fair for me to review it from a daily stationery users perspective? Absolutely. Why buy, or gift, a product if you don’t expect it to be used?

The exterior of the Lucrin A5 Notebook is the standout feature. The pebbled Sky Blue leather looks amazing, and the stitching and construction are top-notch. It is a pleasure to look at and carry. My name embossing is sharp, although I’d prefer a choice of fonts, and you can select the stitching color as well.

If everything on the outside is a 10 out of 10, the insides are along the lines of 6 out of 10. Good, but not great. A tick above average. For the price, I expect excellence.

Let’s start with the line rulings: They are too dark and too narrow. I was immediately taken aback by their darkness against the ivory page when I opened the book. They actually look better with words between the lines, but still, appearances mean a lot, and they are too strong. With only 5 mm between them, they are too narrow as well. I write small enough to make it work, but for general use, lined paper needs to have 6 mm to 7 mm spacing. The spacing also makes the line darkness look darker.

The paper quality is average at best. If this were a blind test I would say this paper stock is equivalent to what Moleskine uses. That makes it fine for some pens - like gel and ballpoint - but hit or miss with liquid inks like rollerball and fountain pens. You have to keep your writing pace up when using wider, wetter pens or risk them bleeding or feathering. And even if they don’t, the ghosting level is high if you are planning on using both sides of the page.

You could argue the acceptability of some of these flaws if the price point of the notebook weren’t $150. But when we as users have options for nearly perfect paper in the $20 price range, the issues become glaring.

I don’t see how I could recommend this notebook to anyone who cares about the writing experience. Lucrin is a leather company first and foremost, and that shows in this product.

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

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Posted on May 22, 2017 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Lucrin, Notebook Reviews.

Tom Bihn Sketchbook And Pen Review

There are few companies in the world that I respect more than Tom Bihn. Their designs, quality, aesthetic, and philosophy speak to me on a personal level like no other. They have also been a great supporter of the blog and community for the past several years, and when they told me they were sending me a secret package recently, I had no idea what to expect.

I guessed it might be related to the Field Journal I reviewed last year, and I was happy to be right and wrong at the same time. It was writing related, but wasn’t a bag at all.

The Tom Bihn Sketchbook & Pen was a huge surprise, and had me grinning from ear to ear. And when I read Tom’s story of how it came to be, I was even more excited about it. I can now use the tools of the master!

The sketchbook is simple. The pages are approximately 5” square, allowing it to be used in any orientation, and blank, to keep the slate clean. It is spiral bound to allow you to tear and share your ideas, with strong cardboard covers for stability. The Organizer Pouch design on the front cover is a great added touch.

The included pen is the world-famous Bic 4-Color, but in the more portable mini size. As Tom states, having these four colors available in one pen allows him to “delineate layers, processes, ordinal priority, whatever makes sense at the moment.” I don’t have his skills, but I absolutely use different colors to denote different things when sketching, so this is a great match.

If you expect this paper to be used with pens other than ballpoints or pencils, you will be disappointed. I’m willing to give this a pass because this is Tom’s notebook, designed specifically for him. He had to order them in a large enough quantity to get the price down and couldn’t use them all himself!