TAGGED MEMO PAD: A Waterproof Pocket Notebook

(This article was first published on Mai-Bun. Written by Takuya Takahashi. English translation by Bruce Eimon.)

You know that little tag that is stapled onto your your clothes when they come back from the dry cleaners?

Did you know that those tags are stapled onto your clothes BEFORE they get washed? If you think about it, it makes perfect sense - if it was done afterwards, they would have no idea which shirt belonged to whom. But think this through all the way.. The washing machines used by dry cleaners are no slouches. They are heavy-duty industrial strength machines that give your clothes a thorough wash. A tag that can survive such a thorough beating is not just waterproof - it is a special kind of paper that is literally classified as “washer-proof” paper. TAGGED MEMO is a pocket notebook made out of this washer-proof paper.

This unique design gives you a very comfortable grip.

Its soft cover allows it to easily conform to the curvature of your pocket.

The entire notebook is made out of the washer-proof paper, so it can take a beating, easily withstanding any rain or your wet hands. Even if you drop it in a puddle or put it through the washer, just dry it out in the sun and it will be ready to use again. (A video of how the paper weathers 8 hours of being soaked in water: https://vimeo.com/152410499) Just be careful, though. The paper may survive, but any kind of water-soluble dye based ink may wash out when it is immersed in water. The Fisher Space Pen or the Unibal Power Tank may be good companions for this notebook.

Most “water-proof” paper out on the market is heavily coated, giving it a slick and glossy feel. This paper is quite different. It is slightly toothy and has a fibrous texture that feels quite nice to write on, especially with pencil. With fountain pens it feathers a bit and feels a little scratchy. Then again, this is not meant to be written on with water soluble inks. Each page is perforated, and you get 100 full pages.

This is one sturdy pocket notebook that will last you a very long time. With extended use it even takes on a nice worn look, like a nice pair of broken-in jeans. No need to be dainty with this one. You can take it anywhere!

Recommended for:

• People who like the outdoors.
• People who have painful memories of ruining their notebooks in the rain/pool/sprinkler.
• Meteorologists and reporters who spend a lot of time chasing storms. :)

Information: TAGGED MEMO PAD｜HI MOJIMOJI

Maruman Spiral Note Basic Notebook Review

“Hi Brad,

I’m a student on a budget and am looking for a notebook with paper that will allow me to use all of my favorite pens and is affordable. Can you help me out?

Sincerely,

Lots of emailers during back to school season”

Historically, this is one of the harder emails for me to answer, until now that is. The Maruman Spiral Note Basic Notebook is the answer.

There are a ton of variables in the notebook needs for students. One main requirement rarely changes though: They want a side bound notebook. That’s what they have used all their lives, that’s what is available at local office supply retailers, and that is the most functional layout for sometimes limited writing areas students have to work in.

You would think this would be an easy answer, but for the stationery obsessives that are emailing me it isn’t. And it hasn’t been for me either.

Most students with this question are wanting to use fountain pens, and almost none of the readily available store options are going to cut it. The paper isn’t good enough. If it was, they wouldn’t be emailing me.

On the other end of the spectrum, paper that is fountain pen friendly usually comes in a bad format for students - top bound, hard cover, too few sheets, etc. - and expensive on top of that.

The Kokuyo Campus lineup is one I’ve pointed to on occasion. They meet the paper requirements, but are either too few pages or too expensive, depending on which of the many models you are looking at.

I also mention Rhodia a lot because they are more readily available, although not exactly cheap. The top bound nature of the pads isn’t great for students who need to constantly refer to their notes, or who need a more compact notebook.

So back to the Maruman Spiral Note. It ticks nearly all of the boxes students want in a notebook. Side spiral bound, 80 perforated pages, B5 size, high quality paper, and cheap, at least compared to other nice notebooks. I’ll grant that $6 is still expensive compared to the $1-$2 store bought notebooks, but the performance you get from the paper is worth it if you are using fountain pens.

The Spiral Note also comes in lined, grid, or blank, so students can choose the format that is best for them. If these were available when I was in school I would have a stack of the graph notebooks without a doubt. It handled every pen and pencil I threw at it with ease, with the exception of alcohol-based markers. The Sharpie test failed big time. But other than that is was a joy.

I’m having a hard time adding something to the negative column for this notebook. It’s kind of ugly I guess? The basic kraft covers are boring and are bad photo subjects, but at least they are thick and should stand up to heavy academic usage. They are perfect for doodles and stickers though.

The paper quality is the star here. If these 80 sheets of Maruman goodness came as a loose leaf pack it would still be worth the money in my book. That it is bound and designed with students in mind it makes it an easy choice for anyone wanting a better note taking experience.

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

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Stifflexible Vintage Surfing Notebook Review

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

With winter just around the corner, a summer-themed notebook might keep thoughts of summer nearby as temperatures drop. That's part of what you get with the Stifflexible Vintage Surfing notebook, along with some decent paper with a variety of ruling.

This might be the first notebook I've used that contains ruled, blank, and graph paper all in the same book. With this Stifflexible notebook, you get 144 ruled pages, 32 blank pages, and 16 detachable graph pages. This is a unique feature that seemed odd at first, but is really useful in certain cases.

The big feature of this notebook (and possibly the namesake) is the flexible cover. Instead of a stiff, flat cover, this notebook has a couple of thin spots in the front and back covers that make it incredibly easy to bend. It doesn't quite fold, but it does make it easy to flip through the notebook. While it works flawlessly, I'm not sure it really adds anything to the notebook or elevates it above other notebooks with more "traditional" covers.

There's an elastic band that keeps the cover snug when not in use, and it has the perfect amount of tension for keeping the book closed without being too tight when pulling it aside. The band is also color coordinated with the different notebook covers.

Speaking of which, the cover designs are quite a statement. The notebook I have features the "Surf Rider Long Beach" variant, which includes some bold text and a graphic of a person holding a surf board. It's visually interesting, but I can guess that it might put some people off due to the overstated design and large lettering. The "Adrenaline" cover features a VW bus and has a more calm aesthetic that is centered along the notebook like a logo. All three covers feature some fun west coast imagery that paints a relaxing, chill vibe. The good thing about this notebook is that you'll know before you buy it if you'll like the design. Once you crack open the cover, it's just a regular notebook.

The majority of the pages are lined, and the lines are similar to a college rule, or 6mm. The lines are a tad dark for my tastes, but just barely. The lines are some shade of gray while the paper is ivory, making for a nice contrast.

The pages aren't numbered and there aren't any dedicated "subject" areas like many Japanese notebooks feature. The binding is also well done, even if it does take a bit of effort to make the notebook lay flat and stay open. With a little massaging, it breaks in nicely. The back inside cover also features a small pocket — and the pocket cover doubles as a bookmark. Additionally, each notebook contains a cardboard bookmark that also has a six-inch ruler printed on it.

According to the notebook, the paper is recycled, acid-free, and 80gsm. These are all good things, and I can say that the paper is mostly smooth with a slightly noticeable tooth. The main downside for me is the feathering and show-through. It's a minor niggle, but keep it in mind if show-through, feathering, or bleeding are qualities you dislike in paper. For my tastes, the amount of show-through in the paper makes the back of the page unusable. At any rate, it's an example that proves that 80gsm papers are not created equally; just because you enjoy one paper that is rated at 80gsm does not mean they all perform the same. Rhodia and Leuchtturm1917 are two brands that I use frequently, and they're also rated at 80gsm. But, the performance of those papers far exceed that of the Stifflexible paper. That being said, it's workable — especially if you aren't using fountain pens.

Finally, the pricing for this notebook is something of a perk, coming in at around $16 retail. You can normally find them a few bucks cheaper, coming in around $13, which make them a pretty good deal.

If you like the vintage surf aesthetic that these notebooks wear proudly, then these are right up your alley. The paper is acceptable, eco-friendly, and plentiful, and the added feature of having flexible covers is unique and (sometimes) useful. Check out all the colors and designs at Pen Chalet.

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

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