Field Notes Signature Sketch Book 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 the Field Notes Dime Novel edition released last year, I went a little cuckoo-bananas. It's the first edition that I'd say I stockpiled. I happened to be at the HQ in Chicago just after the release, and I purchased enough of them that I made a bit of a spectacle. Now, I didn't hoard them all--I gave them away as gifts to writer's workshop partners and writing students and co-workers. I gave away so many that I recently noticed I only have one pack left for myself. And I was a little sad. Because I LOVE that edition.

Well, I'm happy now--because Field Notes has released very similar books in their always-available Signature line. Both lined notebooks and blank sketchbooks are available in unlimited quantities, which is my favorite quantity of notebooks.

The new Signature line sketch books are 6.5" by 4.25", just like the Dime Novel edition. Slightly larger than a standard pocket notebook, but still well within the bounds of a comfortably portable book. It's bound with Smyth-sewn binding in three signatures, ideally so that it will lay flat. The book didn't ever lay flat for me, even after some training, but it does at least open fully so that the whole page is useful.

The cover is a blue-grey French cardstock debossed with the logo and branding. The color is very pretty--in some lights it looks like a soft ash grey, and at other times it looks blue. It's the perfect slate sky or winter concrete color. The corners are rounded to prevent wear. Inside, there are 36 sheets of 70 lb bright white, premium woven Strathmore paper. The pages are completely blank--no page numbers, and a much brighter white than the creamy Dime Novel edition paper.

The paper itself feels heavy-duty, and it does stand up to a lot of different media. It's fairly fibrous and toothy. Fine-pointed pens tended to catch in the paper fibers or feel scratchy. Fine-point markers and felt-tip fineliners may get chewed up a little faster on this paper than they would on smoother paper. Very wet inks did feather a bit, also. The only thing that bled through the paper, however, was Sharpie marker. Everything else was nearly invisible on the back side of the sheet.

The paper did stand up well to a light wash. There was some rippling, but less than I expected. It is downright dreamy paper for pencils and colored pencils. The paper has just the right tooth for shading and layering. Ultimately, it serves its purpose as a sketch book very well, while also being useful as a notebook itself. It would be well suited to combination journaling and sketch + text projects, like travel journals or daily reflections.

These are a wonderful and practical addition to the Field Notes Signature line. As much as I love the rare beauty of the limited editions, it's a comfort to know that a good product will always be close at hand--and it's rare for a brand to stay both exciting and reliable at the same time.

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

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Word Notebooks Orange Cover Review

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

It’s been a couple of years since I last reviewed a notebook from Word Notebooks, but I’ve always kept one of their notebooks close by for different uses. One of the more recent versions I’ve picked up is the standard orange covers. With a cover like that, do I really need to explain why I picked them up? The orange covers are unmistakably orange, but they also aren’t the fluorescent orange that pops out and demands attention. Apart from the simple Word logo branding, the notebooks are just plain, beautiful orange.

Word Notebooks come in a three-pack and all feature Word’s own lined ruling with a signature circle check mark on the left side of the page. I’m a fan of the check mark system because it’s there when you need it, but doesn’t stand out if you just want to use the notebook to jot down unordered ideas or notes. There are 48 pages in each notebook, and they’re staple bound with rounded corners. Standard specs for the pocket notebook realm, but it’s really the ruling (and check mark circles) and wide variety of cover colors and designs that set Word apart.

When you get into the notebook, you find a standard middle-of-the-road paper inside. It performs beautifully with gel pens, pencils, and ballpoints, but shows some feathering and major show-through for wet rollerballs and fountain pens. This is also pretty normal for the pocket notebook category. After all, these notebooks are about convenience and portability over paper quality. The paper can certainly handle most inks, but just remember that the ink will bleed and feather, and you might not be able to use the back of the page. It’s a smooth, white paper that is pleasant to use.

Another thing that we all expect in a new notebook is the area at the front of the notebook to write down our name, contact information, etc. in case we lose the notebook or just for archival purposes. This seems so normal now, but I’m curious if people actually use these pages as intended. Regardless of how you use the front page of your notebooks, Word provides a familiar template with which to start.

Conveniently, the inside of the front cover also includes a quick legend (or suggestions) for using their check mark circles. If you’re familiar with the Bullet Journal system, this will look very familiar.

In all, not much has changed in the past two years in regards to Word notebooks, and that’s a good thing. I always enjoy using these books, and always keep some in stock. If you haven’t tried Word notebooks yet, find a design that speaks to you and give them a try! If orange isn’t your think, there are numerous other delightful options. Word Notebooks come in at around $10 for a three-pack.

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

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

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

The Masuya Monokaki Pocket Notebook and the Platinum Plaisir Fountain Pen: A Good Everyday Carry Set

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

I received the Masuya Monokaki Pocket Notebook several months ago from JetPens, but I have so many notebooks, I hadn’t had a chance to use it until now. The pocket notebook is an interesting size (14.0 cm /5.5 inches in length and 8.6 cm /3.4 inches in width), and it has 64 sheets printed on both sides with 0.7mm graph lines.

The notebook has a soft cardboard cover with a cool design on the front, and it is thread and glue bound.

The cream-colored paper is fountain-pen friendly, but it is also very thin, so if you don’t like your writing to show through, you will not like this paper. I tested it with several different nib sizes and inks. There was no feathering or bleed-through. However, as you can see in the second photo below, there’s plenty of show through.

I also tested the paper with various gel pens, rollerballs, and pencils. It works well with all of them, but, once again, show through is obvious.

The Monokaki notebook is the perfect size for purses, satchels, and backpacks. But, the soft cover is easily bent, so you’ll want to put it in a pocket or sleeve to protect it. The notebook does not lay flat when open, which is a weakness. The 7mm graph lines almost seem too large for a notebook this size, and since show through is unavoidable, you probably won’t want to write on both sides of the paper. You will get the best results from fine nibs and/or pencils.

You can purchase the Monokaki Pocket Notebook from JetPens for $7.75.

The Platinum Plaisir fountain pen is an aluminum pen with a stainless steel Preppy nib. It is available in a wide array of colors that have a beautiful iridescent finish.

The pen comes with one black Platinum cartridge (which is proprietary, so you’ll have to buy extras), but you can use a Platinum converter (not included) if you prefer. I wanted to use an orange ink with my Plaisir, so I put in a converter.

The Platinum Plaisir is an inexpensive pen at $14.25. That’s not bad for a metal pen. It’s comfortable to hold, especially since the grip is plastic not metal. It’s a small pen unposted (4.8 inches). Posted it is 5.8 inches, and capped it is 5.6 inches.

The grip is transparent, so you can see the ink filtering down to the nib. Although you can remove the nib to clean the pen, the ink pools in the threads in the grip, and it doesn’t rinse out so easily.

The cap snaps on securely and it is postable. It’s got a basic steel clip and a large steel cap ring with the words “Platinum Plaisir Japan.” The pen is quite beautiful.

The fine nib is smooth but rigid. I tested it with Kyo-iro 04 Higashiyama Moonlight (reviewed here), and that ink was simply too dry for this fine of a nib. Iroshizuku Fuyu-Gaki flowed much better.

Although the pen is meant to be rugged, I noticed dents in the body and scratches. This pen has not been roughly handled, and I didn’t let it loose in my purse where it could get scratched. I think the dents may have come from posting the cap. Regardless, the pen is definitely not as durable as you might expect.

The Platinum Plaisir comes in a whole rainbow of colors and you can get each color with either a fine or medium nib. You can purchase the Plaisir from JetPens for $14.25.

The Monokaki Pocket Notebook and Platinum Plaisir are a perfect match for one another if you are looking for an everyday carry set.

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

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

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