Posts filed under Notebook Reviews

Back Pocket Notebooks Review — The Night Sky

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

I'm always curious to find new pocket notebooks that offer something unique and delightful to the otherwise crowded space. At first glance, you'd be right to assume that Back Pocket notebooks are just another 3.5 x 5.5 pocket notebook. But after trying out the paper inside, you'd be surprised.

Back Pocket offers a nice variety of covers, but the one I'm reviewing today is the lovely "The Night Sky" edition, which features two notebooks. The cover of each notebook is a dark gray with an constellation map of the northern or southern hemisphere. It looks fantastic and they make a great pair. The band that keeps the notebooks together during the retail phase of their journey are minimal, but they provide just the right amount of information about the product inside. According to the band:

36 inner cross grid 120gsm Conqueror High White pages
Accent Antique Magnolia 300gsm cover
140 x 90mm

The size is very familiar, but this paper is something else. I didn't know exactly what to expect out of something so dense, but it's delightfully pleasing to use. The pages are thick and take gobs of ink without any problems. I haven't noticed any bleeding or feathering, and the show-through on the back of the page is also minimal. I tried to get a picture of the faint show-through that I can detect on the other side of the wet 1.5mm Opus 88 nib paired with KWZ Gummiberry, but I couldn't quite tease it out for the camera. Suffice to say, it's also fairly hard to detect by eye.

On top of being luxuriously thick, the paper is also quite smooth, with just a small amount of tooth to provide satisfying feedback while writing. The grid used on the pages is a light gray cross pattern, similar to a reticle grid style but a little smaller.

I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed writing on this paper. It really is a treat.

But, there's certainly a flip side to this equation. The thicker pages mean a thicker notebook, right? Well, since Back Pocket chose to decrease the number of pages in the book to 36, the notebook is still the same thickness as other pocket notebooks. The downside here is that the notebook doesn't go quite as far as you might be accustomed. 36 pages is still plenty for me, but the standard 48 is a dozen extra pages. When the pages are this small, that's an awful lot of blank space that's being cut to afford the premium paper.

I don't think this is a bad thing at all — it's just different. If thick, luxurious paper with a lovely cross grid is what you want in a pocket notebook, then this is perfect. If you want more pages, then there are many, many other options out there for you.

The rest of the notebook is also fairly standard. There are two staples that hold the notebook together, and they seem to be well-done. I haven't thrown this book into my back pocket every day for 12 weeks straight, but they feel like they could stand up to the challenge without falling apart. It would be a shame to wear out these covers, though, since they have these great constellation maps on them.

Another minor complaint I have is the choice to leave the outside corners of the books square. I really like my pocket notebooks to have rounded corners so they don't easily catch on other edges, such as your pockets when trying to stuff the notebook back in for storage. This is a design choice, and I respect it. It just annoys me slightly every time the corners catch on something, and I can only assume they'll be quite worn after a couple of weeks.

The Night Sky edition, which includes two notebooks, comes in at £8 (about $10.50 as of the publish date). This is a little pricey considering you get one less notebook compared to other pocket notebook packs, but these notebooks feature an extraordinary cover and some really, really nice paper that can handle almost any kind of pen/ink combo you throw at it. My hunch is that this notebook pack will speak to some people very strongly, while others will appreciate the design but politely pass on by.

As for me? I really enjoy the paper in these notebooks, but I won't be using them as my daily pocket notebooks. The paper seems too luxurious to be used for my chicken-scratch notes that happen when I'm away from my desk. But, these books will certainly be used around the house for certain specific purposes. They feel like a treat to use, so that's how I'll use them!

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

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Posted on January 15, 2020 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Back Pocket, Notebook Reviews.

Yamamoto Ro-Biki Notebook Cover Review

Yamamoto Paper has been a fun entrant into the stationery world over the past few years. CEO Taizo Yamamoto has transformed what was once a traditional, family-owned, paper wholesaler in Osaka, Japan, into a fun and functional stationery manufacturer with a wide range of retail products available.

I first met Taizo when he brought his Paper Tasting sampler to the San Francisco Pen Show in 2017. Listening to him talk about how important finding the right paper for every user is was eye opening, but not quite as eye opening as all of the paper he brought that I had never seen, much less experienced, before.

Shortly after my introduction to the loose sheet wonder that Paper Tasting is, Yamamoto Paper launched a bound notebook called the Ro-Biki Notebook. Two things set this notebook apart: The wax coated paper cover, and the dimensions.

We have reviewed the Ro-Biki notebook before (twice, in fact) and they have proven to surprise and delight even the biggest skeptics of the format. It is a tall, skinny notebook that makes you wonder “What am I going to do with this thing?” right up until the point you get it in your hands, feel the cover and watch it wear, and handle every pen, pencil, and ink you throw at it with ease. They are truly excellent notebooks.

Needless to say, I am a fan of the company and the product. And, when I first saw pictures of their new Ro-Biki Notebook Covers I knew I had to get it.

Seeing it in pictures I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but it has a lot going on in what seems like a simple cover. First off, it folds open in the middle, allowing you to slide the notebook cover into a side pocket, book cover style. You can fit multiple A5 slim notebooks into the middle section (including Traveler’s Notebooks.)

The front cover doubles as a zip pouch, allowing you to stash pens, pencils, and accessories along with you. It can hold quite a lot, but I wouldn’t overstuff it you write on the back side of the notebook pages, as those will lay on top of the uneven surface of the pouch when writing.

The exterior cover is what I haven’t quite figured out yet. The back of the cover has a built-in full-width pocket than runs approximately 2/3 of the depth of the case. The front features the same, but it is split vertically in a 1/4, 3/4 fashion. The 1/4 side it a perfect pen pocket, but there is already a pen pouch included. And I’m not sure what accessories, notebooks, or loose sheets I would trust to the wider openings on the front and back.

There is an elastic book band that helps keep it all in check, but I’m not sure how useful it is. It does look great, making it more form over function for me. And I’m not sure why this color is called Gray - it’s definitely more of a Khaki to me.

This is a highly specific cover for a highly specific notebook, both of which I can get behind. If you are a fan of the brand, like I am, then you will enjoy the full Ro-Biki Note setup that this product offers.

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

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Posted on December 23, 2019 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Yamamoto, Ro-Biki, Notebook Reviews.

Lamy A5 Hardbound Notebook Review

It’s pretty good!

I didn’t have high hopes for the new Lamy Notebook when I decided to pick one up during my visit to Dromgoole’s, but I figured why not? At a minimum, it looked great, and I’m sure if nothing else, pencils would work just fine in it. It’s better than that, without question.

In my first round of pen and inks tests, the Lamy Notebook held up admirably. Fountain pen inks in various nib sizes displayed no feathering or bleed, gel and ballpoint pens were easy to use, and even rollerball ink performed well. There is some ghosting, so the backside of the page may be out, but the paper handled everything I threw at it in respectable fashion.

That said, I could see those who enjoy wide, wet nibs having some issues with feathering. This is an uncoated page, similar to Leuchtturm1917. With that comes a faster dry time, but it displays less of the inks characteristics. For maximum shading and sheeting from your inks, you will want to look elsewhere.

For everyday writing? I think the Lamy Notebook is a good choice. Nib to my head, I’d still pick the aforementioned Leuchtturm for my own use, but it’s close.

There is only one ruling option for it at this time, appropriately called “Lamy ruling.” It’s a grid + lines combo, with a 4 mm grid and a line every two blocks, for an 8 mm spacing between lines. 4 mm is fine for my regular writing, but using every 4 mm line is too tight. I’d find 5 mm grid / 10 mm line, or 4 mm / 12 mm a more useful layout for me. As it currently stands, this is basically a lined notebook, albeit a great looking one.

I think there is something here. It is difficult to stand out in the notebook market, and while I personally like the Lamy Notebook, it’s only a middle of the pack option when it comes to A5 hardbound notebooks. It looks like they are putting some effort into it, and hopefully that commitment leads to growth in the product.

One final thought I had about this notebook as it relates to the bigger picture: Why don’t all pen companies have their own flagship notebook? I’m looking at you Japanese big three. Everybody has ink, why not notebooks?

(I purchased this product at a discount from Dromgooles.)

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