Mark's Velessera A5 Notebook Cover 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. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

Even though I am a very dedicated notebook user, I still accumulate an alarming number of small scraps of paper of extreme importance, and various other detritus that I need to keep track of for weeks or even months. A notebook cover with lots of compartments is probably my most essential stationery item, and I'm never more than a few feet from my kit. I'm always excited to try new designs, and this is one that caught my eye right away.

The best thing about the Mark's Velessera A5 Notebook Cover is all the pockets. It can hold an A5 notebook OR a notepad, with slots for either style of cover. Or both, if they're not too bulky! It also has a folder slot on the other side for loose papers...or, you know, another notebook. There are also two small card slots that hold a decent stack of cards, and one pocket on the outside that can hold additional items (or, you guessed it, another notebook). There's also a generously sized pen loop inside the spine, which I think is a much better position than on the edge. It's wide enough to hold just about any clipped pen, but it is not elastic, so pens without clips will not stay in the loop.

The case closes with a zipper that has a good-sized pull tab. The zipper fabric is not as hardy as the synthetic leather of the case itself. The inside of the case is lined with textured fabric.

It's a well-made case, and a good design, but there are a few things I didn't like about it. There isn't much extra space at the edges, so my notebooks that have tabs or ribbon bookmarks interfered with the zipper closure. The zipper even shredded the ribbon for my planner. That lack of space also affects my ability to really use all of the pockets. I know this case isn't meant to hold three notebooks, but even with one medium thickness notebook (my planner), if I put things in the other pockets, I felt like I was straining the zipper when closing it, and the soft fabric around the zipper doesn't feel like it would weather much strain. Overall, I would say that the case is great for light use, but it doesn't suit my needs, as far as being a rugged carry-all that gets dragged everywhere.

For what it is, though, it's a good case and is very reasonably priced at $32. It comes in navy, gray, blue, and pink—all in muted, marbled tones. I think if all you're carrying is a (one) notebook, a pen, some business cards, and a few stray papers, this is a product you'd enjoy.

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

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Lamy Softcover A5 Notebook Review

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

You'd have to look carefully to notice what brand notebook I'm using in this review. The medium gray cover is almost completely devoid of any branding. But if you turned the notebook over, you'd find a classy Lamy logo debossed into the lower portion of the back cover. The Lamy Softcover A5 Booklets are very familiar while also sporting an unassuming style.

You might pass over this notebook thinking it's just another paperback A5 notebook, but you'd be wrong. The Lamy Softcover notebooks feature their own "Lamy ruling," which is a combination of lines and grids. This isn't the first time we've seen a paper line format like this (Doane Paper comes to mind first), but it's definitely nice to see some variety in the different line formats available in affordable notebooks. The lined ruling lines are a little darker than the dotted grid lines, and I wish all the lines were a little lighter. It's a busy pattern, and it's a little difficult to ignore if you want to do something more free-form. Still, it's a good pattern and provides a lot of structure if need it.

Aside from the unique ruling, the paper in these notebooks is really nice. It's 90g/m², which I think is a great trade-off between light weight and great performance. In my tests, only the thickest, wettest nibs are able to cause ink to show through on the back of the page. I haven't noticed any bleeding or feathering with the variety of inks and pens I've used so far, and I really couldn't be happier with the performance of this paper. It's smooth, but also has a slight tooth that provides a satisfying amount of feedback when writing.

These notebooks are exceptionally plain. There is zero branding and fluff inside the covers. Both inside covers are blank, and the first page of the notebook is exactly that — a ruled page. There's no subject boxes, contact info blocks, or witty, interesting facts printed anywhere. There also aren't any page numbers. This really is a utilitarian notebook.

Even though the covers are a soft paper material, they're coated with some extra protection to stand up to normal use. The exterior of the cover also has a nice tweed tactile feeling like they used actual fibers in the cover material. Not sure if it's real or synthetic, but it feels great in the hand.

The 64 pages of each notebook are held in place with pale yellow stitching. The binding is tight and feels like it will stand up to a lot of use. Even though the stitches are tight, the notebook still easily lays flat when writing, but also has no trouble staying closed when not in use.

The set comes with three identical notebooks and will set you back $15 from Goldspot. Considering the size and the quality of the paper in these notebooks, this is a great deal. Assuming you're interested in the paper ruling, you really can't go wrong with these notebooks.

Pick up a set along with your next order!

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

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William Hannah A5 Pen Band: A Review

(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’ve written a couple of reviews about William Hannah notebooks (see here and here), and it’s clear that I absolutely love them. But, one feature many William Hannah fans have been asking for is some kind of notebook closure. If you keep your notebook in a bag or backpack, the lack of closure means that the pages can get crumpled or snagged.

The solution David Round (the genius behind William Hannah) came up with is elegant and simple: a pen band. The pen band comes in all the regular color combinations of WH notebooks. You can even order a bespoke pen band, if you like. Mine is Agave and Petrol to match my A5 notebook.

The pen case portion of the band is made from the same luxurious leather as the notebooks. It is thick and the suede portion is soft. The stitching is beautiful and strong.

The band portion is made from thick matching elastic. This is not a wimpy band. It fits perfectly around the notebook--it’s not so tight that it mars the top or bottom edges, but it is snug enough that it doesn’t move around and it won’t accidentally fall off.

The pen case accommodates a good variety of pens, as long as you’re willing to let it stretch out a bit for larger pens. My band is still pretty stiff, so I had to work to fit my larger pens in it. The pens that fit well were all medium-sized pens: a Lamy 2000, a Platinum Century 3776, and a Leonardo Furore.

My Montegrappa Mia was a bit of a tight fit, but if I really wanted it to be the “chosen one” for my William Hannah, I could stretch the leather out.

The only pen that didn’t fit well was my Kanilea. I could get the pen in the case, but it stuck out quite a bit at the top.

And that brings me to what I don’t like about the pen band. Regardless of what pen you choose, some or all of the cap is exposed. If the point of the pen band is to keep the notebook closed when you toss it into a larger bag, you are taking chances that the top of your pen will get scratched. I wouldn’t put a delicate pen in the pen band for this reason.

Although I like the Pen Band, it’s not my favorite sort of closure. It requires removing the entire band to use the notebook, and I can see myself accidentally leaving it behind somewhere. Plus, I don’t typically use just one fountain pen, and I already carry a pen case that offers better protection for my pens.

I would much prefer a small leather piece that would attach to the William Hannah button on the front of the notebook.

Unfortunately, this would require a redesign of the entire notebook because the leather piece would need to be sewn into the back cover. The good thing about the pen band is that you don’t have to buy a new notebook in order to use it. Still, I’d prefer the option of a William Hannah notebook with a snap closure or a closure that integrates with the current metal button.

That said, if you haven’t taken a look at William Hannah notebooks, you’re really missing out. They are absolutely exquisite and the paper refill options are so useful (see here for a review of the wonderful Intentions Pages refill). The notebooks come in A5, A6, and pocket size.

You can purchase a pen band for the A5 and A6 notebooks. Both cost £29.00 (about $38 USD).

(I purchased the William Hannah Pen Band with my own funds.)

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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!