Posts filed under Notebook Reviews

Mark's HiBi Weekly Notebook Review

Did your schedule just become insanely complicated? Or are you, perhaps, having to rely on a deeply buried reserve of self-discipline as you begin working from a home office? Or are you suddenly planning to catch up on some long-neglected tasks around the house? Are you suddenly a teacher? You may find yourself needing a new format for your to-do list, in any case, as plans and planners fly out the window.

This Mark's HiBi Weekly Notebook works as a slim book, or can be unfolded into a tent-style standup calendar. Each page shows a weekly spread with room for memos on the bottom of the page. There are 45 sheets and both sides of each page are usable, for a whopping 90 weeks of tasks in this small book. The twin spiral binding makes it easy to flip pages and use both sides--though the paper is not very friendly to wet inks. Pencil, ballpoint, and gel pens work well, but rollerball, fountain pens, and markers all had some bleed-through.

I like the simple format and layout of this. There's just enough room for a reasonable list of tasks, and the empty date boxes mean you can start it on any day. Its small size, about 4.5 by 8.25 inches, makes it great for placing somewhere where the whole family can reference it, or it can perch on a small corner of your desk to help you stay productive.

If your abrupt change of plans leads to an abrupt change of planners, no one will blame you. While this wee book isn't enough to replace a planner altogether, I think it's a great week-at-a-glance to help get an overview of the tasks we're all tackling together, but separately.

(This notebook was purchased at Goods for the Study at full price.)


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Posted on March 19, 2020 and filed under Mark's, Notebook Reviews.

Clairefontaine Triomphe A5 Notepad Review

The Clairefontaine Triomphe notepads are one of those products that had a really difficult time getting my attention. They're incredibly well-designed and clean-looking, but that can also work to their detriment, getting passed over by more colorful and novel notebooks and notepads.

I'm glad I finally remembered to get these notepads out and try them out. They deliver everything I already loved about Clairefontaine paper in a handy notepad form. You can buy these notepads in other sizes, but the A5 is just so perfect for my needs. I haven't even tried the larger A4 version.

If you've never used Clairefontaine paper before, do yourself a favor and add some to your next stationery order. It's smooth, delicious paper that handles different types of pens with aplomb. The main downside to Clairefontaine's paper offerings always come down to the line formats they offer: lined and (less commonly) blank. No grid lines in sight with this brand! This is something that can immediately turn someone off of an entire line of paper products, and I don't blame them. I wish that Clairefontaine offered some more variety in their line formats. It's a shame they don't. But, if you can fight through the cringe-y experience of using lined paper, you'll be rewarded with a great writing experience.

I personally like using lined paper sometimes, and Clairefontaine is my go-to when I want to write long form stuff on lines. In the past, I've used various notebooks that they offer, but this was my first time to try out a notepad from the company.

At 50 sheets of 90 gsm acid-free paper, these notebooks are not large, but they're also fairly priced at just $6. The paper handles ink well enough that you can normally use the back side of the page if you want.

In my years of using this paper, I've had very little issues with bleeding and show-through. It really is a great paper and such a shame that it's not more prevalent, again due to the lack of line options.

The binding at the top of the pad is an adhesive layer that easily allows you to tear out a single page with little effort. The pages aren't perforated, so there aren't any tiny teeth at the top of the page after you tear it out. This makes the paper an ideal candidate for letters and clean notes. I'm also really content with how easy and clean these pages tear out. I've never had an issue with the sheet ripping when tearing it out of the adhesive binding.

These notebooks are very simple; they don't have any front or back matter, and the covers are very plain. If you order a lined version, you start at page 1 with normal paper. The blank version of the notepad comes with a removable line guide on page 1 that helps keep your lines straight when needed.

When writing, the front cover folds back onto the back cover easily to give you plenty of space to move the pad around on your work surface. The folding lines on the front cover are pre-folded for additional convenience. Even when these notepads are closed, they look really clean and professional. I love the white softcovers.

At $6, these Triomphe notepads are a really great deal as long as you like either blank or lined paper. They're infinitely useful due to their small form factor, and the paper can handle anything you throw at it. These are some of my favorite under-rated notebooks.

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


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Posted on March 18, 2020 and filed under Clairefontaine, Notebook Reviews.

Franklin-Christoph 5.3 Notebook Cover: 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.)

Franklin-Christoph’s 5.3 Notebook Cover is a versatile cover that can be used with FC Bamboo notebooks, Field Notes, and other pocket-sized (3.5 x 5.5) notebooks. It measures 3 and 11/16 inches x 5 and 15/16 inches (=94mm x 151mm) and it is about 5mm thick.

The cover comes in various materials and colors: Ashen and Umber waxed canvas; Napa black and boot brown leather; Suit gray and dark blue; and Linen brown and blue. My cover is Suit gray. The material is soft to the touch with light texture and the edges are stitched. The diagonal-shaped corners are an elegant and unique touch.

The cover is adorned with the Franklin-Christoph “F” logo in contrasting fabric. A smaller logo appears on the back.

The inside cover is also nicely stitched and has a cut-out shape. Attention to detail and design is a characteristic of the Franklin-Christoph brand.

One Franklin-Christoph 5.3 ruled notebook comes with the cover. The paper is white bamboo with 6mm spacing. Each notebook has 32 pages. You can get 3-pack refills in ruled, dot grid, or grid for $10.00 or a 4-pack medley for $12.00.

The paper is definitely fountain-pen friendly. I tested it with all my currently-inked fountain pens. None of the inks feathered or bled through.

I also did ink swabs from various brands. None of the swabs bled through. Although the shimmer in Diamine Purple Pazzazz was visible, this paper doesn’t show off the sheen in Lamy Dark Lilac or Sailor Yama Dori. Sailor 123’s unique characteristics were visible, however.

I tested a variety of regular pens--gel, rollerball, Sharpie, and brush pens. All performed well, but the Sharpie did bleed through the paper (as Sharpie pens usually do).

I am genuinely impressed with Franklin-Christoph’s 5.3 notebook. It is super thin and light, weighing only 69 grams with a notebook inside. Pocket notebooks shouldn’t be bulky or heavy, and this one will slip neatly into a purse or a jacket pocket. Keep in mind that there’s no closure and the notebook doesn’t lay completely flat after you’ve opened it. Still, this is a classy little notebook that will fit right in at the office.

The Franklin-Christoph 5.3 Notebook Cover is $20.00. Leather versions are $22.50.

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


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.

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Posted on February 28, 2020 and filed under Franklin-Christoph, Notebook Reviews.