Posts filed under Notebook Reviews

Endless Explorer Refillable Journal 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!)

The Endless Explorer Refillable Journal is Endless's take on the classic modular notebook system. It's a minimal design, just a leather cover with a system of elastics to hold up to three notebook inserts. The inserts are Endless's Storyboard notebooks.

The inserts themselves are very nice. They have a sewn binding that holds 64 pages of dot-grid Tomoe River paper. The Explorer pack only comes with one insert, so others would have to be purchased separately to get the full benefit of the system. The set also has the option of adding a pen holder that is also an elastic band that wraps around the cover vertically. It can wrap around the whole cover and serve as a closure strap, or just around the front cover. Either way, I found it mostly got in the way, either acting as an obstacle to getting into the notebook, or as something bulky that made for a lumpy writing surface when using the back side of pages. If you don't write on the back side of pages, it may work well for you.

Tomoe River paper hardly needs further review; it's still the best out there, in my opinion. This is the 68 gsm weight, and it can handle anything, even Sharpie, with just some faint ghosting. Because it's so lightweight, the inserts look slim while still packing a generous number of pages.

The elastics that hold the inserts in place are nicely finished so there are no knots or frayed ends loose in the book, and the elastic has a nice amount of tension so that it holds the notebooks snugly, preventing them from wiggling or sliding out when you don't want them to.

The system comes in a very fancy presentation box with a drawer that pulls out from the side. The box can then be used as an archive for filled inserts, though it's a bit bulky for that purpose. An included paper provides instructions for how to insert multiple notebooks, as well as a way to register your notebook system. It all feels very high-end and snazzy.

The Endless Explorer Notebook system sells for between $40-$50, with inserts that cost around $10, depending on where you get them. That's a very fair price for the quality, and it's in line with similar notebook systems. And there are a lot of similar systems. Where this one differs is in finishing touches--especially those neatly finished elastics. It's also a good size. It's smaller than an A5, but wider than the Traveler's Company notebook, making it a nice middle ground as far as portability and writing comfort. There are a lot of options to choose from in this style these days, but I think this Endless version is a particularly nice one.

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

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Posted on July 13, 2023 by Sarah Read and filed under Endless Notebook, Notebook Reviews.

Delfonics Rollbahn Horizontal Spiral Notebook Review

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

I love it when notebook makers try out different formats for niche purposes, and that's exactly what we have here with the Delfonics Rollbahn Horizontal spiral notebook. It's similar in size to an A6 reporter's notebook, but it's intended to be used horizontally underneath or next to a laptop, mouse, keyboard, or other tools. The extra horizontal width makes it ideal for writing out notes, but does the short vertical space become too cramped for heavy use?

Let's start by measuring this notebook and looking at the specifications. It's rather small at just 6.7 inches (16.9 cm) by 4.3 inches (10.9 cm) overall, and the usable sheet sizes are actually 5.8 inches (14.7 cm) by 4.1 inches (10.5 cm). While the notebook is a little larger overall, the sheet sizes are almost exactly A6, which is what you find in small planners like the Hobonichi Techo. It's a usable size that provides a bit more real estate than the typical pocket notebook, but it also doesn't take up much space on the desk. On top of that, the spiral binding means you can fold it over on itself so that it doesn't take up twice the space when open.

Inside, there are 60 sheets of cream paper with a 5mm grid pattern and no other markings or templates. Each sheet is perforated at the top for easy and clean removal, and there's also a few (5) transparent pockets in the back of the notebook that hold a torn out sheet of paper perfectly. The front and back covers are sturdy and minimally decorated. The back cover is a thick cardstock that has a tiny Delfonics logo imprinted at the bottom of the long side, and the front features some Rollbahn branding. Holding everything together is a color-matching elastic band that has an ideal amount of tension to keep the book closed while still be easy to operate.

The paper is really nice to use, though I'm not sure what they mean when they say the paper is "wood-free" in the marketing materials. If it's not some kind of wood-based pulp, what is it? Some other fiber? It definitely doesn't feel like stone paper. Either way, it's really smooth and handles ink incredibly well. It performs similarly to other 80gsm notebooks I have, so I'd guess it's somewhere in that ballpark. Ink dries quickly, there's hardly any show through on the back side, and there wasn't any feathering on most inks — I only saw feathering with one fountain pen ink, but it wasn't terrible by any means. I'd say this is very fountain pen friendly, and also does splendidly with any other pen or pencil.

Back to the form factor, which is the main reason I think this product exists. There are several other notebooks that aim to fill the space beneath your keyboard, but they're quite a bit wider and offer a lot more writing space at the expense of desk real estate. But what if you don't want the notebook under your keyboard, but to the side instead? That's where I think this format shines. It's wide enough to provide a lot of space for jotting down notes and sketches, but doesn't require much desk space at all. In fact, it works great as a makeshift wrist wrest under your mouse or pointing device.

There clearly isn't enough space for this to take over a bigger notebook, but it just fits so well into small spaces. I'm not a huge fan of the cream colored paper, but I've been reaching for this notebook often even still just because I like the size and format. The small grid is exactly what I'm used to, and I find there's plenty of space for me on a page with my relatively small writing style.

At $14, it does come at a premium compared to other notebooks. The robust spiral binding, hard covers, and elastic closure are the bonus parts here that contribute to the higher price tag, as other small notebooks are just barebones notebooks with a sewn binding. The Delfonics Rollbahn Horizontal spiral notebook definitely feels like a well-made and well-designed product, so I think the price is fair for what you get. If these specs stand out to you, then you'll know if it will serve you well over a more basic notebook. And if you want to pick one up, there are several color options to choose from! I love the dark blue I have, but that turquoise is really calling my name.

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

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Posted on July 5, 2023 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Delfonics, Notebook Reviews.

12 Parsecs Designs Yggdrasil World Tree Leather Journal Review

This Yggdrasil World Tree Leather Journal from 12 Parsecs Designs is one of those items that falls into a special category I like to call "things I have to review before my teenager steals them for Dungeons and Dragons." If you're in the market for a book in which to record magical journeys, occult recipes, treasure maps, or any other flights of fancy, you should probably check out the Notebooks page over at 12 Parsecs Designs.

This thicc journal has a sturdy leather cover that's interfaced with canvas. Its back cover tucks into the front to conceal the fore-edge, and it closes with two brass buckles on the front. The cover of this particular one is embossed with an image of Yggdrasil, the Norse World Tree, with gorgeous Viking-inspired designs surrounding it. The leather is painted walnut brown with an almost woodgrain effect to the brushstrokes. Y'all, it's really pretty.

Inside this stunning cover are five signatures of 20 sheets of cushy watercolor paper, for a total of 100 sheets or 200 pages. The paper is very thick, soft, and pillowy. You could take a nap on this paper. I usually associate this fibrous paper with bleeding and feathering, but this is very well made sketchbook paper, and I did not have any issues. It is too soft, however, for sharp-pointed tools, so mechanical pencils, EF pen nibs, and ultra fine pen points are not going to be your friend here. And the paper is thirsty. While I was able to write with a medium point fountain pen just fine, it does drink the ink, and the pen's feed eventually struggled to keep up with the necessary flow. The best instrument I found for this paper was either a wood case pencil that's not sharpened too much, or a standard ballpoint pen. Of course, watercolors would be the specific ideal use for this paper, but I shan't disgrace it with my poor art.

The paper also has dried flowers scattered throughout its pages, which adds to the whimsical, fairytale effect. I know soft, flowery paper is going to send some of you running in the opposite direction, but that just leaves more fae paper for the rest of us, so bye.

This notebook is about as opposite as you can get from the streamlined, minimal, purely utilitarian notebooks that make up the bulk of my notebook stash. I love those, too. And I love this. This isn't a notebook that makes me think "perfect for meetings" or "I'll use this for class" or "so efficient and productive." No, this notebook says "time to play and dream" and I am so here for it.

12 Parsecs Designs suggests that this notebook is great for gamers, painters, scrapbookers, journalers, or even folks who want a cool photo album. I agree, and I'm impressed. For all this loveliness and versatility, they're only charging $31 (and they're actually on sale for less as I write this). That's much less than I expected after using the notebook. I can already tell I'll be back for more of these. Probably very soon, when my little Dungeon Master steals mine.

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

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