Thanks to everyone who entered the first giveaway here at The Notebook Addict! The winners for the Doane Paper Giveaway are the three following commenters:
#25 Greg
#37 Darrel
#118 Stephanie
Here is what you need to do to claim your notebooks:
1. Leave a comment on this post.
2. Email me your shipping address using the email link in the sidebar
There is a one week deadline to claim your prize.
I received the Uni-Ball Jetstream 0.5mm Basic Series as a sample from JetPens (along with a Uni-Ball Jetstream F*Series that I will review next week), and if there is one thing that Uni-Ball has completely under control it is the design and functionality of the Jetstream line. With this particular model, the 0.5mm tip size is introduced, and being the fan of micro-tip pens that I am, I love it.
The extra fine line it lays down is right up my alley, and the crisp, clean design of the barrel makes it a joy to write with. You would think with such a fine ballpoint tip there would be a lot of drag and friction when writing, but I can lightly move the pen across the page and the line is just as good as if I was using my regular writing pressure.
If you are not crazy about the extra fine line, then the Jetstream Sport 0.7mm is a great option. But if you like the combination of a ballpoint and an extra fine and clean line, then the Uni-Ball Jetstream 0.5mm would be a great pickup.
Here are more details from JetPens:
I am very fond of the Doane Paper legal pad, especially for my pen reviews, but when Chad Doane mentioned recently that he would be coming out with a pocket notebook in the Doane Paper style, I was really excited to try one out. The Doane Paper Utility Notebook checks in at 3.5" x 5.5", which seems to be the standard for pocket sized notebooks these days. Here are the rest of the specs:
The first thing I noticed about the utility notebook was how sturdy it feels. Compared side by side to the Moleskine Cahier (64 pages) and the Field Notes Memo Book (48 pages), it is much thicker, as well as stiffer. I've only had it for a few days, but it seems like it is going to handle knocking around in my backpack or back pocket better than the Moleskine or Field Notes. But on that note, the notebook is hard to spread flat right now. I am hoping that is it just the newness of it, and once I break it in, it will be just fine.
The Doane Utility notebook sandwiched between the Field Notes Memo Book (top) and the Moleskine Cahier (bottom). Click all photos to enlarge.
Writing Samples - Front
The paper in the Doane Utility Notebook performed well. Gel ink, ballpoint, and felt tip pens all did great. The paper was smooth, and the grid lines provided a nice background no matter the color I used. The best part about it was there was little to no bleed. From the back side of the page, you couldn't even tell that I had written on the front.
Writing Samples - Back
Fountain pens, on the other hand, may be an issue. I don't have any real fountain pens (I am going to order something nice for notebook testing very soon), but I do have a Platinum Preppy and a Pilot Petit. The Preppy did fine, but the Petit bled through pretty easily, and my guess is that will be the case with most fountain pens inks. I'll test it more once I get another fountain pen to try.
Fountain Pen - Front
Fountain Pen - Back
All in all, the Doane Utility Notebook is a great addition to the pocket size notebook field. For me, it is going to replace my Moleskine Cahier and Field Notes as my portable notebook of choice.
Written Review (Done with Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.38mm Black)
