I received two of the products we discussed last week - the iA Writer Notebook and the Cortex Brand Sidekick Notebook - so I put them to the test. I discuss my results with Myke, and confused him even further. Sounds like a good time to me!
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(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)
I like Hobonichi covers almost as much as the notebooks themselves. Their standard covers are great, but this one offers some extra features I've found handy.
The A5 Tragen cover in Oakmoss is made from a lovely sage green nylon fabric with brown leather accents. The nylon is lightly textured and has a crisp feel to it, though it isn't stiff. The design looks both modern and vintage and I don't know enough about design to understand quite how it does that. Timeless, I guess they call it. In any case, it's lovely.
The cover takes A5 notebook inserts, and the notebook slides into pocket sleeves inside the main part of the cover. On the left inside cover, there is a vertical row of shallow pockets for small items. These would work great for sticky notes, book darts, washi cards, or bookmarks. I wouldn't recommend them for wallet cards, though, as the pockets are fairly loose and the case doesn't close at the top. If lifted upside down, items could easily slide out. On the inside right cover, there is a leather folder pocket that can hold scrap papers or other important notes. There is also a leather loop that can fit a pen clip in it. It's too narrow for a pen or pencil, but most clipped pens would work in this space.
The cover closes with a flap that folds over the front from the right side and it secures with a magnet to the front. There's no bulky snap or closure. The magnet has good hold, and is encased in a leather circle, so it closes quietly. The front flap is also a zipper pouch. The zipper is metal and has a leather pull tab. It's a very spacious pouch, though overstuffing it makes the magnet closure less effective. The sweet spot seems to be up to six pens, though it could hold dozens if you really want it to. And sometimes I do.
On the back of the case, on the outside, is an envelope pocket that can hold papers or even another slim notebook.
I have found that the case doesn't work well inside an overpacked bag, where friction of the other items inside cause the magnet to slide open and the cover flap smooshes off of the front. It definitely prefers to travel in an upright position inside a properly packed bag.
I don't have my planner in this case at the moment. I've been using it as an all-in-one writing kit, with my draft notebook in the case, some accessories in the small pockets, my planning notebook in the back pocket, and my writing and editing pens in the zipper pouch. It's perfect for brining to my evening writing groups, and I'll be taking this kit on its first writing retreat to the lake this weekend.
I am really enjoying this cover, and it's been used every day since it arrived several months ago. I do have some notebook covers that are better at notebook protection or accessory storage, but I like that this cover is so lightweight. It doesn't add any weight to my bag. It's also the prettiest A5 cover I own, in my opinion. I've worried a bit that I'd mess up the cover, as my writing group usually meets in cafes, diners, and bars, and we're writing on damp tables while eating cheese curds. But it looks as good as the day it arrived, so it handles rough travel well.
One major downfall of this case, though, is the price. It sells on JetPens for $81, which is quite high for a nylon case. Sure, there's leather bits, but they are tiny. I do tend to get sticker shock at Hobonichi products, but I rarely regret splurging on them. This case is undoubtedly well made. The stitching is tiny and precise, the lines are all straight and clean, and there isn't a loose thread in sight. Hobonichi products are also individually handmade. So while the price is high, I wouldn't say it's unfair. I have some Hobonichi covers that are over ten years old now, and they are still holding strong, so I trust in the quality and craftsmanship here. If you're looking for a good writing or planning kit, this is an excellent choice.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
There's always room in my stationery stash for another basic, utilitarian notebook — especially when it has a large number of pages.
The Maruman A5 Spiral Note is a 150-sheet (300-page) thick notebook that uses the great paper that Maruman is known for. While I call this "basic," I only mean that in a positive way. Yes, the design is basic and minimal, but the quality is there where it counts. There's not much branding or fluff — just lots of pages.
On the outside, the covers of this notebook are thick craft cardstock that should provide plenty of protection against minor scuffs, but it won't hold up to moisture very well. The covers are plenty to protect the pages from other things inside a bag. Outside of the print on the front cover, there is zero marketing or printing on the inside or back covers. Inside, the first non-page is the only marketing material you'll find, and it's easy to remove if you don't want it.
The paper is the same as other paper I've used in Maruman notebooks. The 80 gsm paper has a 6.5mm ruled line, and there space at the top for a subject, topic, date, or other metadata that you can use or ignore. The pages are all perforated, making it easy to rip individual sheets out. The outer corners of the pages are also rounded off, so they won't easily get caught on things in your bag.
In my testing, all types of ink and graphite work well on this paper. It's mostly smooth with a little bit of feedback. It definitely feels like there's a coating on the paper, but it's light and doesn't keep ink from drying quickly. It's not the same paper that Maruman uses in their Mnemosyne line, but it's still a great paper that performs well.
The binding on this notebook is a stout wire spiral that has a brass finish. I don't think it's real brass, but the color/finish matches the craft aesthetic of the covers. The thick wire will bend if enough force or weight is applied, but it's sturdy enough to be resilient against the typical forces inside a crowded bag.
This is a fantastic line of notebooks from Maruman. I love their sleek black notebooks, but I've always got room for the craft paper style that these notebooks pull off so well. While you can choose from lined or dot grid in some of the notebooks, the large capacity 150-sheet versions only come in lined rule. And, they even come in A4 and B5 sizes too.
At $8.50 for this notebook, it's an incredible value. You get a lot of great paper for this price, and that makes it easy to recommend. This is great if you want a lot of capacity for a single purpose or just something that will last a long time provided you take care of the covers. The Maruman Spiral Note is now one of my top recommendations for no-frills, great quality notebooks available in A5, A4, and B5 sizes.
(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount 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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