Kokuyo Buncobon Dot Cover Notebook 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 first novel, The Bone Weaver’s Orchard, now available where books are sold!)

These sweet little Kokuyo Buncobon Dot Cover Notebook is designed to resemble Japanese paperback novels--a charming paper cover, the perfect A6 palm-of-your-hand size--with an additional eye for usability.

The notebook measures 4.1" by 5.8" and will fit in your favorite A6 notebook case or cover. It does come with a paper cover over the plain cream cardstock, and then another plastic cover over that. I found the plastic cover to be crinkly and irritating, so I set it aside fairly quickly. The paper cover has a pretty dot pattern, and it stays on with a folding flap that also serves as the notebook's index. The paper cover isn't terribly durable, though. And considering the generous page count and the fact that the book will probably be in use a while, an additional cover might not be a bad idea.

The cover itself is softcover cardstock with blue tape binding. The binding is glue, and it claims to lie flat, but I found mine needed a lot of training to even come close, and then I worried about whether the binding would hold together after such abuse. I prefer sewn bindings, but this one is working well so far.

Inside the notebook you'll find 70 sheets of 5mm grid 70gsm ivory paper. The paper has a bit of texture and tooth to it, but in a crisp, pleasant way. It's surprisingly good paper for a notebook with a large number of sheets and a price tag under $5. It held up well with most pens. Not Sharpie, of course, but everything else did very well. There's a touch of show-through with a very wet, dark rollerball, but the fountain pen did great.

A nice feature of this book is its searchable function--there are spaces along the side edge that are designed for color coding that will be visible from the fore-edge, so you can flip to the section you need with ease. Combined with the index, it's a powerful little organizational tool. And it's got a sweet wee ribbon bookmark, too.

These are fantastic little notebooks. Not perfect, no, but the compromises are fair and worth it for what you do get. I love that there are enough pages to see me through a larger project, and that I can use my fountain pens, all without making my wallet weep. I think these would make great bullet journals or planners. They'd be wonderful for class notes. Perfect for novel research! I may use mine as a travel journal for an upcoming trip. Needless to say, it's a versatile book and very impressive for the price. Kokuyo knocks it out of the park again.

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

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Pentel EnerGel Infree Gel Pen Review

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

We're all familiar with the Pentel EnerGel lineup, and for good reason. This iconic pen has been around for years and years, and it's one of the best pens you can pick up at your local big box store. But just because the EnerGel is a popular pen doesn't mean Pentel can let the line grow stagnant! To me, that's where the Infree line comes in.

The Pentel EnerGel Infree is a new style that features a clear barrel and lots of silver and chrome accents. It's the same refill inside that we all love, but there's so much more to like about this new barrel design.

The particular version I'm using in this review is the 0.7mm in Turquoise Blue, and I am smitten. The color is amazing, and it's just as smooth and reliable as every other EnerGel I've used. The color is a dark turquoise with plenty of beautiful green to play along with the medium blue. There's no shading, but it's a lovely shade of blue-green. The 0.7mm tip is wide enough to really show off the color of this ink, and I've really enjoyed using it.

The ink looks great when writing on the page, but it also looks great inside the pen. The crystal clear barrel on this pen shows off the ink cartridge inside, allowing you to see how much ink is left as well as what color it is (in the case where you have several of these pens with different colored refills). As an added bonus, it just looks cool. I love the crystal clear body and how it shows off the refill, but it also shows off the nock mechanism and even the grip threads. It's a great touch, and it reminds me of the demonstrator fountain pens I love so much.

The clip is a shiny chrome accent, and it's strong enough to keep this pen sturdily attached to anything the clip jaw can get around. The grip section has a textured rubber grip that is comfortable to hold, and it's also a nice gray color to compliment the clear plastic and chrome accents. The nock mechanism has a solid chunk when you use it, letting you know for sure when it's been used. All in all, it lines up exactly the same with every other EnerGel retractable pen I've used, just with a different aesthetic.

I'm a big fan of the look of this pen, and I'll heartily recommend it to anyone. My personal favorite is the Turquoise Blue, but there are several other colors available, including Blue Black, Orange, Blue, and Black. At just $3 per pen, it's a great deal for an attractive and stellar performer.

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

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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!

Tuesday Toolset, Drifter Edition

I carry different things when I travel than when I am at home. That should go without saying, but I have one particular product that lives in my backpack for when I hit the road, and has been a constant companion for years.

1. Drifter Pouch. This little bag pre-dates Nock Co. by a good margin I think. I should probably switch over to a Chimneytop one day, but for now, this is the accessory bag that lives permanently in my backpack.
2. Hickorees The Hill-Side Bandana. Polka dot power! This bandana is about as old as the above pouch. I keep it handy for random clean-up, spills, and - wait for it - sweat. There’s no shame in my game, it’s just sometimes glistens more than others.
3. Dongle-town. I can make do without a lot of things at a pen show, but the one I’d rather not have is my Square chip reader. It stays with the Nock goods, but for backup I keep one of the original swipers, plus a 3.5mm to Lightning adapter for my iPhone, in case the chip reader fails. I can probably lose the thumb drive at this point.
4. Cash Money. 60 bucks or so? This is the emergency fund for travel and backup cash. Always have backup cash separate from your wallet.