Hightide Puggy's Best 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 latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

In library world, we often say "for every reader their book, for every book its reader," which I think also applies in the stationery world. There are few things that we can say are objectively bad--and even those things likely have their fans. This is perhaps an ominous way to begin a review, but I say it because the people I know who have used the Hightide Puggy’s Best Notebook really did not like it. And I kinda do.

Like many stationery addicts, I have a very strict (if ill-defined) standard for what I consider a "nice" notebook. And I have strict standards for the kinds of things I want to write in my nice notebooks. The problem is, not all my notebooks can be nice, or I'd never get anything done. I need notebooks that I can hold in my hands and say, "I am going to totally wreck this book and it will be okay."

The Hightide Puggy's Best Notebook is the perfect wrecking notebook. This is the notebook you'll take to the beach and write bad poetry in it, you'll take it hiking and stuff it in the same pocket as your wet raincoat, you'll duct tape the cracked spine, you'll tear out random pages, you'll even write in it while you're eating Doritos and it will be fine.

Not everyone wants a wrecking notebook, but not everyone wants a nice notebook either. Some people like wrecking nice notebooks, too. It's all good.

If you think you might be a someone who wants a notebook to wreck, this is a great choice. The small (4.13" x 5.7") has 66 sheets and the large (4.92" x 7.28") has 150 sheets of blank recycled paper. That's a generous amount of pages. They're glue-bound in large signatures along a thick spine. There is a lot of glue happening, which makes for a crispy spine, but once you crack it it does lay flat. Mine has not split, but it feels like it wants to. If it does, I'll tape it. The cover is thick kraft cardstock with attractive vintage-style labeling.

Like any recycled paper, it's not great with liquid inks. Fine fountain pens snagged on the paper fibers, broad nibs soaked through, and even the medium ones feathered. Mechanical pencils were a little snaggy, too. But it did really well with wood case pencil, gel pens, and fineliners. Rollerball ink wrote nicely, but did have some minimal show-though. Rollerball is my preferred medium for wreck-it writing, so this works well for me.

One of the most important features of a wrecking notebook, though, is the price. No one wants to really wreck something they spent a lot on. Fortunately, the small version is only $7 and the larger $15—a very good deal, in my opinion, considering the number of pages. If you're looking for a notebook that you can pick up before your lotion is dry, jot down a quick list, tear it out, and then stuff your notebook into the bottom of your mudlarking kit--this is a fantastic choice. I'm enjoying wrecking mine, and I think I'll wreck more of them in the future.

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

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Gravitas Laser Etched Ballpoint Pen Review

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

I'm not sure I've ever owned a pen that has intricate laser etching along the body, but there's a first time for everything. I'm no stranger to the Gravitas brand from Ben Walsh, but I hadn't given one of the custom laser etched pens a try before now.

A few months back, Ben teased a photo of a new pen design that featured some very fine etching work. The pen isn't available on the online shop, and I'm not sure if will eventually end up there or if this is just a one-off custom run. Either way, this pen took me by surprise and I have a new interest in laser etching. (Ed. note: Ben says it will be available once he can catch up!)

Now, if you're unfamiliar with the Gravitas brand, they're a custom pen manufacturer based in Ireland. Catch episode 465 of the Pen Addict Podcast to listen to an interview with Ben Walsh where he explains the Gravitas brand. Most of the pens on the website feature a sleek and minimal design, with either subtle color schemes or bright Skittles-like rainbow colors. The Gravitas pens I've used in the past have always felt top-notch in terms of quality and materials, and this custom ballpoint is no different.

Before we talk about the real star of the show (the exterior of the pen), let's take a look at what it's packing inside. There's a Schmidt P900 M black cartridge in the pen, and it's no slouch. I love the Schmidt EasyFlow 9000 for how smooth and dark it is, but the P900 does a really good job as well. In terms of refills, you can do a lot worse — it's a great refill. But, more interestingly, it's a Parker-style shape, which means you can use a wide variety of refills in this pen. That's great news because the Parker-style refill market is large and has plenty of variety. I've kept the P900 in this pen because it writes really well and feels right in this pen.

The exterior of this pen is what really makes it special. The shape is really simple — it's a cylinder that tapers to a point at the front end where the refill extends. The back of the pen has a separate section that rotates, and this is how you extend or retract the refill, and if you apply some more pressure and keep unscrewing, it's also how you replace the refill. It's a really clean and simple aesthetic that might be a tad boring if it weren't for the etching. Oh my, that etching.

The laser etching is what makes this pen for me. I really haven't been able to put it down. I've never seen laser etching this fine (microscopic almost) before. You have to look very closely to see the pattern that the laser has made. It adds visual interest and a level of art that I really enjoy.

I have no idea how laser etching is done really, but I assume that the etching machine only operates on a 2D plane. This means that you have to manually rotate and position the pen quite a bit to etch the pattern all around the pen. Think about that for a second — the position of the pen has to be perfect for the pattern to stay aligned as it goes around the pen. It's really impressive.

Apart from looking fantastic, it's even more interesting to hold. Since the etching marks are so tiny and precise, it's a weird sensation for your fingers and palms to interpret. It's hard to explain, but it simultaneously feels smooth and grippy at the same time. Something like a smooth cylinder that actually has tiny little claws trying to hold on to your fingers (in a good way). It's such a pleasant thing to hold and handle!

Of course, this combination of smooth and grippy make it a great pen to use for writing. There's just enough tactile friction to keep the pen stable, but not too much. Metal pens always run the risk of being slippery, but this will not happen with this pen thanks to the etching texture.

I've really enjoyed my time with this pen, mostly because of how irresistible it is to hold and fidget with. I really can't stress enough how cool this pen feels in the hand because of the smooth/grippy conundrum. It's like my fingers are confused by it and want to understand what's happening by continuing to handle it. It's magical.

If you haven't given Gravitas a good look, head over there now. These are some high-quality pens and they've brought me a lot of delight. I'm not sure if this pen will be widely available, but you should check out some of the other etched options either way.

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

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

Midori MD Diary 2022, A5, 1 Day 1 Page Giveaway

If you Are looking for a diary/daily planner, then the Midori MD Diary 2022 A5 1 Day 1 Page planner may be the one you are looking for. It’s a big one, checking in at 416 pages of awesome Midori MD Paper, with enough room on each daily page to keep track of everything you need. See Sarah’s review here.

I have one to give away, so read the rules below and enter!

Midori MD Diary 2022, A5, 1 Day 1 Page Giveaway