(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
Blackwing is pretty well known for their wood-case pencils, but it's easy to forget that they also dabble in paper products these days. I've tried a few of their notebooks and notepads over the years, so I was intrigued to take the Reporter Pad for a spin and see how the uncommon size worked in practice.
The reporter notebook isn't something I'd say is ubiquitous in the stationery realm. It's a unique format, but it also isn't standardized (not even a little) in size, binding type, or even whether or not it has an elastic band to keep it closed. I think the name for this notebook style comes from the idea of journalists taking notes on something that easily fits in one hand so that they can jot down notes while standing. If you've ever tried doing this, you'll know it's not convenient even with the perfectly sized notebook!
Times change, though, and I'm not sure how often these notebooks are used nowadays with digital recorders, cameras, smartphones, and computers. I remember visiting a news office once and seeing a few boxes of these notebooks on a shelf next to some other standard office supplies. I've always associated the reporters notebook to journalists just like many of us associate yellow legal pads to attorneys.
To me, a reporters notebook is just another small notebook that fits in the hand and is bound at the top. There are lots of notebooks and notepads that fit this description, so I guess the "reporter" nomenclature is mostly (totally?) meaningless. That being said, I do love a good top-bound notebook. I firmly believe that we need more of them in the world, so I'm happy to see new options regardless of what they're called.
The Blackwing Reporter Pad is a small, spiral top-bound notepad that features an on-brand black cardstock cover that has an elastic band to keep it closed. Interestingly, the cover is one big piece (as opposed to being two identical pieces — front and back) that folds back on itself while also being attached to the spiral binding. It's interesting, and I'm not sure I like it. When you fold the front cover back, it extends past the bottom of the notebook by an inch or more and tends to get in the way when writing. I wish it was flush to the bottom of the notebook when it's folded back. It's not a deal-breaker, but it is a frustration that I've felt several times while using this notepad.
The notepad measures in at 3 x 6.25 inches or 7.6 x 15.9 cm, so it's just a little taller and skinnier than a typical 3.5 x 5.5 notebook. The extra height means there's a few extra lines of space on each page, and the small difference in the width isn't really noticeable when writing. It does make the notebook easy to stow into smaller pockets, though. I like the size of this notepad and have enjoyed using it. I tend to write on the smaller side, so take that into consideration.
The dot grid pattern on the paper is perfect for how I like to use notebooks like this that are meant to be carried around. If I want to write, the dot grid pattern provides plenty of structure. If I want to sketch, the pattern can disappear. And if I want to draw up some rough designs, the grid pattern is really helpful for drawing measurements and estimating scale. If you prefer a ruled notebook, that's also an option!
There are 80 sheets (160 pages) in each notebook, and they're filled with 80 gsm ivory paper. The paper is smooth and works well with every ink or pencil I've tried with it so far. There is a bit of show-through on the back side of the page if you're using a gel or rollerball pen, but it's not that bad. The back of the page is completely usable. With the fountain pens I tried, there was no feathering to be seen, and the paper felt great when writing.
Overall, these are good notebooks that fit a small size category that really interests me. I'm not a huge fan of how the front cover hangs so far below the bottom of the notepad when you fold it over, but it's not that bad. There are plenty of other small, top-bound notebooks and notepads out there, but this is a unique and easy-to-use size that I think has a permanent spot in my notebook rotation.
A pack of two notepads is $12, and I encourage you to try them out if this size and format seems interesting.
(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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