Maruman Bodoni A5 Notebook with Cover 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 her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

This Maruman Bodoni A5 Notebook is the ultimate in minimalist elegance. I wouldn't normally think that about something so aggressively orange, but the design of it is so sleek that it screams fancy. But it's not! JetPens has the Maruman Bodoni notebook for just $17.50. And it does come in Black or Blue if you need something for your more formal writing events.

The cover is made from a very thin sheet of faux leather. It's firm enough to serve as a writing surface, but soft enough to be flexible. The front inside cover is a rounded folded flap embossed with a portrait of Giambattista Bodoni, who was a typographer and printer in Italy in the 17th century. The inside back cover is a folder pocket where the notebook's insert slides in. The cover closes with an elastic band around the middle.

The insert is an A5 Maruman notebook with 40 sheets of 60gsm blank paper. A 3-pack of the refills costs $13.00. Because they're so slim, you might need a few extras on hand. Other thin notebooks will fit in this cover, as well, so you can substitute your favorite if you have a preference.

The paper inside the insert was fairly good, although it did show some feathering and bleeding with liquid inks in broad nibs. Dark rollerball ink had enough show-through that it would be difficult to use the back side of a page. The paper was fantastic for fine nibbed pens, gel pens, or pencils. The notebook has a glue binding that allows the pages to be cleanly removed, but has enough hold that the pages stay attached if you don't peel them.

The highlight of this notebook is really its slim simplicity. While it's not enough paper for penning an epic work of writing, it would be great for meeting notes. It's thin enough to slip it into a laptop sleeve alongside your tech and it was great to take traveling when I needed to pack light.

While it might not be fine leather or the best quality paper, it looks and feels like a very fancy product and it's been quite enjoyable to use. If you're looking for a well-made, minimal, elegant notebook without the high price tag, this is perfect.

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

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The Pen Addict for St. Jude is Underway!

(Click here for the Week Two update.)

(Click here for the Week Three update.)

Each September, the Relay FM community of podcasters and listeners join together to raise funds for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. This is an amazing organization that does important work and means a lot to so many families from all around the world.

Over the last five years, the Relay FM community has raised OVER $3 MILLION DOLLARS to support St. Jude, and our goal for 2024 is to add $500,000 to that total.

For my part, I collect donated goods from friends in the pen community, and share them with you to help raise awareness, and donations to St. Jude. Here are the launch week goods, and I will publish updates at least once a week through September, especially when new items are added. Take a look, and then scroll to the bottom to see how to donate and participate.

Hello Tello Studio Venice Piccolo Made from Turntpenco Material, Fine Steel Bock Nib.

Details from Jon Tello, Hello Tello Studios: “Our Piccolo Model was designed to give you a full size experience in a compact size, fitted with a number 6 Bock nib. The Piccolo can either be eyedropper (1.4 ML capacity) or can use an international small cartridge. It comes with a kit for the different filling options (Silicone grease, Blunt syringe, mini cartridges both empty and filled.) It was made to be postable when you thread the cap on the back of the pen. The threads are barely noticeable to keep the streamline design Hellotello Studio is known for. When the cap is posted it is the same length as our standard size pen so you are not compromising in writing comfort in hand. The length of the pen is a bit over 4 inches in length when capped, about 5 inches in length when posted (including the nib length). The diameter of the pen is from 15.5-16mm at widest point. The cap has our signature Millefiori Venetian Glass mosaic in a design that complements the material in the pen. Pen comes with a hand made pouch made by SheDesigns from Nepal made from Dhaka material.”

London Pen Co. Nona 14, in collaboration with Hello Tello Studio, Medium Steel Bock Nib.

Sean from London Pen Co. made the pen and Jon Tello did the Millefiori Venetian Glass Mosaic that was individually designed to complement the materials in the pen. Pen comes with a hand made pouch made by SheDesigns from Nepal made from Dhaka material.

London Pen Co. Christopher 13 Jr. Custom Ebonite, Medium Steel Bock nib.

Sailor Kuji Kohaku Amber, Magnetic Cap, 21K H-M nib, Original box with ink and paperwork.

Leonardo Momento Zero Grande 2.0 Galattica Universe, 14K Fine nib.

Leonardo Momento Zero Grande Mosaico Hawaii, Medium Steel nib.

Pentonote X Sailor 1911 (LE of 150,) 14K Medium nib.

Gourmet Pens X Tianzi Maki-e Urushi Lacquer Fountain Pen, Fine Steel nib.

uniball Kuru Toga Dive in Blue.

Platinum 3776 Shape of Heart Chai Latte, 14K Medium nib.

LAMY Safari Field Green (Asian region exclusive,) Medium Black Steel nib.

The Superior Labor Recycled Leather Zip Organizer, Dark Navy.

Sailor X Nagasawa Pro Gear Slim Hamore-bi Limited Edition, 14K Zoom nib.

Pilot Japan Full Shareholder 2024 Set (incl. Custom 74 with Steel nib).

And much more to come next week!!!

So, how can you help out the kids at St. Jude, and have a chance at winning some great prizes? Here you go:

1. For every $10 you donate via the Relay FM for St. Jude 2024 page, you will receive one giveaway entry. You are not limited to how much you donate, or how many entries you have. For example, $20 donated = 2 entries. $100 donated = 10 entries. We are trying to raise as much money as possible for the kids, so go wild! Donations made through Relay FM affiliated Community Campaigns are also eligible.
2. After you donate, forward a copy of your donation receipt, or a screenshot including the amount and date of donation to stjude@penaddict.com with 2024 St. Jude in the Subject line. Only donations timestamped on or after September 4th at 3 p.m. Eastern, and before 11:59 p.m. on September 29th, are eligible.
3. If you are unable to donate, you are allowed one free entry simply by filling out this form.
4. All entries will be added to a spreadsheet after September 29th, and Random.org will be used to select the winners.
5. All winners will be contacted directly via email, if selected.

Helping to raise funds for St. Jude is one of the highlights of my year. Their work is important and impactful, and I appreciate your support of this great cause. That you to everyone who participates!

Galen Leather Zippered Single Pen Case Review

Pocket pens are such a fun form factor — one that I really enjoy using and carrying. They're small and generally lightweight, so why not carry one with you everywhere you go? Due to this common sentiment, it's not uncommon for pocket pens to get a little battered over time as they share pockets and bags with other objects. That's where a pocket pen case comes in handy — it protects your pen while also remaining easy to carry in a pocket.

The Galen Leather Zippered Single Pen Case for Pocket Pens is a single function pen case. It holds a small pocket pen — Kaweco Sport or similar. I'm tempted to call this a pocket pen sleeve, but I think that's an inaccurate term for this product because it has a zipper that provides complete coverage. In my mind, a sleeve doesn't have a zipper — just a small slit or open end to slide the pen in and out of.

This little case is solid. The full zipper means your pen will not fall out by accident, and it has an added benefit of helping to contain any ink spill incidents. Granted, an ink spill happening inside the case while it's zipped means something else catastrophic has happened, so take that with a grain of salt.

So, like the name implies, a standard Kaweco Sport model fits perfectly. But, there are many other pocket pens out there that will also fit. I gathered up all the pocket pens I could find in my collection, and they all generally fit. As long as they are roughly 106mm (4 and 1/8 inches) or less, this case can handle it. In some cases, you can even fit two pens into the case or a couple extra cartridges. But, you can't fit two Kaweco Sports.

Using the case is a nice experience. The zipper is smooth and easy to operate, which is necessary since a pocket pen needs to be easy to deploy and store. The smooth leather material makes it easy to slip in and out of a pocket or bag, and the outside of the zipper is also smooth and doesn't hang on other fabrics.

The leather is full-grain, and all the stitching and craftsmanship is top notch. I have the undyed version, and I'm really looking forward to seeing the leather take on character through its lifespan. The fold in the case was pretty stiff when I first started using it, but it's loosened and softened a bit over the past two weeks of use.

If you're not a big fan of the undyed look, there are plenty (8!) of other color options, as well as pristine or distressed finishes.

At $15, I can heartily recommend this case to anyone looking for a little extra protection for their pocket pens (or pockets!). The design is clean and well-thought out, and I love the single function aspect. Plus, being made of leather means it will hold up well and develop lots of character with use.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount 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!