The Kaweco Collection Fountain Pen Apricot Pearl is one of my favorite Kaweco releases over the past several years. Not only do I have one in my collection, I’m now giving away a second one, after a previous one around first release. What is great is great, and I’m stoked to be able to send another one out to readers. This one ships with a Broad Steel nib, so read the rules below and enter away!
Kleid x Maruman Mnemosyne B6 Memo Pad Review
I love a good stationery collaboration, and given my long-standing love of Maruman paper, I was excited to see what Kleid could bring to the table in their recent collaboration series.
The Kleid x Maruman Mnemosyne notebook series features several different sizes and shapes, ranging from the large A4 Landscape edition, all the way down to the pocketable Modified B7 design. My selection was one off from the smallest with the B6 Top-Bound Memo Pad - a perfect desk companion.
What else does this Kleid series of Mauruman notebooks feature over the standard Maruman lineup? An Olive cover, 2 mm grid spacing, and a several dollar premium for the privilege of using those first two features. This is the price we often pay for collaborations. Depending on your needs and likes, the product could be perfect and worth the extra few bucks, or none of it could be additive to your experience and the classic stock version is the best version.
Performance wise, this notebook meets my already high Maruman expectations. The paper is some of the best for all types of pens and inks, handling most everything I threw at it well. The only outlier was Waterman Radiant Pink, which is an older ink I often have problems with. It seems to be overly watery, which will go through many different types of paper, this one included. Otherwise, everything else was as expected. Heavy rollerball ink, like in the Schmidt P8127 did ghost, and of course the Sharpie flew right through the page.
If there is any downside to the paper it is that there isn’t much tooth for graphite to grab on too. If you like a more tactile pencil feel, Maruman paper would not be my choice.
Aside from my enjoyment of the paper on the inside, Maruman constructs some of the world’s best wire-bound notebooks. They charge a premium for even the standard models, but you get a premium experience. The wire binding is strong and durable, the covers are sturdy while having some flex, the perf is clean, and overall these notebooks are perfectly executed. While mostly known for this style, they have recently begun making hardbound journals, if that is more to your liking.
0.5 mm pencil, left, staying within the 2 mm. 0.5 mm uniball Zento using 4 mm grid spacing.
Outside of the price, I think the 2 mm grid is the biggest hangup with the Kleid collaboration. That’s Kleid’s thing, and it isn’t for everyone. It’s not even for me most of the time, as I prefer a 4 mm to 5 mm grid spacing. The tiny grid causes me to lose my place more, which in turn makes me have to think about the lines more. I don’t want to think, just write. Larger handwriting works better, using two or three lines at a time, for a more traditional 4 mm or 6 mm spacing.
LAMY Safari EF, LAMY Safari Blue ink, trying to stay on 6 mm spacing. There were a few failures.
In the end, as beautiful as I find the Kleid x Maruman Mnemosyne notebook series to be, I don’t think they are worth the premium. The B6 model I’m using is $10, and a standard lined B6 is $8.20 at JetPens. While most of these formats aren’t a 1:1 match, something like the more traditional Maruman Mnemosyne A5 Dot Grid is only $11.25, which is a far better bang for your buck versus the A5 Kleid collaboration, which runs $16.
Unless you are an Olive superfan (I know you are out there,) have to have 2 mm grid spacing, or are a Japanese stationery junkie (raises hand,) I’d stick with the standards when it comes to the Maruman Mnemosyne.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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Misfill, AI Bullshit Edition
Each week in Refill, the Pen Addict Members newsletter, I publish Ink Links as part of the additional content you receive for being a member. And each week, after 10 to 15 links, plus my added commentary on each, I'm left with many great items I want to share. Enter Misfill. Here are this weeks links:
— Pen and paper are superior to your AI bullshit. (Maaike Brinkhof)
— The Paper Mind: Mitsubishi Bank Paper Notebook (Nathan King)
— Ink Omakase: June 2025 (Inkcredible Colours)
— 2025 Mid-Year Check-In (Rachel's Reflections)
— When EDC Objects are Actually Designed by Industrial Designers (Core77)
— Maybe It’s Not Coming Back (Line Variation)
— Ink Review: Sailor x Dromgoole’s Apricot Jam & Mint Jelly (The Well-Appointed Desk)
— Anna Trench’s football love story Florrie unearths the hidden history of the women’s game (It’s Nice That)
— Issue#44: Eyedroppers and Burping (Fountain Pen Weekly)
— Sharp pencils for hard times (The Verge)
— Unboxing The Pen Tray I Didn't Know I Needed: Stationery Stack Alfie (DWRDNET Stationery Feed)
— Tanjiro Emerges in the Fields as Gyoda Unveils 2025 Rice Paddy Art | Spoon & Tamago (Spoon & Tomago)
— Act In The Gap Between Art and Handwriting (greg.org)
— Enjoy Collection 2025: Q2 (Dime Novel Raven)
— One of My Favorite Blues: The Wet Pen's Rainier Blue! - YouTube (Inkdependence)
— Tracking things is awesome. If you analyze it afterwards. (ner3y's Blog)
— Video-Review: The Superior Labor – Engineer Pouch (Scrively)
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