ALMOST WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: Greenroom Eco Notebooks Review

Greenroom Eco Notebooks - Found at Target

No.

PAPER REVIEW: Mnemosyne B5 Notebook by Maruman

Shopping for paper online is wonnnnderful. Shopping for paper in a store is like, whoa.

Feeling the creaminess of the paper. Studying the color of the lines. Pondering the lay-out and line width. Comparing sizes, and bindings, and covers, oh my.

I found this Mnemosyne B5 Notebook by Maruman at Maido in Japantown, San Francisco. I love that store. I could move in there. (Especially because there are noodle and mochi shops nearby. Yum.)

This notebook is a B5 size. It measures 176 x 250 mm. That's 6.9 x 9.8 inches for those of us who don't speak millimeters. Such a pleasing size. Neither too long nor too wide. It can be laid open on the corner of a desk without being too much in the way.  Fold it over on itself and it's not too big to be held in one hand. I'm digging B5.

This yellow sheet is the first page in the notebook. It looks like instructions, but it's in Japanese. And it's a little confusing at first glance because these pages do not have vertical lines, but this example page does. What the heck?

It turns out that there are teeny-tiny very light vertical marks on the paper near the header and then again at the bottom of page to help us create tidy vertical lines on the paper. If you want to, that is.

You can see one of these little marks in the picture below.  Such a nice touch - love the easy flexibility.




Each of the 160 pages (80 sheets) has gray dotted lines that are spaced 7mm apart. Every ten lines, there is a heavier solid line. These heavier lines lines divide the writing part of the page into three equal sections. These lines are not so intrusive that you have to use them, but they're there if you want to. Again, easy flexibility.

The paper is white, but not screaming bright white. 

The binding is wire-o. Pages are perforated.

But...how does it perform?  Check it out . . .

No feather, no bleeding, tiny amount of ghosting (show-through).

The paper on top of the writing sample is Clairefontaine 90gsm. The Mnemosyne is definitely a softer white.  The paper is buttery smooth with an expensive look and feel.  I paid  $8.95 for the notebook and while that's a lot when compared to a Mead notebook, it's about what I'd expect to pay for a premium product.

Bottom Line:  I love this notebook and can definitely see using it for work notes or at home for planning or maybe even scribbling down quotes I love.

If you're not near a store that carries Maruman products, JetPens has it - for around $15. (Making me feel like I got a pretty good deal!)

Tell me which notebooks you love? And do you love B5? I asked on Instagram and A5 seems to be more popular.

PAPER REVIEW: Field Notes - Arts & Sciences Edition

FIELD NOTES ARTS & SCIENCES EDITION

Over and over again, I buy Field Notes brand Memo Books. I’m not sure why . . . the paper quality of most editions I’ve seen is Just Not That Good and not very suitable for fountain pen use.

(Un)fortunately, they get it just right sometimes. And that’s enough to keep me coming back for more.  You know what I’m saying? It’s like pizza delivery – they get the order right just often enough to make me try again another day.

And that brings us to the 64-Page Note Book from Field Notes. The Arts & Sciences limited edition. The big one.

Some things about the  note book. . .

measures 4.75” x 7.5”

110 lb cover stock

50 lb bright white paper paper with silver ink

printed with light gray lines on right side of book – blank on left

staple bound (also called saddle stitching)

rounded corners

made in the US

Two more things about this note book . . .

1. It’s not fountain pen friendly
2. I’m going to use the hello out of this book

Annnnnd this is why I keep coming back to Field Notes: despite the fact that this book is comprised of average components with a standard design, I adore it.

Field Notes: they’re easy.

Enough pages to fill with good information, not so many that the book is even a little bulky. The front covers are iconic in their simplistic design. (This one has a deeply debossed logo on the front cover.) The inside covers are filled with interesting little tidbits, and at the end of the day, It Just Works.

So. Like so many before it, I won’t be using my fountain pens with this edition of Field Notes, but I will be carrying it with me for list making and planning purposes.  And by the time I’m finished filling the note book, it will probably be a bit tattered and worn (thank goodness for those rounded corners), and it may even be stained with pizza.

There are other great little notebooks out there. I've been loving Curnow Bookbinding & Leatherwork and Yellow Paper House (a new shop on Etsy), and they are definitely fountain pen friendly.

And what about you, dear reader? Which little notebooks do you love? Or love to hate ;)

PAPER REVIEW and COMPARISONS: Apica Premium C. D. A5 Notebook

Apica Premium C. D. A5 Notebook Review and Comparison to Clairefontaine

There is a plastic protective cover that doesn't seem like it's meant to stay on the book. You could leave it on there with no trouble, but taking it off (to remove the paper insert, for example) and replacing it later could cause the cover to tear because it's super-thin. The book looks better without the plastic, too. 

The cover is heavyweight slightly textured paper.  The title is embossed and the word "premium" is stamped in gold foil.  

The pages are squared (rather than rounded) and binding is sewn (rather than stapled).  

Some people prefer rounded corners because they may show less wear and tear over time. I like the look of square corners, especially in thicker books. Sewn binding is more expensive to produce than other types of binding - it looks better and it helps the book lay-flat.

Choose the paper like you would a good pen.

This A5 notebook came to me via Goulet Pens.  They sent it to me in exchange for my honest review. Goulet has this notebook listed at $16.20. Apica makes other notebooks, too - they are not all made with the same "A. Silky 865 Premium" paper.

The Apica A5 has 96 sheets of paper. That's 192 pages to write on if you write on the fronts and backs of pages.

The first page of the book is a gray title/index page. Definitely a premium touch that most other notebooks don't have.

Nearly lay-flat binding.

But what you really want to know about is the paper itself, right?

The paper feels so smooth. It's buttery, luxurious, and definitely, absolutely premium. The color is a very light ivory and the lines are gray. Very easy on the eyes. Ahhhh.

I compare it below to my everyday use paper - Clairefontaine 80gsm.


Apica . . .

Clairefontaine . . .

Apica . . .

Clairefontaine . . .

 Because the paper is so smooth and almost (but not quite) feels glossy, I was concerned that smearing would be a Major Issue. Here's a comparison . . .

Apica . . . 

Clairefontaine . . .

Apica . . .

 Clairefontaine . . .

The Apica paper in this notebook feels better (more silky smoothness) than Clairefontaine and that made the writing experience better than on Clairefontaine. I love it and will definitely use the notebook I received.

Inks look brighter on the white white paper of Clairefontaine, but they look richer on Apica. 

There was very little ghosting and no bleed through with either paper. 

Dry times seem comparable, too.

Here's the complete Apica test sheet.  Click here for the huge full-size image . . .

And here is the complete Clairefontaine test sheet.  Click here for the huge full-size image . . . 

Clairefontaine in the A-5 clothbound version comes in at $9.50 for the same number of pages. The cover isn't as fancy, and the paper may not feel quite as smooth, but if you're looking for bang for your buck, I'd tell you to get Clairefontaine.

If you're looking for a very special notebook, though, get the Apica Premium. You really and truly will not be disappointed. The silky paper is like no other paper I've used.

Last week, I asked on Instagram which papers people love - and which they use.  If I've managed to embed this link correctly, you should be able to clicky click and be taken directly to that post to see the responses. (And if I didn't embed it correctly, you'll know that I'm not a perfect person.)





And finally, let me ask you . . . which paper do you most love? which paper do you use most? Do you prefer clothbound or wire binding?

I'll be back on Wednesday with a Giveaway. Stay tuned . . .

xoxo

PAPER REVIEW: POPPIN CAHIER NOTEBOOK

I was in Staples last week and there was a beautiful display of Poppin products. I'd never heard of this brand and decided to pick up a few items.

Today, I'm taking a closer look at the small notebook. Here are some specs for you . . .

• 192 pages
• 3.5" x 5.5"
• Lined paper
• Elastic band closure
• Ribbon marker
• Pocket in back
• $6 at Staples

Let's take a closer look . . . 

As advertised, the cover is soft. It's vinyl. It's stinky. Not a good start, I'm afraid. Almost reminds me of my gran's tablecloth from the 70s. (Yes, I'm old.)

This was a bit of a surprise - a happy surprise for me, but I imagine it wouldn't be so happy for everyone - the paper isn't simply lined as indicated on the outside labeling - it's set up in a bit of a journal entry / checklist style. I'm loving this . . . 

And..surprise!...there's a thin ribbon marker. (The book doesn't lay flat - it's being held open so I could get the picture.)

A not-so-good picture, but it does have a pocket in the back - much like Moleskin.

But the important question - how is the paper? The book is quite thin for 192 pages, but the paper feels silky smooth. Cautiously optimistic is how I was feeling.

(Oh..the paper is bright white - these last few pictures were taken later in the day and I'm not a photographer.)

Not bad!  Very little feathering. 

Lots and lots of show-through / ghosting. I personally have an issue with that, but know that many people don't mind some show-through.

Final Thoughts

At just six bucks, there are some pretty sweet things about this notebook. Features like the pocket, elastic band, and ribbon marker make the product seem like a quality item. However, all of that is discounted by the super tacky and stinky vinyl cover. 

I have a zillion notebooks and can't imagine that this one will work its way to the front of the line anytime soon.

Have you tried any of the Poppin items? With Moleskin paper being criticized so much lately, have you found a suitable replacement?