notebookism

Survey: "What makes the best business notepad?"

David Sealy of Quba, needs our opinion:

"We’re just about to order our corporate stationery and I therefore wondered if you could share this link to a survey on what makes the best business notepad with your blog subscribers: http://quba.wufoo.com/forms/the-quba-uber-notebook-survey/  

So far those who have completed the research want: 

An A4, lined notepad which is spiral bound with a card cover. They want an elastic strap to hold it shut, 240 pages to write on, date and title fields on each of the pages that will numbered. A built in pen holder and perforated edges on each page are also desirable..."

LINK

Discussion: Does my perfect notebook exist?

 

Juan Kerr started a discussion thread at Notebookism/FLICKR:

"I've been searching for it for some time now. I typed 'soft leather notebook' into google images and was amazed by the number of results. So many varieties were there in fact, that I was sure I would find the type I was looking for. No such luck, so I thought I'd ask here, just in case anyone knows of some tucked away online store that sells what I'm looking for...."

Join the ongoing discussion

McGill on Moleskine

Analysis at McGill Daily of how that little black notebook became so popular. 

At its most basic psychology, then, choosing Moleskines over generic brands can be considered another way of telling ourselves that it’s all going to work out okay. And given the choice between envisioning myself as Picasso or an uncertain and under-accomplished 22-year-old,  I’d definitely choose Picasso.

LINK

(Thanks to  Chris Meisenzahl)

 

Mystery Notebook

Hush. We're back with a mystery:

Last weekend I was at the University of Texas at Austin to pick up my son from band camp (no American Pie jokes, please).  I saw an interesting looking notebook.  No one was around, so I picked up and flipped through it.  It was roughly 8.5" x 5.5".  The cover was plain brown, almost an orangish-brown, and was heavy-weight cardboard (or similar material).  The pages were off-white, approaching greenish-yellow, a popular color I've noticed with lab books.  It was quadrille paper.  The cover had a built-in pocket.  I liked the look and feel of it and if I were to design a notebook this is what it would look like.  The notebook obviously belonged to a student because it was partially filled with notes.  I could not find any contact information in the notebook (my plan was to call, say I found it, return it, and then ask where he/she bought it).  I could not find any information in or on the notebook identifying the manufacturer.  I checked the UT Co-op bookstore and they don't care anything that matches that description.

Any ideas?

John

Discover and join our communities on Facebook, FLICKR and GoogleGroups. Check out our Blank Page discussions.  Don't forget to drop by Myndology.

Search for a Reporter's Notebook (or Better)?

Neal Yonover needs your help:

"I am seriously digging your site. 

I'm also hoping you can help me.

 

I'm a writer who's a contractor/remodeler by day. I've found that the reporter's notebook (4x8, spiral bound) is easy to use in the field (fits in the pocket and the hand, etc.) for notes, sketches and measurements, but a pain to store for project management/collation of notes. As a writer, I just stuck them into a file folder and that was it. But now I use ring binders for projects and refer to the notes frequently.

 

Recopying the information back at the office isn't viable, and trimming and gluing the pages onto 8-1/2 x 11 pages for a project ring binder is prohibitively time- and labor-intensive. I tried sticking them into plastic protectors, but they slide around and the protectors quickly make the binders too thick to carry easily.

 

I love the Rhodia pads, and Moleskine, and I use the Rite-in-the-Rain 3x5 notebooks as my fallback, I like the durability. But they all have the same storage challenge.

 

Do you or anyone on the site know of a system for storing these pages more efficiently. Or is there another system that's as portable as the 4x8 notebook and more conducive to storage?

 

Thanks for the inspiration of the site, and any thoughts you'd care to share.

 

Your fan,

 

Neal Yonover"

S.O.S.!

Review: J. Herbin Scented Fountain Pen Ink - Encre Bleue

Our friend Chtis Meisenzahl recently got his hands on a bottle of H. Herbin's Encre Bleue:

The good people at Exaclair were kind enough to send me some journals and J. Herbin fountain pen inks recently. The ink I was most interested in checking out was one of the J. Herbin scented varieties: Encre Bleue. In addition to their fantastic 'traditional' fountain pen inks, J. Herbin offers a small selection of scented inks. Note that their Specialty Ink line includes two fun looking ones: Invisible Ink ('Encre Sympathique') [The ink turns blue when held under a light or other heat source. Writing disappears as the paper cools.] & Authentique Ink ('Encre Authentique') [... contains Campeche wood tannin for exceptional preservation. Lettering done with this ink is said to be legible for 300 years.].

Read the full review at Chris' blog

Quo Vadis notebook reviewed

Breck over at Reciprocal Crap Exchange (yes, that's a blog:),  has reviewed the  Quo Vadis notebook.

"Cover Material: Some kind of faux leather

Paper: Clairefontaine - white, 90 grams

Lined?: Yes. Fine, precise, and grey

Binding: Five sewn sections - 80 sheets, total

Price: Swisher Pens has them for $20

Primary Strength: Excellent Clairefontaine paper

Pimary Weakness: I want more pages

Read the verdict, here.

Competition & Sketchbooks - what do you look for?

Darn, we missed this but the responses are still worth the read at Janice's blog:

I’ve often been told I should sell my journals and sketchbooks but before I do I’m asking all the artists out there to tell me what they look for in a sketchbook. In return I will send one of my hand bound pocket journals to one lucky responder anywhere in the world.

VISIT

Review: Myndology's Bare line by D*I*Y Planner

D*I*Y Planner's Doug J. reviewed Myndology's Bare notebooks recently. Here's the verdict:

The rounded edges of the notebook cover and paper evoke the discs used to bind it all together. From my understanding, these are Rollabind-style discs and --just like the Levenger Circa line-- permit pages to be inserted and removed very easily. The discs themselves are made of a translucent honey-coloured plastic and compliment the earth-tones of the covers quite well.

Truly, these are some of the most beautiful and professionally-designed notebooks in my collection. Kudos to the listed design firm Duffy and Partners, and to Myndology for producing the line.

Ah, but aesthetics are one thing -- how about quality and practicality?"

Read the full post.

Related: Myndology

[Disclosure: Myndology is an advertiser to this site]

Your first notebook

I don’t remember my first notebook, but my mother claims I was folding up pieces of paper into little books and carrying them around with me from at least the age of 3! Later, I remember having those little square datebooks that Hallmark shops used to give away for free–the ones that listed all the birthstones and wedding anniversary gifts on the inside cover! Then I had various 3×5″ spiral notebooks, and some little diaries that were given away to members of the Harvard Coop.

These were the roots of my obsession– what were yours?

Join the discussion at Notebook Stories