The Revolver Journal is a relatively new introduction to the notebook scene– I say relatively, because they sent me a sample over a year ago and I’m just now getting around to reviewing it!

The concept, basically, is that you get two notebooks in one: a lined notebook and a plain notebook, with a blue cover and a black cover, all in one neat little package.

It starts out as a blue notebook, with the Revolver logo on what looks sort of like a belly band around the cover. But this is actually integral to the design– the bands across the notebook are what hold it together when you flip it inside out. (See the company’s website for a video of how this actually works, as it’s hard to describe with just still photos.)

I thought this aspect of the design could be a bit problematic– the edge could get caught on something if you toss the notebook in a bag.

The notebook has magnetic edges that keep it shut– this is a nice feature, as the page edges are protected. The notebook doesn’t quite stay square when it’s closed, as you can see below:

The inner notebooks are attached to the cover but when it’s open, they can sort of flop around– this is where the design becomes a bit awkward.

The bright white paper (which is 100% recycle) is okay, but not especially heavy or smooth. Most of my pens showed through a little bit.

In the end, I can’t say this notebook was extremely exciting to me. It’s a clever concept, but I don’t really see it being the best way to make a 2-in-1 notebook– it would be better if the inner notebooks were removable so you could refill the cover. The paper was not especially thrilling to write on. The 4 x 5″ shape of the small notebook is a little too wide to be easily pocketable. At $12.00 for the same number of pages, the price is comparable to a pocket Moleskine. (A larger size and other color combinations are also available.) All in all, this is a fun addition to my notebook collection, and would be a good gift for anyone who enjoys novelty journals, but it’s not something I’d use everyday. But that’s just me– I’m sure others will love it!