I bought this cute little notebook at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. There is no branding on it, so I’m just calling it a “rainbow edge notebook.” I liked the way the museum logo was quite subtle on the cover, and the slim size and eye-catching rainbow-colored page edges seemed quite unique. That was several months ago, and in the meantime I’ve seen other versions of this same notebook in other museum stores, with their logos stamped on the front. It seems to be a generic promotional item that anyone can order and personalize via Alibaba and other sources. But is it a good notebooks? Let’s take a look.

What’s on the Outside

As noted above, the outside of the rainbow edge notebook is quite cute. The cover is a soft smooth vinyl. (It has a similar feel to the material used on the Rhodia Webbie and the PSN Notebook I reviewed several years ago, but it feels even softer since there are no hard boards underneath.) I like the feel of it but it does show scuffs a bit more than it would if it had a texture. The museum logo is stamped or perhaps laser-etched on the front and “China” stamped in small letters on the back cover. It is nicely slim and flexible so it’s very pocketable. The cover overhang is pretty minimal. The signatures are squarely aligned. Best of all, it has the fun colored bands all along the page edges– I call it a “rainbow edge” but it’s not just a straightforward rainbow, as the colors appear slightly out of sequence, in bands of varying widths, which to me is much more attractive. Overall, the exterior of the notebook is very appealing, even if it doesn’t feel like a super high-end product.

What’s on the Inside

The interior of the rainbow edge notebook is totally plain– nothing on the endpapers, no lines, no dot grid, no ribbon marker, no back pocket, no nothing. Just plain creamy sheets of paper, which feel relatively smooth and lightweight. Lined journals are so ubiquitous, I am always happy to find notebooks that are plain and minimal inside.

Pen Tests

Alas, here is where it all comes crashing down. Fountain pens are feathery from the get-go, and lots of inks bleed through. Badly. Show-through is about average. No paper weight is specified, but it seems similar to Moleskine paper, though the surface is a little bit less smooth. If you use pencil or fine point gel ink or ballpoint pen, the paper will perform adequately, but it is definitely not fountain pen friendly.

Conclusion/Where to Buy

The best things about this notebook are that it looks cute and only cost $6.95. It makes a fun little museum souvenir and will serve very well as a lightweight jotter to toss in a bag or pocket. But fountain pen users should definitely stay away. You can look for this notebook in museum stores, or try Amazon for some similar rainbow edged journals.