I have a few notebooks stashed in my desk drawer. These have traveled with me through 3 job changes, but I’ve only used any of them actively for brief periods. The first one is this 4″ x 5 3/4″ Cahier de Toilex made in Japan by Maruman. It’s not my ideal size, but I love … Continue reading Notebooks in My Office
Here’s a notebook which evokes bittersweet memories for me… When I was a kid, it seemed like this sort of diary was a common promotional giveaway. Is it just me, or do companies never do this any more? Now it’s all logo pens and flashlights and foam squeeze balls, although logo-embossed notebooks are making a … Continue reading Sandoz Pharmaceutical Diary, 1970s
I’m coming into the home stretch with my current notebook, an unlined Moleskine. My choices for the next one are: a squared Moleskine an unlined softcover Moleskine an unlined Moleskine Volant a Filofax Each of these would have its advantages and disadvantages. I rather like the squared paper for list-making and doodling, though it can … Continue reading What’s the Next Notebook?
Here’s another amusing item from my childhood collection: This started out as a simple plain notepad, the kind with glued-together pages and a cardboard backing. They came as a pack of 3 that were meant to be separated, but I liked the chunky thickness so I left them all together. I decorated the first page … Continue reading Modified Note Pad
Another notebook that was probably manufactured in the late 1970s to early 1980s: a slim lined memorandum book by the Northern Central Co. of Milwaukee. The cover has a textured fake-leather look, but it’s just glossy card stock, stamped in gold foil. Dig that cool logo on the front! I didn’t use very many pages … Continue reading Memorandum Book Made by Northern Central Co., Milwaukee
I’ve been wanting to check these out for a while, and it seems they are finally more widely available. I picked up a set of 3 small dotted notebooks at Paper Presentation on West 18th St. in NYC. They also had the large size, and ruled and plain paper versions in both sizes. I’ve read … Continue reading Kikkerland WritersBlok Notebooks Now Available
When I was about 8 years old, my grandmother took me to visit the office where she had formerly worked. One of her friends there took a liking to me, and for several years afterwards, we kept in touch through short cards and letters. A few years ago, the friend, whose name was Lucy, returned … Continue reading A Chinese Diary, 1980
Here’s a gem from the late ’70s/early ’80s. I love the simple cover design with the 25 cent price at the bottom. I wonder what ever happened to the Eastern Tablet company of Albany, NY. When you google it, not much comes up other than the obituaries of people who worked there at one time. … Continue reading Paper King Memo Book, late 1970s or early 1980s
I’m a little more than half done with my current notebook and I’m already starting to wonder what I’ll use next. Partly this is because I have such a large stack of unused notebooks to choose from… but it’s also due to a bit of restlessness. Since I’ve started using Moleskines, I’ve been quite good … Continue reading Thick or Thin?
Happy New Year! I am glad to report that during my holiday hiatus, I received several new notebooks as Christmas gifts: From my mom: a Moleskine Pocket Sketchbook, a Cachet Sketch Book, and a small Strathmore Drawing Pad (along with some nice drawing pencils). From a friend: a Moleskine Japanese Album and a Moleskine Weekly … Continue reading Notebooks Received as Gifts
