I’ve always depended on the kindness of strangers… well, maybe not really, but I do love it when exciting notebooks show up in my mailbox from people I’ve never met! A reader named June sent me two lovely items– first, a special edition Field Notes: This was the perfect gift, because as I’ve written here … Continue reading Gifts From a Reader: Rollbahn and Field Notes
I previously posted some snapshots of notebook sightings during my travels around Istanbul, but now let’s get into the details of the 5 notebooks I actually purchased there. Below is the first notebook I purchased, the Elastic Notebook/ Bloknot by Le Color. From doing a little online searching, this seems to be a Turkish brand, … Continue reading Notebooks Bought in Istanbul
I picked up this Mead notebook after a tip from a reader, who had noticed that they were available only at Wal-Mart. Though Mead is obviously a major brand that is available everywhere, it would appear that Wal-Mart asked them to come up with an inexpensive Moleskine-ish notebook that they could offer as an exclusive. … Continue reading Review: Mead Journal from WalMart
Here’s a notebook that adds a splash of color to your life: Cool Notes, from the stationery and art book publisher TeNeues. The folks there were kind enough to send me some free samples to review and share with some lucky winners. First of all, don’t you love the colors? The black notebooks are livened … Continue reading Review and Giveaway: TeNeues CoolNotes
The Blackwell notebook is an interesting “mole-clone” that has a bit more branding than most, but in an unobtrusive way that I rather like. Below you see the Blackwell notebook next to a Piccadilly notebook– in the front view, it’s almost impossible to tell the difference. (The Blackwell is on the left.) In this photo … Continue reading Review: Blackwell Notebook
Have you ever fantasized about a cool notebook from the past that’s no longer available, wishing that someone saved a stash of them and then put them up for sale again? Well, that fantasy might come true today! Back in 2003, Moleskine branched out from their standard hardcover notebooks for the first time, introducing the … Continue reading Moleskine Monday: Original Volant Notebooks Giveaway!
The Kolo Essex Travel Book is an interesting hybrid of a Moleskine-type notebook and a Filofax. From the outside, it looks a lot like a Moleskine, but with some important differences. The binding is cloth, with a window in which you can insert your own image. An elastic band holds it shut. On the back, … Continue reading Review: Kolo Essex Travel Book
“Deafmessanger” is Kucin, an artist living in Prague. He sells his notebooks, diaries, sketchbooks and postcards in lots of locations around Europe, as well as at Bluestockings and Spoonbill and Sugartown here in NYC. He contacted me a few months ago and offered me a sample journal to review– when I took a look at … Continue reading Review: Handmade Journal by Deafmessanger
Arwey is an interesting brand of notebooks you don’t see too often. The company is based in Turkey, but even on my trip to Istanbul, I only saw their notebooks sold in one store. I first discovered them at A.I. Friedman in New York, but they don’t seem to be carried there anymore. However, the … Continue reading Review & Massive Giveaway: Arwey Notebooks
Here’s a look at a couple of notebooks I couldn’t resist buying at Kinokuniya, a store in Manhattan that specializes in books, movies, stationery and other Japanese items. The first is a quite unique notebook, made by Pilot and branded “THE-II” on the front. The cover is a very retro leather-textured plastic: But here’s what … Continue reading Review: Japanese Notebooks from Kinokuniya