I’ve bought a couple of Oxford notebooks on my European travels, as they are much more prevalent in shops over there. Someday I’ll do a full review, but my quick take on these is that they are nice-looking pocket notebooks that feel well-constructed and have great paper, the same Optik white paper used in Black … Continue reading Deal Alert: Oxford Signature Notebooks
I can’t decide whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing that there is no Daiso store near me. For those who aren’t familiar with it, Daiso is a chain of Japanese dollar stores, with worldwide locations including quite a few in California. There are also US locations in Texas and Washington state. The … Continue reading Review: Daiso Notebook
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. … Continue reading Review: Rainbow Edge Notebook
Samsill is another brand I’d not heard of until browsing around on Amazon. The company is an independent manufacturer of business accessories such as ring binders and laptop cases, founded in Texas in 1953, and now making their products in partnership with manufacturers in China and Mexico, while still maintaining headquarters and some manufacturing facilities … Continue reading Review: Samsill Pocket Journal
This notebook was a random Amazon find. I’d never heard of the brand Superior Maker and figured it was some Chinese manufacturer marketing cheap knock-off notebooks directly. Their products, which also include lint rollers and rubber doorstops, are indeed made in China, but the company is actually based in New Zealand. Other than that, there … Continue reading Review: Superior Maker Notebook
I don’t usually feel compelled to buy every cheapo notebook I see but every now and then I do find something at the supermarket that seems worth a try– this Peninsula notebook was one. I’ve seen these at Giant and Stop & Shop supermarkets, and I believe I paid $5.99 or $6.99 for this pocket … Continue reading Review: Peninsula Notebook
Flying Tiger is a Danish design store — they’ve recently opened a location in New York, and when I checked it out recently, I found that they have some amazingly cheap notebooks! They have colorful composition books for only $2: There are also 3 sizes of hardcover journals, 4×6″ for $1, 6×8″ for $2, and … Continue reading Flying Tiger Notebooks
I bought the Metro notebook about a year ago, at artsupply.com. I think I had just stumbled across it while browsing around and searching for notebooks, and I was intrigued because it looked like a standard little Moleskine-clone and the price was really low, only $2.48 (plus shipping). They are no longer available on that … Continue reading Review: Metro Notebook
I spotted this neat little notepad in one of NYC’s few remaining independent office supply/stationery shops, I now forget which one. I thought the map design was cute, and also couldn’t believe it was only $1.49!
Banditapple was launched a couple of years ago as a new notebook manufacturer focused on providing a quality handmade notebook at very affordable prices. I’d read reviews of them on other blogs and was thrilled when they contacted me to offer some samples for review. The notebooks are similar to the Moleskine Cahiers or Field … Continue reading Review & Giveaway: Banditapple Carnets