Hello all.

I have a number of bizarre addictions, one of the most prominent being to notebooks/journals. I am always on the search for the perfect one.

At Christmas my MIL bought me a book from a German (I think) line called Semikolon. Anyone heard of/experienced them?

The book she bought me is A4, casebound in what you may think of as proper 'library-style' - thick boards (maybe 3-4 mm) covered in a seemingly tough, coarse fabric I'd compare well to a proper bookcloth - full of plain ivory paper with a bit of a laid texture and quite lightweight, it wasn't labelled with a page count but it's maybe 1/2 - 3/4" thick, with a ribbon marker and actual headbands to match the cloth cover.

My quick tests (haven't got into proper use yet) show no feather or bleed-through with a variety of inks including Herbin Eclat de Saphir in quite a wet writer that is a combination I find often prone to feather. Because the paper is quite lightweight you do get a hint of writing on the reverse, but as I say no bleedthrough.

I have since tracked down thte shop she got it from, and bought an A5-ish book, similarly bound but with lined paper. It's still shrink-wrapped, so can't say if it's otherwise all similar, but the price was good - GBP10, which is a few £ cheaper than the local rate for Moleskine or Paperblanks, and my initial imprssions are that these are superior to both. Rather more than I get Clairefontaine for, and the paper is a very different proposition, but I much prefer this style of binding.

In the next few days I plan to test a little more closely and take some photographs, but I'm starting to get excited as they may be the closest I've come to the perfect notebook.

Can't wait to see the photos. Like you, I am always in pursuit of the perfect notebook.

Looking forward to seeing pics and of course a full review of your A5 too. And if a success, stockist info!
Always in the market for a good notebook. Bit of an obsession actually. Discovered Clairefontaine last month and when it arrived the pages felt so nice to touch I can't bring myself to use it. I can't imagine anything I write would do it justice. Is that normal?

The Semikolon look amazing! I've never used one, but the Essence du Papier store in Montreal has the whole Semikolon line up in every color.
The smaller notebook have an elastic on the side and a small pencil.
The also make great boxes and photo album.

I think it's gonna be one of my next notebook, but I have a huge stack of Apica note book still in the wrapper.

Samovar

I love Semikolon notebooks!
They have a huge varity of sizes and colors and the paper is very fountain pen friendly. Currently I'm using one of their 'Antiques' for notes and sketches. The paper cover is a reprint of a vintage issue of Goethe's "Faust" and inside are 190 pages of blank paper.


And I'm thinking about buying one of these since ages:


The cover is made of velvet and embossed with golden letters (the one in the picture says: poetry and truth. Its the title of Goethe's autobiography), the edges of the pages are golden too (gilt edge is the right word in english, I think), it has an elastic closure, a pocket in the back like a Moleskine, a pen strap and sooo nice paper.... 9

So where can I find them???? I'm UK based. Been on their website and they look fantastic.

The only place I've seen them is that shop - an art-supply store in the centre of Belfast called Bradbury Graphics. They have stacks of them, though...

Ooh I think that Flax might sell these....

Just checked them out online thanks. Go to Belfast about once a year if I'm lucky so if I can't get them before at least I know I can find them there!

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I know, most of my friends have obsessions with shoes or jewellry etc.....mine is journals and sketchbooks. and writing implements. I just use the excuse that I am an art student...but I am hoplessly addicted!!!

Thought I'd add my experience here as it differs a bit from the ones related here - maybe the paper of the Semikolon 'Antiques' has changed?
I bought a Semikolon notebook yesterday - the Goethe paperback one - and while I'm very happy with it as far as bleedthrough is concerned (none, not even from my very wet medium PFM filled with Lake Placid Blue (I've found PR inks to be notorious 'bleeders' and 'featherers' in many other journals), I've noticed that the paper is a bit rough / has a bit of 'tooth' which makes it very difficult to write on it with stubs or italic nibs. Unless I take very great care & write extremely slowly, they just don't write a full, bold line. Hence the paper cannot be described as truly 'fountain pen friendly' in my opinion and I wouldn't go out of my way to buy another Semikolon. I'll happily continue filling the one I have already got, however.
Nellie

FYI - The Sam Flax store in Atlanta has become a big purveyor of Semikolon products. They have an entire section of the store dedicated to Semikolon notebooks, journals, binders, boxes and other items.

Click the link on their home page to see part of their selection:

http://www.samflaxsouth.com/Content/18.htm

They don't list most of the journals on the web site, at least not yet, but I've been to the store and they have the full range available.