I thought that I had seen mention of Notables notebooks here on FPN before, but I can't find it so I will briefly review some of what I have bought today.

They are here if you want to see them.

I picked up 4 of the A6 ruled notebooks today to use as a daily journal. The covers are available in pink, blue and black. I chose black. The cover is a very dark fabric type. There is an elastic closure and to all intents and purposes it is identical to a Moleskine notepad with the exception of the colour of the cover.

The paper is cream and there are 96 sheets of 80gsm paper sewn in signatures. There is a black page marker which lacks the quality of the Moleskine pads, but they have had the sense to heatseal the end to stop it fraying, unlike Moleskine. The pages are ruled both sides at about 6mm between the lines with a bold line top and bottom. The paper seems a little more coarse than the Moleskine.

Further aping the Moleskine there is a pocket in the back cover in the exact same design. What it doesn't have is the printed "in case of loss" section in the front, nor the marketing propaganda about how Hemingway et al used Moleskine notebooks, nor the useless stickers or postcards.

I started buying Moleskines before they became fashionable. In those days I could pick up a pocket-sized lined Moleskine at £3.50 (US$7) or a large lined at £4.80 (US$10). These days in the UK they are £7 and £11 respectively. The Notables pads are £3 each and I think that on first sight they look like they represent excellent value for money as they are so well made.

I haven't put ink to paper, but I will let you know how I get on when I do.

Does anyone know if they are available in US?

Donnie

But, isn't this the only thing that really counts? I have been trying to find a Moleskine substitute for quite a while. Seems like every time something becomes the "in" thing to have, quality takes a nose dive. I picked up a nice leather bound journal at Borders that fits in my carrying case and seemed to have better quality paper than the Moleskine. Well, I solved the problem of "show through". Now I have the problem of feathering, which I never had with the Moleskine. Seems that I only traded one problem for another.

Let us know how these things take ink, particularly Diamine.

Well, I look forward to hearing how these notebooks work out for you, or how they work out for your fountain pens.

I wonder if they're available in the U.S.?

I have a Moleskine somewhere I haven't gotten to writing in, as I'm still using my old journal that was a gift (faux leather cover, execrable design, lousy paper--must write more and use it up!)

Ringtop (Vida)

OK a very quick test done

Lamy 2000 OM nib - Waterman Havana
Notables - Very slight feathering - No show through
Moleskine - No feathering - No show through

Pilot VP broad nib - Sheaffer Skrip green
Notables - Very slight feathering - No show through
Moleskine - No feathering - No show through

Danitrio Mikado medium nib - Noodlers Eternal black
Notables - No feathering - No show through
Moleskine - No feathering - No show through

Sheaffer Super Snorkel medium nib - Sheaffer Skrip green
Notables - Feathering - Show through
Moleskine - Very slight feathering - No show through

Bexley Sheherazade 1.3 stub nib - Visconti black
Notables - No feathering - No show through
Moleskine - No feathering - No show through

So it looks like there is a slight difference in the pads to the detriment of the Notables pad, but I would say that they are much cheaper and Moleskines are known for their erratic quality of both paper.

The results of the Havana brown were surprising. That ink has been totally reliable on every other paper that I have chosen. The biggest difference was the Skrip green through the Snorkel.

I have got many other inks so I will add to this piece as I fill in the journal.

Thanks for this, Andy!

As you go along, a few things I would love to know about:
lying flat - does it open up nicely and stay there without the binding cracking?
durability - after the three months of being tossed in and out of a bag, how has it held together?
is the cover firm enough to be comfortable writing standing up or in your lap?

I'll keep my eyes open for these, though I don't know if I will find them in Canada. To be honest, for me it's not *all* about the paper. The binding and durability is a big aspect for me. Right now, moleskine still has an edge for me, but that can change.

It would be worth me mentioning this now whilst it is fresh in my mind.

The cover is stiff to fold back from new, but no more than a new Moleskine.

I have never had a Moleskine that laid flat, but I am really gentle with books. Even paperbacks. You would never see me break the spine of a book when I read it. In fact I have just realised this is yet another one of my foibles. I rarely open a book beyond 135 degrees and if when I lay a book flat on a table the cover should open itself slightly I turn the book face down so that the book gets its shape back. You would look at any of my books and be hard pressed to know that they had ever been read. A bookmark might give it away if I am in the process of reading a book. The binding on the Notable looks every bit as tough as the Moleskine.

As far as durability is concerned, I always carry my journals in heavy gauge ziploc bags, because I tend to walk everywhere rather than using a car and anyone who lives at 60 degrees North will know that you don't get the best of the weather. My notebook is out of shape as it has a Pelikano Jr strapped to the side of it (Moleskine Reporter) with an extra hair band for security and it travels around loose in the side pocket of my cargo trousers. The journal is packed as carefully as possible in my rucksack and the fact that it is protected by the ziploc bag means that it is as nice when I start with it as when I finish with it. It will therefore not get the sort of test that everyone else's will.

The cover is a hard cover and would be perfectly adequate for standing or lap use.

Thanks Andy! It's useful info for someone who is nicer to their books than I am I pretty much squish my pages open whether they like it or not - though to be fair I often break in a book the way I was taught in school to do with new textbooks, so they don't look trashed from being opened.

Again I'll keep my eyes out for these, they seem worth trying out.

Pelikan M605 medium stub nib - Noodlers Luxury blue
Notables - No feathering - No show through
Moleskine - No feathering - No show through

I picked up some inks today, and saw some Moleskines on display, so I decided to finally try them.

So far, I have had no problem with feathering although some "see through" (not bleed through) is noticeable. Moleskines will probably not be my primary notebooks (tend to be a little steep in price) but they are certainly decent journals. I was somewhat concerned given the many horror stories I have heard.

Pelikan Level 5 medium nib - Pelikan Level blue
Notables - No feathering - No show through
Moleskine - No feathering - No show through

Just let me know when you are bored!!

Sailor Saporro Mini broad Nib - Sailor cartridges - blue/black
Notables - Very slight feathering - no show through
Moleskine - No feathering - no show through

I have only just realised that what I am referring to as see through others will be referring to as bleed through. I can see the reason why people would use this term, but I would say that neither the Moleskine nor the Notables notebook have opaque pages so when you read see through in my reviews I am referring to the ink having bled through to the next page. I apologise for any confusion that I might be causing. Luckily no-one died!

Another thing that I failed to mention is that on the Moleskines the lines go right the way across the page, whereas with the Notables there is a gap at each side.

I have a journal that I paid about $9.00 for at my local drafting supply store.

I bought this before I'd ever heard of a moleskine. Its a hardcover leatherbound journal with lined pages. The back of the book has the words Leather Etc. stamped on it.

I'm not really familiar with all of the related lingo and the issues surrounding paper and journals but the quality of the paper seems to be pretty good (for a novice mind you).

There is no bleed through and it seems to handle my Sheaffer Prelude medium point nib pretty well (shaeffer black ink cartridge).

I'm happy with it.

If you do a google search for Leather Etc. you should come up with it but be careful, there's a company selling leather sex bondage stuff with the same name!

Waterman 52 BCHR No2 nib - Quink black
Notables - Bad feathering - bad show through
Moleskine - Bad feathering - bad show through

I don't think that this is entirely a reflection on the ink or the paper. There is something about introducing a vintage pen into the recipe that ruins the output. It may be that I press to hard on the nib, but I often get an effect with vintage pens which almost looks like ink spitting out of the nib.

Lamy Safari 1.5i nib - Own mix ink*
Notables - No feathering - no show through
Moleskine - No feathering - no show through

* Equal parts of Noodlers Eternal Black, Mont Blanc Black and Pelikan Black

Delta DVOS B nib - Noodlers Purple
Notables - feathering and show through
Moleskines - feathering and show through

Laban Mento M nib - Caran d'Ache Carbon black
Notables - no feathering or show through
Moleskines - no feathering or show through

Pelikan Junior M nib - Sheaffer Skrip green
Notables - feathering and show through
Moleskines - no feathering or show through

I went back to this again and noticed that there is actually feathering and show through in the Moleskine that I had somehow missed before.

Sailor 1911 B nib - Visconti black
Notables - no feathering or show through
Moleskines - no feathering or show through