For the pictures look here: Smythson's (just double click on any picture you want to see)
I just don’t know where to start with writing this review. I’m torn between price and quality.
Let me first start at the fact that I didn’t write in this journal and don’t intend to do for the foreseeable future. Despite that fact, I know the paper well because I have a Travel Notes notebook as well and the featherweight paper is the same in that, the pages are just a lot bigger.
The paper is 50gr/m2 which is very light. Normal office paper is 80gr/m2 higher quality paper is 100 and serious paper is 120. The latter often being used for offical documents, reports that are being published etc.
But around 37% lighter is much more than it looks. The paper isn’t as thin as really thin papers from bible’s but I guess it is about as thin as paper can get without seriously disturbing the writing qualities of the paper.
The writing qualities of this paper are good. Period. It doesn’t bleed through, it doesn’t feather, it shows the letters on the other side faint, but not in such a way that it would impair the reading/writing in any way. So to be short: the paper is as light and as thin as reasonably possible yet easy to write on with a Sailor 1911 Naginati Togi Medium nib. Visconti Wall Street LE (with the nice Power Filler
) does lay down a lot of ink, just not enough to bleed through, but IMHO it is just to wet. The wetness of the ink is important also for turning the pages. I like my paper to be dry in an instant and go on writing on the next page. That way I can’t forget that brilliant line I was forging on my anvil of talent (uch-ow-ouch) LOL.
This paper takes it sweet little time to suck the ink in and let it dry. At this moment it is not really humid and serious warm, but I’m curious how the paper will hold up on a cold very wet and rainy day. I think it is not really a problem, just something I noticed, normally I would probably write on and get the ink on the opposite page.
Then there is the binding. I really like it. Even though the cover is made of thougher pigskin, it is still a nice midway between too supple and too though.
The structure of the leather is so even and nice it looks like machinemade, but a small note told me it was genuine! The binding itself is done with a thread onto a woven back. Don’t ask me what type it is, I guess it is one of the best, or at least it is the same one in my bible, Travel Notes and Allan’s Journal and it is holding out much better than the binding in say a Moleskine or any other average notebook.
There are no blobs of ink, no disturbing irregularities, the lines are perfect parallel to the sides of the paper, I took the liberty of using a micro-meter for it and it is really within 1/10 of a millimetre accurate. I couldn’t measure it more accurate because I just can’t line-out the micro-meter better.
Soooo, what is there to say next?
The price? Well, if you need to ask….
I just would like to say a litte word about it. £185 and all baskets over £150 also get £30 for shipping through Europe. Ouch. That is a whopping £215. I don’t need to argue about money, I can afford this luxury, but being from a workman’s family background I really have some trouble with this kind of spoiling.
I got this notebook from a (very) friendly business relation but even then. I could order about 15 of the Allan’s Journals. Or an enormous amount of regular notebooks. Even the IMO the overpriced / to high marketed Moleskines are cheap in comparison. If I tell you £ 215 bought me 192 leaves, you can do the math…
