Renaissance Art Free Journal For New Customers

[Dickkooty2]

My passport-size notebook arrived today. It meets and exceeds expectations! The leather feels great and the refills come in their own hand-made bag:

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj157/dick168/Scan%201_zpsa3poo4ka.jpeg

 

​I had the same question about the paper and tried a few combinations … very smooth paper feel. Question may arise because of the slight tooth to the paper and the rough-edge finish:

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj157/dick168/Scan%202_zpsxgnsennf.jpeg

 

There was no show-through on the verso from the ink. The recto has an ink smudge from an ink trace left on the scanner platform by the still-wet Diamine Sapphire Blue in the Safari with a 1.9 nib.

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj157/dick168/Scan%203_zps7svzlpbw.jpeg

 

Ruth's observations on the source of materials are worthy questions in today's economy. There are two Pennsylvania companies which could be referred in the book, but it is probably Glatfeiter. Glatfeiter has a history on its mill creek like Dupont on the Brandywine … going back to the Revolutionary War. The author mentions the company in an interview.

 

http://www.glatfelter.com/default.aspx

 

The other company, American Eagle, is further west in Pennsylvania and has a some-what later mid-19th Century beginning. It becomes a resurrection story through an employee buy-out in the 21st Century.

 

http://www.aepaper.com

 

Both companies have histories that trace the problems of manufacturing in the States since the coming of the Industrial Revolution through current out-sourcing to foreign shores.

[Barkingpig]

Got mine over the weekend. It's very nice, but I'm glad that I got this as a giveaway -- the regular price is way more than I could afford for something this size and capacity. I was also somewhat bemused by the "Made in US" designation since the leather comes from Italy and the paper from France (I can't believe you can't get leather in the US, and as of 2013 at least, there were still high quality specialty paper mills in the US -- I just finished reading _On Paper_ by Nicholas Branbanes, and one of the places the author visited to do prep research was a paper mill somewhere in PA that is staying in business by looking at niche markets and making specialty paper).

That being said, I do really like the ability to refill it. And I should note that in my experience, Arches paper is excellent particularly for doing watercolor, so I suspect it will also be good for doing ink sketches as well.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

There is a pretty interesting video that shows the interior workings of Renaissance Art. I believe the "made in USA" label to be therefore pretty accurate. It is perhaps a similar operation to the many companies that ASSEMBLE things in America after the PIECES have been made in another country. I prefer the European paper selections as I believe most users do if you note the US market for Rhodia, Tomoe River & the various other notebooks that comprise the majority of offerings from Goulet Pen for example. Italian leather has always been considered by many to be one of the finest examples in the world.

I do not doubt that there is actually US produced paper or leather but imagine that the idea was to offer a notebook that was made of the "nicest" possible materials. Americans sure seem to enjoy partaking of the "mystique" of the foreign brands so I suspect many potential buyers of the notebook might just see the paper & leather quality as an incentive to purchase this notebook. I was very happy with mine & have spent a good bit of time looking @ sites offering the Arches paper after finding how beautifully my little notebook handles the ink from two different broad nibbed pens.

[inkstainedruth]

@brgmarketing --

 

Hey, I listen to WBZ when I'm up in the Boston area to get traffic reports! As for the ad, you're getting 5 windows for the price of 4. So basically you're getting a discount on each one -- yeah, not really free, just on sale.

 

@ Dickkooty2 --

It was indeed Glatfeiter. I wonder if Renaissance Art is aware of the company.

I was not objecting to the use of high end materials, just the claim of "US manufacture". Given that there are now government regulations in the US as to where foods (and other products) come from, as well as the push towards "buy local" (in such as the rise of CSA [community supported agriculture]) it is something to consider. Ironically, I'm minded of the section in John Steinbeck's _East of Eden_ where Adam Trask attempts to ship lettuce to the East Coast by rail in refrigerated cars.

And yes, I use both foreign-made pens *and* foreign-made journals (at the moment I'm rather partial to the ones by Miquelrius for both their capacity and FP friendly paper) so I'm aware of that irony as well.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[jordanjay29]

@ inkstainedruth

 

How far are you going to go when unraveling the origins of a product? A local good or crop may be produced nearby, but source its materials from elsewhere. Is that really local? The local farm gets its seed from two states away, its tractor from 4, and the water from 10 miles downstream, but its crops are still grown next door so we'll call it local.

 

Meanwhile, a journal maker sources its leather from Italy, its paper from France and its equipment from somewhere else, yet all the work is done in the US. Doesn't that meet the same definition as the local product?

[inkstainedruth]

@ inkstainedruth

 

How far are you going to go when unraveling the origins of a product? A local good or crop may be produced nearby, but source its materials from elsewhere. Is that really local? The local farm gets its seed from two states away, its tractor from 4, and the water from 10 miles downstream, but its crops are still grown next door so we'll call it local.

 

Meanwhile, a journal maker sources its leather from Italy, its paper from France and its equipment from somewhere else, yet all the work is done in the US. Doesn't that meet the same definition as the local product?

Interesting prospect to consider. My understanding about some of sustainable agriculture is that it involves going back to seed saving, rather than buying new from companies like Monsanto yearly, which can be a problem in of itself.

I saw a thing on TV a couple of years ago about how farmers are having problems with weeds that are pesticide resistant, simply because of growing GMO seeds (such as cotton) in their fields. Or having their neighbors do so (and having issues with transfer either by wind or insects -- including beneficial ones). At the same time, crops can be completely lost due to insects.

It's a complex problem and there are no pat, simple answers (no matter how people -- on both sides of the issue -- try to present it).

 

Back on topic.

I tried the Renaissance Art journal this morning. No show through or bleedthrough, but the paper was not as smooth as I would have liked. Probably great for watercolor (it *is* -- presumably -- Arches paper), but maybe not so much for FPs (which in this case was the Pelikan M200 Café Crème, B nib, sporting Pelikan Violet). I think when I finish it I may see what sort of replacements of a like size/capacity -- or even higher page capacity --will fit in it. Or I may look into making my own little notebooks (I know several people for whom their hobby is bookbinding) and use those as filler replacements. I may even see about possibly contacting Glatfelter or that other place in PA.

Oh wow. Just looked at both company links -- and American Eagle is about 2 hours from where I live! I was in Tyrone, PA, a couple of weekends ago, poking around in an antiques mall to see whether I could find any pens worth buying.... Who knew?

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[jordanjay29]

That is, unfortunately, the inherent problem with GMO crops. You don't own the seeds, you lease them from a company yearly, so you can't take advantage of seed saving. And also unfortunately, if you want to compete in the non-organic market, you have to be growing GMO crops (also, in certain areas of the world, those are the ONLY crops you can grow to remain competitive).

 

As far as the journal paper, I'm not surprised at its texture. After I read about it from others on FPN, I thought about what I could use otherwise. I have a stack of Tomoe River paper here that might be a fun paper to use, but I have no experience with book binding or anything, so it'd be a hack job at best. If you know of any good book binders, or places to order an insert that might work, please let me know.

[Cushy Butterfield]

My journal arrived today. Very pleased with it.

 

- The leather is beautifully soft and the whole thing gives the look and feel of quality

- there are pockets back and front for any bits and pieces you might want to keep

- the Arches paper is not particularly to my taste for fountain pen use but very good with fine-liners. Midori Traveller's Passport refills are a perfect size as a substitute. I've replaced the Arches paper with Tomoe River Midori size inserts from Owl Stationery on Etsy and it works very well

- the journal comes with a leather tie which is separate from the journal. Instead I'm using the smallest size of Nanami rubber bands (which I love).

 

One very happy puppy here!

 

 

Edited to add: Papelote notebook straps A6 size also work to keep closed and obviously are pen holders at the same time. The Journal Shop and Bureau Direct are suppliers in UK and I believe ship overseas.

Edited April 30, 2015 by Cushy Butterfield

[Bill P]

Curious about delivery times my fellow FPNer's are experiencing on their journals..

 

I ordered mine on 4/19...10 days later I haven't received anything.

 

Did you get a tracking #?

 

What was your time from order date to delivery date?

 

I have attempted to telephone, but no answer, and the voice mail box is full

 

Sent an email but have received no response.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Bill

[purplepen]

I ordered mine on 4/20 and then ordered the Urban Explorer Bag the next day. Haven't received either one. Emailed them on Saturday and the response was that they were working on the ones for the 23rd and 24th ?? They estimated that the items would be mailed out this week. Not so much worried about the journal but the bag was a pretty good chunk of change for me. Emailed again today but no reply so far.

[kbrede]

My guess is they're just overwhelmed with work. They're probably a small company that just got crushed because they have this free offer. The stuff is hand made. It sounds like they make the items as the orders come in. The more calls and emails they have to answer, the slower the orders go out the door. That's probably why they aren't very responsive ATM.

 

Again, my guess.

 

Kent

[purplepen]

Naturally, a few minutes after I posted (above) I DID get a confirmation that my free book had just been mailed out.

You are probably right Kent - I am sure they must have had a LOT of requests for the free book. I feel a little better now.

Hope that "Mint" got his confirmation as well.

 

They do have a lot of beautiful journals and bags. Looking forward to receiving mine.

 

Need to learn to be more patient in this too-fast world.

[jordanjay29]

- the Arches paper is not particularly to my taste for fountain pen use but very good with fine-liners. Midori Traveller's Passport refills are a perfect size as a substitute. I've replaced the Arches paper with Tomoe River Midori size inserts from Owl Stationery on Etsy and it works very well

 

Thank you! I was wondering about this, and also contemplating how to make my own. The $12 for three already-made refills is money well spent, IMHO.

[katerchen]

My guess is they're just overwhelmed with work. They're probably a small company that just got crushed because they have this free offer. The stuff is hand made. It sounds like they make the items as the orders come in. The more calls and emails they have to answer, the slower the orders go out the door. That's probably why they aren't very responsive ATM.

 

Again, my guess.

 

Kent

 

Yeah they are tiny. I watched some of his videos, I think there are 5 of them total including the dog.

 

-k

[Starguard]

I ordered mine on the 28th, with 3 refills I'm not worried about the shipping time. I got a nice confirmation of the order and am looking forward to getting it. The Journal I'm using now is ok, but after surviving two floods it's seen better days.

[Cryptos]

Mine arrived today. Love the leather, just love it. The bead could have been nicer - may replace it with dzi or something. The insert I am not so sure about, will see once I have put a pen to it.

 

Overall I was quite surprised how small it is in hand. Now that is not a criticism, just an observation. The downside to the size is that refills are not plentiful. Midori passport, Renaissance Arts (obviosuly), and Rhodia side-stapled A7 are the only things I can find that should work. Beyond that, I think I'll be looking at getting some Tomoe River loose paper and making my own.

 

Did I say I love the leather?

[Cryptos]

Follow up: At home now, I have tried to write in the journal using a dip pen (Hiro 41 nib) and Rohrer & Klingner Salix... and, my camera battery is flat, arrgh! I'll upload it tomorrow, not that it is any good but it does show that you can use a fairly sharp point on this paper. It's not smooth, yet still workable.

[Cryptos]

Okay, some terrible drawing on the left - I did the outlines in R & K Salix and Diamine Delamere Green, and filled in with fuchsia and green coloured pencils. The script on the right is done using R & K Salix and a Hiro 41 dip pen. Apologies for my simply awful handwriting. The paper is not smooth. The Hiro works well enough but I wouldn't want to try anything sharper, like a Gillott 303 for instance. Probably end up digging holes! There was absolutely no bleed-through or feathering. I was quite impressed with the paper.

 

Edited May 1, 2015 by Cardboard_Tube

[Ernie Wayne]

I ordered on 4/19 and yesterday got an email that the order had shipped -- that was 4/30.

So I would guess everyone's must also be on the way.

John

[Bill P]

I also placed an order on 4/19 and received an email late yesterday afternoon...

 

Unfortunately I learned that they do NOT offer any lined or grid paper for the Journal...and the paper they offer may not be all that FP friendly.

 

>> Can someone suggest passport size fountain pen friendly paper that is lined for the leather journal?

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

[Cushy Butterfield]

Midori Traveller's refills fit a treat and are lovely to write on. Plain, lined, graph, I would recommend them all.