Choosing Keeping Old Fashioned Notebook Review

[NickiStew]

 

 

 

As part of the review team at United Inkdom, I was asked to take a look at a little bundle of 3 old fashioned looking notebooks supplied by Choosing Keeping. They are made by hand in Italy, and bound in embossed leatherette paper, with red paper edges. There are 32 sheets of paper or 64 pages per notebook and the paper weight is circa 70gsm. So on first sight I was expecting my tests to create total destruction. I was wrong. Very wrong. Using my own CMYK fountain pen ink colours and Kaweco fountain pens I did my stuff. This paper stood up to a decent bashing with NO show through and very limited buckling. In actual fact, this surface was very robust and receptive. Take a look at the Goldfinch and the swatch on the Bockingford. If you are looking for a slightly retro antique look for your art journalling, this works very well.

 

I can't emphasise enough, the relevance of paper stock for getting the most out of your fountain pen inks. Some of the lack lustre art that I see online is a continual source of frustration for me. I hate to think how disappointed the artists must feel. Bog standard cartridge paper really is a bare minimum - its actually quite a dull surface. To really make the inks come to life, its essential to experiment with as many paper surfaces as you can and keep a record of the outcomes you experience. High end watercolour papers, art papers and handmade papers should all be tried. A top tip here - St Cuthberts Mill offer a sample pack of their watercolour papers as do other art suppliers. Ask them. There may be a very small charge, but it's worth it.

 

 

Notebook dimensions:
Large (Green): A5, 15 x 21 cm
Medium (Red): 11 x 15 cm
Small (Denim Blue): 9 x 13.5 cm

 

 

And here are the prototypes of my CMYK fountain pen ink kit which will come with a mini book of instruction for colour mixing; tutorials using bleach, metal dusts and carbon; and, top tips for getting the best out of your ink art. Will keep you posted. Should hopefully be ready this summer.

If you're interested in fountain pen inks and want to know more about to utilise them in creative ways, I'm running 2 workshops this Saturday 17th March at my studio here in Rochester the results of which I'll post next week.

If you like what I’m up to, you can also follow me on social media:
Instagram: @quinkandbleach
Twitter: @nickistew
Facebook: Fountain Pen Inks & Bleach

I also have a portfolio of test art pieces at: https://www.behance.net/Nick_Stewart

 

[Arcadian]

Great review! I took a look at their website, and they do have things that look fantastic. I think I might go with some of their hard back journals.

 

- P.

[NickiStew]

Great review! I took a look at their website, and they do have things that look fantastic. I think I might go with some of their hard back journals.

 

- P.

 

Thanks Arcadian!

[mhguda]

Thank you. I'd been looking for the thin fp friendly paper for some time, and finding it here, took a chance & bought two journals. Let's see how it works out. It was a little expensive, but you gotta splurge once every so often, right?

[DrDebG]

Lovely review! Thank you! I always enjoy looking at your ink art.

[NickiStew]

Thank you. I'd been looking for the thin fp friendly paper for some time, and finding it here, took a chance & bought two journals. Let's see how it works out. It was a little expensive, but you gotta splurge once every so often, right?

 

Thanks. N

[NickiStew]

Lovely review! Thank you! I always enjoy looking at your ink art.

Thanks for your kind words. N

[dezorz]

I just got an A6 choosing keeping notebook (well, it is slightly bigger than A6) and yes, i am surprised. paper ios much better then rodia or clarefountain. it is thicker than tomoe river 52gs but thinner then most other papers. it has a strange old feeling surface. it really feels as i took out one of my mothers notebooks from 60s from the attic. smooth as tomoe, no bleedthrouh, no feathering. and it sheens nicely. not as vibrant as tomoer river or graphillo, but much much better than any european paper. shading is good on it. not absorbing.

[CraigR]

Are Choosing Keeping paper products available in the USA?

[dezorz]

CK is londond stationery shop. i dont think their notebooks are sold by anyone else. but they ship worldwide.

[dezorz]

CK is londond stationery shop. i dont think their notebooks are sold by anyone else. but they ship worldwide.

[CraigR]

CK is londond stationery shop. i dont think their notebooks are sold by anyone else. but they ship worldwide.

Thanks!

[Newjelan]

Great review and beautiful art work. Thanks.

[dezorz]

i have been using choosing keeping nb for a while, it resembles leuchturm 1917. it sheens, better than rhodia or clairefontain but not as much as tomoe. (for example sailor kin mukusei, wet nib, no silver sheen) color reproduction very nice, contrast ratio not as high as tomoe.

[npweston]

Oh my word, that goldfinch.

 

*swoon*