Graphic Image 50% Off Sale

July 22, 2019

Graphic Image is doing their "Christmas in July" 50% off sale.

https://www.graphicimage.com

I'm a big fan of their journals, especially the lined hardcover ones. I just ordered 4 more of them with the covers' personalized. I thought the sale started tomorrow the 22nd, but it seems to be active now. The lined paper in the journals is quite fountain pen friendly. Supposedly, the spiral notebook paper isn't as good, but I haven't tried it myself. And even at half off these are still pretty pricey, but they're still my personal favorite.

Here's a review: https://www.bibledesignblog.com/blog/2012/02/leather-journals-etc-at-graphic-image.html

(Not by me, but really useful and well done.)

I'm not connected to Graphic image, except as a happy customer for the last 15 years or so.

July 23, 2019

The sale still seems to be going on. Not sure GI is clear on the whole "one day" thing.

Update: And, it's over. I should be getting my personalized journals in a couple weeks. Maybe I'll finally get around to writing a review.

August 20, 2019

Given that I'm just talking to myself, I may be the only fan of these journals here. Still, I wanted to follow up: the two journals I ordered thru google links showed up as in stock in my shopping cart and in checkout, but according to their customer service are actually out of stock. I finally emailed them when my order kept showing up as pending week after week. They told me those journals weren't available, but offered to replace those with some of their in stock journals in a different color. No word on the price. So, I cancelled the out of stock ones and hopefully, the three other in stock ones I had also ordered at half off are now going to be personalized with gold stamping and shipped. I haven't been charged for anything yet, so fingers crossed that Graphic Image honors the prices on the original order.

I'll update this when the rest of the journals arrive. Having recommended their sale, I feel like I should follow thru just in case my fellow FPNers are interested.

Fortunately, I still have a hoard of discontinued/second hand/or slightly shop worn 9" hardcover leather Graphic Image journals from eBay sellers for daily journalling with fountain pens!

Just FYI: An additional Graphic Image brand journal I recently ordered on sale from Jenni Blick arrived personalized with silver stamping and in a Jenni Blick cloth bag about three days after I ordered it. If you like these journals, which I do, maybe try there instead of the manufacturer? Maybe Jenni Blick is just set up better for retail?

No affiliation with any vendor. I'm just another Joe Shmo customer.

August 20, 2019

I probably shouldn't ask because that's more than I want to spend... What's the paper like? I did read the review on Lectio, where the pictures there are just begging me to buy them, but he didn't say much about the paper.

August 20, 2019

I wasn't familiar with the site, so I had a look. Even at 50% off the softcover journals would have been pricy.... (I didn't look at the hardcover ones after seeing the prices of the softcover ones....)

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

August 20, 2019

Yes. they're definitely an indulgence and there are cheaper options out there. I've never paid full price for them, but even buying them discounted on eBay they've been $40-50 with shipping. I go thru about four a year and just really enjoy them.

I've also tried the Aspinal and Symthson journals, which are nice, and these seem like a better deal compared to those. The Cranes journals seem to be rebranded Graphic Image soft cover journals. The paper in the also very pricey Oberon journals isn't very smooth and it feathers like crazy and the ink bleeds thru so you can only use one side of the paper.

August 20, 2019

I probably shouldn't ask because that's more than I want to spend... What's the paper like? I did read the review on Lectio, where the pictures there are just begging me to buy them, but he didn't say much about the paper.

The paper is a good fit for me. I like the shade of cream they use. (Jenni Blick has a limited edition one with pale blue pages, but I haven't used that one yet.) These have the larger lines, and smooth paper I prefer. I don't really like a lot of feedback. I haven't had issues with feathering, so it may have some sort of coating on it. I favor pretty broad, wet nibs and even use a fair of amount of calligraphy italics. I'm right handed, but I haven't had any issues with smearing even with modern sheening inks. The only bleed thru I've had has been when I've spilled whole drops of ink.There is some shadowing on the back side of the page with highly saturated or dark inks and wet generous nibs. Other than heavy card stock, I haven't found paper where that doesn't occur. It's not all that noticeable, but if you look for it, it's there.

There's gold gilding edging on this paper. I don't know why it isn't showing up in the photos.

Here's some pictures:

I don't mean to enable you, but I can give you some places to get them cheaper if you're okay with discontinued or shop worn versions. That's what I usually buy because $105 for a journal makes me balk, too. And after I carry them around and write in them daily for three months, the softer calfskin covers usually get a few marks so I don't mind if they aren't mint to start. Feel free to PM me. I think Graphic image has two big sales per year: Christmas in July and a Winter Sale.

They seem to use the same paper in their cheaper journals. (The ones with the sewn bindings, not the wired inserts.) Barnes and Noble carries one in a synthetic navy blue with a quill on the cover for around $30. I haven't tried those, but I did try the previous version with a bonded black leather cover with the same embossed quill on the cover. The bonded leather distingrates after awhile. So, though I was very happy at the time to have picked up eight of them for half price on eBay, I now regret it as the covers look awful, rub off on neighboring journals, and leave leather bits behind them.

August 29, 2019

And whiz, bang a mere five weeks after I ordered it, my personalized journals have shipped. I am dizzy with Graphic Image's speed. They're supposed to be here Friday. Please keep your fingers, and possibly toes, crossed for me.

August 31, 2019

Hurray! My journals finally came. They're gorgeous and far more pristine than my usual eBay scores. Unfortunately, they were ordered on June 21st and have arrived on almost the last day of August (only after I initiated an inquiry as to their where abouts.) Plus. the shipping was almost twice what I expected. They're a lovely treat, but between shipping, tax, and the charge for personalization they ended up being a little over $76 each, even from the annual half price sale. Are they worth it? They're a nice indulgence, but it's tough to justify this much time and money.

September 8, 2019

Turns out they now have a page that explains their different leathers, which is cool: (Though one entry is titled "Baby" which is a little disturbing)

https://www.graphicimage.com/About-Our-Leathers_a/270.html

Plus a cheaper non-leather hardcover journal for $20, if you don't want adorable baby cows to die for your diary. Can't really argue with that one:

https://www.graphicimage.com/9_Metallic_Blue_Journal_Vegan_Leather_p/mll-met-blu.htm

September 9, 2019

$76!? EACH???

For that price, I'll stick to the Miquelrius 300 sheet flexible cover journals. I think the last time I ordered some I could have bought five or six of them for the cost of ONE of those Graphic Image ones (no they're not hardcover, but I can open them pretty flat). And with 600 pages of 3 pages of journaling a day I can go almost a third of a year with a single volume. And the paper is pretty FP friendly (I do get occasional show/bleedthrough but only with really wet inks). In fact the only downside is that they're hard to find (they seem to have changed US distributors between my first order and second one) and this last time I could only get the 600 page ones with black covers (I previously also was able to get blue and red, and -- if I had wanted to, green).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

September 9, 2019

Turns out they now have a page that explains their different leathers, which is cool: (Though one entry is titled "Baby" which is a little disturbing)

Lol. I went and looked for that expecting a weird leather. Maybe from the finest Italian veal butchers? I was both disappointed and relieved that they were talking about baby books and not baby critters.

September 9, 2019

$76!? EACH???
For that price, I'll stick to the Miquelrius 300 sheet flexible cover journals. I think the last time I ordered some I could have bought five or six of them for the cost of ONE of those Graphic Image ones (no they're not hardcover, but I can open them pretty flat). And with 600 pages of 3 pages of journaling a day I can go almost a third of a year with a single volume. And the paper is pretty FP friendly (I do get occasional show/bleedthrough but only with really wet inks). In fact the only downside is that they're hard to find (they seem to have changed US distributors between my first order and second one) and this last time I could only get the 600 page ones with black covers (I previously also was able to get blue and red, and -- if I had wanted to, green).
Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Usually I snag them off eBay for about 1/2 that, but occasionally I like to splurge on personalized stuff. Stop judging me!

Plus, the whole silence of the calves thing is disturbing now that I'm thinking about it.

No more toys for me for awhile as I save for my big pen tour. Traveling is tough on the wallet. And so are ponies.

September 9, 2019

Lol. I went and looked for that expecting a weird leather. Maybe from the finest Italian veal butchers? I was both disappointed and relieved that they were talking about baby books and not baby critters.

Yup, the title guy really didn't think that one thru.