Military Memo Notebook: Anyone Tried These?

[superpacker]

Just stumbled across these great looking pocket-sized memo notebooks issued by the military.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Green-Military-Memorandum-Bound-7530-00-222-0078/dp/B0088OMWWO/ref=pd_rhf_se_s_cp_3_CJ0Q?ie=UTF8&refRID=0VH4BTW1PXHE94W4CJ0Q

 

These looks SO great. Clean and vintage, how I like it! Has anyone used these and can attribute how they take a fountain pen? Used Moleskine Cahiers for a while, recently switched to fountain pens, and sadly they are not performing well with together. So I wanted to see how these stack up. The military also offers a light green, simple, hardbound notebook, usually called a "log book" about the size of a standard moleskine, which you can pick up for like $2.50 each! I have these, and I can attest that they are a great value. But alas, I also acquired these pre-fountain pen, and they don't seem to hold up to a FP well. So I wonder how the memo books will do? I do think I am using a pretty wet pen ink combo though.

[enchiridion]

Similar ones made in England and used by the Belgian paratroopers. Nice green breast pocket sized. Paper can withstand water, moisture, sweat... the army issues pens and pencils to use with it. With in para-commando unit both officers and lower ranks use it for in the field.

Edited June 22, 2013 by enchiridion

[superpacker]

Wow! Those sound cool too. Wonder if those can be found for US civilian purchase. How do those hold up to fountain pens? I would guess the water-resistant nature helps? On a side note, my Dad lived in Belgium for a few years, and just raves about it. Would love to go.

[enchiridion]

I think you can order them at Chartwell as survey books (yellow cover instead of green). I wouldn't be surprised that in the States hunting shops or gun dealers might have the Rite in the Rain versions.

[superpacker]

Ok. Now I see what you are talking about. I am familiar with the Rite-in-rain books. Have not tried with FPs. While I certainly think these would be nice, I like the look of the ones you are referring to better than Rite-in-Rain. But back to these US military memorandum notebooks, I like how they are not hard bound, or spiral bound, and slimmer.

[mikehodgman]

The paper in these is horrible. I have a couple and it is basically the same paper you'd see in Mead school notebooks.

Edited June 22, 2013 by mikehodgman

[superpacker]

But how does it stack up to a Moleskine or Field Notes? I don't feel like the paper there is amazing either. Minimal to medium bleedthrough, heavy see-through/ghosting in these and in my larger federal supply log book.

[mikehodgman]

Worse than Moleskine or field notes. Just grab a spiral bound notebook at the dollar store and you are pretty much looking at the same paper. Totally incompatile with fountain pens.

[tfwall]

Worse than Moleskine or field notes. Just grab a spiral bound notebook at the dollar store and you are pretty much looking at the same paper. Totally incompatile with fountain pens.

 

Concur.

[theswordguy]

Worse than Moleskine or field notes. Just grab a spiral bound notebook at the dollar store and you are pretty much looking at the same paper. Totally incompatile with fountain pens.

 

 

 

Concur.

 

Really? Because I used those for years in the Air Force with my Kaweco and TWSBI's using Noodler's Black, R&K Salix and Scabiosa along with my own ink concoctions without issues. In fact the paper was of a heavier weight than any Mead notebook. Of course, mine were the actual military issued product, not sure if the ones linked are or not. I also wrote in those green Record books without issues with the same pens and inks. I worked on the flightline so those memo books were often soaked in rain and the waterproof inks I used held up as did the paper. I just let them dry out and they were good to go. We must have been using very different notepads.

 

Here's some text in Noodler's Bulletproof Black - note that I censored dates and tail numbers, phone numbers and other such info. Those are the white boxes.

http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/ab323/matteo_bok/Memopages0002-uploadready.jpg

 

And some R&K Salix

 

http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/ab323/matteo_bok/Memopages0001-uploadready.jpg

 

 

Edited June 23, 2013 by theswordguy

[tfwall]

I just let them dry out and they were good to go. We must have been using very different notepads.

 

Maybe or maybe the quality control is just very bad. Most of those notebooks are supplied by Lighthouse Industries and are made using the lowest bid materials by disadvantaged workers. It is quite possible that you got a good batch. The ones we've gotten in the fleet for the past couple decades feather horribly with fountain pen inks and have a lot of bleedthrough.

 

So, maybe there are 'good' batches of these notebooks out there, just like people report finding 'good' Moleskines on occasion. Either way, I'd be cautious of buying a lot of these sight unseen.

Edited June 23, 2013 by Chemyst

[mikehodgman]

Wow, yeah. We have pretty different notebooks. I just got it out and tried a few pens and inks. Horrible. Nothing like yours. My bleedthrough is horrendous and it feathers like no one's business. I wish mine wrote like yours!

[theswordguy]

I'm surprised there's such a difference. The Air Force must have purchased a better batch. My memo books have been good since my first one was issued to me as a bright, shining, young airman. That was one of the things all new maintainers get when they arrive at their first base; a green memo book, a black pen, a red pen/pencil, and a mechanical pencil. After that inital issue, all airmen were expected to have appropriate writing utensils for forms and tag documentation at all times.

 

Chemyst, I'd be cautious about buying them sight unseen anyway. There are legitimate surplus items out there, sometimes factory seconds, and there are of course imitations or approximations of all kinds sold by people trying to cash in on the military association with the item. I'm surprised I haven't seen these note pads marketed as Tactical Record Keeping Devices (TRKD) although I think they would need black covers and MOLLE attachment points to be truly tactical.

Edited June 23, 2013 by theswordguy