Review: Kunst & Papier Pocket Book - The best white paper ever?

[biffybeans]

Click here for full review with images and links

 

Moleskine Cahier sitting on top of the Kunst & Papier Pocket Book

 

Showing the corners and lip of the K&P binding.

 

I spoke with at Gil at Kunst & Papier, to discuss their various products and their unique design.

 

The books are German crafted with German paper and the products were designed by an artist for personal use.

 

They are made per an artist's standards, rather than to the standards of a marketing team or salesperson. It's why the pocket books have sewn bindings & wont fall apart. Why they will perfectly fit in a shirt pocket.

 

From the Kunst & Papier Website: "Hardbound with full synthetic linen cover. Sewn and gauze spliced bindings provide strength and durability. The Efalin covers are scratch, scuff and stain resistant. Available in five colors." (Black, gray, blue, red and yellow.) Perfect to match your Lamy Safari's!

 

With the textured cover, it feels like an old mini book with library binding. You remember- the kind that would hold up to an atomic blast, or at least falling into your dinner plate of roast beef and mashed potatoes when you weren't supposed to be reading at the table in the first place? (yes, that happened to me...)

 

Inside back cover

 

The Pocket Book is filled with a bright white 100gm paper and per Gil, can take anything you can throw at it. (Within reason, I'm sure. Gil was a pretty funny guy to chat with. His remedy for a paper that bleeds? "Write faster." LOL)

 

I must mention that Kunst & Papier uses various different papers in their various products, and as best as I understand, the paper used in the Pocket Book is ONLY found in the Pocket Book. (At least until increased demand gets them to put it into a larger book....)

 

And from what I've tested no inks are bleeding through it - not even a little bit. - but more on that in just a bit.

 

The book lies pretty flat. Flat enough for me.

 

Sewn and gauze spliced bindings provide strength and durability.

 

Oh, and can your journal do this? As I was just writing up this review, (the pictures were taken a few weeks ago) I noticed in the previous photo, that the cover was bent back and I wondered if the paper would fold back as well.

 

Ayup. It sure did. And I just snapped the pic to prove it. Look at the way the spine collapses to let it get flat. Try this with your Moleskine and you will most likely blow it in half.

 

Tested with every one of my fountain pens that had ink in it.

 

NO BLEEDING OR FEATHERING AT ALL. Barely any shadowing, and of all the inks, the Midnight Blues in the .07 Cursive Italic was the only ink that came close to trying to push through this paper.

 

My two most annoyingly bloody markers. The Sharpie and the Staedtler Lumocolor.

 

Each of these markers are typical bleeders, but they didn't come as far through the paper as they typically do on other papers.

 

The paper took watercolor quite decently (considering it's not specifically a watercolor paper) and there was slight buckling - nothing that wouldn't keep me from painting in it again.

 

Bravo!!! Paper that can stand up to multi-media applications.

 

In conclusion, this is an AWESOME little book with some of the most amazing paper that stood up to every fountain pen ink I tested in it with a variety of nib widths. They are light in weight and are perfect for pocket or purse.

 

I would most definitely purchase these in the future, but if I could improve on it at all, I'd prefer rounded edges on both the book and the paper. Writing down the page, the edges of the paper start to dig in my hand. A ribbon bookmark would be nice - but with how wonderful these little beauties are, I'm pretty well sold on them just the way they are.

 

The books are 3.5"x5" contain 96 pages, and sell for $9.95. The Kunst & Papier website offers free shipping on orders over $25, or they can be found at these US retailers.

 

Additional reviews on other Kunst & Papier products will be posted here in the future.

[Pjake]

Thank you for the GREAT review! Very thorough and creative! I'll have to look into this product line for sure.

 

Peter

[misterh]

Thanks for another excellent review. These definitely look worth checking out.

[biffybeans]

No problem pjake & misterh. K & P have some really good products....

[GreenVelvet]

Biffybeans, I love your reviews! They are so thorough and helpful (and yeah, I always go to your blog to read the full version with photos). Thanks again for great info - finally, this looks like a blank book I may have to buy!