Notebook stories from Shanghai

[ExcaliburZ]

Even though I have been trying hard to not buy a buy of notebooks I failed. I brought four to Shanghai and since being here for a year I have bought seven more not including four Rhodia US Webbies. Since some are Chinese brands I decided to take pictures and create a review thread where I show them off and there quality. I will plain to go through all the notebooks I have, which is a bunch of Moleclones, a few cashier style and a few sketch books. I want to one show off what is available in China (one the Yasac is a rare design) and add to the general fund of FPN knowledge (I have Rhodia, Harbana and a Mole). How this will roll out is a new post will be a different book until I run out of books. I was going to start posting my first notebook with this post but I just though about the fact I have no dimensions for any of my notebooks at hand and I want to take some more pictures. Yes, bad planning on my part but this is an impulse idea of sorts... So the first review will be tomorrow.

 

The Collection (ordered by size, unless noted all are lined paper)

Moleskine Volant Mini notebook

Deli Concise notebook

C.S. Marking Pocket notebook

Handmade Suzhou Small notebook- plain

Rhodia Webnotebook small

Rhodia US Webnotebook small

Quo Vadis Harbana small- grid

Yasac Stationary small notebook - plain

Moleskine Large notebook

 

Seagull Large cashier

 

Yixing Small sketchbook

Geobands sketchbook

Edited May 7, 2010 by ExcaliburZ

[majorworks]

Looking forward to the reviews... thanks for the heads-up.

[ExcaliburZ]

Quo Vadis Harbana - Small - Grid paper - 64g - 15.5 x 10.6 x 1.3 cms

 

The extra width the Harbana has over other pocket notebooks is really great for sketching and writing. You don't fell cramped when you write. I have found it also fits in most back pockets and has enough flex that it is not an issue. I have eaten dinner with it in my back pocket, not comfortable but not painful.

The paper quality is also very good. No feathering and you only get bleed-through if you layer the ink on (the fifth picture). Though there is noticeable echo, when you write on the backside it is not an issue. For such thin paper it is remarkably good, which says a lot when you compare it to the original Rhodia Webbies 80g which is awful. The paper even takes to brush pen well, with bleed-through no worse and somewhat better then my pens. The smoothness does not have a negative effect on the brush.

I would recommend it to anyone that is planning to do sketching along with there writing. Also as a travel notebook as the increased width gives more room to work with.

This is currently my go everywhere with me/go to notebook.

Edited May 8, 2010 by ExcaliburZ

[ExcaliburZ]

I opened a new flickr account for this endevor. All photos will be uploaded to Excalibur Reviews. This will have all the photos and not just a selection.

[penmanila]

very interesting... i saw a lot of notebooks on fuzhou road (book street), especially at the wen yuan pen & stationery store.

[ExcaliburZ]

yeah, the only notebooks I have gotten from Fuzhou Road is the Harbana and Rhodia Webbie. Everything else I have picked up from Darenfa (Walmartesk superstore) or my local stationary place. I have actually be trying to now buy notebooks other then getting them for teaching. If I get enough interest, I will start picking up more notebooks to review for the community.

[ExcaliburZ]

Deli Concise Notebook - Small - Lined paper - ?g - 14.4 x 9.5 x 1.4 cm

http://www.deli-stationery.org/

 

My first Chinese company/Chinese made notebook review. Deli is like Meade, they made office products. A lot of different office products, that tend to the more high end/high price. They also tend to produce more innovative designs then other brands. A nice simple Moleskine clone with very white paper and wide spacing between lines. The cover feels sturdier then a standard Moleskine.

 

It is nice to write on and it fails the fountain pen test. Have no writing sample because it did so poorly in the test and I plan to give it away. For more pictures visit Excalibur_Reviews

[ExcaliburZ]

Here is a photo of all the notebooks I have to review.

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/thebigcollection.jpg

Edited May 10, 2010 by ExcaliburZ

[Tberry010]

I am also looking forward to your reviews and wonder if you can point out which, if any, of the Chinese notebooks you review are available in the US.

[ExcaliburZ]

I bought another pocket notebook and sketch pad this week, both Chinese and I have done tests, I just need to photography them. If I know for sure I will note which are sold in the US. They may be sold in the US already but under the US name. I have seen a number of electronics that are exactly like products in the US but these have a Chinese company name on them. They start in the same factory but at some point different stickers are put on them. Particularly in the case of store brand goods.

[ExcaliburZ]

Yasac Stationary - Small - Plain paper - 16.5 x 13 x 2 cm

 

The cover is made of construction paper, the binding is in the used in old Chinese/Japanese books. It is a good size and feel, the paper color is white. The binding is nice for reading as it gives you a good handhold. The paper itself though is not good for fountain pens. Oddly the first sheet I wrote on was good on one side but more trials showed the paper to failed the test. The Tech3 being the only pen that did not bleed through but left echo two pages down. The paper would be good for tracing as you can see just about everything under the page.

 

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/yasaccover.jpg

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/yasacpaper.jpg

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/yasacopen.jpg

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/Yasacbleed1.jpg

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/yasacbleed2.jpg

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/yasacbleed5.jpg

 

Summary, while the notebook's binding is a novelty, the binding is a waste of paper and the paper itself is not fountain pen friendly.

[ExcaliburZ]

Rhodia Small Webnotebook comparison. Because I have both the US and non-US versions I decided to show the difference. First up the non-US Webbie. Other then paper weight they are near identical other then the US version being fatter (everything for the US just has to be bigger). The lines are very wide for my personal tastes and for a pocket notebook but otherwise not an issue.

 

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/Rhodia1.jpg

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/Rhodiableed.jpg

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/Rhodiaopen.jpg

 

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/Rhodiacompare.jpg

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/Rhodiacompare2.jpg

the US version

 

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/RhodiaUS1.jpg

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/RhodiaUS3.jpg

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/RhodiaUSbleed2.jpg

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/RhodiaUS4.jpg

 

 

The US version is thinker but all around both versions are the perfect size to fit in your hand. The feel of the cover is much better then any other notebook. I use mine as a travel journal since it fits into more pockets then a Habana. (now if I just traveled more :-(

[ExcaliburZ]

Qindeli Stationery Notebook Buisness www.enqdl.com

Size B6, 100 Sheet,s 80 GSM, Lined

 

Nice size and feel of the cover. The inner cover page has a spot for personal data. Wide lines like the Rhodia Webnotebook. The pages have a spot for the date and day of the week. The last six pages are an address book format. It is bigger then a small Habana and smaller then a Large Moleskine.

 

No feathering or echo but noticeable bleed-through that is on part with my large Moleskine or non-US Webbie, a little better actually. The pages are thin so even when there is no bleed-through you can see what was written with no problem. A good notebook for work using a non-FP.

 

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/Qindellcover.jpg

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/Qindellpaper.jpg

 

Size compared to a small Habana

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/Qindellcompare.jpg

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/Qindellcompare2.jpg

 

Bleed test

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/Qindellbleed.jpg

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/Qindellbleed2.jpg

[ExcaliburZ]

Ciak website pronounced chack

Small, Plain 9 x 13cm

 

The design is different and that does appeal to me. The plain paper does take away from the order that I like but being able to paint without any lines to get in the way is a trade off. It is more pocket friendly then the Habana or Webbie but is thicker then Habana. While it is about as thick as a US Webbie the cover is no where as thick making it lighter and feel less bulky but also not as sturdy.

 

The cover feels good and is smooth and tactile, it feels like leather. The orange color was not my first choice but since you can see all the character building marks I think I will be okay. The horizontal band and extra long bookmark does its job of standing out and not being a Moleskine clone.

 

The paper does not look like a fine finished product of the Habana or Webbie. Part of this is probably being plain paper but this also lends to the handmade claim and attitude. It does not have the glossy smooth felling that the Habana paper has. Because of the binding it takes a lot of effort to keep and it closes as soon as you take you hand off the paper. Right now I am using a Cross ATX, Tech3, Vista and Pentel Pocket Brush to keep the cover from closing.

 

These quirks do come together to give it a travel journal feel. It is not designed to lay flat on your desk but to be pulled out of a back pocket and written in quickly. I need to use it more to see if it will replace my Habana as my back pocket journal.

 

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/Ciakcover.jpg

 

Size comparison to a Habana

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/ciakcompare2.jpg

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/ciakcompare3.jpg

 

Bleed Test

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/ciakbleed.jpg

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/ciakbleed5.jpg

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/ciakbleed3.jpg

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/ciakbleed4.jpg

 

Paint Test

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/ciakpaint.jpg

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/Excalibur_Reviews/ciakpaint2.jpg

Edited June 2, 2010 by ExcaliburZ