Piccadilly Notebook

[LDB415]

Does anyone have a link to these on Borders website?

[inkypete]

My testing of Picadilly here has been disappointing to say the least. Paper feathers and bleeds so make sure you test with your pen/ink combo before you stock up.

[FaustianSlip]

I just bought a new style of Piccadilly that showed up at my local Borders- the Piccadilly Primo Notebook. Stylistically, it looks similar to the Ciak journals, and the paper is noticeably thicker than the stuff used in the regular, black cover Piccadillies. There are 288 pages in the Large size, so about forty pages more than in the standard notebook, and the paper is 100 gram as compared to the standard's 80. The only color they had in my store was bright orange, similar to the color used by Rhodia for the covers of their notebooks, but I actually like that color, so that suited me fine. They had them in small, medium and large, and the price for the large was $7.99. I used a 25% off coupon from Borders Rewards and got mine for $6 and change.

 

I did a quick test of a page last night and had pretty good results- basically no feathering except with some of my Herbin's Violette Pensée, and even that is barely noticeable. Only a tiny bit of bleed through from Noodler's Baystate Blue (surprise, surprise), the Violette Pensée and Diamine Majestic Blue. All are pretty saturated inks, so I wouldn't necessarily hold that against the notebook, and the Violette Pensée and Majestic only bled through a very little bit- little enough that I'd probably still use either in the notebook, though possibly with a slightly drier writer. I still owe a review for some very nice bagasse paper samples I was sent, so I want to get to that first, but I'll try and post some scans of the Primo when I get a chance.

[Ghost Plane]

Ooo! I want to hear more. Got $5 in Borders bucks I need to use before the end of the month :hmm1:

[FaustianSlip]

It was sort of a stealth item- I didn't see any of the usual notebooks and asked a clerk, who said they had "a few" and walked me over to the shelf. None of the typical, Moleskine clones, just the sundial journals, a couple of leatherlook journals and the Primos. If you've got $5 in Borders bucks that you're looking to spend on something anyway, I'd say go into your store and see if they have any. If you have a decent Reward Zone coupon you can combine it with, you could probably walk out with one for a couple of dollars- even if you hate it, it's a pretty cheap experiment. And really, I quite like mine, though I've written very little in it- I may save it for NaNoWriMo in November.

 

Oddly, though, the Piccadilly website doesn't advertise the Primos as being sold at Borders, though they have the "Found at Borders Books and Music!" banner on the page of the standard black journals. I also wonder whether Borders is going to phase out the Moleskine clones for fear that they're cutting into sales of the real Moleskines (pretty likely, I'd say) and instead start carrying the Primos, as they're different enough to stand apart from the Moles. I kind of hope so, as I think I may prefer the Primo to either my Moleskine or my Piccadilly copies. Either way, I hope they don't just get rid of the Piccadilly brand entirely; while they may not be the most FP-friendly option out there (locally, I'd say Rhodia takes that prize- I'd have to go down to Boston for Clairefontaine), they're less expensive than a lot of the bound journals on offer and are just as good as Moleskine (with the possible exception of the elastic issue, though I've had no problems there), if not better. Seems to me that in this economy, Borders would do well to keep the less expensive options around, but that's just me.

[LDB415]

That is one of the Piccadilly notebooks I found interesting. The other is the Everything notebook I found on their site a couple of weeks ago. The following day it was gone from their site index on the left side of the page.

 

http://www.piccadillyinc.com/products_everythingbooks.php

[Steveareno]

Was just in a Borders in the Atlanta area and they had some of the Primo journals on the bargain journal rack, in the large and the small size. I couldn't resist that orange cover! I was pleasantly surprised when I got home to find that the paper is indeed much heavier than in the Moleskine knockoffs. With 288 pages and at 9x7 inches, this large Primo may just be my new favorite journal.

[Ghost Plane]

No Primo in the Jacksonville, FL Borders, but I picked up a small for $3.99 and a large lined and large graph [perfect for keeping class records!] for $5.99. Used some Borders bucks and got one free and a discount off another.

[CaramelNib]

Was just in a Borders in the Atlanta area and they had some of the Primo journals on the bargain journal rack, in the large and the small size. I couldn't resist that orange cover! I was pleasantly surprised when I got home to find that the paper is indeed much heavier than in the Moleskine knockoffs. With 288 pages and at 9x7 inches, this large Primo may just be my new favorite journal.

 

How much was the large one - less than $12? I looked it online and the blue one's making me drool.

[Steveareno]

The one I bought at Borders was $8.99.

[CaramelNib]

The one I bought at Borders was $8.99.

 

Ok, I am definitely heading over there to browse the bargain shelves!

[lefty928]

Was just in a Borders in the Atlanta area and they had some of the Primo journals on the bargain journal rack, in the large and the small size. I couldn't resist that orange cover! I was pleasantly surprised when I got home to find that the paper is indeed much heavier than in the Moleskine knockoffs. With 288 pages and at 9x7 inches, this large Primo may just be my new favorite journal.

 

One of the Borders in D.C. had a small Primo for $4.99 in the bargain racks. It looked very attractive, with its orange cover and horizontal elastic, but alas, while I liked the plump format to look at, I do not do well writing in fat notebooks. Unfortunately, a bunch of sundials were the the only other Piccadilly offering -- and that was up from zero in stock a few weeks ago. I hope the shelves are restocked soon with the other versions.

[LDB415]

The one I was in a couple days ago had two of the small ones at 4.99 but I passed on them. I want the large one and if I find them while the buy 2 bargain get 1 free is running will likely get 2 of them plus 1 bargain book if there's one I like or else 3 journals. I was going to check another Borders in the morning but got a job that paid too much to pass up. I may be heading home afterward tomorrow and if so will check on Sunday.

[CaramelNib]

The one I bought at Borders was $8.99.

 

I'm a happy camper - I just bought three of them because they had a buy 2 get 1 free deal and the books were $7.99. I guess I'll have to write a lot to fill them up soon. They've been sitting on my desk all day taunting me!

[Bookman]

Anyone who has written with FPs on both the Picadilly notebook paper and the Picadilly Primo journal paper, please post a mini-review here or in a new thread. I'm particurlarly interested in the relative nib-friendliness of the two papers. We all know paper that feels smooth between the fingers can be surprisingly draggy when one pushes a nib across it, even a wet nib. Edited September 10, 2009 by Bookman

[Randal6393]

Well, Guess I will chime in with my 2 cents. (Gads! I miss the old two-cents sign!) Bought two small and one medium-sized Piccadilly for the same price I would have paid for one medium-sized Moleskin. As far as FP-friendly, they seem about the same. And both use 80-gsm acid-free paper. Would guess that means wood-pulp paper, made in China.

 

Noticed the Primo's and the other high-end journals cost approximately the same as a Moleskin and advertise 100-gsm, wood-free paper. So that would most likely be bagasse plus other fibers. I mean, after all, how much elephant pooh is there in the world? Suspect the high-end product is very FP-friendly. As stated above, hope someone does a comparison review of the regular notebook vs the Primo journal.

 

Will have to acquire a Primo journal and give it a test run. The wood-free aspect is a draw to me as is the heavier paper. Looking over the website, I can see where Piccadilly may be getting a fair share of my journal orders.

 

Enjoy,

[cpsantillan]

Great review...

I love my piccadilly notebooks,I have the medium one squared and I have the small one plain,I enjoyed them using my safaris and I found out they are very fountain pen friendly...they are a really knock off for moleskine,and at that price,no one can beat them...

[xena]

Just got a Piccadilly Primo Last night. All my writing needs are now met. Waiting for the black and blue to become commercially available.

[Ondina]

Just got a Piccadilly Primo Last night. All my writing needs are now met. Waiting for the black and blue to become commercially available.

 

Now, that's an assertive affirmation! ( You got us all intrigued now; are they that perfect?)

[xena]

My job and studies permitting, I will post a review in the next couple days. It has taken the writing from an extremely wet writer very well. The stats on these are that the woodless paper is at 100 GSM, verses the 80 on the picadilly. It does not feather at all. I want to use a couple of more challenging inks on it. So far, I have been using the extremely well behaved J. Herbin Blue Nuit, so I'd like to have a chance at something more saturated and wet.

 

Basically, it lies flat far better than the CIAK< which i looked at before purchasing this. The cover is not leather, and has a slightly rubbery scent when opened. I would like to give it a week of normal usage maybe, make sure that it survives my backpack ok!