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	<title>Notebook Stories &#187; Tops</title>
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	<description>Notebooks, journals, sketchbooks, diaries: in search of the perfect page...</description>
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		<title>Merry Christmas!</title>
		<link>http://www.notebookstories.com/2010/12/25/merry-christmas/#utm_source=feed&#038;utm_medium=feed&#038;utm_campaign=feed</link>
		<comments>http://www.notebookstories.com/2010/12/25/merry-christmas/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 25 Dec 2010 14:24:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nifty</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grandluxe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moleskine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[My Collection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Piccadilly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rite in the Rain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Roaring Spring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TeNeues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vernon McMillan]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.notebookstories.com/?p=4054</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.notebookstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/redandgreen1.jpg#utm_source=feed&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=feed"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-4055" title="redandgreen1" src="http://www.notebookstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/redandgreen1-1024x768.jpg" alt="" width="404" height="303" /></a></p>
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		<title>Review: Tops Designer Notebook</title>
		<link>http://www.notebookstories.com/2010/02/08/review-tops-designer-notebook/#utm_source=feed&#038;utm_medium=feed&#038;utm_campaign=feed</link>
		<comments>http://www.notebookstories.com/2010/02/08/review-tops-designer-notebook/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:08:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nifty</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[My Collection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Places to Buy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bleed-through]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[designer notebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lined]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[moleskine alternative]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.notebookstories.com/?p=2343</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here&#8217;s a notebook that I&#8217;ve never seen in any stores, but spotted on a couple of websites, including Amazon and WB Mason. The online images made the Tops Designer Notebook look like a typical Moleskine-type notebook but in nice colors like blue and red, and the price was quite low. But how does it really [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Here&#8217;s a notebook that I&#8217;ve never seen in any stores, but spotted on a couple of websites, including <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/notebookstories-20?_encoding=UTF8&amp;node=33">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://whobut.wbmason.com/productDetails.aspx">WB Mason</a>. The online images made the Tops Designer Notebook look like a typical Moleskine-type notebook but in nice colors like blue and red, and the price was quite low. But how does it really compare when you see it up close? Let&#8217;s take a look!</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s the front and back cover. The removable paper band is made of a translucent vellum paper.</p>
<p><a title="topsdesigner1" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33237593@N06/4106457734/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2628/4106457734_8b56ff0b43_m.jpg" alt="topsdesigner1" /></a></p>
<p>The back view provides the first departure from the standard Moleskine set of features&#8211; the elastic band attaches in the middle of the notebook instead of at the top and bottom</p>
<p><a title="topsdesigner2" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33237593@N06/4105689609/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2793/4105689609_9a54783c49_m.jpg" alt="topsdesigner2" /></a></p>
<p>As you can see from the next photo, there is quite a large overhang of the cover beyond the paper.</p>
<p><a title="topsdesigner3" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33237593@N06/4105689681/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2521/4105689681_d5160e02b0_m.jpg" alt="topsdesigner3" /></a></p>
<p>The outside dimensions of the notebook are about the same as a Moleskine, but the pages inside are much smaller.</p>
<p><a title="topsdesigner11" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33237593@N06/4105690475/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2517/4105690475_a244576bee_m.jpg" alt="topsdesigner11" /></a></p>
<p><a title="topsdesigner12" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33237593@N06/4105690601/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2522/4105690601_4f95cac0fd_m.jpg" alt="topsdesigner12" /></a></p>
<p>When you open the notebook, that elastic starts to seem really weird&#8211; the way it&#8217;s attached leaves it hanging quite loose.</p>
<p><a title="topsdesigner4" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33237593@N06/4105689785/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2558/4105689785_961bd7b412_m.jpg" alt="topsdesigner4" /></a></p>
<p>At first I thought it might have been made that way so you&#8217;d have the option of wrapping it around sideways like a Ciak or Piccadilly Primo journal, but it&#8217;s too loose to work that way.</p>
<p><a title="topsdesigner9" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33237593@N06/4105690193/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2529/4105690193_4eb741ddb5_m.jpg" alt="topsdesigner9" /></a></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s a closeup of the cover material&#8211; it&#8217;s hard to see, but it has an unusual texture, not the usual vaguely leather-ish feel. The closest thing I can compare it to would be the surface of a cinder block, or a stucco wall!</p>
<p><a title="topsdesigner10" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33237593@N06/4106458448/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2617/4106458448_07704b15b8_m.jpg" alt="topsdesigner10" /></a></p>
<p>The inside front cover is blank:</p>
<p><a title="topsdesigner6" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33237593@N06/4105689871/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2589/4105689871_fa9e499e33_m.jpg" alt="topsdesigner6" /></a></p>
<p>But when you turn to the first page, there&#8217;s the space for writing your info, on the inside of the endpaper. The binding is a bit tight and the notebook doesn&#8217;t open flat very easily.</p>
<p><a title="topsdesigner7" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33237593@N06/4105689921/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2544/4105689921_e8434c3118_m.jpg" alt="topsdesigner7" /></a></p>
<p>There&#8217;s no pocket in the back, just a logo.</p>
<p><a title="topsdesigner5" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33237593@N06/4105689829/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2619/4105689829_0491d9a851_m.jpg" alt="topsdesigner5" /></a></p>
<p>So how about the paper? I&#8217;m sorry to say that it&#8217;s quite disappointing. It&#8217;s quite thin and showed some of the worst bleed-through I&#8217;ve seen in any notebook I&#8217;ve reviewed:</p>
<p><a title="topsdesigner13" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33237593@N06/4106458764/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2774/4106458764_9ec0df1d17_m.jpg" alt="topsdesigner13" /></a></p>
<p><a title="topsdesigner14" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33237593@N06/4105690721/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2561/4105690721_eb8695ba76_m.jpg" alt="topsdesigner14" /></a></p>
<p>I have to say that I found this notebook very disappointing overall. The weird elastic and small, skimpy pages just bothered me. The price for these notebooks on <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/notebookstories-20?_encoding=UTF8&amp;node=33">Amazon</a> is currently $5.49 (or $8-12 for a larger size), though I think it was about a dollar less when I bought mine. Unfortunately, I don&#8217;t think they&#8217;re even worth that much&#8211; Piccadilly&#8217;s notebooks cost less at Borders and are far superior in quality. The only upside to these might be the color and texture of the cover, but that&#8217;s a matter of taste.</p>
<p>Specs:</p>
<p>96 lined pages</p>
<p>132 x 85mm</p>
<p>Made in Malaysia</p>
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