I cam across this week’s addict in the r/notebooks community on Reddit. What a lovely and well-organized desk corner, with easy access to a LOT of notebooks! From Migo984’s comments: I’ve been looking for a way to store my “in-use†and new notebooks and journals whilst keeping them to hand on my desk. Recently I … Continue reading Notebook Addict of the Week: Migo984
I lived in Brooklyn for years, but never went to Gage and Tollner, an old-fashioned steakhouse that was an institution there for over 100 years until it closed in 2004. They’re working on reopening soon, and in the process, came across some amazing artifacts. From an article in the New York Times: For an individual, … Continue reading Gage & Tollner Notebooks from the 1960s and 1970s
This is quite fascinating! Sixty-two years ago in the western city of Pori, a mysterious sealed envelope from a wealthy banker named Rafael Mellin was handed over to the local association Pori Seura. The group was established in 1901 and promotes the city’s culture and historical preservation but also is active in local environmental and social issues. Two … Continue reading Century-Old Secrets in a Finnish Banker’s Notebook
Ok, maybe it seems a little crazy but this is a serious question: should we be thinking about disinfecting notebooks during this Coronavirus pandemic? (The same question would apply to pens.) Imagine you are sitting in a cafe, writing in your notebook. You set it on the tabletop. What if the person sitting there before … Continue reading Disinfecting Notebooks
A gallery in Long Beach, CA has an exhibition of sketchbooks, on view until March 20, 2020: The personal sketchbooks of more than 20 local artists will be on display at Flatline gallery, Saturday night. Unique to each artist, sketchbooks tend to be full of observational studies and jotted-down ideas; they’re candid representations of an … Continue reading The Sketchbook Show
I can’t believe this is my first Muji notebook review! I’m a big fan of the Japanese chain Muji. I first went to one of their stores in London at least 15 years ago and loved their minimal aesthetic and practical offerings. Back then, I mainly remember buying a recycled yarn t-shirt and a small … Continue reading Muji Notebook Review: A6 Slim
A fascinating article from the BBC about Japan’s traditions around the use of paper. Towards the end, there is a mention of the popularity of using planners such as the Hobonichi Techo: There are also still strong advocates for paper’s analogue charm in a world that is becoming increasingly digital. Japan’s so-called “techo culture†celebrates … Continue reading Japan’s Obsession with Paper
I spotted the Tru Red notebook on one of my periodic trips to Staples. This is a house brand for them, manufactured in Turkey, with a variety of notebook styles, page formats and sizes available. When I saw that they had pocket size notebooks with dot grid and squared pages available, I decided to add … Continue reading Tru Red Notebook Review
I recently came across a mention of notebooks used by Beethoven: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) is recognized the world over as a composer of musical masterpieces exhibiting heroic strength, particularly in the face of his increasing deafness from ca. 1798. By 1818, the Viennese composer had begun carrying blank booklets with him, for his acquaintances … Continue reading Beethoven’s Conversation Books
Only the biggest stationery geek in the world goes around saying things like “I LOVE MOTTLED PRESSBOARD!” Only the biggest stationery geeks probably even know what it is… in fact, I myself didn’t know what it was until just recently. Or rather, I knew what it was but I didn’t know what it was called. … Continue reading Mottled Pressboard Notebooks