It’s that exciting season again, when next year’s planners are announced by Nolty. This year there are a few changes to their product line-up– a couple of discontinued versions of the diaries, and some new formats. Fans of B6 size planners will find some new products. There are also some new notebook/diary options where you can combine inserts into a cover.

I also noticed some new colors on the Nolty undated Daily Book that I don’t remember seeing before:

For me, the most exciting thing was the new international ordering process on the Nolty/JMAM website. It’s very easy to use, basically a built-in proxy service that pops up on each page as you are browsing. You can click the WorldShopping “add to cart” button and then check out with a credit card or PayPal. It is a two-step process: you are basically instructing WorldShopping to buy the product, which they then ship to their warehouse. At this point, you pay only for the product. You don’t know what the shipping cost will be, though they link to some tools that can help you estimate based on weight and size. (My shipping for two small notebooks ended up being around $34.00.) Once the product arrives at their warehouse, they send you a bill for the shipping and handling charges.

The good news is that the exchange rate between US dollars and the yen is pretty favorable right now. The shipping charge from Japan isn’t cheap, but I ordered just 2 Nolty 2023 diaries (my beloved Nolty Gold, and the Efficiency Notebook #1221, same as my Nolty 2022 purchases) and once I had paid for the product and shipping, I compared the price to what Kinokuniya was charging for these items. I saved over $10, since Kinokuniya really marks up the prices even though they offer free shipping for orders over $50. If I’d been buying a larger number of diaries, the World Shopping order from Japan would probably be even more advantageous. (And if you’re just buying one inexpensive diary, Kinokuniya might be a better deal, as the shipping from Japan may cost more than the diary itself.)

I’m excited for my Nolty 2023 diaries to arrive, even though they’re the same exact ones I’m using this year, and it will be months before I start using the 2023 models. I’ve gotten so addicted to these little planners, I’m just happy I know I can stick to my routine for another year!

creativity, Links, Notebook Addict of the Week, Other People's Notebooks, productivity, Writing Notebooks

Notebook Addict of the Week: Warren Ellis

August 12, 2022 Nifty Notebook 3 Comments

This week’s addict is a writer of graphic novels and creator of the Netflix series Castlevania, among other creative ventures. On his website, he talks about his shift away from digital tools to capturing all this thoughts in notebooks like these:

I almost exclusively think on paper these days. The first page of each notebook is used for a numbered index. When I’m jotting down something I know I’m going to want to refer to later, I assign it a number on the index page and write the same number on the top right hand corner of the piece I’m referencing. I write in it pretty much every day. It serves as work book, commonplace book, personal journal, anything I want to be. The numbering on the spines is done with a Pentel white-out pen.

You can read more at about Warren’s notebook habits at this post and others on his website.

My Collection, Notebook Reviews, Places to Buy Notebooks, Sketchbook, Talens

Talens Art Creation Sketchbook Review

August 9, 2022 Nifty Notebook 2 Comments

I’m continuing to make my way through my backlog of notebooks to review! I ordered this Talens Art Creation Sketchbook from Blick in January 2021 after seeing a few mentions of them online. The prices at Blick start at $7.25 for this pocket sized sketchbook, less than half what many competing brands are charging these days! Can it possibly deliver good quality? Let’s take a look…

pocket size talens art creation sketchbook

talens art creation sketchbook back cover

When I first unwrapped the Talens Art Creation Sketchbook, I was disappointed. Big, wide overhang, which I hate! The exterior of the sketchbook is 3.5 x 5.5″ but the paper inside is more like 3 5/16 x 5 5/16″. But otherwise, I like the feel of the cover and the chunkiness of the notebook, which is just under 3/4″, noticeably fatter than a Moleskine and more like a Handbook Journal.

talens vs moleskine — Talens on left, Moleskine on right

talens art creation vs moleskine — Talens on top, Moleskine below

Talens art creation sketchbook vs moleskine — Talens above, Moleskine below

The overhand is even bigger than the Herisa notebook I reviewed recently:

talens art creation sketchbook vs herisa notebook — Herisa on left, Talens on right

The features are pretty typical– black faux-leather hardcover, with a ribbon marker and elastic closure, but there is no back pocket. The only branding after you remove the paper band is the stamped logo on the lower back cover.

The Talens Art Creation Sketchbook is bound with 20 sewn signatures that have been lightly and carefully glued at the spine. They open nice and flat so you can work across a page spread without too much trouble. There are 80 sheets/160 pages of cream-colored 140 GSM paper. Moleskine pocket sketchbooks are 40 sheets/80 pages.

The Talens paper is not quite as stiff as the card-stock pages of a Moleskine sketchbook (at least the old ones), and the color is much lighter when you compare it to the yellowish tone of the Moleskine paper. It seems somewhat similar to the paper found in the Art Alternatives Pen & Ink sketchbook (the heavyweight paper version). The paper also isn’t as smooth as Moleskine’s, but depending on your preferred drawing tools, this is probably a good thing.

Talens sketchbook vs moleskine sketchbook paper color — Talens in back, Moleskine in front

The problem with Moleskine sketchbook paper was always that it could be a bit TOO smooth to work with certain types of pens and watercolors, leading to colors beading up. Happily, the Talens sketchbook doesn’t have this problem! Fountain pens write very nicely on it, with no bleed-through except in a couple small spots where I was applying some pressure to flex a nib and lines overlapped. There was only a tiny bit of feathering with one or two pens. There was hardly any show-through.

The paper also held up nicely to watercolor and markers. This is really nice, versatile paper that will please anyone who wants to keep an illustrated journal or do a lot of mixed-media sketching.

talens art creation watercolor and marker test

The left-hand page below is the back of the watercolor/marker test page shown above.

talens art creation back of pen test page

This is a nicely constructed, good quality sketchbook with great paper and it’s only $7.25*! What’s not to love? That overhang. But if you don’t care about overhang, go buy one! They come in other sizes and colors too, at Blick or Amazon. Whether you use it as a sketchbook or just a notebook, it’s a great addition to the list of Moleskine alternatives.

*Prices may vary at different times and different retailers. As of this writing, the pocket size sketchbook is $7.25 at Blick, and as low as $5.45+ shipping at Amazon.

Herisa, My Collection, Notebook Reviews, Places to Buy Notebooks, Sketchbook

Herisa Notebook Review

August 2, 2022 Nifty Notebook 3 Comments

I can’t believe I bought this Herisa notebook on Amazon in July 2020 and am only now getting around to reviewing it! Such is life these days… but let’s take a long overdue look at this notebook.

I would guess that the Herisa notebook is kind of a generic item, perhaps marketed under a variety of brand names on Amazon. It seems to be a pretty typical practice for Chinese manufacturers to offer the same product under multiple brand names and see which one sells best. I’ve definitely seen other notebooks on Amazon that seem quite similar, though most of them seem to be available only in lined format. (See Vanpad, Aisbugur, ZZXT, Deziliao, Feela, LMTNNB, SULDAEFC, and many others.) I’ve also reviewed the very similar Taotree dot-grid notebook. But the Herisa came with unlined pages as an option, which is more rare.

The Herisa notebook has the typical Moleskine-clone characteristics: a black faux-leather cover, elastic closure, ribbon marker, expanding back pocket. It’s pleasantly chunky with a slightly padded cover that reminds me of the Pen & Ink sketchbook or the Scribe notebook I reviewed ages ago. The extras offered by the Herisa notebook are that you get a pen loop (which is quite solidly glued in, but possible to remove by sliding an Xacto knife in carefully on either side of it), a second ribbon marker, and a tuck pocket inside the front cover.

herisa notebook vs. moleskine — Herisa notebook on left, compared to older Moleskine

There is no branding information anywhere on the notebook. The ribbon markers are brown, and there are matching head and foot bands, which as far as I can tell are just glued on for decoration rather than being part of the stitching of the signatures and spine. The construction of the notebook seems to be of good quality, with everything nice and square and even overhang on all sides. There is more cover overhang than I’d prefer, but it feels proportional to the rest of the notebook.

Inside, there are a few lines for your contact details, but otherwise, it is totally plain. The notebook opens nice and flat due to a very flexible spine. The paper is a slightly creamy, smooth white. It is said to be 100 GSM, and does feel a bit heavier than average. And it performs quite well!

I tried all my usual pens and found the paper to be better than average for show-through, and had almost no bleed-through. A couple of inks feathered a bit in spots, but even when applying some pressure to flex nibs for line width variation, the paper was generally great. I did find that on another page, I got a few spots of bleeding if I cross-hatched a bit, and using layers of markers will start to loosen the paper fibers and cause some bleeding. I wouldn’t be confident enough in this paper to use it as a sketchbook with a lot of wet media, but for everyday journaling and notes, it should be fine for almost any user. I would just be prepared to try a few different fountain pens and inks to see which ones work.

Bottom line: I haven’t tested the Herisa notebook’s durability in long-term day to day use, but it seems solid enough to hold up well and I think I would buy this notebook again. I didn’t like the pen loop, but it turned out to be easier to remove than it was on the Taotree, and less damaging since there is no stitching going through the cover. There are other things about it that make it less than perfect in relation to my personal preferences, but the value overall makes the Herisa notebook a good choice.

As noted above, I bought this notebook a couple of years ago (with my own money, and I am not receiving any compensation for doing this review). I paid $10.99 for a two-pack, which for this level of quality is a great deal. I figured this price couldn’t possibly be available 2 years later, and when I searched “Herisa Notebook,” at first I didn’t even find this brand. But it’s actually still there, and still available... but not at the same price. It’s now even cheaper, at $9.99! But… and this is a big “but,” the description doesn’t say “100 GSM” anywhere. It says “Weight 150g” but I think they mean the actual weight of the whole notebook, not the paper weight. If the price went down, I would guess they had to reduce the paper quality. But at $9.99 for a two-pack, I think it’s worth a try to see. Recent reviews on Amazon seem to be positive. For those who prefer a larger size, Herisa also sells a lined 5×8″ notebook in blue with 130 GSM paper, currently $6.99 for a two-pack! A black, pocket-sized lined version is also available, but they are much more expensive, at least right now.

Other inexpensive notebooks in my Amazon store.

Diary, Links, Other People's Notebooks

Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s Diaries

July 18, 2022 Nifty Notebook 1 Comment

I spotted the image below in a recent New York Times article about Michael Lindsay-Hogg, the filmmaker who directed the Beatles documentary “Let It Be.”

The diaries described as follows in the article:

He has preserved much of what he went through with the Beatles in diaries, which he has kept since the “Ready Steady Go!” years.
He led me to a bookcase in the memento-filled library next to his art studio. It was filled with dusty leather-bound diaries, many overstuffed with letters and photos. At my suggestion, he dug out the volume from 1969. It was curiously slender.
He thumbed through the pages and landed on January 30, the blustery day in London when the Beatles played in public for the last time. As captured by Mr. Lindsay-Hogg and his team, their swan-song performance was the climax of both “Let It Be” and “Get Back.”
The diary page was blank, except for one word scribbled in black ballpoint pen.
Roof.
“The busier you are,” Mr. Lindsay-Hogg said, “the less you write down.”

I’m sure there’s a lot of other interesting material in those diaries! They look to be bound in an interesting way, as if they are designed to be more of a scrapbook or album, with extra room for stuff to be pasted in. But Mr. Lindsay-Hogg seems to have used up all that room and more! Those diaries look super-stuffed!

Art, books, creativity, Other People's Notebooks, Sketchbook

Jimbo Blachly’s Notebooks

June 19, 2022 Nifty Notebook 1 Comment

I happened to notice an Instagram post from Printed Matter about a facsimile book of artist Jimbo Blachly’s notebooks. (Available on the Printed Matter website.)

The activity of drawing is primary to Jimbo Blachly’s work. In addition to individual drawings and watercolors, he has kept daily notebooks and sketchbooks which make up a large visual diary going back decades. Blachly states: “The responsiveness of line and mark making to the fluidity of thought. The economy of means-ink and reed pen or pencil and the compact portability of small notebooks means I am almost never without the ability to draw or make a quick notation in my day-to-day life. Drawing for me is a mirror, reflecting the relationship between the perceiving mind, the hand and the myriad phenomena be it oak leaves, mosquitoes, memories or burning forests ”
–Jimbo Blachly statement, jimboblachly.com

Blachly has been keeping 3.5 x 5.5″ notebooks for years, according to his website. I was sorry to see that the facsimile book is slightly larger, so not really a true facsimile. I still might have to buy a copy. I like the look of the drawings– interesting colors, abstract but sort of based on cityscapes and landscapes.

I’d love to see some of Jimbo Blachly’s notebooks in person. Unfortunately it looks like he cut up some of the sketchbooks to exhibit the drawings and sell them separately. I guess an artist has to do what he’s gotta do, but that always makes me sad!

books, creativity, Links, Other People's Notebooks

Truffaut’s Notebooks

May 24, 2022 Nifty Notebook 2 Comments

I took screenshots of these wonderful notebook images about a month ago. I think they are from a book about the French film director François Truffaut, but I somehow managed to lose track of the link back to the page where I found the images. If anyone recognizes the pages, please let me know so I can properly credit the original source!

In the meantime, while searching around for online images of Truffaut’s notebooks, I also came across the image below, from a blog called Mon Cahier du Cinéma à Moi. It’s apparently a childhood notebook of Truffaut’s, with the comment below saying that the young Truffaut preferred to spend time sitting in a movie theater seat rather than on a school bench.

*(© Romain Duchez / Mon cahier du cinéma à moi)*

I’d love to see more of Truffaut’s notebooks!

My Collection, Notebook Reviews, Places to Buy Notebooks, Tsubame

Tsubame Fools Notebook Review

May 16, 2022 Nifty Notebook 3 Comments

Several years ago, I linked to an article about the history of an iconic Japanese notebook: The Tsubame Fools Notebook. It’s taken me a while, but I’ve finally managed to buy and review one!

tsubame fools notebook japanese notebook

I don’t know what took me so long. They’re not that hard to find, and they certainly aren’t expensive. This notebook only cost me $3.00 at Yoseka Stationery‘s lovely store in Greenpoint.

I love the design, which looks classic and timeless. The format is a typical single signature exercise book, with a taped spine. I notice that the spine tape wraps further around on the front than on the back– it’s deliberate, but I wonder why?

On the inside front cover, there is some text, all in Japanese. Then you get to the lovely bright paper. It’s lined with dots that can be used to guide vertical lines.

The paper works well with all fountain pens. Even flexing nibs with significant pressure produced no problems. Only the Accu-liner and Super Sharpie bled.

tsubame fools notebook back of page pen test

What’s not to love? It’s a nice looking $3.00 notebook that performs extremely well. I could only wish that they made a 3.5 x 5.5″ version with unlined paper!

creativity, Links, Other People's Notebooks, Writing Notebooks

Bob Dylan’s Notebook

May 9, 2022 Nifty Notebook 1 Comment

In this past weekend’s New York Times there is an article about the new Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, OK, where all his archives are stored.

The collection includes a variety of artifacts, including Bob Dylan’s notebook shown below, in which he made notes for lyrics, many of which evolved into the final version known in his songs.

bob dylan's notebook at bob dylan center archive

creativity, Diary, Other People's Notebooks, Writing Notebooks

Woody Guthrie’s Notebooks

April 19, 2022 Nifty Notebook 1 Comment

I recently went to the Morgan Library in New York City, primarily to see the Holbein exhibition that’s currently being shown there. (Well worth seeing and it closes soon, so go if you can!) The Morgan is also currently showing an exhibition about Woody Guthrie, which happens to feature quite a few notebooks!

This composition book was the first thing that caught my eye. It was mounted in case next to one of Guthrie’s Gibson guitars.

Here’s a couple more, including a spiral notebook with one of Guthrie’s comic sketches, and an address book from the 1940s, open to a page listing the blues musician Lead Belly and Alan Lomax, who is known for recording, archiving, and popularizing American folk music.

A daily diary in which Guthrie wrote to his unborn daughter:

A spiral notebook recording things said by Guthrie’s daughter Cathy at the age of 4. Sadly, Cathy died in a fire later than year.

Another daily diary in a larger format, in which Guthrie mused about love and sex:

There were lots of other interesting artifacts in the exhibit. I had seen images of some of Woody Guthrie’s notes and sketches before but had no idea he was such a prolific notebook-keeper!

Notebook Stories

Nolty 2023 Diaries Now Available