Oh, I Got 'Red'

Here is a new notebook/journal to join my growing paper arsenal: the Scribe A5 Ruled Notebook.

Scribe journals are sold in the Philippines by Scribe Writing Essentials, a local company that imports and distributes a variety of writing accessories from the UK, USA and other countries. They have previously marketed unique writing instruments such as quills and dip pens, and other related items including bookmarks and the then unnamed journal which would later become the Scribe.

I have seen Scribe notebooks in Powerbooks and Fully Booked store branches in the past, but really, pink and gold do not appeal to me. Besides, I love my black large Moleskine, and I still do. But word about the Scribe's paper's friendliness to fountain pens intrigued me. And so one hot Saturday morning, while browsing books at Greenbelt 4's Power Books, I didn't resist temptation and allowed myself to be lured by a red Scribe.

Scribe A5 Ruled Notebook. Off-white 80gsm paper. Soft, faux-leather red cover. Delicious.

I have always wanted a red journal - red is a coveted color for me. And who could resist a red Scribe? I got two of the ruled A5, and I plan to use one when my Molie runs out next month. And it will be called Red. Simply Red.

Red's got closure. I love Red's red elastic closure. It's sturdy and hopefully will last.

Red's red bookmark. This notebook has also its own, what else, red bookmark. Lovely.

Red's missing something. I kinda miss that part on the inside cover where I can write my name.

Red's got a pocket, too! The backpocket is made of the same thicker paper in the inside front and back covers.

Red's spread. Scribe notebooks also lie flat when opened. The binding is shown here.

Red's paper. The 80gsm paper used on Scribe notebooks is not so thick, but a bit shiny and silky to the touch. The pages have lines running to just short of the edges, and I like this feature because it limits my writing to a part of the page before the edge.

Now we've come to the tough part here. The writing samples!!! I have to say that the Scribe notebook caught me by surprise. I was surprised and in awe of its paper which is uber-fountain pen friendly. Writing on it is a totally different experience. It's bliss.

The fountain pens tested here are the broadest of my stash. Mostly mediums, these pens are not to be daunted as they spit out ink like geothermal geysers. *Grin.*

I also tested my favorite gel pens, ballpoints, and permanent markers.

And now the real test is revealed. Because of the paper type used in Scribe notebooks, there is noticeable show-through for most of the fountain pens used in the test, but bleed is only observed from my medium Retro 51 and Thein, the Sheaffer Thin Model frankenpen, also a medium.

As expected, remarkable (or, say, profuse?) bleed is shown by the permanent markers used in the test.

Red on Black. The Scribe on top of the Moleskine and it is a bit wider than Da Molie.

The Scribe is a fantastic notebook! It's a class on its own, and will definitely pose as a tough competitor with most notebooks and journals of its category. I will not use it much for notetaking - Blue Feather and Sterling can take care of that, as I prefer wire-bound notebooks for notetaking - but I would love to write on it for my leisurely journaling and diary keeping. I plan to get a plain A6 notebook soon - for illustrated journaling. Now that's a level-up in journaling!

(Better photos are also available in my Flickr account. Click here to visit my photostream.)