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.)

How I Started Writing on My Moleskine

Early this month, Pastor Joe Thorn wrote about setting up a Moleskine and how he uses these precious notebooks to store ideas related to his ministry work.

I love reading stories like Pastor Joe's because it reminded me of another Moleskine story, this one by Sir Butch Dalisay. I cannot find Sir Butch's article online anymore, but that story introduced me to the elite world of Moleskines. Soon after, I was smitten.

Surprisingly, my journey to Moleskine ownership took longer than I expected. At that time, the notebooks weren't offered locally here, and the only way I could get my hands on a notebook was to purchase it online. It was a frustrating pursuit. Then I got my lucky break several months after. A friend saw an online bookstore selling Moleskines, and the company is actually located in the Philippines! And that is how I got my hands on this precious notebook. Finally, I have my own Moleskine to show off. But I did not write on it until last week, six months after I bought it from Avalon.

I started using my Moleskine by using its last page to test my pens. Yup, the last page is a tester page, and that's what I do with all of my notebooks. I do that all the time to choose the perfect pen for a particular notebook. And for my Moleskine, the perfect pen is the black Pilot G2 0.5mm.

After that, I wrote my name and contact details on the inside cover page. No rewards for me, though.

Now I tied a small knot at the end of the page marker so it won't fray and look ugly.

And I started writing on it, precisely on the front face of the third leaf. To start writing an entry, I used a red G2 to write the date and day of the week. An entry usually takes up a page or two, and with the large Moleskine's 240 pages, I figured one notebook is good for three to four months' worth of letters.

Today, my Moleskine is already five entries full. When I fill it up, I'll get another Moleskine and fill it up again.

My Journal, My Non-Living Best Friend

I've always tried to keep an updated Journal since I was a small kid. Sometimes I'll fill a notebook, but mostly, the pages are left empty after the first few get doodles of ink. Lately, after I moved back to the pen and paper scheme, I entertained the idea of keeping a journal/diary. And I took it seriously. Today, 19 days after I started writing, The Archer's Chronicles is 20 pages rich of scribbles, doodles, drawings, and stickers. For the last 19 days, it has become my non-living best friend.

My Journal is a blue 6.25 x 8.25 ruled spiral college notebook that used to be a concept notebook for my projects. The front and back covers are thick plastic, which protect the inside pages from scratches and dents while the notebook is inside my bag. The inside pages are made of inexpensive thin paper with the text "Wise Buy by Expressions" on the upper right portion of each page.

I use a variety of pens to write on my Journal, but mostly I use my 0.4 Pilot G-TECs. I also use other gel pens like the MonAmi Gel Pets and a blue 0.7 Pilot Super Gel Pen I like a lot. Some days call for that "special touch", and so I write with my Parker Vector fountain pen using black Parker Quink ink.

I usually write around midnight, when I'm done with housekeeping and television soap-opera and my neighborhood gets some semblance of calm and quiet. I like to write in silence. I always have. Silence brings me so much: words, emotions, remembrances--even sound. Lately, a new habit has formed, though, and I am suprised. I am beginning to like to write while the radio is tuned in to RJ100. It's such an excellent motivation to write.

Writing has become ceremonial for me. Almost ritualistic. I like to write after my night bath, with a mug of steaming hot tea next to me--sometimes Lyons Earl Grey, sometimes Tazo Green Tea. It depends. I like it steaming hot because I love the aroma of tea filling my writing corner of the room. My journal entries always begin with the day's date and time. I also include the background music. As I write, I slowly sip my tea.

After an entry, the tea is finished, and it's time for bed. Finally, I can sleep.