Notebook Review: Endless Stationery Recorder Notebook Deep Ocean with 80gsm Regalia Paper

Endless Stationery Recorder Notebook Deep Ocean with 80gsm Regalia paper.

I'm back! It's been six months since my last blog review. It's been a hectic, toxic, and trying period that has kept me from using and enjoying my fountain pens. I still have several fountain pens, ink, and paper products waiting to be reviewed. Last April, I said I'll rest for a month. But May came, then June, and before I knew it, it was already September. I wanted to go back to writing about pens and ink and paper. I really wanted to. But work got me. Health issues got me. And I got stuck waiting for that golden moment when inspiration strikes, and I could go on spilling words like there's no tomorrow. I kept asking myself, could I still do it? I wasn't sure, and that surprised and scared me. But last Friday, while I chatted with a friend, she reminded me of going back to my gift, and so here I am, writing and happily spilling words again on Regalia paper in my Recorder notebook that my friend Kailash Ramchandani of PenGrafik sent over to me to review. Regalia is a special proprietary paper created by our awesome friends at Endless Stationery in Madras, India.

The new Recorder Notebook from Endless Stationery, the world's most ink-friendly notebook. The leatherette cover looks professional, classy, and elegant.

The Recorder Notebook is not new to me. In August 2020, Endless Works sent me my first Recorder Notebook to review. It was a thrill writing on the Recorder's 68gsm Tomoe River paper. It's an elegant black notebook with a black leatherette cover and I used it for note-taking, writing ideas for my blog, and doodling colorful art. But the thin TR paper sometimes bothered me, so this new Recorder Notebook with the brand new 80gsm acid-free Regalia paper is perfect!

The Recorder Notebook is made to be the world's most ink-friendly notebook. Available in A5 size (8.3 × 5.6 inches), the new Recorder Notebook has 187 numbered pages of 80gsm acid-free proprietary and ink-loving Regalia paper suitable for fountain pens, inks, micron, and sketch pens. The in-house thicker Regalia paper has a zero-tolerance policy towards bleeding, ghosting, and feathering so we all get the smoothest writing experience. The acid-free Regalia paper also ensures the notebook's contents will last a long time. 

I received the Deep Ocean dotted Recorder and the dark blue leatherette cover looks professional, classy, and elegant. It has a blank Table of Contents that one can easily fill out so it's easy to keep track of notes and ideas inside the notebook. The two page markers in dark blue and turquoise would surely help anyone find their way through their Recorders. And if anyone needs a sheet of paper, there are 16 perforated sheets at the back of the notebook to tear without affecting the rest of the pages in the particular signature. The Recorder also has an expandable inner pocket in the back cover to hold ephemera, receipts, tickets, and other bits of paper. It is also meant to store page guide sheets that Endless designed to keep users on track.

Endless Stationery offers the Recorder in four colors: Infinite Space (black), Forest Canopy (green), Deep Ocean (blue), Crimson Sky (red), and Mountain Snow (light gray). All five colors are available with ruled, dotted, squared, and blank pages. 

The Recorder Notebook's front and back covers are imprinted with the Endless Stationery logos. On the front cover: the long line signifies content and the ellipsis (three dots) "proceeds to infinity." The lower part of the back cover is imprinted with ENDLESS. 

The Recorder Notebook's inside cover page is designed with empty circles to resemble the Endless logo's ellipsis. A blank box in the upper part of the page is meant for writing the owner's name and other details. 

The designers of the Recorder thoughtfully built this notebook. It has two pages for a Table of Contents so it's easier to keep track of what's inside the notebook.

The Recorder's pages are numbered and this feature is helpful in creating a directory for the notebook's contents.

The new Recorder has two page markers, the signature turquoise page marker of Endless Stationery, and another one in the same color as the notebook's cover. The Ocean Blue notebook has the dark blue and turquoise page markers.

Loving the Recorder's rounded page corners. No sharp, pointed corners to bite into my hand and arm while writing. Also, rounded corners are less prone to fraying, so the cover and inside pages won't be worn down easily.

The Recorder Notebook has an expandable inner pocket in its inside back cover. I do not usually use these pockets because their contents create bulges and make it uncomfortable to write on the notebook's pages, but this notebook's back pocket is also meant to hold the Recorder's guide sheets.

Because this new Recorder Notebook has new paper, I was really excited to try writing on it. I tested the Regalia paper using some of my still-inked fountain pens with different nibs — fine, medium, and broad. The Regalia paper is so smooth, it's truly a joy to write on! My pens' inks did not bleed, and I did not see any feathering or ghosting. 

My pen and ink test on Regalia paper did not have any feathering or bleeding.

Then I also tried writing on a whole page of the Regalia paper and it's true! Regalia paper is a joy to write. I used my TWSBI 530 with a wet medium nib inked with Iroshizuku Asa-gao to do this test. The TWSBI wrote smoothly on Regalia paper. No feathering, and certainly no bleeding. The ink on the stamp I used for the date did not bleed, too. I did some ink swatches at the back of this test page and though the Robert Oster Fire Engine Red ghosted a bit, it did not soak the paper to the other side of the sheet. Regalia paper is truly an excellent paper for fountain pen ink!

I did write on two pages of the Recorder Notebook to test Regalia paper. The ink from my wet and juicy TWSBI 530 did not bleed.

Here is the back side of the sheet. The Fire Engine Red ink is wetter than the two blue inks and almost bled to the other side of the sheet. Fortunately, it did not bleed through.

I also did an ink art on the Recorder's Regalia paper using a Leonardo Furore with Robert Oster Orange Zest. The color in this ink art is amazing and Regalia paper helps make ink colors pop out and look radiant on it!

The Recorder Notebook with Regalia paper is an excellent, well-made notebook, and is one of the most ink-friendly papers available in the whole world today. I love its features: Table of Contents, numbered pages, rounded corners, and numbered pages. Regalia paper is so friendly to fountain pens, and the Recorder has that simple, "classic notebook" elegant look. The leatherette cover is durable, the signature turquoise elastic strap keeps the pages together, and the round page corners prevent fraying. This notebook is perfect for journaling, calligraphy, note-taking, ink swatching, or for simply writing down thoughts and ideas. With the Recorder, ideas are endless! Get one for your pens!

The Recorder notebook in this review is provided by PenGrafik, the exclusive seller of Recorder Notebook and Endless Stationery products in the Philippines. Visit PenGrafik on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/PenGrafik) and see their many offerings!

Notebook Review: Victoria's Journals Smyth Fashion Flexy Dotted Bullet Journal

Victoria's Journals Smyth Fashion Flexy Dotted Bullet Journal

I've been a full-time fountain pen user for twelve years now and finding good quality paper products still gives me a different kind of high every time I find one. It's a feeling closely similar to finding a good nib, or a nice-flowing ink. As I gathered new products and materials for my blog, I came across Victoria's Journals again, a line of notebooks available in our local bookstores. A stack of three different notebooks was sent to me from their manufacturer, and I am so happy to see that they are all friendly to fountain pens and ink.

I received a Copelle Gold Edition, an Old Book sketchbook version, and a Smyth Fashion Flexy Dotted Bullet Journal. Of the three, I was drawn to the smooth and soft leatherette cover of the Bullet Journal. It has a fountain pen-friendly 80gsm ivory wood-free paper, and the A5 size is just the perfect size for me! 

The A5 Bullet Journal's leatherette cover in burgundy is soft and smooth.

The Bullet Journal is available in four colors including burgundy, brown, blue, and black. It follows the regular A5 size measuring 5.8 x 8.3 inches (14.8 x 21cm).

Victoria's Journals logo is pressed onto the leatherette in the notebook's back cover.

The inside cover spread of Victoria's Journal's Smyth Fashion Flexy Dotted Bullet Journal offers space where one can write their details.

This A5 notebook contains 192 dotted pages of ivory wood-free paper. The paper is smooth and suitable for use for fountain pens, gel pens, pencils, or markers. The pages are Smyth-sewn, which gives the notebook durability and allows the pages to open flat. A lovely white ribbon page marker with a metal pendant bearing Victoria's Journals logo is attached to the notebook.

The pages of this Bullet Journal are Smyth-sewn, which gives the notebook durability and allows the pages to lay flat. 

The 80gsm ivory pages are dotted, giving them versatility for multiple uses.

The metal page marker is a lovely attachment to this A5 notebook.

To test the 80gsm paper in this Victoria's Journals A5 Bullet Journal, I used a whole page for most of my inked pens. The paper showed the shading in some of my inks, and all of my pens wrote smoothly! There wasn't any feathering or bleeding even with my wettest broad and italic nibs.

Pen and ink tests in Victoria's Journals Smyth Fashion Flexy Dotted Bullet Journal

I love the Smyth Fashion Flexy Dotted Bullet Journal and will use it for journaling and note-taking. I will definitely get some when I use all the pages in it. They are friendly to fountain pens, useful, and handy. Do you want to write on smooth paper and never worry about bleed through and feathering? Get this notebook from Victoria's Journals!

Rants of The Archer thanks Victoria's Journals for providing the Smyth Fashion Flexy Dotted Bullet Journal in this review. Visit their website to learn more about their products and new brand offerings. Victoria's Journals offers worldwide shipping. For more updates, follow Victoria's Journals on social media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/victoriasjournals
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriasjournals/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB9NgpQ7gpbsrCdVhzFCPZQ/featured?view_as=subscriber
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ph/victoriasjournals/_shop/

Notebook Review: Maruman Mnemosyne N196A Notepad

Do you know what makes fountain pen users happy? Fountain pens, of course. But do you know what makes fountain pen users happier? Excellent, good-quality fountain pen friendly paper. Paper products come in different types and sizes, and not all are suitable for fountain pen writing. Aside from paper quality, I also consider the size, durability, and availability of a paper product. While most of my notebooks and pads are in A5 size, I'm also using a B6 notebook and notepad from Maruman's Mnemosyne line. I like these B6 notebooks because they are portable and so easy to stash inside my backpack, use for notetaking, and create lists.  

The Mnemosyne range of products is simple, functional, and excellent notebooks from Japan's Maruman Corporation. These notebooks with ultra-smooth paper are all manufactured in Japan using Maruman's original paper. Named after the Greek goddess of memory, Maruman's Mnemosyne has four characteristics: paper (uses original and exclusive Maruman Paper Series for Notebooks), design (simple design, yet very unique), variety (available in a variety of sizes and paper styles), and quality (proudly made in Japan under thorough quality management). I have a couple of Maruman paper products to test, and I chose the N196A B6 Notepad for my first Mnemosyne product review. I like this portable, top-bound spiral notepad that reminds me of steno notebooks.

Maruman created Mnemosyne with a simple design. The sleek black cover is quietly accentuated with the gold Mnemosyne logo.

The Mnemosyne N196A has the following specifications and features:

• Size: B6 | 5 in x 7.5 in 
• Cover material: plastic (front) and thick board (back)
• Binding: top-bound; coated twin ring (black)
• Number of pages: 100 | 50 sheets
• Paper weight: 80 gsm
• Paper type: Maruman Paper Series for Notebooks (MPS-N)
• Page style: ruled/lined; 7 mm
• Page features: perforation; date and title boxes on top of each page
• Other features: environmentally friendly premium paper engineered for smooth writing, acid-free, and works well with fountain pens

Mnemosyne 196 Notepad is top-bound, and the spiral binding is a sturdy coated twin ring that won't snag or easily get deformed. 

The covers and pages of this notebook are cut into semi-rounded corners, which is a nice feature. Sharp page corners fray easily and sometimes cut into palms or hands as one writes. Pulling out the notebook from a bag is also easier.

I like this thick back cover because it's sturdy and gives the notebook stability. I could also use it as a writing surface if needed.

The 196 Notepad's black plastic cover opens to a bright, happy, yellow inside cover page. It is blank, except for the Mnemosyne logo at the bottom. It's a perfect page for some ink art. 

Mnemosyne uses the special Maruman Paper Series for Notebooks (MPS-N) which is engineered for a smooth writing experience. This Maruman-original paper is highly suitable for comfortable writing with different writing instruments such as fountain pens, ballpoint pens, and pencils. MPS-N is acid-free and environmentally friendly as it is made from planted (farmed, I guess) trees. The MPS writing paper is available in different weights—60 gsm, 70 gsm, 80 gsm, and 90 gsm. The MPS-N paper used in Mnemosyne 196 is 80 gsm, which is of higher quality and guarantees no ink bleeding. There is also the MPS-D which is MPS for drawing paper, MPS-W for watercolor, and MPS-C for Croquis, mainly for pencils and sketching.

The Mnemosyne 196 Notepad's pages are ruled/lined in the popular 7 mm spacing. Each page contains  21 lines with each seventh line printed in a thicker weight, dividing the page into three sections. Maruman says that this design makes it easy to organize information. Some people are bothered by this style, but I just fill the page and hardly notice the thick lines—or the page divisions. 

The pages of this Mnemosyne notepad has the popular 7 mm spacing. There are 21 lines on each page, with each seventh line printed in a thicker weight, dividing the page into three sections for easy organization.

At the top of each page are boxes for the date, number of entries, and the title of the entry.

Unlike most notebooks with continuous line ruling, Maruman used dotted lines. The faint gray lines are perfect for writing and notetaking.

The pages in the Mnemosyne notepad are perforated, so it's easy to just tear a page off.

Maruman's MPS-N paper is ultra-smooth and has excellent quality for writing. To test the MPS-N paper, I used various combinations of fountain pens and inks, gel pens, ballpoint, and a Sharpie. My fountain pen nib preference has always been B (broad), and most of the pens I tested have either a broad or stub nib. In the pen and ink tests below, I noticed that most of the fountain pens did not bleed or feather, except for three pens with minor bleeding—two with very wet nibs, and one with a sharp italic nib. I'm still very happy with this notebook's paper despite this minor flaw. I'm glad I saw it so I can avoid using the particular pen and ink combination in this notebook. The paper is also great with the other pens I tested, and the Pilot G2 1.0 just glided smoothly as I wrote. If I were not a fountain pen user, the Mnemosyne + Pilot G2 1.0 will be my perfect paper and pen combo! Now I understand why so many people prefer using Mnemosyne notebooks—the paper is just excellent! 

Pen and ink tests on the Mnemosyne's MPS-N paper. No feathering, just a bit of bleeding, but ultra-smooth paper is perfect for any pen type!

I wrote a full-page using a TWSBI 530 with a medium nib filled with Iroshizuku Asa-gao. The writing experience is extraordinary! The pen just glided on paper while I wrote.

Mnemosyne notepad, fountain pen, blue ink. Lovely, useful combination.

The Mnemosyne 196 B6 is an excellent notepad/notebook that is well-built for writing. The front and back covers are strong and thick enough to protect the pages inside and be a writing surface if needed. This notepad is portable and can easily fit into backpacks, computer bags, or handbags. The 80 gsm MPS-N paper is excellent for writing, and it's fountain pen friendly. Get one for your pens!

Learn more about Mnemosyne notebooks from the Maruman website or follow them on social media:

• Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/maruman.usa/)
• Twitter (https://www.instagram.com/maruman.usa/)

My deepest gratitude to Maruman USA for sending the Mnemosyne N196A B6 Notepad in this review.

Notebook Review: Buke Owl Dot Grid Journal

It's always a joy finding beautiful notebooks with good quality paper that takes fountain pen writing really well. Getting them from local sellers? That's a godsend! I first heard about Owl Dot Grid Journals in our local fountain pen group, and later read good reviews from bullet journal enthusiasts. As I'm a broad and stub nib user, I got very curious about the notebook's 160gsm paper. I connected with Calligraphy Source, the local sellers of Owl Journals in the Philippines, and I got a yellow notebook to review a few days later.

Owl Bullet Journals are made by Buke Notebook, and they are available in the Philippines through Calligraphy Source in black, peach, turquoise, and yellow covers.  I was surprised by the yellow Owl Journal when I received it, but I like the lemon yellow cover and it makes me think of happy things to write on it.

The lemon yellow Owl Dot Grid Journal by Buke Notebook.

The Owl Journal's band has a surprise! The backside of the band has some handy tools that one can easily stash in the notebook's back pocket. There is a line weight guide, a protractor (measuring instrument for angles), and a paper compass.   

The Owl Dot Grid Journal is available in A5 size with a supple, silky, fine PU hardcover. Each notebook has 160 pages (80 sheets) of 160gsm ultra-thick bamboo paper and an expandable inner pocket in the inside back cover. It also has a matching elastic band, ribbon pagemarker, and pen loop. This notebook's pages are Smyth sewn (thread-stitched) and lays flat when open for easy writing. 

I love the lemon yellow cover of my Owl notebook. I can't remember having a yellow notebook before.

The Owl logo/branding is embossed in gold on the front cover. I hope it won't be scratched off later.

The logo of Buke Notebook is imprinted on the back cover.

The Owl Journal is thicker than most A5 notebooks because of its 160gsm paper. But the PU hardcover is supple so the notebook still lays flat when open.

The matching elastic closure of the Owl notebook is firm and strong to hold the covers and pages together.

The Owl Journal has round page corners. No sharp, pointed corners that get frayed and worn down easily.

The pages of this notebook are thread-stitched so they are secure and will not fall off the binding easily due to use.

The yellow Owl Journal has a matching ribbon pagemarker, just like its matching elastic band and pen loop.

The pen loop in this notebook is a nice touch. It keeps a pen handy all the time.

The inside cover page of the Owl Journal is blank. I was looking for the usual space to write my name and contact details. This is perfect for sketches and some ink art, though.

The Owl Journal has an expandable inner pocket attached to the back cover. 

Buke Notebook's Owl Dot Grid Journal has 160 pages (80 sheets) of 160gsm Ultra paper. Buke Notebook claims that the Ultra paper is excellent for fountains pens and ink, and does not show any feathering and bleeding. The dot grid in this notebook's pages is the standard 0.5x0.5mm spacing. The dots are printed in light gray so they are unobtrusive on the page while writing.

The Ultra paper used in Buke journals is excellent! To test the paper, I tried writing on it using my inked fountain pens, some gel pens, and a ballpoint. I learned the 160gsm paper is smooth but it's not too shiny, and it tolerates most of my fountain pens which all wrote beautifully. I did not see any feathering, and only minimal ghosting and bleeding. I also noticed that when I tried the paper in this notebook, all of my pens wrote smoothly, even the scratchy ones. 

Is the 160gsm paper in the Owl Notebook really good? It is!

I also tried a combination of ink art and text and I did not see any feathering or bleeding.

Buke Notebook's Owl Dot Grid Journal is a well-made notebook. It has a sturdy cover to withstand daily use, and strong binding to keep the pages together and avoid falling out. The matching cover, elastic band, page bookmarker, and pen loop is a nice touch, but this notebook's paper is the winner. The 160gsm Ultra paper is smooth, and perfect for journaling, calligraphy, note-taking, sketching, drawing, and painting. Get one for your pens!

The Owl Dot Grid Journal in this review has been provided by Calligraphy Source for review purposes, where it retails for PhP495.00. To purchase one for yourself, visit their online store: https://calligraphysourceph.com/