MILLIGRAM, FIELD NOTES & OCTAEVO REVIEW

I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the physical Milligram (formerly Notemaker) store at Melbourne Central recently, and managed to pick up some new notebooks to use (because you can never leave empty handed!). Newly opened on the 4^th of November, it’s a store you will have to visit if you’re ever in town. There were three sets of notebooks that I picked up in my time there, and I’ve decided to do a little review comparing each in terms of size and paper quality.

These were the three notebooks:

1- Octaevo Passport Notebooks

2- Field Notes Campfire Edition

3- Milligram A6 Ruled Notebook

I’m currently predominantly using my Passport notebook for everyday planning and journaling, but have yet to find the perfect size for regular note-taking and documentation. As much as I love the Midori branded notebooks (because they’re a perfect all round notebook), they're limited variety means I'm always on the lookout for something different (and it's hard when not many companies do a Passport size notebook!)

But anyway, let's start with my review of the three notebooks. I'll go through size, variety and most importantly, paper quality tests:

1- Octaevo Passport

The Octaevo brand is new to Milligram and boasts colourful notebooks of varying sizes. Octaevo harks from across the Mediterranean seas of Barcelona with each piece they create being made to last. I purchased the Travel Notes Notebooks, Set of 3 in Alexandria, Barcelona and Athens, because they were the exact Passport size notebooks I needed. They come in a set of three, with each colour (yellow orange and blue) holding either plain, ruled or dot-grid pages:

Unlike Midori Passport notebooks, the cover is in fabric, giving them a more lasting and luxurious feel. Not to mention, their bright colours makes everything pop:

I do have to mention though, that these Octaevo notebooks are actually slightly larger than the Midori Passport notebooks:

However, they still fit perfectly in the leather cover with no overhang:

The pages feel thick and sturdy, but of course, we'll only get to know the quality of it with every day writing equipment. So on to the pen test:

I've decided to try out the most frequently used pens currently in the planner community (although do bear with me, I don't have every favourite pen in the planner community!) which included:
1- Midori Fountain Pen (with De Atramentis Documenter ink)
2- Pilot Juice 0.4
3- Muji 0.38 Gel Pen
4- Ballpoint pen
5- Kaweco Fountain Pen (F)
6- Lamy Al-Star Fountain Pen (EF)
7- YStudio Fountain Pen (F)
8- Tombow Dual Brush

I will speak in terms of feathering, bleed and show through.
Feathering: ink spreads beyond where it is applied to the paper, usually along the fibres
Bleed through: seepage of ink from one side of the page to the other
Show through: the ability to see words / images printed on one side of the page on the other. Note that just because a paper has show through, doesn't mean it has bleed through!

I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed. The thick paper really held up well with all pens. Here's a closer look at how the different pens fared on the page:

There was minimal feathering in all the non-fountain pens, with feathering increasing with nib size. It wasn't too obvious to cause any blurring of words. And here's how it looks like on the back of the page:

Again, impressed. The YStudio Fountain Pen seemed to cause the most trouble in terms of feathering and slight bleed through, but only because of the size of the nib (even though its F!). The page fared very well with all other pens with only a slight show through with the other two fountain pens.

Overall: I would definitely consider using these notebooks if I were to ever need a change from the Midori variety.  They're a great size (slightly larger than the normal, which also means more space!), contains great paper and are aesthetically pleasing. Not to mention, they have a dot grid notebook which is a big plus considering I can't find one anywhere else! Highly recommend!

2- Field Notes:

Field Notes are a well known brand for their notebooks. Although slightly larger than a Passport size, I love having them as an extra notebook tucked at the back for random notes and doodles. For me, Field Notes are kinda like a brain-dump-disposable notebook. It allows my thoughts to run free on the page with no pressure to be neat.

I bought myself the Campfire Edition seeing it was one of the many versions I've been eyeing for a while mostly because of the cute patch it comes with, and the fact that the grid lines inside came in gorgeous blue, orange and brown colours!

But having used Field Notes before, I knew what to expect with the paper quality, which to be honest, isn't fantastic for the pens I use. And here's why:

Using the same pens I trialled in the Octaevo Notebooks, I have tested them out in the Field Notes pages again. Here's how it looks:

And here's a closer look:

Feathering is slightly more evident in the fountain pens in the Field Notes as compared to Octaevo, which was mostly only evident in the Ystudio Fountain Pen. The Tombow Dual Brush marker colour created little blots on the page rather than a smooth colour lay like with the Octaevo, so don't expect colouring in these pages to turn out too artistic. The non-fountain pens fared equally in both Octaevo and Field Notes notebooks.

A look at the back of the page shows that the Fountain Pens definitely has more show and bleed through in the Field Notes page than it did in Octaevo. All other non-fountain pens did not show through:

Overall: Field Notes is great for the every day user. If you're looking for something relatively affordable to jot down notes on the go, that will hold up to most pens, this is the notebook for you. Their variety of colours, page size and the ability to choose between ruled, plain and grid paper means that there is definitely something for everyone.

3- Milligram:
Designed in Australia, with features like fountain-pen friendly paper, colourful covers and a variety of page ruling for everyone, Milligram's A6 notebooks are the next up in line in my review:

Milligram A6 notebooks comes in a pack of two, and in this case, I received a pack of two ruled baby blue and peach notebooks to try out.

They contain 40 sheets of ruled paper with 85GSM Italian Milled Fabriano Boutique Bioprima Book Paper (sounds super fancy!). But of course, this would all mean nothing without the crucial pen test. And spoiler alert: their paper definitely lives up to expectations! Here's a look at all the pens I tested out on the page:

Compared to Octaevo and Field Notes, the fountain pens on this paper had minimal to no feathering. What used to be quite evident feathering of the Ystudio fountain pen in the previous two notebooks were absolutely minimal in the Milligram notebooks. All other non-fountain pens fared well. I added extra pen tests including the Faber Castell Pitt, Versamagic ink and Pentel Brush Pen and Pentel Touch, and they all fared just as well. Exciting!

Things from the back:

Now, unlike the previous two notebooks which had minimal show-through but had some bleed through, Milligram notebooks do have show-through. There is minimal bleed through with some inks like the Pentel Brush markers, however, as these were not trialled in previous notebooks and are not exactly 'everyday pens', I will exclude them from this comparison review. There is minimal bleed through with the YStudio Fountain pen (which seems to be the trouble maker here!), but it is worth noting that no bleed through is evident with all other fountain pens. Depending on how you are with show-through pages, this might not be a deal-breaker for some. After all, writing on top of show-through pages are not as distracting as compared to writing on top of bleed-through pages. Bleed-through tends to affect the opposite page only because it can obscure words with the ink blots from the previous page. Show through, on the other hand, will be masked once something else is written on top of it.

Overall: the paper does stand up to Fountain pens beautifully as boasted in its book jacket. There is show-through at the back, but it is an overall great notebook with impressive paper!

When comparing all three:

Top to bottom: Milligram, Field Notes, Octaevo

From the above, you can see how each notebook fares with the other. Overall, the choice of your notebook will depend on their size, quality and use of each. As I am a Passport size user, the Octaevo brand is the winner if I were to need a change from the Midori branded notebooks. Although not the best quality paper, Field Notes are still here to stay due to its size and just their overall fun look and page size.

Hope this review helped!

BOOKBLOCK: WESKIN

I’ve been blessed in receiving a number of beautifully made notebooks from Bookblock recently, and it was no different when I received their newest edition in the mail: The Weskin Notebooks.

These notebooks are intricately styled to give you that vintage-Jane-Austen feel. Cloth bound, semi-flexible, gold-trimmed page edges, and cream coloured ruled pages are available in each Weskin notebook, and come in either the navy blue, yellow or black.

Here's a little backstory on the company and their newest notebook creation:

Bookblock has been customising and manufacturing products since 2013, creating the highest quality notebooks, stationery and leather products. With this knowledge and experience, Bookblock have developed and created their own range of beautiful stationery products. To coincide with the launch of their retail site this summer, Bookblock will launch the Weskin: their flagship product.

The Weskin is the perfect companion to your working day. A cloth bound, gilt edged A5 notebook that pairs timeless classic design with a contemporary finish, and like all of Bookblock’s products, is proudly made in Europe. The Weskin notebook is available in classic navy blue, contemporary yellow or muted grey, accompanied by a perfectly applied gilt edge and geometric lining inside. Subtle details come in the selection of a double grosgrain ribbon and distinct Bookblock gold foiled logo on the reverse. A superb choice for any aspiring creatives and professionals alike.

Here are a few features regarding the notebooks:
1- LAYS FLAT: Keeping your notebook flat is often an annoying and impossible task, the Weskin solves this problem with its perfectly flat lying spine, staying flush to your desk without constantly pushing back into a closed position. What could make writing easier and more enjoyable than this - using a notebook that enables full use of the page; ergonomic design that is as slick as it is practical

2- SEMI-FLEX: True to Bookblock’s standards in manufacturing, they have tested and developed a design that has made a perfect link between a flexible, soft cover notebook and a hard bound notebook: the semi flex. Keeping it light and soft, the semi flex cover creates a movable feel without interrupting the quality or finish in transit.

3- DURABLE TEXTURED CLOTH: Bookblock’s contemporary aesthetic and understanding
meant they were able to source the best quality cloth to cover the Weskin with. It’s quality and feel is like no other, a truly outstanding material that keeps its durability throughout your working day.

4- GILT EDGING: Gilt edging is the process of applying colour to the very edge of your notebook’s pages. Adding a touch of gold, with it’s premium guilt edge, the Weskin sets itself apart from any other notebook with this sophisticated, classic detail.

5- DOUBLE RIBBON: Bookblock love detail that is useful: the double grosgrain ribbon in two colours is elegant and practical to keep hold of useful pages within your Weskin.

Now, of course all these features are nice and makes these notebooks look absolutely delicious, but how do they hold up in terms of paper quality and usage? My answer: superbly.

I did a little trial page test for a number of different types of pens and the outcome is surprising. Being a predominantly fountain pen user, I like to test these pens first on any notebook I acquire. Writing on these Weskin pages are as smooth as butter. It held up well to my Extra Fine Lamy Fountain pens (filled with De Atramentis Documenter ink) with minimal show through on the other side. There was no problem when trialling the paper with regular ballpoint pens, and 0.38 Muji gel pens, as expected. Overall, it's a nice notebook to write in, and with the cream coloured pages, the Weskin notebook does end up being quite aesthetically pleasing.

The Weskin notebooks will launch in Summer 2017 and will be available from the Bookblock shop, retailing at £15. International delivery and wholesale orders are available at www.bookblock.com/shop

NOTEMAKER x OCHECK

O-Check Notebooks

I love vintage looking things, and the new O-Check notebooks sold by Notemaker currently fit the bill. Notemaker recently sent me a big box of new O-Check notebooks and I've been psyched to write up a post for you guys.

The first set of new notebooks from O-Check are called the Utility notebooks and comes in a variety of sizes and colours, with two being squared and perfect for field drawings. They're made from recycled paper so they're well made for drier mediums like pencil, ballpoints and gel pens. I've yet to try the paper out with my fountain pens, but as I plan to use them primarily for sketches, I'm not too fussed.

The cover is made of sturdy cardboard, and the one feature I absolutely love about these notebooks is the fabric spine:

Not to mention, these notebooks are able to lie absolutely flat when opened due to these fabric spines:

The next set of notebooks from the new O-Check range are these old-school cahiers:

They're ruled on the inside and reminds me of my primary days when I used to use these notebooks:

They come in five different designs, each featuring a different animal on the front. I have a thing for foxes currently, so had to have one of them for my collection! And because I've reached 20k on my Instagram, Notemaker and I have teamed up to give away these cahier notebooks to FIVE lucky winners. Check my Instagram out for more details!

You can find all of these notebooks at Notemaker (click here to be redirected to their site). I've been a long time shopper of Notemaker, and have always been provided with great service and fast shipping. And once you've purchased from them at least ten times, you'll be a lifetime member getting 10% off EVERY order from them! So if you're looking for your next stationery fix, don't forget to pop by Notemaker - you won't be disappointed!

BOOKBLOCK ORIGINAL

A while ago, I received a little customised present from Bookblock Original. Now, this company is revolutionary - only because you're able to customise your own notebook inside and out. I'm particularly picky with my notebook. It has to have certain paper thickness, soft / hard cover, etc. So when Phoebe from the Bookblock team asked if I wanted to try out their fully customisable notebooks, you bet I said yes.

But before I get into the details of the notebook I received, here's a little overview on their company:

Bookblock Original used to manufacture notebooks for agencies and brands, but recently decided to downscale their process so that illustrators, designers and notebook lovers (basically you and me!) in general are able to produce their own fully customisable notebooks! They are manufactured in the UK, contain recycled paper, and are able to create customisable notebook covers with full bleed digitally printed covers. This means that for approx. the same price as a Moleskine, you'll be able to not only create your own cover, but choose the type of paper that goes in it, the availability of a back pocket and even pictures on the inside!

So of course, when I had the opportunity to make my own, I had to create something entirely for me, which meant drawing (literally) up an original artwork for my front cover. Here's a close up of my artwork on my new notebook:

As you can see, every little detail of my line work has been carefully printed out onto the front cover and I can't wait to customise it a little bit more by adding some paint (yes paint!) to the front cover when I get the time. I have so many ideas for this blank canvas and I'm absolutely stoked to get started on it.

I managed to get the plain paper option on the inside and was pleasantly surprised when I found out that the actual pages in the notebook is from the Monsieur brand (which I love!):

I own a couple of sketchbooks from the Monsieur brand and know the quality they have, but have yet to test out the plain pages. Here's to hoping that it doesn't disappoint!

Check out their site here if you want to find out more and create one for yourself!

Study Planner Review

So a little something different today:

I was given the privilege to test a little study planner by Cool Pencil Case out this week and I must say, I am quite impressed. Here's how the planner looks like:

Study Planner!

On the inside, however, is where the magic happens. The planner begins with this title page already exploding in colour:

Inside

Then comes a timetable to remind you of the classes you ought not to miss (but still do):

Timetable

There is a school term plan on the next page, which isn't pictured as well. Next comes some weekend (and secret time) clock scheduling, which I must admit, is pretty darn cool:

Weekend Scheduling

Thereafter comes the weekly scheduling:

Weekly view

There is an undated month-on-two page view before every weekly planning, too, but isn't imaged. The weekly goes over 4 pages, and reminds me of the Erin Condren layout. It's highly decorated and varies in colour and pattern for each month. Unfortunately, the planner only accommodates 6 months worth of planning...

Monthly Appraisals

At the end of the month, there are monthly appraisals allowing to reflect on what you've done well and all the things you need to improve on.

At the end of the planner, there is an entire section dedicated to exam planning. They hold exam timetables, subjects you're taking and scores you'd like to achieve, a 2 week (cramming) plan leading up to the exam and a scoreboard to log your final marks:

Exam Timetable

The end of the planner holds a few note pages for scribbles, etc

Quotes at the start of every month

Overall, this planner would be great if I were in school. It's something a parent would get their kids to teach them to be more organised. With the variety of colours, motivational quotes, planning section, exam timetable etc, I can see it appealing to the young (or the young at heart)! And right now, for purchases of $30 or more at the Cool Pencil Case store, you can use the code SPRINGWITHCPC to get 10% off your order! Hooray! They have some other cool stuff on there as well, so do check them out!


Disclaimer: I was given the planner free of charge to test it out, but this has not swayed my opinions of the item whatsoever. Just thought you should know!