The Best Paper for Everyday Writing, Part II: Top Five Slim Softcover Notebooks

The second category of paper that I’m going to discuss as part of my “Everyday Writing” series is probably the one that I use the least: slim softcover notebooks. It’s not that I don’t find these notebooks “bad” in any way, it’s just that they rarely meet my personal needs. I tend to be hard on notebooks, and often a soft cover - particularly those made from paper or card stock - will wear quickly, fall off and need to be reinforced with tape before I actually finish the notebook. I also generally prefer to use a single book for multiple projects, relying on an index or bookmarks to separate pages by subject matter. This is mainly a matter of convenience, since I don’t want to have to carry too much when I commute or travel. That said, many people who like to use individual notebooks for different projects swear by the slim softcover format, and I’m slowly coming around and beginning to incorporate them into my workflow, particularly for projects like logging household expenses and home improvements, where the notebook lives on a desk and not in my bag.

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1. BaronFig Vanguard Softcover Notebook. At $12 for a pack of three, BaronFig’s Vanguard softcover notebook is one of the best buys out there if you like smaller, “single-subject” books. I enjoy BaronFig’s paper, and while it’s not the most fountain pen friendly option out there, it’s certainly good enough for my use case, especially at this price point. Baron Fig will also periodically release limited edition Vanguard notebooks, such as the current “New York City” softcover set.

2. Write Notepads Paper Notebook/Journal. The surprise hit from the Baltimore Pen Show, where I sold out of these Write Notepads notebooks/journals in a matter of hours. These lined notebooks contain the same premium fountain pen friendly paper found in Write Notepads’ larger spiral notebooks, and come in a wide array of cool colors with a design reminiscent of vintage books that you might have stolen from your parents’ office supply closet back in the day. I absolutely love Write Notepads’ paper, and they’re one of the only brands I currently carry in my curated shop. (They’re now restocked!)

3. Studio Neat Totebook. At a higher price point that the previous two options, Studio Neat’s Totebook sells in packs of 2 for $20, but offers a slightly more durable leatherette cover, 100gsm dot grid paper, and 8 perforated sheets at the back. If I were to choose a softcover notebook as a “daily carry”, it would likely be the Totebook simply due to durability. I also love that Studio Neat includes archival stickers that you can use to label the spine of your notebook when you’ve finished.

4. Life Noble Note A5 Sidebound. If you want both quantity (in terms of sheets in a notebook) and quality (in terms of premium paper), consider Life, a premium Japanese brand that makes some of the best notebooks around. At $20 per notebook, they’re expensive for a softcover, but you get 100 sheets of paper. The question, at least for me, is whether a softcover notebook will survive long enough for me to actually use all of this paper.

5. Midori MD Notebook Light. Midori is another exceptional Japanese paper brand that makes softcover “Light” notebooks in both A5 and slimmer B6 sizes. The great thing about these notebooks is that Midori makes PVC covers. I’ve not tried this, but I’ve heard you can fit two volumes of the “Light” notebooks into one cover. Midori paper is quite versatile and handles fountain pen ink well.

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Both the Studio Neat Totebook and the BaronFig Vanguard are best described as “A5-ish”. They are both slightly smaller than a standard A5 notebook, whereas the Write Notepads Paper Journal is a closer match at 5.5” by 8.5”.

Takeaways and Final Thoughts

Though this particular format is not a personal favorite, that doesn’t mean it won’t meet your needs. If you best organize your thoughts and projects using separate notebooks for different topics, the slim softcover format is a highly cost effective way to do that, especially if you need more space than a pocket notebook can provide. As I mentioned above, if I had to pick one notebook from this list, I’d roll with the Studio Neat Totebook, if for no other reason than the increased durability offered by the leatherette cover.

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The Studio Neat Totebook pleasantly surprised me, and I’m looking for a way to get this notebook into my workflow soon. I previously reviewed Studio Neat’s “Panobook” panoramic spiral notebook, and if they' ever decide to use the Totebook’s paper in that format, I’d buy a dozen immediately. I’m becoming a fan of the Panoramic notebook for computer work.

Further Reading 

Don’t miss “The Best Paper for Everyday Writing, Part I: Best Hardcover Notebooks.” If you’d like to read further on my recommendations for “Everyday Writing” tools other than paper, please check out my posts “Choosing the Best Pens and Pencils for Life” and “The Best Fountain Pen Inks for Daily Use”. I also recently updated my “Best Pens” recommendations page, which contains multiple lists of pen recommendations for users at different price points and experience levels.    

Disclaimer: The three notebooks pictured in this review were provided to me free of charge as product samples.

New Products You Should Try: Custom Writing Pads from Blank Slate Paper Company

One new paper product that I’ve been using regularly is this new writing pad from Blank Slate Paper Company. If you’re unfamiliar with Blank Slate, it’s the brainchild of Dave and Kelly Rea, who set out to create a company that would allow stationery enthusiasts to design a “completely customizable writing pad” to their exact specifications. You can choose from dot grid, reticle grid, graph, lined ruling, or even a combination!

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For my first pad, I chose the HP Premium 32lb paper with orange dot grid.

When the company first launched last year, only single-sided pads were possible, but double-sided is now an option. Blank Slate offers two paper types: HP Premium 32lb and Domtar Bold 28. I prefer the HP Premium paper, as I’ve found it to be some of the most fountain-pen friendly paper in terms of minimizing bleed-through and feathering. It’s what I use in my printers at home.

Blank Slate products are printed and hand-assembled in Rochester, New York. Single custom writing pads start at $23.50 with a discount on purchases of three or more. Head over to the custom pad design tool - which Dave designed and built himself - and get started now!

Disclaimer: Dave was kind enough to provide me with a discount on the pad pictured here. This post contains affiliate links.

Catching up with Baron Fig: New Squires, a Confidant Partnership, and Leather Goods

In terms of companies that make some of my favorite products for everyday use, both at home and at work, you need not look much further than Baron Fig. From its origins as a Kickstarter notebook project, the company has evolved from being simply the makers of the Confidant notebook to a full-blown lifestyle brand, though the focus remains on stationery. Today I’ll take a look at a few of the Baron Fig products I’ve added to my daily kit over the past year or so.

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Pictured from left: Squire Rollerball in “Sheath” Pen single pen sleeve; “Lock” Brass limited edition Squire (check out that patina!) and my getting-worn-in slim bifold wallet. All of these products are sitting on top of a Mastermind desk pad.

Squire Rollerball Pen. Baron Fig’s Squire is my preferred iteration of the retractable rollerball - I like the teardrop shape, they’ve kept the design clean, and now there’s even a compatible Uniball Jetstream Refill that you can use to turn your rollerball into a fine-tip hybrid gel/ballpoint. Over the past year, Baron Fig also has backed away from a quarterly “limited edition” release schedule in favor of a wider range of standard colors and materials. The most recent release has been a Squire in brass, which is one of my favorites and which I’ve had the pleasure of using as part of the “Lock and Key” limited edition set that was released about a year ago. Today, my brass pen sports a gorgeous patina. I’m glad to see brass join stainless steel and copper as part of the regular Squire lineup.  

Confidant Notebooks. The Confidant lineup also has expanded over the past couple of years, with both new sizes and new colors now available as part of the regular line. The limited or special edition Confidants that were being released on a quarterly basis have apparently been replaced by special-purpose notebooks designed in partnership with various writers and designers. These include the new Clear Habit Journal (designed to accompany the book Atomic Habits by James Clear), the Wander Dream Journal, and the Show & Tell Notebook (designed in conjunction with Dribbble design showcase). Of these three, the Clear Habit Journal is probably the only one that might find its way into my regular rotation - and I have one on the way to review - but I love that Baron Fig has branched out and released these other products. I know several people who have enjoyed using the Wander Dream journal, and the Show & Tell will appeal to those who like to combine lined pages for writing with blank pages for sketching, doodling, or diagramming.

Workspace Accessories. In 2018 the Mastermind Desk Pad remained my most used stationery item. I probably churned through a dozen of these things, far outpacing my use of anything else in my kit. Though the Mastermind is not intended for writing on both sides of the page, the paper quality holds up with fountain pens, especially with respect to feathering and dry time. One of the things I love about Baron Fig paper is that it’s slightly absorbent, so it dries relatively quickly and doesn’t get all over your hands and wrists if, like me, you keep a Mastermind notepad underneath your keyboard. It also comes available in an “Mini” size, and Baron Fig subsequently released a narrow “Weeks” version to help you plan.

Bags and Leather Goods. Last but not least, I’ve found Baron Fig’s leather goods surprisingly impressive in both their looks and durability, especially at the price point. I’ve periodically posted that I’m carrying one of their slim bifold wallets in Charcoal, which is actually a very light gray that ages into an almost khaki color. I’m very hard on wallets, and this one has held up well. Other Baron Fig leather goods in my regular repertoire include the leather “Sheath” pen case for the Squire, as well as the “Guardian” notebook covers.  

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You can say I’m a fan of the Squire…

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Baron Fig is one of those brands that I’ve enjoyed getting to watch grow over the past few years. One thing I appreciate is that despite their rapid growth and introduction of new product lines, I’ve not had significant quality control issues, even as they’ve managed to keep their pricing reasonable. The stuff just “works,” and allows you to get down to doing your work, whatever that may be, with a minimum of fuss.

You can purchase any of the products featured in this post through the Baron Fig website, and they’re even starting to expand into retail streams. Our sponsor Vanness Pens currently carries a range of Baron Fig products, including the Confidant and Vanguard notebooks.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. Baron Fig provided me with certain of the products pictured in this review free of charge for review purposes, though others (like the gray squire pen and the Mastermind desk pads) were purchased with my own funds for my own personal use.

Journal Review: Trigg Life Mapper

I’m going to go ahead and call this a “journal review” to dispel any illusion about what I feel is a common misconception about this product: that it’s a “daily planner” intended to be carried around as a calendar replacement. No, the Trigg “Life Mapper” is what the company describes as a “productivity and mindfulness diary that transforms your goals into success,” by bringing “planning, habits, and mindfulness to a full journal format.” In other words, it’s a journal designed to guide your periodic (yearly, monthly, weekly, daily) reflection on your personal and professional goals, not to track your schedule. The Life Mapper has generally been favorably received, winning awards including “Best Diary” at the 2018 UK Calendar awards (which may have contributed towards some misconceptions about the product), and “Best New Product” at the 2017 London Stationery Show.

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Sure, there’s an annual calendar at the front, but as you can see it’s for big-picture stuff only (unless you write really small).

So Who Is The Targeted Audience for the Trigg and How Does This Thing Work?

The Life Mapper has been around for a few years, and was originally a Kickstarter project designed, and since tweaked, with input from the internet productivity community. If you follow productivity blogs and podcasts (which I’ll admit to dabbling in), you will recognize many of the goal-setting and “life mapping” concepts from books like Getting Things Done, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, The One Thing, and others. (By the way, another excellent online resource organized around of many of these same ideas is Shawn Blanc’s “The Focus Course,” especially if you’re looking for a more open-ended tool than the fairly rigid, condensed Life Mapper.)

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The front section of the Life Mapper has a section to set annual, big-picture goals in each of four broad categories: self, work, passion, and relationships.

The Life Mapper uses the following process, summarized at a very high level:

• Annual Forecast. At the beginning of each year, you do an “annual forecast” or planning session and set “big picture” goals for what you want to accomplish.

• Goal-Setting and Progress-Tracking. Using the Life Mapper, you put these goals into four categories, which Trigg labels “Self,” “Work,” “Passion,” and “Relationships.” You set annual and weekly sub-goals, using the weekly and daily planning pages to make progress towards the “big picture.”

• Regular Reviews. Periodically take stock of your progress. The Life Mapper includes sections for six-month and year-end self-assessments, though you can do this as often as you want.

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The daily layout in the Trigg Life Mapper, which includes an inspirational quote or productivity tip, a space to organize tasks and goals in order of urgency, a section for “appointments,” and a blank space for open-ended writing/reflection/notes.

I’ve obviously not had time to work my way through the “process” set out in the 2019 Life Mapper, but I’ve used similar productivity techniques in the past and found that they do tend to work for me. The year that this blog really took off was actually the year that I was pretty strict in terms of setting goals and benchmarks for my writing and regularly tracking my progress. If you juggle multiple side hustles, or work in a job where you have to track multiple projects and/or develop new business and manage relationships with multiple long-term clients, you might find the techniques reflected here helpful. Even if you don’t adhere to the somewhat rigid structure set out in the Trigg, any sort of process that forces you to distill and refocus on those tasks and goals that are truly important (as opposed to a lot of the busywork that fills our days) can be quite useful, and even powerful.

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In the middle and at the end of each year, the Trigg Life Mapper contains a section where you can assess your progress in the various categories.

So enough about productivity. How does the Trigg Life Mapper work as a stationery product? For starters, the 90 gsm paper is great. I tested a few fountain pens in the blank pages at the back, including one very wet stub nib, and while the paper is absorbent there was no bleed-through or feathering. The binding also appears durable, and I can see this sturdy book easily lasting a year, even if you lug it around with you day-to-day.

A few additional observations, both pros and cons:

• Each daily page features a productivity tip or motivational quote, something I really enjoyed from my time with the Hobonichi Planner.

• While I like the embossed design on the front, I do wish there were additional color schemes other than the turquoise/yellow.

• While you can interpret the four categories however you want, based on your own personal goals and objective, I would have liked a couple of open categories to add a bit more flexibility, though this is likely impractical given that it would add bulk to an already thick journal.

• The “Appointments” section on the daily page seems a bit incongruous. The Life Mapper clearly isn’t a calendar, and if an appointment is important enough to write down here, I would think that it would fall within the urgent/non-urgent task boxes. The extra space could have been used for more open “journaling” space (though of course you can just ignore the “appointments” section and do this anyway).

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The Trigg Life Mapper is one thick notebook: check it out compared against a Baron Fig Confidant in leather cover!

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I’m the target audience for the Trigg Life Mapper, so I like the product. I may even use it this year, since it dovetails with the type of planning and goal-setting I do already. That said, it’s not for everyone, and if you’re considering making a purchase you should be aware that it’s a very structured product, unlike something like the Hobonichi Techo.

You can purchase the 2019 Trigg Life Mapper directly from Trigg. They have an Etsy Store as well, and The Gentleman Stationer is an Etsy affiliate, so if you’d like to help support the blog one easy way to do it is to purchase via my affiliate links, with no added cost to you. Either way, the price looks to be around $40 US shipped. I would get your order in soon to ensure delivery by January 1, especially if you are outside the UK, where Trigg is located.

Disclaimer: Trigg provided me with the journal featured here for review purposes, free of charge. This post contains affiliate links.

Letterpress Stationery from Meticulous Ink

It’s taken me way too long to get this post up, and there’s one reason why: I’m terrible at letter writing. The plan was to work through my ever-growing stack of correspondence that I’ve been intending to answer, and write something about how I’m getting back into letter writing, featuring this stationery, but I just haven’t had the discipline to sit myself down and actually do it. Given the quality of this letterpress stationery kindly sent to me by Meticulous Ink, that’s a shame.

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Meticulous Ink is a shop in Bath, England that specializes in bespoke letterpress printing and fine stationery. All of their letterpress is done in-house. While I can’t claim to be a connoisseur of letterpress work or stationery in general, what Meticulous Ink has sent me is beautiful, from the letter sheets and correspondence cards to the greeting card and bookmark. (I absolutely love bookmarks, and have a massive stash of them everywhere around my house, so they pretty much had me with that.)

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I was actually shopping around for some letter sheets and letterhead when Meticulous Ink reached out about a review. I couldn’t have asked for better. The design is classy and understated - exactly what I was looking for.

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Who doesn’t need correspondence cards? I use these far more than letter sheets, to send short notes and thank-yous.

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A great quote, and an even better design.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

This type of “review” works much better as a visual post, so I’ve tried to provide you with some detailed images of the type of work the team at Meticulous Ink can do. If you are in the market for bespoke stationery or correspondence cards, you should definitely visit their online shop. Meticulous Ink also stocks an array of calligraphy and lettering supplies, pens, pencils, notebooks, and notepads, some of which I’ve not seen before, like this FAF Desk Pad. If you live in the area, they also host calligraphy and lettering workshops.

Many thanks to Verity and the team at Meticulous Ink for sending me this stationery and making this review possible!

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Disclaimer: I received the items featured in this post free of charge, for review purposes.