VICTORIA’S JOURNAL NOTEBOOKS

Back in February I wrote about the refillable leather Victoria’s Journal.  The same brand has these cahier-style notebooks in packs of two.  Each notebook has 80 pages of cream-colored paper, and has a sewn binding. They’re smaller than A5 size, around 13cm wide by 19cm tall (about 5 1/8 by 7 7/16 inches).

They’re PhP 99 (just over USD 2) per pack of two notebooks, at National Bookstore (their exclusive distributor).  For the life of me I can’t figure out if this is meant to fit into a leather notebook cover, but I would love to know if it does.  There doesn’t seem to be any such matching refillable cover on sale, alas.

The wonderful thing is that it has fountain pen-friendly paper!  (“80 gsm, lined pages, wood-free cream paper”)  Well, for most fountain pens with F or M nibs, that is.  I’m not sure it’s thick enough or sized enough to take on wet B nibs or flex nibs, but for every day use, this passes muster.  Only Herbin Lie de The had the teeniest bit of feathering.  I wouldn’t say totally no bleedthrough, but yes, you can write on both pages and read what you’ve written without irritating marks getting in the way.  Here’s a photo of the ink test page.

Victoria’s Journals brand notebooks are “Designed in Italy, Made in PRC”.  They’re not cheap, but they’re really affordably priced, and stylish.  Would I buy these again?  Seeing as there are very few locally available brands of this price point  (much lower than Clairefontaine and Rhodia) that are fountain pen-friendly, definitely.  I still wish there was a leather cover product to match.   This doesn’t stop me from hunting down other fountain pen-friendly brands, though.  National Bookstore cannot guarantee that certain product lines remain permanently stocked, or that the same quality item can be sourced from their suppliers in the future.  We can always hope.

I am not affiliated with National Bookstore except as a regular customer.  The items being reviewed are my own purchases.

ECOTHINGS NOTEBOOK

I’ve been on the lookout for a locally-made, fountain pen ink-friendly notebook for the longest time.  I’ve tried a number of notebooks, most of them imported, and find the cost deterring.  I don’t really care for some carefully crafted romantic marketing image, and some of you may know what I’m talking about.  I’m after a paper that reliably handles fountain pen ink without feathering or bleedthrough, where I can write on both sides of the paper.  Eventually it becomes an expensive exercise to buy and buy notebooks only to be disappointed.

At a recent pen meet I was given an Ecothings Notebook by a friend.  The first page says, “You are holding a product that is kind to our Earth.  Your notebook is made using recyclable materials and recycled paper that is acid and other toxic elements free, using soya ink and guaranteed 100% biodegradable materials.  Negative free print process.  We are proud to be green and proud to be Filipino-made.”  (I’d have taken a photo, but the fonts were too thin.) Earth-friendly, fountain pen-friendly and made locally!  What more can I ask for?

The notebook I received had mauve paper (alas), but I have seen others with cream-colored paper.  It’s available in blank, lined, and dot grid paper, as far as I know.  The important thing is that IT PASSED MY INK TEST! No feathering, no bleedthrough.  The paper is not slippery, but neither does it have drag.  The sizing of this paper is just right for fountain pen use.  The mauve paper doesn’t really show ink colors that well, but I’m sure the cream-colored paper does.  At this point I shall disclose that I don’t know how much this notebook costs since I got it as a gift, but I’m sure it doesn’t cost as much as Overhyped Romantic Marketing Notebook does (wink, wink).  Since I like to support Filipino products I’m sure the price is worth it.

I’m definitely buying a couple of notebooks with the cream paper soon.  Here’s a link to some photos on Facebook.  They are “available at Fully Booked stores, Sketchbook (Greenbelt 3), Scribe Writing Essentials (Eastwood), and ECHOstore (Podium and Serendra)”.

Addendum:  The notebook pictured above is P360.

VICTORIA’S LEATHER JOURNAL

Happy Chinese New Year!  I know most of you already have 2013 diaries and journals, but I discovered a leather journal recently that can give the Midori Traveler’s Notebook a run for its money.  The thing that confused me about is that it’s called a Pelle Leather Journal, by Victoria’s Journals, but it’s not the Pelle Leather Journal you know of in the US, that directly competes against Midori.  From this point for purposes of clarity I’ll be referring to it as the VJ.

Regardless of branding, the important thing to me was that the VJ is made of real leather.  I found them in Bestsellers (a National Bookstore branch at the Podium in Ortigas Center), each in their own black box.  I got one in brown.

Each journal fits three 9 x 14cm (roughly 3.5″ x 5.5″) notebooks: a to-do planner, a lined notebook and a blank notebook.  There are Venzi flexi 2 notebooks (also made by Victoria’s Journals, available at National Bookstore) that can be used as refills in case you can’t find notebooks to fit.  As for me, I make my own refills, because that means I can choose the paper quality – must be fountain pen ink-friendly!

And this paper is friendly, as long as you don’t use a B nib that’s an overly wet writer.  There’s not much bleedthrough or showthrough at all. Imagine that!  I haven’t been buying notebooks in a long time because I don’t like spending money and then finding out the paper only takes ballpoint ink.

Here it is, with my Waterman’s Ideal No. 3 set.  And below, a comparison shot with my passport-sized Midori:

The feel of the Midori leather is a bit more luxurious.  It takes distressing well.  The Victoria’s Journal journal is a little stiffer.  I like the leather clasp that holds the covers together, it doesn’t dent the cover as much as the plain elastic does.  Also, the inside elastic fastenings don’t require much fiddling with.

I posted this on the Fountain Pen Network-Philippines Facebook page, and sort of caused a shopping frenzy.  Why?  Because compared to the Midori (about USD55) this VJ journal costs only P590 (about USD15)!  My friends and I found out that there are three colors:  Black, Brown and Maroon.  If you want your own and it hasn’t been sold out yet, the magic stock number is 103722 at National Bookstore.  Call them and reserve the item, before visiting.

The Midori is made in Thailand.  The VJ  box is marked “Styled in Italy.  Made in PRC.”  So yes,  it’s made in China, even though they very cleverly try not to point that fact out.  At least every part of it looks well made for the price.

To my friends in the US, the Victoria’s Journal site only sells to the trade, I believe.  You’ll have to look for the item in your stationery store (although the site indicates they sell this item in the US).   The Pelle Journal that’s competing against the Midori (see links above) is a quality product and you can’t go wrong with either brand.