Apica Premium C.D. Notebook A6 Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

There are as many different types of notebooks as there are fountain pens it seems, but you can also argue that each different type excels in different areas for different purposes. In this case, I've had the honor of reviewing an extremely high quality notebook from Apica that continues to blow my mind when I write in it.

The Apica Premium C.D. notebook is one of the most high-quality books I've had the pleasure of using. It makes me smile to move the pen across the page because it glides so effortlessly and never produces any feedback — sometimes I'm amazed that it's even making a mark on the page because it feels so smooth.

According to JetPens, the paper in these notebooks is called "A.Silky 865 Premium," and that's a very apt description. This is a premium product offering from Apica, so the price coincides with that, but it really is worth it if you value the pleasure of writing on paper as smooth as silk.

Of course, there are plenty of other premium notebook offerings from Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Kokuyo, Mnemosyne, and more, but I don't think any of them are as smooth as the paper in this Apica notebook. It really is incredible. Don't get me wrong, the other high-quality notebooks have some awesome paper, but it just isn't glassy smooth like this one.

The notebook I got is a blank version, and I think I'd prefer lines next time, but that's just my own preference. I'm too sloppy of a writer to use a blank notebook effectively.

Moving on from the paper in the notebook, the rest of the book is high-quality as well. The stitching and binding is neat and tight, the covers are sturdy but just a bit flexible, and the notebook is easy to open and lays flat without much problem.

The size I have is A6 (4.1 x 5.8 inches) and contains 96 sheets, although other sizes are available. The A6 size is a bit large for pockets, but does well in purses and smaller pockets in bags.

Quite simply, this notebook comes at a premium price for good reason. It's a dream to write in, and it's built to last. Oh, and it looks pretty classy at the same time. I love the silver embossing and accents. Want to try out a fancy new notebook? Give an Apica Premium C.D. book a try.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Apica CD Notebook Review

I've done a few notebook reviews in the past several weeks, so don't take it lightly when I say that this is one of the best value notebooks available today. The Apica CD11 A5 notebook has quickly flown up the ranks in my mind of notebook ratings. Let's take a look at my reasons for such an opinionated statement.

The Paper

Wowzers — this is some nice paper. It's on par with the Clairefontaine paper that I've reviewed, but it's available at a lower price. $6.95 is the price at JetPens for the A5 size. Oh, and that price includes 3 notebooks that have 28 sheets a piece. I know, right?

The paper is white with gray-blue lines. According to JetPens, the lines are 7 mm apart, which is similar to narrow or "college" rule. It's very smooth to the touch and when you write. Every pen that I've used with this paper has performed admirably. I haven't noticed any negative qualities with the paper except with one ink, but I'll cover that later.

In all the inks and pens I've tried, there's been no feathering (except for one ink) and no bleed through to speak of. Every pen I've tried glides effortlessly over this paper. It's as smooth as can be.

I noticed some feathering when I used J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir on this paper. I used the inks in two pens, and they both had the same symptoms. I wasn't really surprised when the Plumix created some feathering, but I was perplexed when the Kaweco EF also did it. My only answer is that there's some property (or properties) in the Eclat de Saphir that make it susceptible to feathering on this paper. I haven't noticed this behavior from this ink on other papers. Strange.

Anyway, apart from that one downside, I love this paper.

The Style

I went with the navy cover, but the other color options aren't bad. I might end up trying other colors out at some point. JetPens offers these books in yellow, white, sky blue, red, navy, mustard, light green, light blue, and black.

The cover is a thick paper that seems to do OK with regular wear and tear. Personally, I think a nice leather cover would be a great addition to this book. The paper just isn't thick enough to stand up to some of the abuse it might see during its tour of duty. There's silver decorative print (or black, depending on the cover color) and designs on the front cover, and minimal product information on the back. The paper has a nice texture that adds to the feel and aesthetic of the book. Overall, it looks nicer than what it cost.

The book is bound with thread. So far, it's a strong bind and the book has no problem laying flat once you've broken it in a little.

The Value

For the quality of paper in this notebook, you really can't beat the price. Like the description from JetPens says, these "notebooks are ideal for your basic writing needs." Yes, they're relatively inexpensive. Yes, they're fairly basic and offer no perks. But they offer a writing experience that is friendly to every pen I've tried. That's difficult to come by. Give these notebooks a shot! They're available in the A5 size that I've reviewed here, or in semi B5.

(You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution, Twitter, and App.net.)

Rite in the Rain Outdoor Journal and Tactical Pen Review

I have been wanting to review a Rite in the Rain notebook ever since I reviewed the Apica Rain Guard a couple of years ago. I also wanted to be sure to give the Rite in the Rain a proper review since I just dripped some water on the Apica to test it out. Well, there was a big rainstorm at my house last week, so the review was on!

I donned my hooded rain jacket at marched outside with my Outdoor Journal and Tactical Pen that I ordered from Hickorees. I wasn’t quite sure where I was going to be able to write and take pictures, but I quickly realized that my grill was the perfect spot. It wasn’t a monsoon outside, but the rain was steady. I tried to take a few in progress photos show how wet the page was getting and how the pen was performing.

Here are my takeaways:

• The paper did great. It was soaked but it hung tough. The spot where my hand was resting on the journal soaked through more due to the pressure, but it held up fine.


• The pen has a Fisher Space pressurized refill, and it did a good job overall. The one issue that you can pick up in some of the photos is that if the ink blobbed at the tip (like a normal ballpoint would) it would spread out a bit in the water. That happened regularly as I lifted the pen off the page and put it back down to write.


• Once I went inside, I wiped down the journal with a paper towel. The ink didn’t smudge, and the paper dried quickly.

It was a very impressive performance by the Rite in the Rain Journal. The pen did well, but if I had planned more I would have tested a Uni-Ball Power Tank and Tombow Airpress for comparison. I think they would have done even better since they write cleaner to begin with. I was just too soaked to go back inside and get them.

I am not a hunter, fisherman, logger, construction worker, or any other vocation that this journal is targeted to, but I can’t imagine another paper product that would perform as well as this one.