Mark's Storage.it Notebook Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And her latest book, Root Rot, is now available for pre-order!)

You would think, with all the notebooks I have going at all times, that I'd never need to just grab another notebook, but you'd be so wrong. Sometimes a project comes along that doesn't fit into any of my existing project books, and I need another word-dumping container. Nothing fancy. I'm not selecting it for the aesthetic or the writing experience--I just need some paper. So I grab a notebook off the "just paper" pile, and I'm pleasantly surprised.

The Mark's Storage.it Notebook looks pretty plain at first glance. An A5 notebook refill in a clear PVC cover with a zip pouch and some pockets. But the design of this has really worked well for me, and the paper quality was better than I expected.

The cover is formed of a vinyl sleeve that's clear on the front and has an opaque backing that comes in several muted colors. This one is a slate grey-blue that is very lovely. The front cover is a zipper pouch with a plastic slide that allows you to carry pens, notes, slim accessories, or even add decorations. The pocket extends far enough past the edge of the notebook so that the zipper slide doesn't become a lump under the writing surface--but anything you add to the pocket could be an obstacle. A pen is a good choice, as you'll likely take the pen out of the pocket to write in the notebook, but you wouldn't want to put rolls of washi or a pair of scissors in there and then try to write over the topography.

The back cover has several folder-like pockets, three card slots, and a pen loop. It's a great place for business cards, wee notes or lists, and all the random scraps of paper that follow us around like confetti at a parade.

The PVC cover slides onto the covers of the notebook insert like a pocket-plentiful jacket. It would fit a variety of A5 notebooks, but the one it comes with is quite good.

The paper is very smooth and holds up well to a variety of inks. Only the Sharpie bled through, though there is some ghosting with darker liquid inks. But my favorite thing about the paper is the layout. It has 5mm dot grid on the left (back) side of each page, and a 6mm dotted line on the right, with added vertical dot guides, if you want to create columns. It's fantastically versatile--dot, grid, line, and column all in one. And the ink is faint enough that you can ignore it altogether. I even found myself taking some notes diagonally across the page this week. Order and chaos existing in harmony.

There are a few things I don't love about this notebook cover. One, the heat-pressed PVC seams feel a bit flimsy, as does the plastic zipper slide. While the cover is refillable, I wonder how many insert rotations it will realistically survive. I also don't care for the huge branding on the front cover. And I wish it had a bookmark.

These small issues are easy to ignore, considering the notebook comes at a decent price. The cover and notebook together are $17, and the refills are $9.25, which is considerably less than many similar products. There are some less expensive options with even better paper (Clairefontaine, Kokuyo Campus), but they don't have this unique layout that I've come to enjoy a lot.

Last week I just needed some paper, and I ended up with a treat. It's wonderful when our stationery tools can take a menial task and elevate it by being extra pleasant and useful.

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

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Dominant Industry Takasago Fountain Pen Notebook Review

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

The Takasago Fountain Pen Notebook is a simple softcover notebook that really delivers on its name since it handles fountain pen inks like a champ. The paper is from Takasago Paper Mill, which is where the name of this notebook comes from. With 86 sheets of white 88gsm paper with a 5mm grid pattern, you'll have plenty of space to think, record, or whatever else you decide to take down.

88gsm is fairly common for paper weight in notebooks that make the rounds in our stationery circle, but this paper has a particularly lovely smooth feel that sets it apart. It's not a thick paper, but it handles fountain pen ink so well. The smoothness is apparent both to your fingers and when writing. Nibs float across it with ease, and there's hardly any resistance or feedback. It's quite an enjoyable paper to write on.

Whenever you use a paper that feels this smooth, it's likely due to some sort of coating on the paper that reduces friction. This can have unwanted side effects, like slow dry times, feathering, and skipping. Fortunately, there aren't really any negative side effects with this paper. I have noticed that the couple of fountain pens that lean toward the dry side don't perform particularly well on this paper. They're totally usable, but I can tell that the ink flow is a little diminished. Aside from those two dry-ish pens, I've had a really good experience. For most pens and inks, this paper is fantastic.

The paper is smooth and maintains the true ink color once it dries. And speaking of drying, it does tend to shed a couple seconds off the dry time. It's not a magical difference, but it definitely helps. You'll still have to choose your inks wisely if you plan to jot down notes and close the book quickly, or if you're a left-handed or non-traditional grip user. The quick dry time is part of the marketing on this notebook, so that's why I paid special attention to it. I'm not sure if I'd notice the slightly faster dry times if it wasn't called out on the packaging and marketing materials.

One thing that really surprised me is the lack of show-through on the back of the page. Based on how thick the paper feels, I assumed there would be moderate show-through (meaning, it feels thin enough for that to be an issue). To my surprise, show-through isn't an issue at all. You can barely see the writing on the reverse side of the page, and you can easily use both sides of the page. You'll get full use of all 86 pages here!

The outside of the notebook is sparse. There isn't any Dominant Industry branding to be found, and there are only a couple of markings on the front cover that are really difficult to see since they're black on black. The bottom center of the front cover has a small "Takasago Paper Mill" printed on it, and there's an even smaller vertical spot next to the upper left-hand side that says something about Fountain Pen. It's honestly so small and light that I can't make it out with 100% certainty. Let's just say that this notebook is minimally branded.

Inside, the covers are blank. There's no printed spots for your name or contact info. Both front and back covers have some additional material folded back on the interior to act as either minimal pockets for stray pieces of paper or for marking a place in the notebook. In my use, I haven't used the extra material and I'd prefer it not being there.

There's a blank page at the beginning and end to sandwich the 86 grid pages, and the pages are also very sparse. Besides the grid pattern, there's no other printing. No page numbers or spots to put a date or subject. This notebook is minimal both inside and out.

The binding is strong but flexible and easy to open and close. I haven't had any trouble with the notebook staying open, and it closes and stays shut on its own without any elastic banding.

Personally, I really love the minimal aesthetic of this notebook. It fully delivers on the paper quality, and I like the sparse look. Writing in this notebook is a great experience, which keeps me coming back to it. It makes my pens and inks look and feel great, and the grid pattern provides structure when I want it, but easily disappears if I want to go more free-form.

This notebook is only available with a black cover. The cover and paper pattern are tied together, so the white cover only has plain paper, and the gray cover only has lined paper. This makes it easy to tell them apart if you have all three, but I wish I could pick and choose between the pattern and cover colors.

The Takasago Fountain Pen Notebook is $25 and makes a great companion to your favorite fountain pens and inks. The price is fair for the quality you get, and it's comparable to other notebooks in the same price range. I really enjoy the glossy paper feel, but that's not something that everyone enjoys. If you do like smooth papers that show off your inks, this is a great notebook for you!

(Brad purchased this notebook at regular retail price from Smruti Pens at the 2023 Orlando Pen Show.)

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The James Brand Burwell, Gatecliff, and Daily Notebook System Review

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

A good notebook, reliable pen, and a case to carry them in is a fantastic match when you find the right products that compliment each other in the right ways. It's an ultimate out-and-about carry package that can test your ability to carry the absolute minimum while still having what you need. The James Brand has their own take on a perfect setup that includes a sleek ballpoint pen, a pocket notebook, and a robust case to hold it all (and a bit extra) in style.

The whole package you see here isn't available as one product; rather, it's two products (and I guess three if you count the notebook separate). Let's look at each one individually first.

The Burwell

Up first, let's talk about the ballpoint pen. The Burwell is a sleek pen machined from stainless steel. In this review, I have the clean stainless version, but you can also get it in a rose gold or black colorway. The pen uses a standard Parker-style refill, which is also known internationally as the G2 refill, and is not the same thing as the Pilot G2 refill. I'm a big fan of the Parker refill for machined pens because you have so many different choices for what refill you want to use. The refill included with the pen is a black medium point cartridge that performs on par with a Parker Quink cartridge — not great, but not bad. It starts writing promptly and delivers a consistent line, but that line isn't as bold or as wet as I like.

Since the included refill is the least exciting thing about this pen, I'm not too worried about this not being an absolute star writer. I can swap in something that works better for my taste.

The pen overall is really slim. It's about the same diameter as a standard Parker Jotter, but without the aggressive taper toward the tip. The shape works really well in my hand, and the small taper on the nose cone of the pen provides plenty of grip along with the machined dot pattern along the grip section. The machined craters provide grip, but they're machined and polished really well so that you don't feel any hard edges. They manage to find a sweet spot between too grippy and not grippy enough. That's a tough line to balance!

The rest of the pen is built well. The upper part of the body is a simple cylinder, and the clip is an integrated part of the pen body that encloses the click mechanism. The clip is really strong and does a great job of securing the pen to other things. The clip also has "James" etched into it to signify the brand.

The click mechanism makes a really satisfying "ker-thunk" sound that sounds bigger than it should when coming from such a slim pen. I really like the sound it makes and how it feels in my hand. There's definitely zero guess-work on whether or not you've successfully extended or retracted the refill.

On the very end of the click mechanism, there's a ring shape machined into the end that has a neon yellow/green finish. I didn't notice it at first because it's so recessed, but I really like it now that I know it's there. I was more excited at first because I assumed it would glow in the dark, but that's not the case. It doesn't glow, but it still looks cool.

I have no doubts that this pen will last a very long time. It feels durable and well-made, so as long as the knock mechanism is equally long-lasting (even though it's made of plastic), this pen should last longer than any of us.

My only complaints about the pen are that it's a little on the heavy side for how slim it is, the balance is too far toward the back of the pen for my preference, and the refill moves around too much when writing. Due to the weight, I haven't wanted to write with this pen for more than a couple of minutes. The heft and solid feel make for an impressive entrance, but it takes away from the overall usability. The refill moving around while writing translates to noise and a sense of instability since the writing tip moves ever so slightly every time you pick up point as you're writing. I'm sure it doesn't actually affect my writing, but it feels like it does because I can't help but notice the sound and movement.

The Burwell is $69 and available in plain stainless finish, rose gold, or black.

The Daily Notebook

Along with the pen, we have a standard-size pocket notebook. This 3.5 x 5.5" notebook is bound with black stitching and has 48 pages of white dot grid paper inside. According to the marketing page, the paper is "157GSM art paper." It certainly doesn't feel any thicker than your standard 80 gsm paper, so don't worry about that spec too much.

In my testing, the paper does a wonderful job with the different inks I tried with it. The paper has a lot of feedback and tactile feel while still being smooth, and I couldn't get any of my currently inked fountain pens to bleed or feather on the paper. I was even surprised to find minimal show-through on the back side of the page.

The corners of the notebook are rounded off so that they don't snag easily, and the dot grid is a great ruling that provides plenty of structure without getting in the way. There aren't any page numbers or date lines — just the dots. The front of the notebook has a couple lines to write your name and the dates that you used the notebook, but nothing else. Since the cover material is black, I'd recommend finding a nice light-colored pen to write with so that it shows up easily.

The notebooks come in a pack of 3 for $15, but you also get a single notebook included with the Gatecliff case. For the quality and performance, this is a fair price that also lines up pretty closely with all the other pocket notebook options. If you'd rather stick with something you know, they also sell a James Brand branded pack of Field Notes for the same price.

The Gatecliff

The Gatecliff is an interesting notebook case that looks different than anything else I've seen in recent memory. I think this is mostly due to the weather-resistant zipper and unusual method for attaching the cover and zipper together. Weather-resistant zips are really trendy right now, and I'm ambivalent toward it since I don't find myself in rainy or wet environments often. The Cordura nylon cover is incredibly thin and is "welded" to the zipper in a way that there aren't really any seams. It looks really cool, and I hope that it is also durable. I've never used a product like this long-term, so I'm not sure what to expect with this over a traditional stitched seam.

The front exterior cover of the case has a big "JAMES" logo, but no other branding or text. Unzipping the case, you'll find two sides that each hold specific items. On the right side, there's a sleeve that holds the pocket notebook in place, along with a small elastic pen loop close to the interior spine. Standard layout, and it works well in this case.

The spine is adorned with a "MODERN MINIMAL EVERYDAY CARRY" slogan in bright white. I'm not a fan and wish it wasn't there. For me, it ruins the really awesome blacked-out aesthetic on the interior of the notebook.

The fabric used on the interior of the case is a soft felt-like material. I'm not sure what it is, but it feels like a super-thin felt that's also more durable than typical felt. Time will tell how durable it is, but for now it seems to hold up to typical use.

On the left side of the interior, there are three pockets. There's one full-length sleeve that can hold a passport or anything else of a similar size. It can also hold the cover of another pocket notebook if you want to double up with notebooks!

On top of the sleeve, there are two smaller sleeves that fit cards. These pockets can hold about 3 credit cards each, but even a single card feels very secure. I'm not worried about anything sliding out, but there's additional security there since the whole thing zips shut.

I've never been one to use a notebook case or phone case as a wallet, but I can see the allure. Especially if you're traveling, this little case can be a great place to keep your passport, cards, a notebook and pen for jotting down notes, and a place to store small bits of paper you need to save for later. And, it can probably keep all of that stuff safe if you decide to go for a swim with it or get caught in a monsoon.

Once you add a passport, some cards, a pen, and a notebook to the case and zip it up, it feels way too empty. The case is much thicker and can actually hold an additional three pocket size notebooks (!) without starting to feel like it's packed too full. For testing purposes, I actually fit another 2 notebooks before it was difficult to close. That's a total of 6 notebooks, a passport, some credit cards, and a pen. The downside of adding notebooks (or any other objects) to the case is that they have to float in the middle of the case and require you to be more careful when opening/closing the case. I feel like there's an opportunity here to either slim down the case or add some better organization, but The James Brand haven't done that yet.

The Gatecliff comes in at $119, which is a little difficult to swallow. For my tastes, the function and style of this case doesn't justify the price tag. The weather-resistant zipper looks great in photos, but it does make the task of opening and closing the case a little more difficult compared to normal zippers. For my money, I'd rather find something that is hand-made and can pack in a little more functionality.

The Whole Package

As a whole package, this is a sleek little notebook setup. Picking up the pen, case, and some extra notebooks will set you back about $200. The pen is made of solid steel and uses a ubiquitous refill. The notebook works great. The case has a unique aesthetic and a fancy zipper.

The James Brand have been around a while, and you've probably heard of them because of their knives. In the case of their stationery (or Communication) tools, it's a bit of a mixed bag. I can say with confidence that if the aesthetic speaks to you and the price seems fair, you won't be disappointed. The pen is solid, the notebooks are great, and the case is a decent case.

For me, I'm left feeling a little disappointed by the pen (The Burwell) due to the noise and movement of the refill tip when writing, and then the slightly heavy feel that makes writing anything more than a few notes a little uncomfortable for me compared to other pens I use. The notebook (The Daily) is a great option as a pocket notebook. The paper specs on their site are a bit strange, but that doesn't matter because these notebooks work great. And they're priced competitively. My biggest disappointment is with the case (The Gatecliff). I was initially intrigued by the all-black matte aesthetic, but was quickly annoyed by the bright white branding choices, the cumbersome zippers, and the fact that the case doesn't hold nearly as much as the exterior size would lead you to believe. The price tag for the case is the final nail in the coffin for me. It just doesn't feel like it justifies the $119.

All that said, there's always room for improvement and more experimentation! Lucky for us, there's no shortage of choice when it comes to highly specific and subjective stationery items that fit our unique tastes.

(The James Brand provided these products at no charge for the purposes of this review.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!