Posts filed under Sticky Notes

Kokuyo Tack Memo Sticky Notes Review

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

The category of sticky notes isn't an overly large one, even in the big box realm. Post-It notes are the name brand, and they have several sizes and colors to choose from. Every big box retailer has their own brand of similar products, but the paper quality of these items usually ranges from "meh" to "just okay." Since there aren't an abundance of options, the lackluster paper quality just has to suffice when you need a sticky note.

These days, there are a few more options available in the stationery world if you want sticky notes, and I've recently been trying out the Kokuyo Tack notes.

The notes I'm using are 75x100mm in size and they have yellow paper. They're a little wider than the "standard" Post-It note, but I think that's a good thing. There's plenty of room for jotting out quick notes and lists to stick on the wall or fridge.

The main perk of these sticky notes are the paper quality. They're much better than the paper most sticky notes use, which means you can use fountain pens in moderation. I say "in moderation" because this isn't Rhodia or Tomoe River paper. It's better than your standard Post-It note paper since it doesn't bleed and feather like crazy, but it's not supreme. In my experience, some fountain pen inks do great, but others smear easily due to the coating on the paper. If you do a little testing and determine which inks work well with the paper, you should be all set. Of course, given the coloring of the paper, your inks will look a little different than on a white paper, but that's normal.

Now, another important feature of any sticky note is the strength of the adhesive used on the back. Post-It notes are regarded as having the perfect amount of stickiness that also tends to hang around after several re-sticks of the note. With that baseline set, I'm happy to report that the Kokuyo Tack notes are adequate in this measure. They aren't Post-It note quality, but they're darn close. The adhesive is strong and pliable, giving you plenty of chances to move the note around without worrying about it falling off after a few hours. Even with the breeze of a fan flowing across, they stay put.

The Kokuyo Tack notes come in the 75x105mm size shown here, but they're also available in 74x52mm. Along with the two sizes, there are also several color options, like yellow, green, blue, and pink. The larger size will run you just under $5, while the smaller size costs about $3.

These Kokuyo Tack notes are affordable, colorful, and work really well. If you want sticky notes that handle fountain pen ink better than most, these are a great option.

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

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Posted on January 9, 2019 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Kokuyo, Sticky Notes.

Kyokuto F.O.B. COOP To Do List Sticky Notes Review

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

If there's one thing I always wish there were more of, it's high-quality sticky notes. The brand that made sticky notes famous doesn't use the highest quality paper, which is a bummer. There are a few other companies that strive to make sticky notes that work with more than just standard ballpoints and gel pens, but they are few and far between.

I recently discovered the Kyokuto F.O.B. COOP To Do List Sticky Notes (what a name, right? I'll refer to them as Kyokuto sticky notes from now on.), which has renewed my interest in this category. The Kyokuto sticky notes come in three variations: To Do List, Daily, and Weekly. Each sticky pad has 30 one-sided sheets and measures in at 2 x 5.5 inches. This is a perfect size for attaching these small notes to the margin of another notebook, planner, or calendar.

The to do list variant has 15 lines with check boxes included. The Daily version has hourly markers starting at 9 and ending at 22. Finally, the weekly version includes all seven days of the week along with three small check boxes for each day next to the date section.

Each sticky note pad has a translucent protective cover that looks really cool. Yeah, it has some branding and example scribbles on the cover, but I like the frosty translucent look.

In use, I've found it easier to remove a sticky note and apply it to another surface before I start jotting down notes, but it works fine while still in the pad. Your mileage may vary.

On the surface, these sticky pads seem to do a great job of filling their utilitarian purpose. In practice, I think it will come down to personal preference and how small you can write. In every variation, I don't have a comfortable amount of room to write out my tasks, agenda, or events. I don't enjoy writing small, but I also don't think I write that large in the first place. 2x5.5" is a convenient size, but I'd love to see a 2.5x7" or something similar so I have a little extra room to breathe.

The quality of these little pads is top notch. The printing is sharp, the shading on different rows in the daily planner is great, and the idea is fantastic. The paper quality is great, but not resilient against certain fountain pen/ink combinations. In my practice, fine nibs with inks that have anti-bleed tendencies are best with these sticky pads. That said, these pads are only meant to be written on the top side, which makes bleed-through irrelevant as long as the bleed doesn't soak into the next page. I haven't had that happen, but I'm sure some inks are up to the challenge.

Gel pens, rollerballs, and ballpoints work great with this paper. It's a smooth, glossy texture that's pleasant to use. The top inch of the paper has an adhesive backing, so sticking these notes onto other surfaces is easy and secure. I haven't had any issues with corners pulling up or notes falling out of notebooks, so that's a good sign that Kyokuto have used a good adhesive in these pads. That said, the notes are still easy to remove or move around without any degraded adhesive performance.

I think my favorite of the three is the generic to do list variant. It's the most versatile of the bunch, but I like all three. They're a perfect companion to your favorite notebook, planner, or paper calendar.

The Kyokuto F.O.B COOP to do list sticky notes are $5.50 a piece, which means you'll spent over $15 for all three. At 30 sheets, this seems like a premium price, but they are well made. If these were closer to the three-dollar mark, it would be an easier sell, but the price still feels fair if you plan on using these every now and then instead of one or two per day.

You'll probably know from looking at the pictures here or on JetPens whether or not these will be something that you splurge on. If you pick some up, you certainly won't be disappointed by the quality! These cute planner assistants are a lot of fun and do the job well.

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

Posted on August 8, 2018 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Kyokuto, Sticky Notes, Notebook Reviews.

MD Sticky Memo Pad: Sticky Notes that Write Great and Help You Stay Organized

(Original Mai-Bun article, posted on 2016/05/16. Written by Saori. Translated by Bruce Eimon.)

When you think of sticky notes, you probably think of those that come in bright yellow and pink colors, or those with cute decorations on them. That’s what comes to my mind too. One day at a stationery store, though, I came across a stack of plain looking cream colored sticky notes, sitting there alongside the colorful ones I was accustomed to seeing.

The MD Sticky Memo Pad is part of the MD PAPER PRODUCTS family by Midori, known for its high quality MD Notebooks, and also a sister company to the makers of the much loved TRAVELER’S notebooks. Just like the MD Notebook, the MD Sticky Memo Pad employs a simple design without any decorations.

They are offered in the same page formats as the MD Notebooks, with blank, 7mm lines, and a 5mm grid. For a person like myself who likes using my 5mm grid notebook, I can’t be happier for my favorite format to be available as a sticky-note.

*From top to bottom: mechanical pencil, ball point pen, rollerball pen, magic marker.*

Even as a sticky-note, it has the same smooth writing experience as the well known MD Notebooks. It handles all writing instruments exceedingly well, giving you a pleasurable writing no matter what you use.

Take it everywhere as your pocket notebook MD Sticky Memo Pads come with both a front and a rear cover, unlike regular sticky-notes which are fully exposed. This makes it easy to throw one into your purse or backpack, just like any other notebook.

There are two sizes: an A7 size (H102mm×W76mm) that peels up, and a larger A6 size (H150mm×W102mm) that peels sideways. Both are perfect sizes for taking quick notes “on the go” and are compact enough to fit in any bag or purse.

The one drawback of the pages being sticky is that you cannot flip them over to keep writing on the next page. To get around this, I suggest you peel off the notes after each use and stick them behind the front cover. Since the cover is slightly longer than the sticky notes themselves, they fit in just nicely without sticking out.

*Very easy to move your jottings to your notebook, planner, or diary.*

When you write something in a pocket notebook, it is quite tedious to copy that information to your other notebooks. With the MD Sticky Memo Pad, however, it is super easy to move your notes to your other notebooks. No extra tools, no extra time.

For a person like myself who uses my planner strictly to keep track of my schedule, I am thankful that I have the MD sticky-notes to take my notes on. And to be able to do this on high quality paper?! Why not pick the format of your choice and give this writing-pleasure a try?

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