Write Notepads In The Pines Limited Edition Pocket Notebook Review

In my never-ending quest to buy fewer notebooks, I did exactly what I was not supposed to do: Buy more! I couldn’t help it though. The Write Notepads Winter 2016 release, titled “In The Pines”, was too nice to pass up. I had some experience with Write before, but buying and using these sealed the deal for me. Write Notepads are amazing.

In The Pines spoke to me on several different levels. First off, the design is stunning. The deep forest green cover with the silver stamping is clean, and not overdone. I appreciate the minimal look. The packaging the notebooks come in is a knockout, as with all of Write Notepads limited releases. The design makes you pick them up. The quality found on the inside keeps you coming back.

In my previous experiences with Write Notepads, pencil has been the name of the game. They are wonderful for graphite, and In The Pines is no exception. There is something about the feel of a pencil on their page that is different than other brands. It’s a match made in writing heaven.

I convinced myself I would only be using pencil in this notebook, specifically the Caran d’Ache Swiss Pine I recently bought on sale at Anderson Pens. How perfect is that matchup? But, for this review, I needed to throw some ink at the page as well, and I was happy with the results.

Fountain pens are at the forefront of my usage, and this notebook handles them as well as expected for a non-fountain pen specific paper. My fine and dry nibs were fantastic, with no feathering or bleed. My wide and wet nibs didn’t feather, but there was some bleed. Not much though, as you can see on the back side of the page. All in all, In The Pines handles fountain pens better than many pocket-sized notebooks on the market. Gel, ballpoint, and rollerball pens all behaved nicely, too.

Shipping a paper product that is usable for the vast majority of people is no easy task, and Write Notepads has accomplished that.

We discussed Write Notepads subscription service on the podcast last week, and lo and behold, look what is now available. Memberships are now open, and with my wonderful experience with In The Pines, there was no doubt I was going to sign up. The newsletter announcement didn’t make it easy though. In fact, the newsletter was a full-on train wreck. I’m glad I’m paying them for notebooks, not marketing. Stick to the analog gang!

Of all the things I don’t need, I’m excited to have more notebooks coming my way from Write Notepads. The writing experience is excellent, and I find myself reaching for them constantly because they are enjoyable to use. Check them out if you are looking to add more high-quality notebooks into your life.

---

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, which I am very grateful for.

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

Stickers!

Write Notepads Traditional Brass-Ruled Notebook Review

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

When the fine folks over at Write Notepads sent me a Traditional Brass-Ruled Notebook to try out, I was intrigued, but it wasn't until I saw and felt the notebook in person that I fell in love with the aesthetic. It doesn't take long to realize that this notebook is crafted with care. Also, I'm a big fan of brass in just about everything, so that's an easy bonus point.

To give you a little background on the company, Write Notepads is based in Baltimore, Maryland. All of their notebooks are made in America from recycled materials, and the inks used in the notebooks are vegetable-based. What's even more awesome is that for each notebook you buy, they donate a notebook to an inner-city school in Baltimore. This is a great practice that shows that these guys are just good people. If you're interested in knowing where your companion donation book ended up, they include a 5-digit code that you can use on their website to find out which school you helped out. Nice.

Another thing that's worth pointing out: they also sell a left-hand version of this notebook. Yep, same notebook, but laid out for a left-hand writer. You know, with the spiral binding on the right side. I'm not a lefty myself, but I think this is an option that should be standard in all notebooks.

Now, down to brass tacks. The notebook is 5.5 by 8.5 inches and contains 120 pages of 70# paper with college ruling. The pages are perforated and held in place with a dual ring brass wire coil. The front and back covers are a thick, sturdy card-stock with lovely red embossing that really puts the finishing touches on the notebook. Along with the notebook, you get a large red rubber band to hold everything together. All in all, it's a fantastic product.

The notebook is well-made and I think it could take a serious beating over the weeks, months, etc. For a spiral-bound, perforated notebook, it feels sturdy. Another benefit of the sturdy covers is that you can use this notebook on uneven surfaces with no problem as the covers act as a writing surface.

And now for the big question: How does the paper hold up against different pens and inks? In a word: fair. If you discount fountain pens and markers, the paper is stellar. Once you get into fountain pens, your mileage will vary based on the ink properties and the width of the nib. If the ink has a tendency to feather on some papers, it will definitely show on this paper. However, if you're using a small nibbed pen with well-behaved ink, it's a pretty good experience. Again, wet or large nibbed pens will cause significant show-through on the opposite page. In some cases, I'd say you couldn't use the opposite page based on the amount of show-through.

With that said, consider how you might use this notebook before picking one up. This isn't your go-to notebook for your fancy fountain pens — there are plenty of other notebooks for that. If you're using a small/dry fountain pen, or any kind of gel, ballpoint, or hybrid ink, this notebook will shine. Oh, and, of course, pencils do a fantastic job with this paper.

Several of the images on the Write Notepads website feature the notebooks alongside other craftsman tools like hammers, rulers, awls, etc. To me, that elicits a feeling of using this notebook to build things and get dirty. It's for sketching up hair-brained ideas for that backyard shed you intend to build one day or measurements for the shelving you want to install in the closet. Whatever it is, this notebook is conveyed as a particular kind of tool that needs to be used in a certain way. With that understanding, I can highly recommend this notebook. Just don't expect it to handle all your fountain pens with grace — it just isn't meant for that. Like all tools, use it how it was intended and it will treat you well in return.