The Paper Mind Cosmo Air Light 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, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

Even when writing starts to feel like work, which can happen sometimes when the deadlines weigh heavy, the right tools can make it feel like play again. The Paper Mind Cosmo Air Light Notebook is one of those notebooks that is so pleasant to use that it makes you want to write even when you don't want to write. I need those in my life, because I have to want to write even when I don't want to write, know what I mean? This is an essential, and I'm so grateful for tools like this.

This notebook tics a lot of boxes for me. It's elegant and minimal, with a grey woven linen cover. There's minimal branding, with just the Paper Mind name in silver debossing on the lower back cover. The front and spine are completely clean. There's nothing printed inside except for the unimposing light grey 7mm lines.

The cover is hard, which protects the pages nicely and it holds up well after being dragged around in a backpack. The lovely linen color does pick up dirt and smudges, so if you like your notebooks to stay looking pristine, you might want to go for the navy colored blank page option. I like it when my notebooks take on the character of their experiences, so it doesn't bother me when it starts to look used.

There are 176 pages in this book, which means I can write for days, which is good, because I need to be doing exactly that. The Cosmo Air Light paper is fantastic. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but if you don't like CAL, I do question your taste. Lovingly, but, I don't understand you. The coated paper is the best I've used since we lost our OG Tomoe River. Nothing feathers on it, not even my aggressively juicy Monoc nib, and nothing bleeds through it, not even Sharpie. My pens glide over it, which reduces hand fatigue. It does have a long dry time, but this notebook comes with a crisp sheet of blotting paper, so problem solved. It shows off ink colors and sheen better than any other paper in my current collection.

If you REALLY don't like Cosmo Air Light paper, Paper Mind also makes notebooks with Tomoe River paper and Bank paper -- so you can still get the same elegant look and excellent construction with great paper that's to your preference.

This notebook sells for $29, which is reasonable. I can daydream about the good old days when I could get 400 pages of bound old-school Tomoe River paper for $25 all I want--but those days are years behind us. For this many pages of good quality paper in a great cover, this notebook is now a staple in my pantry.

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

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Blackwing Slate Volume 710 A5 Notebook 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 a notebook size that's even close to perfect for me, it's the A5 size. It offers plenty of space, but is still easily portable and can make do in a lap or spread out on a table. It's the ubiquitous size that works best for me — it's the ideal compromise of convenience and utility. Problem seems to be that every stationery company has at least one A5 notebook in their lineup, and it can be daunting trying to pick one that works well with a variety of writing instruments.

The A5 notebook that I've been trying out most recently is from Blackwing, and it's a limited edition of their Slate notebook line. The Blackwing Slate Vol. 710 features a colorful cover that uses Jerry Garcia's artwork — a blend of colors that remind me of a tie-dye shirt. The other accents of the notebook, like the spine and the elastic bands for both the notebook and the pen loop are a complimentary brown. The pop of color definitely catches your eye.

The covers don't have any branding, but there are a couple of debossed shapes that are honestly difficult to see. In the center of the front cover, there's an outline of a hand that is symbolic for Jerry Garcia's missing middle finger. In the bottom right of the front cover is another debossed shape of the Blackwing logo.

The covers are soft to the touch on the outside, but hard on the inside, making them feel nice while also staying rigid. The soft covers are sewn onto the hard covers with visible stitching along the spine edge. To match with the elastic bands and spine, the stitching is also a complementary brown thread.

Inside the front cover, there's some space for writing down pertinent information about the owner, as well as a single page for listing out the contents of the notebook. Since the pages aren't numbered, this is probably meant to be more of a guideline about what's included as opposed to a table of contents. Either way, it's nice to have the organization if needed, but it doesn't detract from the page count if you don't want to use it.

The inside back cover holds a slim paper pocket or sleeve that can hold some paper. Again, the paper is a nice brown that goes well with the colorful cover. The pocket feels flimsy and like it might tear easily, so I'd be really careful with it to avoid accidentally ripping it apart.

Getting to the main feature of the notebook: it has 160 pages of blank 100gsm paper that feels fibrous and a little rough like sketchbook paper while still feeling smooth enough for general writing use. The paper is a nice ivory color that helps to showcase your ink colors.

Since the paper weight is on the denser side, I was expecting zero problems when trying different types of inks with it. Unfortunately, this paper is not coated with anything and tends to cause inks to feather and bleed a bit. It's not terrible — I've certainly seen worse — but it's worth mentioning.

The part that really disappointed me was how much the writing shows through to the back of the page. Even with pencil and super fine gel pens, the back of the page is unusable for me. Some people may not mind the amount of marks that clearly show through, but I can't handle it. For me, this is a front of the page notebook only.

Writing on the paper felt somewhat scratchy with any fountain pen nib that was larger than a European fine tip. Writing with ultra-fine gel pens (like 0.38mm) was also a bit scratchy, as well as hybrid ballpoints (0.7mm and smaller) like the Jetstream and Acroball. Rollerball inks tended to create wider lines than normal, though they didn't seem to have issues with feathering.

While the ink tests weren't stellar, I was rather surprised with how good this paper feels when using pencils. Being that Blackwing is a pencil brand, this makes sense. Writing with the different Blackwing pencils felt smooth and responsive due to the fibrous paper, and other pencils felt just as good. This is a paper that excels when it comes to graphite-based writing instruments and tools. If only the pencil marks didn't show through to the back of the page so prominently!

Everything about the design and form of this notebook shows that Blackwing knows how to make a good notebook. Other notebooks that I've tried from Blackwing that use a different type of paper have been really impressive. It's a shame this one doesn't perform as well. The fit and finish of the notebook is fantastic. It's a joy to handle with your hands due to the soft but rigid cover, the fabric-covered spine and the snappy elastic. And including an elastic loop on the spine to hold a pencil is a nice touch. It's sized just right to hold a wood-case pencil perfectly. In fact, the notebook also comes with a limited edition volume 710 pencil that uses Blackwing's soft core (same as the standard matte black pencil). This is a product I want to love, but the paper performance has me holding back when I'm picking a notebook to use.

In a world where we are spoiled for choice, paper quality is a huge factor in choosing a notebook. For me, the Slate isn't one that I'll be choosing again, but I'm glad that Blackwing has other great notebook choices that use more accessible and fountain pen friendly paper. At $30, this limited edition notebook is something I'd only recommend to Grateful Dead or Jimmy Garcia fans as a collectible item. The standard Slate notebooks are $25 and also include a standard Blackwing pencil. If you're only planning to use pencils, then the Slate is a great option. Otherwise, I'd go with something else.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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“I very much disagree with your list.” An Artist’s Look at their Top 10 Mechanical Pencils.

(My good friend Carol, aka Slumberland Studio has thoughts on mechanical pencils. As an artist, she has needs that I don’t have, and was happy to share them with me. She kindly allowed me to share them with you, too.)

Hi Brad,

You got it incorrect, and I’m sorry I very much disagree with your list! As we are pals I think you know I love you and I would like to be the first to help you with this. ;)

I have been using mechanical pencils - or as I knew them in my teens as drafting pencils some 50 years ago - and still do daily, when I was in drafting class in high school. Drafting pencils were used for detail in class - they were constant width and line quality and thin lines. They are purpose made.

I write this as to first define the topic. Over the decades (gasp!) these pencils are more widely used by artists and writers, however the primary rationale still is valid. Technical lines with consistent value, hue, and weight. Wooden pencils are for tone, and line shading weight for thick and thin, and light and dark. Mechanical - these are the go to for “let’s not change - let’s be reliable for no variation whatsoever” - haha.

Here’s a look at what my list would look like.

10- Stadetler 925

9- Platinum Pro-use 171

8- Pentel Orenz Automatic

7- Pentel Sharp p205

6- Pilot S10

5- Spoke Model 4

4- Uni Kura Toga Metal Phantom

3- Rotring 600

2- Pilot S20 or S30

1- Pentel Orenz Nero Automatic

Runner up that I couldn’t get on the list but wanted to Pentel Kerry.

Pencils that are vintage that hold my heart are the Alvin Draftmatic but it can’t make my list because it’s not practical for use with that razor knurling. I can appreciate it and love it and would never sell or lose mine but they don’t get used. Tombow Shaker as well not practical as the shaking causes more problems than it solves for.

Likewise pencils that would compete high up on the list include Luddite Tech Draw/Everdraw from Japan and Pilot Automac, both are difficult to find and if you do will cost.

Oddball mechanical pencils that I adore include Ohto MS01, Pentel PG5, Rotring Tikky Retro (older model without that rubber grip), Pilot Legno, Uni Shift Pipe Lock, TWSBI Precision and Rhodia mechanical pencils.

Thanks for listening. I’m passionate about mechanical pencils as you are with fountain pens. First loves.

Love, Carol Slumberland Studio

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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!