(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
Another day, another notebook. At least that's how it feels sometimes when I look at my desk. Despite having too many notebooks, I sincerely think that each one of them has a unique and justified purpose. And that's what makes me so sure that there's no harm in trying even more notebooks in the future. The latest notebook to cross my messy desk is the Apuntes Jute — a semi-A5 soft cover notebook that sports a handmade feel and colorful spine. This notebook is made by imakenotebooks out of Mexico City.
Looking at the specs, this notebook measures in at 130 x 206 mm, or 5 1/8 x 8 1/8 inches. The true A5 size is 148 x 210 mm, so there's a little variance there. Luckily, the Apuntes notebook is smaller, meaning it should fit in any A5-sized portfolios or bags. Aside from that, the notebook sports a light dot grid pattern on the 90 gsm ivory paper. There are 120 pages that are sewn bound with a lovely turquoise fabric covering the spine. The construction and quality of materials that make this notebook are incredibly well done. The stiff covers offer plenty of protection and structure while also looking nice when paired with the turquoise spine.
In the back of the notebook, there's a hefty paper envelope glued to the back cover. Even though the notebook pages aren't removable, this envelope has plenty of space for storing a lot of mementos, cash, and other small things that you pick up throughout the day.
The rounded corners of the notebook make it easy to slide in and out of bags — there aren't sharp corners to get caught on fabric. The branding on the front of the notebook is a little verbose, but I think it adds to the aesthetic. It states the specifications of the product while also listing the product name. Aside from the text on the front cover, there is zero markings anywhere else.
The notebook states that the paper is 90 gsm, which is very similar to what Leuchtturm1917 (and many others) use in their notebooks. The paper has a great feel on my fingers, and it also has a very noticeable tooth when writing. It's not as smooth as Leuchtturm or Rhodia, but the added texture and feedback is really nice in certain situations. As long as you know what to expect, this can be an excellent quality. For me, I like a little less tooth on the paper when using fountain pens, but it doesn't hamper my use at all — it just takes a few seconds to adjust when I'm used to writing on smoother, glossy paper.
The various inks and pens I used in this notebook all behaved well. Nothing bled or feathered, but there was a significant amount of show-through on the back of the page. If you're using a fountain pen or a liquid roller ball with this paper, you may not be able to use both sides of the page. This will mostly depend on your nib/ink choices, but you probably already know if a particular pen or ink combo shows through paper more than others. In general, this paper performs well when compared to my expectations from other similarly weighted paper.
The soft feel of the covers, the tactile texture of the fabric spine, and the visual contract of the dull red covers and contrasting turquoise binding really draw me to this notebook. As an added bonus, the paper performs well for the vast majority of my use cases. At $24.50, the Apuntes Jute is a little more expensive than comparable offerings from larger manufacturers, but that doesn't mean it's over-priced. The quality, materials, and end product all line up with the price. If it strikes your fancy, it won't disappoint.
(Brad purchased this product from Amarillo Stationery at regular retail price.)
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