(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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