Notebook Fetish ...

The Plan was to go out with my friend Adib a.k.a. Berisman, and enjoy some good photos at a Photo Exhibition, organized by the Kuala Lumpur Flickr Group ... KLickr.

The Exhibition was fun and I picked up a few ideas throughout the slide show presentation ... BUT the highlight of the day was finding this little journal (or notebook) at a book fair at a nearby shopping mall. The stop to the mall was just for lunch initially, but the crowd at the bookfair was so ... soooo ... irresistable.

This is the journal I got myself today. A Peter Pauper Press Pocket Journal.

The cover is thick, really thick, without any plastic, leather or faux leather wrapping. Just thick cardboard, with a glossy finish. This A6 sized (3-1/4 in. x  5-3/4 in.) journal is decorated with plaid pattern on the cover. Slightly taller and a wee bit wider than the pocket sized moleskine. The journal comes with an elastic band to keep the 192 lined page journal closed as well as an accordion style pocket attached at the inner section of the back cover.

Comparing the paper quality with other notebooks I've used, This one here is no Rhodia. The paper is a little rough but thicker than the plain pocket moleskine I normally use. I tested the paper for fountain pen friendliness, and my combination of Pelikan M215 Fine Nib, paired with Sailor Blue ink can be friends with the paper quite well. I observed very minor feathering, and bleed through is minimal. The ink bleeds through to the other page only if I write too slowly, or when I place the nib too long at a single point, while thinking of what word to write next.

This journal by Peter Pauper Press is available online.

The best part is the price. At RM14.00 (US$4.95), I can get three of these journals for the price of one pocket moleskine, with some change to spare for cab fare. Here, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a pocket moleskine cost somewhere between RM50.00 and RM56.00. I really think this is a good buy, a good low cost alternative to save some dough to cover for the higher fuel prices we are paying today.

I already have a bunch of unused journals that I've collected but seeing this one here, makes me want to get a few to add to the collection. These are some of the unused journals in my collection.

And I have a few more A5 and B6 sized journals/notebook which are not included in the "group photo" :-D ....
I may not use all of them before the end of the year but these little gems make great gifts.