I've collected a few notebooks here and there, ranging from the ridiculously expensive to the bargain basement ten for a quid specials, but I've never considered the notion of Personalised Stationery...
Until Bernardo Gomes got himself a few and piqued my interest... Those who know me will understand why the idea of a notebook that resembles Operation Neptunes command notes would be of interest to me, but it turns out that this wasn't the only thing on offer.
Rob De La Porte from Personalised Stationery was kind enough to send me a few things to have a look at, what follows is my unbiased review.
The first two notebooks are customised A5 notebooks, one with a Denim pattern, one with an Operation Neptune cover upon it. Both of them are sturdy books, saddle stitched with 300gsm covers and 85gsm paper that feels more sturdy than papers that roll in at 90gsm.
The inner cover of the Denim book has a lining all its own, whereas the Operation Neptune book is straight into the paper, and it's in the paper that these books shine. It's certainly not regular photocopy style 80gsm, the additional 5gsm shouldn't be enough to give the paper character, but it is. I went for a few different ink tests.
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| Denim, not just an 80's aftershave... |
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| Neptune, the sea god wishes he had paper this good. |
Both of them held the line well, whether using the broader nib of the super 5 to the very fine Pilot EF, and drying times were easily sub 5 seconds even at the broadest. There was a little bleed through.
But not sufficient to spoil the use of the other side of the paper should I be so inclined.
The next book was something I've not needed in quite some time, but it was interesting to see how such books have evolved over time. Same specifications as the previous, 300gsm with 85 gsm paper, but this paper felt different to the others, not sure why that should be, but to the tests.
Again with minor bleed through
But less than the A5 books, the paper felt thicker too, even though I'm assured it isn't. Better for smaller notebook, as you're never sure (I know, I know, we're always sure) which pens you'll have to hand to write in them, and it's comforting to know that whatever you pick up won't go straight through it.
The last thing to be sent over was a pack of ink testing paper, which I'm given to understand was part of an experiment that will soon be available over at https://www.pocketnotebooks.co.uk/ and isn't available on the main site as yet. However...
I really hope it will be soon, it feels close to 130 gsm, and the colours of the inks shine through on this, which will be particularly of use to some of the other writers in the United Inkdom, took a while to dry out (which you'd expect), but not so long that I was tempted to get the blowtorch on it.
In all, it's an impressive opening salvo, and given that Rob is open to commissions of any sort, for money that's not astronomical (£5.99 for the A5, £3.99 for the LBB), I suspect he'll have more work coming his way from me. Particularly as he does custom traveller notebook inserts... (Damn him...)
All of these (and infinitely more) are available from http://www.personalised-stationery.co.uk
