Notebooks, in all of their shapes and sizes are a really important piece in the pen aficionado’s day to day. Actually “paper”, in many ways, is almost more important than the pen… without it, the pen would be useless.
I tend to stick to the same products over and over in my own paper using habits, but I often get the chance to try new things which I always enjoy.
I was recently contacted by Lois Ho of the Pebble Stationery Co, a small business that has a love for writing and fine writing related products. They were kind enough to send me two sets of their dot grid Tomoe River paper pocket notebooks to try: one set for me and another to give away! Special thanks to them.
My personal preference tends to be towards things that are simpler; less flashy. Upon receiving the Pebble books they definitely fit the bill. Their design is clean and simple (maybe even boring to some), but I like them.
The packaging is simple, just a plastic sleeve to keep them protected and a cream colored “belly band” with the details and branding. Debossed on the cover is the name Pebble Stationery Co as a subtle accent.
The covers are made of a pressed card stock that has a “fibrous” texture. Along the lines of a craft style, but in a light gray.
The inside covers are a soft blue (nice contrast) and have a space for your personal details as well as a note from Pebble about their mission.
As far as binding, the books are sewn (vs staples), and the outside cover is glued overtop.
What makes these a bit more special is the use of Tomoe River paper, which is the fountain pen users “dream paper” due to the crisp lines it provides and no feathering. Let’s just say that Tomoe River paper makes your fountain pens look the way we think they should. Like 4K resolution for fountain pens…
Pebble opted for a gray dot grid, which is actually my favorite, and nicely matches the exterior cover for some design continuity.
With all good things there are tradeoffs… Tomoe River paper allows the ink to “float” on the page with each stroke which helps with the crispness of the lines. More porous paper absorbs more of the ink and disperses it through the fibers… allowing it to dry faster, but at a lower visual quality.
Tomoe River requires a really long dry time to completely avoid smear/smudges. If you use broad fountain pens, it may take a long time. As shown in my testing, even with my medium architect nib on a Pilot Vanishing Point is at the greater than 2 minutes mark for drying. (tested with Iroshizuku Kon-Peki).
The paper, of course, performs beautifully with my pens, but if meant to be a place to store quick “pocket” notes, the dry times aren’t ideal for jot and go type scenarios.
I’ve seen others use pencils in Tomoe River as well since it is so smooth, and I found my Blackwing and Blackwing 602s to be a nice alternative. (Pebble actually sells pencils on their site…)
Price wise, the Pebble books aren’t too pricey considering they are using Tomoe. A two pack is $9.99 USD, and shipping in the US is $6. So out the door of about $8 each isn’t crazy.
The bottom line is that these are well made, beautiful books in my opinion and for someone looking for an “upgrade” in pocket books for their fountain pens these might be a good fit. Special thanks to Pebble Stationery Co for sending them!
The Giveaway!
How to Enter (Giveaway “Rules”):
- Giveaway will run through Friday, March 15th and will end at 11:59pm Arizona Time, USA
- To enter, leave a comment below (limited to one entry per person; no cheating!): What is the most recent “new” pen you’ve used lately? What about it did you like or not like?
- I will arrange the entries in numerical order and randomly select a winner. The winner will be announced on the blog on Saturday, March 16th and will need to connect with me within a week to claim their prize.
- This giveaway is open to both US and International readers.