Endless Notebooks have been a popular choice over the past few years, and recently, they have expanded their lineup to feature their own proprietary paper. Called Regalia, it is designed to be perfect for fountain pen inks by showing off all of your favorite properties-color, shading, and sheen. I have one A5 Regalia in the Infinite Space colorway, with a Dot Grid page layout, to give away this week, so read the rules and enter away!
Posts filed under Endless Notebook
Endless Storyboard Notebooks Moonshot Edition Review
(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
At this point in time, I can barely keep up with all the different pocket notebook makers. The pocket notebook is such a convenient and affordable class of notebook, it's virtually impossible to avoid making one if you are involved with any kind of stationery market. The ubiquity of the humble pocket notebook deserves the recognition it has achieved, though. It's an indispensable tool that people used long before it was cool. With that mentality, I'm always happy to try out a new pocket notebook and compare it to the old standards.
The Endless Storyboard notebooks are new on my radar, but I'm glad they made their way to my desk. The specific one I'm looking at today is no long available (special editions!), but I'm definitely excited to see what other editions come out from the Storyboard line. Edition 01 - Moonshot is a two-pack of moon-themed pocket notebooks. The cover of each notebook features imagery of the moon. One cover uses a shot of the whole moon, while the other is a low orbit view across the surface of the moon looking out into open space. They're both excellent choices for a notebook cover, and they definitely know how to pull my strings when it comes to any kind of space exploration theming.
Branding aside, this is still a pocket notebook, so how does it compare to the others? Well, one of the specifications that threw me off is the sizing. It's not the standard pocket notebook size (3.5 x 5.5 inches). This notebook measures in at 3.5 x 5.9 inches. The extra fraction of an inch of vertical space means you get another couple of lines out of each page. It's not large enough to make a visual difference (unless you're comparing two different notebooks side-by-side), but it definitely makes a difference on the inside when doodling and writing notes. One of my first thoughts regarding the extra height was whether or not the notebook would fit in other cases I had for standard pocket notebooks. The Nock cases I use have just enough extra space to accommodate the additional 0.4 inches without introducing any negative side effects. I can even use this notebook with a leather Traveler-style notebook cover. The leather cover is flush with the notebook height, but it still provides excellent coverage. And, of course, these notebooks still fit perfectly in most pockets and bag sleeves.
Moving around the rest of the notebook, it features a strong stitch binding, rounded corners, and sturdy cardstock cover. The inside of the covers are blank, and the only unique page is the very first one, which contains some space to fill in vital information and dates. The large "Storyboard" on the front is the only branding you'll find on the front, and the back contains a little more information such as the company name, the dimensions, number of pages, and paper quality. There's also some text to note the special edition:
EDITION 01: MOONSHOT
One small page turn for man,
one giant idea for mankind.
Personally, I'm not a fan of the way they repurposed Neil Armstrong's famous quote upon stepping foot on the moon. The changes they made to fit the theme and edition of this notebook seem minor enough to feel lazy, and I wish they'd put a bit more thought into creating their own writing-oriented idea or just left it off completely. Writing is what generates great ideas, not turning pages. It leaves me with a vague "huh?" feeling.
Besides the odd quote on the back cover, this notebook is stellar. The paper inside is 90gsm off-white paper with a standard dot-grid layout. The paper has a good bit of tooth, but it performs beautifully with different kinds of nibs and inks. I'm extraordinarily happy with how this paper performs. The fact that it's used in a small pocket notebook is even better. I haven't noticed any feathering or bleeding, and show-through to the back of the page is almost unnoticeable unless you're using a very dark and wet ink. Honestly, this is some really great paper.
There are two notebooks in the pack, and each each book contains 64 pages (32 sheets). That's plenty of space for lots of ideas, and the quality of the paper means you can use any of your favorite pens and inks without worrying about bleeding or unusable show-through on the back sides of the pages.
The Moonshot edition isn't available any more, but you can sign up to receive notifications on the next special edition announcement. For people looking for fountain pen friendly pocket notebooks, you should seriously consider this option. Endless also offer another line of notebooks called the Recorder Infinite Space that look promising. With Tomoe River paper inside, these A5-ish hardcover notebooks have great color and layout options. At under $15 USD, these look like a great deal.
These notebooks aren't perfect, but I'm really excited to see what Endless produce next as part of the Edition 02 campaign. These are fantastic notebooks, and it would be great to see them available all the time.
(Endless Notebooks provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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Endless Recorder Notebook Review
(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 check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)
Whenever I meet a notebook I haven't tried yet, I usually have to buy it (for science). That means, when I visit Anderson Pens, I usually leave with at least one notebook. Most recently, I left with this one: The Endless Works Recorder Notebook from Endless Works, a fairly new company based in India.
My first impression was that it wasn't thick enough. If I'm going to pay more for a premium notebook, I want to use it for a big project, like a novel or series of stories or reviews. But don't be deceived by this slim profile--the Endless Recorder uses Tomoe River paper, so it packs 187 pages into a much smaller space. 16 of those pages are perforated, at the back of the book. All the pages are numbered, and the front features a two-page spread for a table of contents. It also has a satin ribbon bookmark, an expanding pocket inside the back cover, and an elastic closure. The sewn binding also allows the notebook to lay flat when open, even without training the spine.
It seems basic. With the hard leatherette cover, rounded edges, and extra features, it is quite similar to a Leuchtturm 1917, or a Rhodia Webnotebook, or a Quo Vadis Habana… Or any of the other notebook varieties that also look just like Moleskines. So why another one?
The Tomoe River paper definitely makes a difference (though with their formula changing, that future is somewhat uncertain). This notebook uses 68gsm paper, instead of the more commonly found 52gsm, so the Tomoe super powers are even more on display. Almost nothing bleeds through this paper. Sharpie does a little--but not as much as I usually see. This paper is perfectly formulated to be an ink playground, and I think that's where it really stands out. If you're someone who likes to swatch and test inks, this is the perfect canvas for that. It would also make a great sketchbook, and would handle light washes or watercolor beautifully.
The A5 notebook is available in lined, graph, dot grid, or blank pages; and in red, green, blue, or black covers. All have the turquoise satin ribbon and closure band. They come in a cotton bag, with a card that allows you to register your notebook (to receive their newsletter) and a cute sticker that says "ideas are endless." I like these cute touches, even if they don't directly relate to the quality of the product.
I still prefer more pages in a notebook in that price range, so my current favorite (the Seven Seas Writer, with 480 pages) still holds its spot. But this Endless Recorder is definitely more than just another look-alike notebook with the same features as its cousins. It holds its own in the field, and does some things better than similar notebooks. They all have their own strengths and weaknesses, and I can see this notebook becoming a favorite for many.
(This produced was purchased at full retail price.)
Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.
Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!
