Posts filed under Notebook Reviews

Blackwing Illegal Pad Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The legal pad is one of the most iconic stationery items that comes to my mind. Even though I don't use them very often, I always have some around for when I need large sheets of paper to sketch or write out ideas. Whether you prefer white paper or the classic yellow paper, I'm sure everyone has seen or used a legal pad at least once in their lifetime. One common thing about the economical legal pads that you can pick up in bulk at the big box stores is that they don't use great paper. They work best with ballpoints and gel pens, but you can try your luck with fountain pens or rollerball inks with some brands. What about a legal pad with good paper that works well with all types of pen and ink? Well, the options aren't plentiful, but they do exist. One such option is from Blackwing, and I've really enjoyed using it.

The Blackwing Illegal Pad is a simple, no-frills pad of paper that comes in either blank, lined, or dot grid variants. The 50 sheets of 8.5 x 11 inch (21.6 x 28 cm) 80gsm ivory paper work well with all types of writing instruments, and it also manages to have a more premium feel than the standard cheap-o legal pad from the big box retailers.

The pad consists of only the 50 sheets, which are perforated for easy removal, the top binding, and the back cover. The back cover is a stiffer chipboard material, but I wouldn't say it's sturdy enough to provide a stable writing surface if you're holding the pad on your leg. It works, but there's a bit too much flex to write without making lots of mistakes. This is definitely meant to be used on top of another hard surface for support.

In typical Blackwing notebook style, the back cover and binding are matte black. The front side of the binding features a debossed Blackwing logo that looks great without attracting attention. The back cover — both interior and exterior — are completely blank. There's zero marketing or printing on the pad except for the debossed logo on the front. To me, this is a great aesthetic that nods to the strictly utilitarian origins of the humble legal pad.

Writing on the paper is a great experience. There's a slight amount of feedback when moving across the page, but it still feels really smooth and it's easy to control your writing instrument. In my testing, the paper does really well with all types of inks. I can't see any bleeding or feathering, and there's minimal show-through on the back of the page. I'd argue that with a legal pad, you typically aren't using the back of the page anyway. In most cases, a legal pad is used as scratch paper or drafting paper — not something you keep and store away. When you're done with a page, you either tear it out and do something with it, or you flip the page over the binding out of the way so you can continue writing on the next page. So simple!

While I love the utilitarian purpose of the legal pad, it only works if the pad is cheap enough to justify the ephemeral use. Once you cross a certain price threshold, it's harder to treat a notebook as something you use and quickly discard with each sheet. The Blackwing Illegal Pad comes in a set of 2 and costs $18 per set. That's $9 per notepad. You can easily find a 12-pack of legal pads from a big box retailer for about $30, or roughly $2.50 per pad. I think the threshold for determining if the Blackwing Legal Pad is a good value will be different for everyone. If you really enjoy the legal pad format and are looking for the same thing with better paper quality, the Blackwing option is superb and I think the price makes sense. If the price seems steep, then it's probably not the right pad for you. I think the target market for this notepad is people who already love and use legal pads, but who are looking for a more premium version and are willing to pay $9 per pad. If that's you, then you're going to love this pad. And, this product is really for those people who like legal pads and also want options outside of the normal lined paper. Dot grid or blank!

I've really enjoyed using the Blackwing Illegal Pad, and I think I'll be ordering more when I use these two up. The paper is a joy to use, and there's just something about the legal pad format that makes me happy and encourages me to keep using it. Some days, that's an invaluable quality for a notebook to have.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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!

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Blackwing, Notebook Reviews.

Kakimori Custom Notebook First Look, What About The Muddler?

When I first heard of Kakimori, I couldn’t imagine a place more magical. You’re telling me there is a shop in Japan where you can build your own notebook from dozens, if not hundreds of options? And you can mix your own ink color from a rainbow of liquid gold? This is a fantasy land right?

No. It’s Kakimori.

Kakimori has held a special place in my heart since that time, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever have the opportunity to try their products. That changed several years ago when they made their Dip Pen Nibs available around the world. The popularity of these nibs has not slowed since, and I believe that success allowed Kakimori to branch out even more with inks, pens, and accessories.

One of the features that remains core to the Kakimori in-store experience is the ability to build your own notebook. My friend Sam took A Stationery Trip to Japan last year, and was kind enough to make me a notebook. He goes through the details in the linked post, and while a proper review of a hand-picked, one-of-one, notebook may not be necessary, I did want to share a few notes about the end result.

*Kakimori Japan. (Image via Sam Alpert.)*

For starters, Sam detailed the process in an email to me, which didn’t make it into the final article. I thought I would share this bit for those of you who may be lucky enough to make the journey in the future:

get a small tray almost like a lunch tray
there's a paper testing station with small squares of the various papers to help you see what you'd like.
then go to the wall of papers and pick up to 4 kinds (I think packets are 20 pages ea.)
go to the wall of covers (there's all kinds including leather, and the custom art ones by local artists like the one I got you)
pick binding method (string and puck or snap)
pick colors of materials for binding method (like I literally got to pick the string color)
pick binding type (full spiral, partial like yours) including color of metal
pick corner hardware if desired (including color of metal)
pick any additional inserts (like the envelope in the back of yours)
wait for them to bind it!

I don’t know about y’all, but I’m ready to book a trip now!

My B6 notebook features cover art by Taku Bannai, and two different paper sections using Conqueror Laid in the front half and Neue Grey in the back. The orange envelope inside the back cover is awesome, and I adore the string tie enclosure on the front. I’ll admit to being a little too precious in using it, but now that I have “review closure,” I feel like I’m ready to give it a proper go.

*Conqueror Laid Paper. Good for fountain pens, but bumpy - a feature of laid paper.*

While this fully customizable experience is only available at Kakimori, their website does offer many other notebook options, which look spectacular in their own right.

*Neue Grey Paper in the back half of the notebook. Super smooth and fun to use.*

As part of this write-up, I was planning on discussing the Glass Ink Muddler I picked up from Kakimori in-person at last year’s Stationery Fest, but it appears that it is Unobtainium.

Made in collaboration with Tokyo-based maker Werkstatt Tetohi, it was tough for me to find any information on this product. In fact, this is the only online image I’ve come up with so far, despite Kakimori having several for sale in Brooklyn during my visit.

This model is marked as “Gray” and I think there was a Green one available at the time as well. This is a fun product for those of us that like to get inky. Given its shape, a wider ink bottle opening works better in allowing more ink to collect in the spoon-shaped tip. Or you can tilt the bottle slightly … at your own risk.

*Muddler swatches on Conqueror Laid. No feathering or bleed even with heavy ink. Antique Brass Dip Nib fitted in a River City Pen Co. Dip Nib Holder.*

I keep my Muddler with my other ink testing accessories - yes, including the new-ish Antique Brass Dip Nib. I appreciate Takuma Hirose, owner of Kakimori, gifting me with this nib at Stationery Fest. I had the pleasure of interviewing him at the event, which you can check out here.

With the recent launch of their own Fountain and Rollerball pens, I love seeing Kakimori continue to grow. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Posted on March 17, 2025 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Kakimori, Notebook Reviews, Dip Nib.

Stalogy Editor's Series 365Days A5 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 Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

I'm going to throw caution to the wind and admit upfront that this is one of my favorite notebooks on the market right now. That's because it's one of the closest things I've found as a replacement for my true favorite notebook, the beloved and discontinued Nanami Paper Seven Seas Writer. It's far from identical, but it meets my needs in a similar way. It's also a great substitute for a Hobonichi Cousin if you want something similar to that, but with less structure. It's perfect as a commonplace book or daily pages journal, but also works well just as a regular notebook. With lots and lots of pages. Which we know I like.

The Stalogy Editor's Series comes in A5, A6, and B6 sizes (much like the Hobonichi--and these fit nicely into Hobonichi Cousin or Techo cases and covers) in a few colors: black, red, yellow, and this lovely shade of blue. There is also a B6 Landscape edition. The cover is a thin, lightly textured cardstock that is flexible. It wears well with use, looking loved without becoming too shabby. The design is minimal, with only a few metallic brand logos in the upper left corner.

Inside, there are 184 sheets (368 pages) of 52 gsm white paper with faint grey graph lines (lined and dot grid paper versions are available if you prefer). The line spacing is a narrow 4mm. Each page is also numbered with the month, dates, and days of the week printed at the top, so you can circle the date for each page. This is perfect for folks who don't need or want to planner every day, but hate skipping precious notebook pages. Or, if you happen to need multiple pages for a day. The left margin also has hour markers from 0 to 24, if you need to track an hourly schedule. All these markings are very faint, however, so if you just want to use the notebook as a regular notebook, these guides do not get in the way at all. The binding is thread and glue, and the notebook lays open on its own. I have not had any pages come loose even after extended use and hauling around.

The paper is excellent quality. It's indistinguishable from Tomoe River paper, with the same thin crispness and ink handling capabilities. You will see ghosting, as you would with any thin coated paper, but even if that bothers you and you can only use one side of the paper, you still have a lot of pages to work with in this notebook. It handles liquid ink well and is great for fountain pen users.

I've used mine as a standard notebook, ignoring the calendar functions and hourly schedules--though sometimes dating my work is handy, too. The A5 is perfect for fiction writing, and the A6 is perfect for when I need to write while traveling. The thin covers fit beautifully into just about any case I want to use, or it holds up well without a cover at all. I do think it would make a good planner for those who don't need the rigid structure of a standard planner (I need the structure, personally).

The A5 size costs $26 (though the lined limited editions are more). That's a very similar cost to the Hobonichi graph notebooks, though those have 144 sheets (288 pages). These do, however, cost $6 more than the JetPens Kanso Noto Tomoe River notebooks, which have 160 sheets (320 pages). These are also fantastic notebooks. They're all great, and in pretty close range of one another, and we're spoiled for choice. The correct answer, of course, is to go for all three.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!