Kamiterior Memoterior Colors Memo Pad Review

You know I’m a Japanese stationery junkie right? Ok, if this is your first time here, maybe not, but for those that have been around a while, you know that I love seeing products like the Kamiterior Memoterior Colors Memo Pad.

I unboxed the Sakura Momo pad on stream recently, and the first words out of my mouth were along the lines of “Oh yeah, this is awesome!” I genuinely do care about simple, unique stationery products like this one, and am happy to test them out whenever I can.

I first learned of the concept of “Paper Tasting” from Yamamoto Paper. In a nutshell, a maker will supply you with a sampling of various paper types in a single package, with the package having an overall theme. It could be color, paper texture, suggested ink usage, and more. Yamamoto goes as far as providing a fully-translated product sheet with each set, and the preferred media use for the paper included.

The Kamiterior Memoterior Colors Memo Pad doesn’t take things quite that far, but they do provide a fun take on the whole idea of paper tasting. Each pad consists of ten 3.6” x 5.0” sheets of ten different types of paper. The theme is color, as I chose the pink Sakura Momo, and there are three other sets featuring blue, brown, and black sheets.

What you will find between the cover of each memo pad is a range of styles, from light textures to heavy, light shades to bright, and absorbent to not so much. I was able to remove the first sheet of each paper type from the pad, which is lightly glue bound to hold the entire group together. It held together nicely, so don’t worry too much if you want to hop around from color to color.

The ten paper styles are listed on a sheet packaged with the memo pad, and I think I’ve found the proper translation of each sheet from the Kameterior product page (matched to my numbers):

1 - Libero (pink)

2 - Sagan GA (rose)

3 - Polka Reid (peach)

4 - Tanto (L-50)

5 - Minute GA (Airy Pink)

6 - Cotton Life S (Cherry)

7 - Eco Japan R (Sakuragi)

8 - Mofuru (Peché)

9 - New Atmos (Botan)

10 - OK Muse Cotton (Sakuragai)

None of that means much to me other than Eco or Cotton, but it is still a way to tell the different papers apart, especially if there is one you like more than the rest.

Numbers 1, 6, and 10 are definitely Cotton-type paper from the texture alone. 10 is hugely absorbent and one of my least favorites. In the notes I wrote as I tested these out I likened it to blotter paper. My notes also included “Ishime” next to numbers 2 and 4, meaning the paper has a texture similar to the bumpy nature of the Ishime fountain pen finish. It wasn’t particularly enjoyable outside of pencils.

I wish I knew what Minute GA is, or if the translation was correct, so I could avoid it in the future. It’s essentially like writing on textured vinyl, which is not the best experience. That said, all of the ink types stuck to this page shockingly well.

The standout paper for me was number three, Polka Reid (peach). I don’t know what that means, but I would take an entire pad of it. That’s what makes a set like this fun. Getting to play with different paper types, and deciding how they work for you.

And a lot of them won’t, as you can see from my notes. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like the product. In fact, I love it and would recommend it. It’s a relatively inexpensive way ($11 for 100 sheets) to test a wide range of paper types, and who knows what you will find when you test them out for yourself.

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

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Kokuyo Campus Smart Ring Binder Review

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

Back in my grade school days, I was a big fan of three-ring binders. They were a great way to store paper, dividers, pouches, and other nifty paper tools, while also offering unlimited options in terms of sorting pages, adding more pages, reusing binders for other purposes, and just keeping schoolwork contained. I even remember keeping a pack of loose-leaf paper hole stickers handy in case a page ripped out by accident. Just throw a few stickers around the binder holes and it was almost as good as new! Obviously, the need for these O-shaped stickers were the result of a common problem: three-ring binder paper had a critical flaw. It's way too easy to accidentally rip a page out since there are only three rings to distribute the weight and wear. It's much hard to accidentally tear a page out of a spiral notebook, though.

That's the thinking behind Kokuyo's Campus Smart Ring binder notebook line. They're slim and light binder spines with translucent plastic covers that come in a variety of colors to keep your notes safe and secure. Just like with three-ring binders, you can re-arrange pages by opening the rings. The Smart Ring binders are also very small, which means they take up less space in your bag. The real product here is the B5-sized binder, but they do include 10 sheets of Kokuyo Campus Sarasara paper as a starter kit. You can purchase other kinds of paper separately, which is both convenient (to tailor to your preferences) and annoying (similar to buying a multi-pen and finding out it doesn't include any refills). The binder can hold a maximum of 60 sheets. In my experience, the paper is identical to what you find in other Kokuyo Campus notebooks.

And, just like the old three-ring binders, there's a combination of mechanical tabs and springs that control the opening and closing of the rings...sort of. Since there are 26 rings on this binder, you can imagine it's a bit more difficult to open and close, as well as insert and re-arrange pages. Still, it's not as fiddly as you might imagine.

So, how does it work? Luckily, Kokuyo includes an instruction sheet with pictures of how to operate the binder. The small tab at the top of the binder is a lock, so after unlocking the rings, just push down and the rings pop open. At least, that's what the instruction say. I've found it a bit more fiddly and mushy than I'd like. There isn't really a good place for your other hand to hold the binder while you apply force to the top part. It's very small, and the plastic does feel a bit fragile, and I was very worried that I'd just break the thing into a million pieces. But, I can say it can definitely withstand some abuse and it's stronger than it looks (and feels). Once you apply enough force, the teeth will start to open, and then you can simply pry them open with your fingers. Once a couple of rings start the spread the other couple dozen follow suite very quickly. To close the binder, just squeeze the rings shut and lock the binder.

This looks like a really cool system for picking and swapping out paper types, but I can't really recommend it after using it for a while. If you plan to buy a binder along with an assortment of paper that will fit your purposes exactly, and you also don't plan on opening the rings very often, it will work great. I find the binder to be too fiddly and frustrating to use, and I also do not like that the instructions tell me not to fold the notebook back onto itself. That's the whole point of a spiral notebook! I'd much rather use a traditional spiral notebook. Luckily, you can pick up Kokuyo Campus notebooks for a great price and still enjoy the great paper.

I may be alone in this viewpoint, but I find it very difficult to beat the old three-ring binder in terms of usability and convenience. Sure, the three hole system isn't as durable as others, but the convenience factor is just so high. You can find loose paper you love and quickly punch holes to fill notebooks. The possibilities really are endless.

I'm also a really big fan of the Levenger Circa products (and the great copycat version that Staples offers. These disc systems are really powerful and surprisingly sturdy. And of course, they offer their own proprietary hole punchers so you can use any paper you want.

At the end of the day, I can't really recommend the Kokuyo Campus Smart Ring binder system to anyone unless you already know it will fit your needs exactly. If you're looking to experiment with loose leaf binder systems, start with the options I listed above!

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

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Apica CD Premium 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!)

Last week I reviewed the Apica CD Grid Notebook, a thrifty gem with a quality that far outpaces its price. Today I'm reviewing its elegant cousin, the Apica CD Premium Notebook. The word "premium" gives us the first clue as to the difference between this notebook and the CD Grid. This one costs a bit more. But it's still a very good price at $13.75. Considering the book's excellent quality, it's still a bargain.

This notebook is much thicker than the CD Grid, with 96 pages that can be used on both sides. The paper itself is heftier, too, at 86.5 gsm. The primary thing that this paper is known for is its silky smoothness. There is almost no texture to the paper at all, so your pens will glide over it like butter on hot glass. And pick any pen you want, because this paper can handle just about any of them, even watercolor. The Sharpie dotted through a bit, but it wasn't even a full bleed-through. That smooth surface does mean a longer dry-time, however.

The cover on the Premium is a thick cardstock. This cover isn't textured at all, but has a lovely metallic print scrollwork, with the handy advice, "Choose the paper like you would a good pen." This whole notebook was specifically designed for picky users. I mean, of course, discerning paper connoisseurs like ourselves. The binding is thread and glue, reinforced with fabric tape. The signatures are very small, making for crisp, even binding, and they're joined with thread that matches the red color of the cover. The thoughtful binding also allows this notebook to lay flat on any page.

It comes in ruled, grid, and blank pages, with blue, red, or black covers. This red version has 5mm grid with a lovely faint grey print that won't distract or fence you in, if you choose to disregard it.

This is probably more notebook than one would need for school notes, and a bit too small for a novel, but it's perfect for a journal, bullet or otherwise, and it would make an excellent commonplace book. The paper also makes it a great ink and pen testing book. The A5 size will fit perfectly into most notebook covers, though it's sturdy enough that it doesn't necessarily require one.

I'm always impressed with the Apica line, and this fancy CD Premium Notebook is another gem in their lineup. I highly recommend it.

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

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