(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!)
I'm not sure I've ever called 'dibs' on a review item as quickly as I did for the Pebble Stationery Cosmo Air Light x Liberty London Notebook. Aesthetically, this notebook was a win for me even though I'd not yet tried Cosmo Air Light paper, of which I've heard mixed things. I was very excited to try it for myself.
Liberty London William Morris designs get me every time and this design is completely gorgeous. Pebble Stationery has several other Liberty London designs as well, but they are fairly limited, so if you're as stricken as I was, act quickly!
This notebook is an A5 hardcover wrapped in fabric. It is entirely handmade, so each one is slightly unique. The binding is sewn stitch and it includes a satin ribbon bookmark that coordinates with the fabric color. The binding does allow the notebook to lie open flat, with some training. Between those stunning covers are 160 pages of blank, 75 gsm Cosmo Air Light paper. Which I now know I like very much.
I have been told I would love CAL paper, but I've also been told I would hate it, so I really wasn't sure what to expect. It definitely has a unique texture to it, somehow both smooth and grippy at the same time, which makes no sense unless you've used it. It's smooth, but has drag. I found it pleasant to write on. I saw beautiful shading, lovely sheening, and no feathering or bleeding. Even the Sharpie did not bleed through, which shocked me. So I got a bigger Sharpie and tried that, and it still did not bleed through. The only bleeding I got at all was when I poured ink onto the page and let it dry. Impressive.
The only negative issue I had with the paper at all was that it has a very long dry time, similar to most coated papers. It's not an issue that bothers me much, but I know it can be a problem for some, especially lefties.
Overall, I think this is a very nice notebook. It's well constructed with that special handmade feel, with top-notch materials. And somehow, even with all that considered, it's only $28. I was genuinely shocked by that price, but in a good way. It could easily have been half again as much and still reasonable, especially for a limited run. You should probably get one or three before they read this and come to their senses.
(Pebble Stationery provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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