Baron Fig Confidant Flagship Notebook Review

A fountain pen is only as good as the paper with which it's used, and if you've ever used one with run-of-the-mill looseleaf, you know exactly what I mean.

The Baron Fig Confidant is one of the most well known premium notebooks on the market, and it's likely because its performance matches the name. The notebook is well designed and functions beautifully as a primary notebook, in many situations. Its paper comes in several types, but I always choose the dot grid design, which is a nice compromise between blank and lined pages. The dots are a subtle gray and fade away when not in use, figuratively that is. I should note that my primary notebook for the last year has been an A5 Leuchtturm1917 hardcover, so this is what I'll use for comparison.

At first glance, the Baron Fig Confidant Flagship is a stunner. The linen hardcover has a great feel, and I much prefer it to the Leuchtturm1917's cover. Speaking of covers, Leuchtturm overs a ton of different color cover options. Although Baron Fig recently expanded its color offerings, they are not nearly as extensive as the colors available for the Leuchtturm1917. Although the color options for the Confidant are limited, I love the light grey cover and yellow bookmark combination. It really is a fantastic looking notebook. I've carried the Confidant around in my bag for weeks now, and it has also held up pretty well. I notice that the Confidant also has a slightly thicker cover than the Leuchtturm1917, making it a bit sturdier.

The Confidant comes with a single fabric bookmark, which makes me miss the two-bookmark design of the Leuchtturm1917 notebook. That said, the Confidant's bookmark is wider and feels less flimsy overall. Another aspect of the Leuchtturm1917 that I miss immediately is the elastic band that holds the notebook closed. This feature is relatively common, and its omission in the Confidant is an unfortunate one. I tend to throw my notebook in my bag, and the elastic band ensures that it won't come open, spilling any business cards that I've stuck inside or damaging the interior paper on other objects in the bag. This is made somewhat worse by the fact that the Confidant doesn't have an interior pocket either. Sometimes I like to carry a notebook on its own, and it's helpful to have a little pocket or elastic band to hold bits and bobs in place.

I have to admit, I don't really get the whole lay-flat design with the Confidant. For those unfamiliar, Baron Fig claims that its notebooks are designed to lay flat on a a flat surface. That's great in theory, and they do, but it's not necessarily a novel concept. The Leuchtturm1917 lays flat too, and I don't see any difference between the two notebooks.

Ooooh, everybody loves some good quantitative research. Confidant (left) and Leuchtturm1917 (right).

In my brief (and very unscientific) test of the Confidant's fountain pen performance, it performed moderately well, but not nearly as well as the Leuchtturm1917. I notice more feathering (spreading out of ink) with juicer nibs on the Confidant, but this would be less of an issue with finer nibs. When comparing the Baron Fig Confidant with the Leuchtturm1917, the Confidant dries faster, but the 1917 has less feathering. I also experienced a bleed-through issue with the Confidant and juicier nibs, which is sort of a deal breaker for me, since I always use both sides of a page and rely on my TWSBI 580 as a daily driver. The ink is also more vibrant on the Leuchtturm1917 page when it dries. Don't believe me? Take a look below.

Leuchtturm1917 in back (top) and Confidant in front (bottom). Notice the feathering in the Confidant?

It may seem like I dislike the Confidant from some of my comments, but that's not the case at all. This is a killer desk notebook for non fountain pen users. I could see myself buying the larger version to keep next to my computer or as a commonplace book, but it doesn't really fit my needs as a traveling companion. I'd love to be able to keep a few business cards tucked away in it, but there are no pockets nor an elastic band to hold things in place. If you carry your notebook in a backpack or bag pocket by itself, this probably won't be much of an issue, but it just doesn't work well in my bag full of random office supplies and teaching materials. For now, I'll stick with the Leuchtturm1917 as my notebook on the go, but the Baron Fig Confidant is still a solid performer that's worth a look.

Leuchtturm1917 Notebook Review - A5 Hardcover

I begged my parents for a Mead Composition Book. "What about a spiral notebook? We have a dozen in the closet." My mom clearly didn't understand the severity of the issue. Harriet the Spy didn't write in one of those dime-store spiral notebooks, the ones that they stack up in huge pallets during the Back to School sales at Walmart. She wrote in a Mead Composition Book. Sure, they were a dollar or two, but you can't put a price on keeping the neighborhood safe, or surveilling strategic targets.

My relationship with composition books lasted for several years. I covered each book with a homemade label that said "Private" and filled several books with journal entries, observations, and other personal notes. This was more than a school notebook; it was my companion - an integral part of my daily adventures.

It's been nearly two decades since I felt this fondly for notebooks, which rapidly became cheap commodities in my life. I reached for the cheapest spiral notebooks that I could find during my college years and would often leave them half empty. This changed when I discovered fountain pens, which required higher quality paper. The Midori Traveler's Notebook became my goto, but its skinny pages, while perfect for travel, were just too small for daily use. I loved the appearance of Moleskines, but their elegance was only surface deep. Moleskines stink with fountain pens. The search for a similar form factor brought me to the Leuchtturm1917.

Leuchtturm1917 notebooks come in a range of sizes, colors and rulings. I chose the 249-page orange A5 size with dotted pages. The notebook's hard cover is reminiscent of a Moleskine's cover. Theres an elastic band that wraps around the notebook, to keep it closed. The band seems sturdy enough to stand up to regular wear and tear, and I've carried my notebook loose in a messenger bag for several months, with no damage to the elastic band.

The interior of the Leuchtturm1917 boasts some useful features. The notebook has two bookmark ribbons, with color accents that match the color of the notebook. I can keep a few business and index cards in the built in pocket of the notebook, which runs the length and width of the back cover. The pocket is made from sturdy card-stock and accordions out, to reveal its content. The pocket isn't going to hold dozens of papers, but it's useful for holding a few odds and ends. The notebook also includes archival stickers for the spine and covers, so that you can keep track of exactly what's inside your notebook.

My Leuchtturm1917 lives in my messenger bag and accompanies me to daily meetings and events. The notebook lays flat on a table, without creasing or weighing down the pages. This was a pleasant surprise, moving from the Midori Traveler's Notebook, which flips shut without weights and doesn't sit flat on the table. I prefer to use the Leuchtturm1917 on a table, but it also works well in my lap, due to the support of the hard cover.

The small touches and thoughtful design of the Leuchtturm1917 make it a delight to use, but these flourishes are pointless without high-quality paper. Fortunately, the notebook delivers, with an 80 g/sqm paper that really shines with fountain pen ink. The juicy-fine nib of my Lamy 2000 leaves a lot of ink on the page, but there's never visible bleed through on the other side of the page. The dot pattern is subtle, but provides much needed guidance for writing and sketching.

I feel the same way using the Leuchtturm1917 as I did when I used a Mead Composition Book during my childhood. Sure, these notebooks are about as different as two notebooks could be, but the feeling they give is the same. The Leuchtturm1917 feels like it was made for me. It makes none of the sacrifices that Moleskines make, and it performs perfectly with my favorite fountain pens. I can see myself with a shelf full of these things in a few years, just as I had a shelf full of spy notebooks a few decades ago.

Nock Co. DotDash 3x5 Note Card Review

The index card is one of the most under-appreciated office supplies. It was created as a tool for organizing data and eventually became the foundation of the revolutionary Dewey Decimal System. Yes, at one moment in time, a 3x5 piece of card stock was the most powerful tool for organizing data. As digital methods of organization took over, index cards took their place on the shelf next to White-Out and typewriter ribbon. Twelve years ago, Merlin Mann unleashed the Hipster PDA into the wild, a simple index card data capture system, and lifehackers and analog lovers alike rediscovered the power of this little stationary delight. Index cards are small, versatile, and easy to shuffle and rearrange. They function well as capture devices; however, the race to the bottom has resulted in penny index cards that are flimsy and perform horribly with fountain pens.

You may know Nock Co., the creation of Brad Dowdy and Jeffrey Bruckwicki, for its creative pen cases; however, the company also produces a fine line of paper products, including its DotDash 3x5 Note Cards. DotDash refers the Nock Co.'s trademark paper grid system, that provides the best aspects of both the grid and matrix paper patterns, common among stationary products.

Nock Co.'s DotDash cards feel thicker and sturdier than the average index card. While regular index cards start to curl and bend in the sleeve of my work bag, DotDash cards stay flat. The DotDash cards are also noticeably smoother to the touch than traditional index cards. The DotDash lines are laser-sharp, while the printed lines on the traditional index cards show ink bleed and inconsistent printing. Of course, there are many different brands of index cards, but I went with the traditional stock cards form Amazon, as most would probably do when purchasing in bulk.

Nock Co.'s websites claim that their DotDash Note Cards "can handle almost any pen and ink you throw at it," so I pulled out my flexiest pen and favorite high-feather ink to put this claim to the test. I also used my daily carry ink and pen combo, Lamy 2000 with Pilot Iroshizuku Tsukushi ink.

The Plain Jane index cards performed just as poorly as expected. The Diamine Pumpkin ink feathered almost as soon as it touch the paper, and even the better-behaved Tsukushi ink in my Lamy 2000 performed poorly. The card had an excellent dry time, compared to the DotDash card, but this was only because the ink feathered instantly. Nock Co.'s DotDash card performed like a champ, with minimal feathering with the 2000 and Tsukushi ink combination. Noodler's Ahab and Diamine Pumpkin ink did produce moderate feathering on the DotDash card, but it did perform significantly better than the Plain Jane card. Truth be told, I don't see myself using a flex nib on an index card, so this isn't a major concern. The TWSBI Diamond 580 is the most markedly different between the Plain Jane index cards, which perform horribly, and the DotDash cards, which shows only minimal feathering. The DotDash card performs surprisingly well, considering that Diamine Pumpkin feathers significantly on low-quality paper, and the TWSBI 580's nib leaves a very juicy line.

Nock Co. DotDash

Plain Jane

Nock Co DotDash

Plain Jane

Nock Co. DotDash Note Cards are exceptional performers, and I keep a stack in my work bag at all times. I reach for these durable cards to jot down quotes and arrange ideas for presentations, and they hold up well to any ink and pen combo that I throw at them. At $6 for 50 cards, Nock Co.'s DotDash Note Cards haven't completely eliminated my need for the penny-per-card competitors; however, these cards are a worthy addition to any pen case or go bag.

Apica Notebook Review

Walk into any Japanese convenient store and you're likely to find a variety of pens and high-quality paper. Campus notebooks are one of the most common brands. These thin notebooks come in various sizes and are sturdy enough for the average Japanese student on-the-go. Between two to four dollars in Japan, these 68 page delights are accessible, even on the smallest of student budgets.

The Apica CD15 notebook is a 68-page B5-sized notebook with personality. Apica notebooks are a slightly upscale version of the Campus notebook, and the slogan on the notebook cover says it all, "Most advanced quality. Gives best writing features." Awkward translations are common in Japanese paper goods and add a sense of playfulness and whimsy. The notebook is thread-bound, with sturdy binding tape to protect the spine. The cover is made of heavy cover stock, with a rough-textured surface.

It's hard to imagine walking into a convenient store to pick up fountain pen friendly paper, but Apica's paper is thick and works very well with a range of fountain pens and inks. While there is no visible bleed through, thicker nibs and certain inks do cause a light to moderate amount of feathering, but I'm very pleased with the paper's performance.

I've tested multiple notebooks of various sizes and paper types, and I'm in love with the 68 page B5 format of this notebook. The paper size is large enough for substantial writing projects, but the small page count makes the notebook very portable and reduces my notebook completion anxiety. The Apica CD15 notebook is a fantastic find. I use the notebook to draft all of my blog posts and continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Midori Traveler's Notebook Review: First Impressions

Fountain pens are built to last. They may run out of ink, but they can be refilled over and over again. The same thing can't be said for notebooks. Pages are filled with everything from beautiful prose to grocery lists, and the tears and scratches that mar the covers are reminders of the journey. Once these books are their most worn and beautiful, we chuck them out or put them on a shelf to collect dust. I've been longing for a notebook that could acquire these beautiful signs of age while lasting as long as a good pen.

I found the answer in the form of the leather Midori Traveler's Notebook. Leather lasts for decades, if taken care of, but it gains character over time. The Midori Traveler's Notebook isn't a notebook as much as an expandable system that I stumbled upon while browsing pictures of fountain pens. I turned to YouTube for more info and discovered a cult-like following of crafty women that post videos of their personalized notebooks. The stickers, decorative tapes, and cat-shaped paperclips were an instant turnoff. I loved that the full-sized Midori Traveler's Notebook was small enough to throw in a bag but large enough for detailed notes, but I wasn't interested in a notebook that had to be bejeweled. There simply aren't many male-friendly resources and reviews of this notebook. After a bit of searching, I found the Stuff & Things Review of the Midori Traveler's Notebook, and it was just the push that I needed.

The Midori Traveler's Notebook kit and optional expansion bands

The heart of the Midori Traveler's Notebook is a simple leather notebook cover. An elastic band makes up the spine of the cover and makes it possible to add notebook inserts. This band is held together by a small metal clasp. The cover comes with another elastic band that threads through the leather and around the notebook to keep it closed. There's even a small bookmark ribbon in the cover that makes it easier to quickly flip the notebook open to the next blank pages. The standard notebook kit also includes an extra elastic band, protective sleeve, and a blank 64 page notebook insert (refill 001). The notebook is only capable of holding one insert out of the box; however, Midori does sell additional connection bands that make it possible to add multiple inserts at once. I find that the Midori works well with two inserts, but the inserts tend to buldge out of the cover when three or more are inserted. This is largely due to Midori's process for adding additional inserts, but I'm sure that a quick internet search will reveal ways to avoid the buldge. The standard size of the Traveler's Notebook is close to A5 in height, but skinnier in width.

The Midori Traveler's Notebook is essentially a $40 flap of leather that requires expensive inserts. If you're looking for a budget notebook, you can stop reading right now, because the Midori isn't for you. Despite the expense, the quality of the notebook materials make up for the expensive price tag. The leather is cut precisely and sealed at the edges. The unique metal class appears to be hand clamped and gives the notebook an antique look. I've used the Midori Traveler's Notebook for months now, and the elastic bands are just as springy as they were when the notebook arrived in the mail. The Midori paper is superb for fountain pens, with minimal feathering. So yes, it's an expensive leather flap, but it's a damned good one. The Midori Traveler's Notebook is available in a standard and passport size. It comes in brown or black leather, although the company does release occasional limited editions.

I've tested several of the notebook inserts available for the Midori Traveler's notebook, and I enjoy writing on the lightweight paper the most. This refill uses 128 pages of the legendary Tomoe River paper, which is slightly thicker than tissue paper but is the perfect pairing for fountain pens. Tomoe River paper does have a significantly longer dry time than the stock insert paper, and Midori only makes a blank version of this refill. I would do shameful things for a dot grid version of the lightweight refill, but for now the great writing feel can't make up for the lack of guiding lines and grids. My handwriting isn't great to begin with, and the lack of writing guides make it worse.

There are endless ways to customize a Midori Traveler's Notebook, and I'm just getting started with mine. If you're curious, here is my current setup. Notice the lack of animal paper clips and inspirational phrases. This notebook is just as good without the stickers, so don't let the the crazy crafters be a turnoff:

• Lightweight Tomoe River Refill 013 - For meeting notes and ideas that I'll probably never review.
• Blank Refill 003 - For book and article notes.
• Ruled Refill 001 - My backup and eventual replacement for the lightweight refill. I need lines!
• Homemade Craft Folder - Made from a plain manilla folder and packaging tape. You can find the design here.
• Patrick Ng's Chronodex planner January - July 2016 - Printed on plain office paper. I'm still trying to find an easy way to bind this into its own book. The Chronodex system is a fantastic compliment to a digital task manager.
• Midori Medium Pen Loop - Works well with my Lamy 2000, after a bit of breaking in.

The Midori can accommodate several inserts at once, but inserts tend to protrude when three or more are inserted.

The Midori Traveler's Notebook is a great choice for crafters and businesspeople alike. The size of the notebook is a nice balance between functional and portable, and the beautiful leather cover lives on well after the refills fill up. The scratches and scuffs on the notebook's cover are a testament to its journey, and I couldn't be happier with the story that they tell. I'm sure that this notebook will stand the test of time, so I hope to revisit it in the future, once my workflows mature. If you're interested in this notebook but are still on the fence, check out my link list of resources that helped to push me over the edge.