Posts Tagged ‘Product Reviews’

Friday review roundup

Posted September 14, 2012 by
in Product Reviews | 1 comment »

I’ve been ignoring most things digital since the birth of my son (when I get a spare moment with my laptop or my iPad, I’m usually looking up baby-related info or hastily placing an order for things I don’t have time to buy in person), so I’ve managed to overlook a lot of great Tweets and reviews… Here are some of the ones I came across while playing catch-up this week; if you’ve seen or written others, let me know so I can share them!

Happy Friday!

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Friday review roundup

Posted April 20, 2012 by
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It’s something old, something new this Friday with reviews of the Canadian Minister (similar to, but slightly different than, the US version) and the hot-off-the-presses Hebdo, a new format for 2013 with lots of space for Sundays!

  • The Minister is the “cadillac of agenda diaries,” says Heather Burke of Smart Space Organizing. “This is an excellent agenda for those who need to write some detail regarding their appointments, or for a busy family schedule that also relies on a calendar to keep them organized.”

  • The Hebdo is “an excellent addition to the Quo Vadis line,” says Laurie of Plannerisms. “The book is narrow, slim (less than 1/2 an inch thick) and very lightweight so it could comfortably go anywhere with you in your bag.”

Thanks for the great reviews, guys, and happy Friday!

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A paper review smorgasbord

Posted December 9, 2011 by
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From Pens and Paper, the site of a UK based organization (or organisation, I suppose) that teaches composition and handwriting and blogs about the life creative, comes this phenomenally comprehensive review of twelve different notebook papers — from the Habana to the Webnotebook and Moleskine, Leuchtturm 1917, and many others.

Each review is written with a careful and comparative eye, which makes it very useful indeed to have them all in one place.

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Friday review roundup

Posted December 2, 2011 by
in Product Reviews | 2 comments »

We’ve got some great reviews to share with you today… and even a contest!

Happy Friday, everyone…

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Ivory Habanas: Reviewers speak

Posted July 27, 2011 by
in Pens, Paper & People, Product Reviews | 2 comments »

I’ve been collecting people’s thoughts on the new ivory-paged Habanas in our weekly review roundups, but here’s a more comprehensive look at the reactions we’ve seen across the web…

First of all, several people (myself included) have noted that the color is more “cream” than “ivory.” Unfortunately, it’s not a description that’s easy for us to change in our product packaging and marketing materials, but… duly noted. Whatever it’s called, I can’t say we’ve changed the minds of any passionate white paper lovers. I can say we’re very grateful that people have given the new shade a chance, and we hope it will still have a place in their notebook collections.

Of course, some folks prefer ivory to white. In an ideal world, we’d find a way to satisfy everyone, but given the economics, I can’t promise anything.

One thing our reviewers were relieved to discover is that the switch to 85g paper did not render the Habana fountain pen unfriendly. “I didn’t notice any significance in the performance of the two papers,” said Brian Goulet in a video review. Some reviewers noted a slight increase in showthrough (which Goulet rather poetically calls “ghosting”). In the words of our friend Beth, this is “Not enough to keep you from writing on the back of the page. But enough to cause a little eyestrain if you will be transcribing what you write to your computer at a later date.”

As for the narrower ruling on the new large Habanas, that seems to be a matter of personal preference. Though as Note Booker, Esq. figures: “By narrowing the ruling and leaving less blank space above and below the ruling at the top and bottom of the page, each page now has 40 lines for writing instead of the 26 on the previous version. That’s more than 50% more lines on the same size page, or the equivalent of adding 40 sheets to the notebook!”

In no particular oder, here’s a list of the Habana reviews that we’re aware of thus far:

If you’ve written or read a review that we haven’t posted here, please let us know! And thanks again for all your feedback.

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Friday review roundup

Posted May 13, 2011 by
in Product Reviews | 3 comments »

Eventually, we hope to see more people weigh in about the new ivory Habanas, but here are a few first impressions…

• A first look: The indefatigable Brian Goulet publishes detailed text and video reviews of the ivory Habanas over at Ink Nouveau.

• Beyond Moleskine: Kent Shaffer includes the Habana — along with Clairefontaine and Rhodia — in a post about non-Moleskine notebooks, sketchbooks, and journals at Church Relevance.

• Hardware and pens: This isn’t really a review, but I was so impressed by StyloBug33′s new wooden pen-storage chest (which she pictures with a Habana and a Moleskine to better demonstrate scale) that I thought I would feature it here.

Happy Friday!

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Friday review roundup

Posted March 25, 2011 by
in Pens, Paper & People, Product Reviews | Add your comment »

We love getting feedback, so it’s great to see what people are saying about us on various corners of the Internet. I figure you guys might be interested, as well, so I’m launching this new feature to showcase the links people send us or that we stumble across on our own. Here are some recent reviews:

• Chris reviews the Journal 21 at Pens’n'Paper.

• Christine writes a guest review of the President at Plannerisms. (Dig those drawings!)

• Laurie blogs about a mashup of the European Timer 21 and her Filofax at Plannerisms.

• Leslie reviews our elastic bookmark at Comfortable Shoes Studio.

• Julie reviews G. Lalo’s Éclats d’Or stationery at Whatever.

If you’d like to see your review featured here, don’t be shy — write to us! (And if you don’t have a blog of your own and still want to air your thoughts online, you can always do so as a guest poster.)

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User review: Laurie on Trinote and Septanote

Posted May 19, 2010 by
in Planning Tips, Product Reviews | Add your comment »

Want to learn more about our Trinote or Septanote planners? Check out the comprehensive review/comparison that Laurie Huff just posted on Plannerisms.

Here’s a hint: one of them might be useful to those of you who’re currently looking for a new academic year planner! At any rate, Laurie’s review should answer every question you can think of except how the paper feels to the touch. (Which, alas, is a tough one to answer online.)

Thanks, Laurie!

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User review: John Cullen on the Habana

Posted January 20, 2010 by
in Pens, Paper & People, Product Reviews | 3 comments »

Guest blogger John Cullen teaches literature at Ferris State University and has a lot of dogs and horses. He’s been a fountain pen fiend for about thirty years; here are his thoughts on the Habana…

(Image via Writer’s Bloc.)

Well, generally I have gotten pretty cynical about journals over the years. I hate to think how much I have spent only to end up throwing journals away because they will not open flat on the table or the paper inside the journal is so bad it makes the writing experience feel like punishment. Add to that the fact I use a fountain pen and you can see why finding a good journal has been a trial.

Recently I got on a chat board where people discussed these issues in depth and many people recommended I get a Quo Vadis Habana notebook. In fact, people spoke in glowing terms about these journals. Yeah, right, I thought, but then I figured I would give one a try. What a pleasant surprise this journal has been!

The Habana is roughly 5 x 9 inches and comes with 80 pages of Clairefontaine lined paper. The cover looks and feels like leather, and the spacing on the white paper is generous. So from a cosmetic perspective, this is a great journal. There is even a stretchy band to keep the journal closed.

But how would it work when actually put to use?

Continue reading »

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User review: Tom Hall on the Journal 21

Posted January 18, 2010 by
in Pens, Paper & People, Planning Tips, Product Reviews | Add your comment »

IT lawyer, fountain pen aficionado, and guest blogger Tom Hall recently took the Journal 21 for a test drive. Here are his thoughts…

“Let me check my calendar.”

The first time I uttered those words, I knew I was no longer young and carefree, with my every moment under my sole control. On the other hand, it meant that I was out of school and gainfully employed. In another moment I realized that I did not HAVE a calendar. Thus I joined professionals worldwide in the Quest for the Perfect Planner.

For a long time I used a simple, pocket-sized planner. It was all I needed to navigate from meeting to meeting to meeting to meeting during the work day. More than once it kept me from arriving at the office on a holiday.

Then along came pocket sized, electronic planners. Like most guys, I’m a sucker for gadgets, and this one came with a built in rationalization: it made coordinating my schedule with my secretary far easier. I used it quite happily for several years, until I was asked to give a deposition in a contract dispute. The opposing attorney asked where I had been on a given day, several years earlier. Thanks to the electronic gadget, I was able to tell him. Unhappily, he decided to explore my schedule for that day in detail, and then did the same for every day for the week before and after. Needless to say, I no longer carry around such extensive records of my days.

As time moved forward, the maker of my favorite electronic gadget fell on hard times. They revised their products to keep pace with competition, raised their prices and eliminated the features I valued. When my gadgets wore out, I discovered that there were no adequate successors available. I was, apparently, obsolete. Somewhat bemused, I rejoined the Quest.

About this time, Karen put out a call for volunteers willing to test Exacompta planners. Her timing was exquisite. I had strayed from the True Path, and was attempting, with little success and much frustration, to sync the calendar on my cell phone with an on line service. My brother said it best: “Isn’t pencil and paper faster, easier and more reliable?”

Continue reading »

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