Notebooks That Matter...

Well, in my never-ending search for the perfect notebook for my Visconti pen, I've come to realize that my solution was right under my nose. While I have been using the practical Moleskine Sketchbook (the paper is so thick there's only 100 pages worth), I have considered the Quo Vadis Havana as the ultimate solution. The problem is that I can't fork over the twenty-something dollars without feeling the guilt. It's very tempting, with that and the fact that the Havanas have the coveted Clairefontaine, 90g extra white, acid-free paper, but I simply cannot do it and keep a clean conscious. So, as I reexamined the (dis)organization of my book shelves and office, I came across a stack of about 20 notebooks I purchased in Japan over a decade ago. The maker is Apica Notebooks, as if by magic there it was: 90g acid-free paper! Super effective with fountain pens, no matter the color. In fact, I wrote in several of these when I lived in Japan back in 1994. The pen at the time was my loyal and ever-trusty Parker Vector, medium nib (20 years ago a $6.95 value at your convenient college bookstore). Even with a medium nib the paper held nicely without any bleeding. Even today, when I review the completed notebooks from 1994, I am amazed I had completely forgotten I had these valuable notebooks just sitting around waiting to be REdiscovered. The Havanas will have to wait for a good while now. Here's a photo of the Apica Classic. The cover reads: "Note Book Most Advanced Quality Gives Best Writing Features" (those of you familiar with the Japanese usage of the Queen's English will no doubt understand the "Engrish" phenomenon).