They have also spent a lot of time and energy listening to their community about problems with construction and correcting them as they continue to develop their journals. I’m going to cover the general construction of the notebook – binding style; cover style; extra features such as elastic closures, bookmarks, document pockets; and special pages. Buke performed a tiny bit better than Eclectic Scribbles. This post is NOT sponsored by any notebook manufacturer, brand or seller. I can’t wait to decorate my 21st birthday invitations with them! This notebook from Lemone is ideal for anyone who wants to use juicy pens such as fountain pens. Dotted notebooks with ultra thick 160gsm pages. NOTE: I’m not opposed to receiving free products for review, it’s just that those reviews are harder for me to write because of that potential for some level of subconscious bias. Probably not. Interestingly, there wasn’t one brand that came in first place in all the categories. I just think that when making the photos for compare the feathering it should be comparisons of the same pen or ink, and with the same or very similar zoom in the photo. In some instances, this is a great practice because we see some good quality features – such as the pen loop that is riveted directly to the back cover so it doesn’t fall out after extensive use. With all the promotional videos I’ve seen from both of these companies, I would have expected watercolor (at the very least) to perform the best. You really never know if the notebook you order next will be the same as the notebook you just finished using because they’re constantly changing their product. On those pages, I also put a few swipes of Sharpie Marker and Copic-style Marker, but I also used those alcohol markers on the art supply page. The cover of this journal is a print of original artwork by Amanda who is the (amazing) artist over at Eclectic Scribbles. Perfect for starting a new term or simply a new project, our stationery range features everything you need – from high-quality pens, pencils and more for writing and drawing, to pencil cases, notebooks and all the essentials needed to help you stay organised. This review used to be based on five notebooks until I found this one at the very last minute while I was browsing AliExpress (like I do). This review was a monster to complete and took me months longer than I first thought it would take. Of course, I’m partial to Tekukor but I’ll refrain from lobbying for my favorite brand (you can’t go wrong with Tekukor). I put it through a brutal fingernail scratch test and it held up beautifully. However, they’re often out of stock or sold out, so they are clearly still working on their inventory management skills. The Archer & Olive notebook just barely made it to the Bronze Medal winner’s circle. That simply means that when you click on those links and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission on those purchases at no additional cost to you. You choose between an ant and a spider. There are lots of options from Archer & Olive. Their paper is 120gsm, but in my preliminary testing, it’s holding up just as well as some of the 160gsm options. Benefits. I’d love to know which notebook you love the most. Rocketbook Wave Smart Notebook - Dotted Grid Eco-Friendly Notebook with 1 Pilot Frixion Pen Included - Standard Size (8.5" x 9.5"), BLUE (WAV-S) 4.4 out of 5 stars 6,155 $19.69 Even though I’m going to cover a lot of details about each of these journals and compare them to each other – you’ll probably want to head over to the more detailed review of each of these notebooks. I don't have to search for my pen in the abyss that is my purse and it can hold two small kikkik pens)...bonus! QiHeng – Not only is QiHeng top of the heap on the other tests, but it performs really well here too. The paper in Buke is not slick as you’d expect with a coated paper so it doesn’t prevent ink from drying (smudging isn’t an issue). Shop yours → This test was the ink straight out of the bottle. shrugs shoulders. Brush lettering books, brush pens and supplies. Only have they saw success with that one option did they expand their line to include more cover colors. One big concern is the pen loop. Thanks so much!! In each notebook, I tested 16 different writing pens. Wow! Shop now at Paper Kooka - Australian small stationery shop! With ultra smooth paper and no feathering at all, QiHeng takes the Gold Medal. The elastic closure is firm and the bookmarks are securely in place and don’t look like they will fray over time. The back pocket is well constructed with ribbon gussets, but again, the pocket is tall and too close to the spine. Always interest-free. No pleasing some people huh? There are a possible 100 points in this test – each art supply worth 10 points. In addition, the owner truly values mental health and gives her employees unlimited paid time off in order to put that first. The paper is ultra-smooth and the pen just glides across the page. Archer & Olive is the only notebook that failed the feathering test. What shocked me the most about Archer & Olive and Scribbles That Matter was the watercolor. I just get my scribbles that matter but now I can really see that it is very rough paper, and it feathers a lot like in the photo of the archer and olive that you got. The elastic closure is firm and looks well secured to the back cover. Orders placed before 10 a.m. on business days are dispatched the same day! The very first purchase of a journal to see if you even like journaling should NOT be a journal that costs $35!!! The most notable difference is the thickness of Tekukor compared to every other journal here. The longevity of this brand rests squarely on the shoulders of the artist. No bleeding or ghosting! QiHeng – this line of journals have both linen and PU leather options for the cover. Everything here is my honest personal opinion. With a price point of $35 for my B6 version of the notebook, I was expecting a lot from this brand. Its super-smooth, 160gsm acid-free paper means it's easy to write or draw with, while zero bleeding, ghosting, and feathering ensures clean pages. You will be able to see the journal review on my YouTube Creating with Ally soon. To put it into context, if you purchase a notebook that costs $15, I will earn about 50-cents or so. We’ve got feathering and we’ve got a rough writing surface. We don’t like feathering at all. Browse our collection of the best dot grid bullet journal notebooks. It’s my second year of using one and it’s the only journal that has kept me writing in it every day of the year and it works so well with my fountain pens and ink. For me it’s about something potable enough to carry round, that’s tough enough to weather the handling for 3 months?. Dotted grid notebook helps guide your writings, stand out very clearly. A5 is around 8.25″ x 6″ … but B6 is 7″ x 5″ – so slightly smaller. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again… Scribbles That Matter has jumped the shark. Hi Julie – Might I suggest you check out Minimalism Art. Thankfully it only took 13 days to arrive (which is super speedy for normal shipping from China). I was wondering if you tried the Tumbitri Meri journals? QiHeng even has a squirrel design on a leather-like cover that is pretty close to the design of Dingbats notebooks. I want to be very clear about this part before we dive into the reviews. Eclectic Scribbles – this notebook comes in three design options – Mandala (the one I bought), Zentangle, and Steampunk Cat – all of which were designed by Amanda. Will definitely buy from again, thank you :). The search term I use is “SeQeS Notebook.” They also sell a 100gsm version. I love The L1917 but I get frustrated when my Tombows and Staedler fineliners bleed through. Made with love in the UK. FINALLY! Do you know of any other 160gsm paper notebooks that I didn’t find in my digging? Quite often users are not the right people to listen to when it comes to making major product development changes in your line of notebooks. My favorite part of this whole thing was this part! We’ve seen a dramatic increase in the evangelism of these new thick-paper journals – followers are very vocal in their loyalty. Robust fountain pen testing, coming up next! Me too. They have a 120 and a 160 gsm version of the A5 dotted on Amazon. The elastic closure band is secure and strong. So the only way I was able to rate these notebooks from best to worst in this category was to take into account the two alcohol markers and the Noodler’s 54th Massachusetts fountain pen ink. No worries here. – this is a safe choice, IMHO. Keep up the good work Pam!?Lainey. Once I had those two art supply results covered up, the judging was a lot easier. At any given time there are about 4 to 8 different color options, but that selection is constantly changing so you never really know what will be available. They changed the paper because their “vocal few” insisted that they get thicker paper so they abandoned their 100gsm option completely. Buke Notebooks were definitely in last place, though (more on that in a minute). The B Sizes were created to fit in between the A Sizes to give us more variety and options. We’ll look at ghosting, bleeding, and feathering as well as the crinkliness of the paper (yes that’s a word, I just made it up!). The embossing is crisp and beautifully done – not that I love the design, but the workmanship on that part is very good. Btw, things I’m looking for in a journal are ivory but not yellow pages, page numbers, an index, at least 2 bookmarks, hard cover, A5 and B5 size (A5 for home and B5 for work), smooth pages, ghosting is fine but no bleed through with several layers of tombow markers (not a concern in B5), and if there is a penloop then on the spine otherwise I’ll cut it off. I’m new to journaling and was longing for something that could hold up to watercolor, posca pens, stamps and watercolor. The back pocket is pretty standard and looks good to me. And if you’ve been following along on their social media, they’ve got a whole new version of their notebooks in development that is not actually a notebook at all (notebook covers with softcover paper inserts). Thank you so much for your brutally honest review!! Profitez de millions d'applications Android récentes, de jeux, de titres musicaux, de films, de séries, de livres, de magazines, et plus encore. I think the owners of Tekukor are smart and being strategic with their growth. There are two satin ribbons but one of them has started to fray (I’ll fix that by trimming the end and hitting it with a quick flame). Compared to the lightness of the standard Tekukor (which I purchased on your rec )? The Ultimate Comparison of 160gsm Bullet Journal Notebo... How to Start Bullet Journaling: the unconventional method, Archer & Olive 160gsm Dotted Notebook Review, Includes: Stencil, file sticker, ref.sheet, gold emblem on front | decorative endpapers. À tout moment, où … Until that is, the outcry from those who didn’t want thicker paper convinced them that they needed to bring back the 100gsm paper. It’s a notebook that costs half the price of the most expensive options in this review but the quality is equal when it comes to the actual construction of the notebook. I like the idea of a 160 gsm page for the durability, but I really love how a thin page feels. Love my new bullet journal! I prefer that method of acquiring journals because it ensures that I’m being 100% honest, transparent, and raw in my reviews. I’m at completely the other end of the scale in regards to paper thickness in a journal… I’m using a Hobonichi Techo. Eclectic Scribbles – No feathering problems here on the Eclectic Scribbles paper and the surface is smooth to write on. Smooth-ish? I’ve had an email conversation with them which is how I found out they own their own factories and take care of their own design and production. Here is where we begin the rating portion of this comparison. and avoiding hype in an ultra suspicious fashion. But here I’m going to give you an overview of each. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Scribbles That Matter 160gsm Journal Review, Eclectic Scribbles 160gsm Mandala Notebook Review. Pay later. I’ve chosen a variety of pens and markers in different categories. The data below allows you to compare each brand side by side. This is also the most expensive review I’ve done so far. Feathering is bad. This notebook feels luxurious in my hand. Product quality and packaging everything amazing! There is also an option for PU leather covers with various emblems on the front – I haven’t tested the durability of this other style but I am going to assume it’s the same as the linen cover version. Love this! I’ve brought all of the test results together in a single list. Once I finished the testing and evaluated the results and gave each one their score, I needed to rank them from best to worst. No feathering problems either. For more information about sponsored content, affiliate links, and advertising on this website to read the full affiliate disclaimer policy. Tekukor – There is no feathering on the page and the paper feels smooth to write on. Delivery was very quick - ordered on a Tuesday evening and was received on Friday morning. I purchased each one of these journals with my own hard-earned money – they were not given to for free from the companies. Whenever possible I used a black pen because that is going to give us the darkest possible ink to test ghosting or show-through. This is the one I worry about the most. No? Using water color would be a bonus. The brand I’ve purchased, tested, reviewed and compared here include (in alphabetical order): You probably haven’t heard of half the names on this list. True. But that’s probably borrowing worry. Here are the categories I’m using to rank these brands. I jumped into an A&O after buying a Leuchtuurm and being seriously disappointed by the paper quality. Buke failed with dye ink and Sharpie Marker, Eclectic Scribbles failed with Sharpie Marker, fountain pen ink and a little bit of the Dylusions Distress Ink. Can they survive the jump? I purchased these notebooks myself with my own hard earn (and quickly spent) money. It’s also 160 gsm and they advertise that its safe for watercolor. The other version of Tekukor – their 100gsm notebook – has 192 pages. – same as above, but this time I diluted it slightly with water to see if that made a difference. !…any ideas? The elastic pen loop – which matches the color of the elastic closure and ribbons, is secure and well-positioned between the back cover and document pocket with no major gap. Kind of pricey for a set of notebooks that I really don’t plan to use for any of my everyday journaling (I’ll need to figure out what to do with them in the future). Their standard notebook color is teal with yellow accents so you can usually find that one in stock. Be prepared with a handy, pocket-sized notebook, to do list or notepad.