Another Clairfontaine Review

No not another one. Just kidding. This time around I have a note pad and a notebook. They both are the same size, 148 mm x 210 mm. The difference is really in the binding method hence, their names. Note pads are bound on top and flip up and down. Notebooks are bound on one side and flip side to side.

To start off the review I'll describe the stationery. First the note pad then the notebook. The pad has the three folds on the cover which facilitate keeping the cover back. The construction is solid and the backing is stiff. This one is black and beautiful with gridded paper. The notebook is spiral bound but not with the kind that wraps around but the kind that passes through meeting another metal ring. The paper is lined with non-college rule spacing. It is the spacing I like;small writers may find it too large.

Tests

Notepad

Feel: Smooth, even for scratchy nibs.

Feathering: None

Bleed-through: No, even less than with Rhodia paper. Only the most sensitive will care about this.

Aesthetics: Simple and attractive. Serious black cover for business. White logo at the bottom of the cover and at the rear.

Durability: The pages need to be firmly grasped to tear them out. The back pad is stiff and the entire note pad is sturdy.

Portability: This is serious writing pad. It isn't extremely portable and does not fit into pockets. This pad will rest in a portfolio, school bag, laptop bag or desk. It is meant for serious business.

Uses: Best suited for school and business. I personally prefer an 8'' x 11'' size but I'll take this slightly smaller notebook. Can be used in meetings and for lecture note taking. I'd stay away from games on this one. Too expensive for that sort of activity.

Hack ability: Yes, but I wont offer any ideas or links for this one.

Overall Thoughts

I'll save this one for after the other review.

Note Book

Feel: Smooth, even for scratchy nibs.

Feathering: None

Bleed-through: No, even less than with Rhodia paper. Only the most sensitive will care about this.

Aesthetics: Orange and awesome. White logo at the bottom of the cover and at the rear are the usual transgressions. There is also a margin at the top and bottom. I particularly don't mind the header but the footers annoy me. I don't use the last line for anything important just to signify pages, or study notes.

Durability: The pages need to be firmly grasped to tear them out. They don't come off clean. The back pad is soft and the entire note pad is flexible. I would say it is well made but definitely not stiff.

Portability: This is serious notebook. It isn't extremely portable and does not fit into pockets. This pad will rest in a school bag or my laptop bag. I would use it for note taking at one of my extracurriculars or during a lecture.

Uses: This is best suited for school. I personally prefer an 8'' x 11'' size but I'll take this slightly smaller notebook. It can be used in meetings and for lecture note taking. No games on this notebook. It is too much of a school notebook for that.

Hack ability: Yes, I wouldn't though. I think it isn't worth the effort; why fight nature. It is meant for note taking.

Overall Thoughts

Both notebooks are fountain pen safe and probably are suited for serious school or business writing. Perfect size for lecture note taking and I'd even write personal letters with these. I've never purchased these particular books but I'm fond of the Rhodia versions of both. Even then, I prefer 8'' x 11' for business and school purposes. Occasionally, I'll have need for something this small but I clearly favor larger sizes. Would I purchase these, yes and no. Yes, I like them and would purchase if I found them on sale. No, because I have a strong preference for Rhodia products. Again, I like big books better( I feel a crude joke coming on;)......

Details:

1. No comparison paper for the feel test
2. Subjective methods used.
3. Bias in favor of Rhodia products.
4. *These books were provided by Exaclair.

The Testing Cast in Full Glory

From the left: Pelikan m400 in White Tortoise, Lamy Safari in Flame, Pelikan m200 in Black and Blue, Pelikan 140 in Black and Green classic colors, Sharpie in Black and Grey classic colors

A Clairefontaine Review

Another review is in order this time I'll be reviewing a Clairefontaine product.

I'll start this one off with a general description of the pad. First of all, it is 105 x 148 MM and contains 80 sheets of paper. It does fit into my palm but not comfortably. I don't think its size is conducive to carrying on your person. The pad barely fit into my back pocket and didn't fare well in my other pockets either. Back to the description, it has 3 folds on the cover which allow you to fold the cover over to the back thus, making it usable from the palm of one very large hand.

On to the testing; to get an overview of my testing methods read this post: Rhodia No.12 Bloc Review.

Tests

Feel; Smooth, even for scratchy nibs.

Feathering; None

Bleed-through; No, even less than with Rhodia paper. Only the most sensitive will care about this.

Aesthetics; Functional and the orange is attractive. No real margins to distract me. One transgression, the cover has a logo and so does the rear.

Durability; The pages need to be firmly grasped to tear them out. The back pad is stiff and the entire note pad is sturdy.

Portability: This one will stay on a desk. It is portable just not for me. So, I want to keep it in my laptop bag yet, it will probably stay on a desk somewhere.

Uses: Can be used for business and play. For business I would use it to quickly jot tasks, inventory lists, and maybe to keep messages. This is a note pad I will be using for games like scrabble that require score keeping. I also have quite a bit of fun playing guess the sketch and other drawing games with this pad. I probably wouldn't use it at school; too big for a palm sized pad and too small for a classroom note taking pad.

Hack ability: This is really open to interpretation. Of course, I just don't have any ideas or links for this one.

Overall Thoughts

Clairefontaine paper is much better than Rhodia paper. It is definitely smoother and heavier. That is probably due to Clairefontaine being 90 g/m squared and Rhodia is 80 g/m squared. No real bleed-through and it comes in a gridded paper. This is the ultimate in fountain pen safe stationery! The final verdict to the question of a purchase is no. Why not? I prefer a certain sizing in pads. I like them small enough to fit into my pockets easily or big enough to take pages of lecture notes without turning the page after every pen lift. If this is your preferred size then go for it, you wont be disappointed. Clairefontaine paper is awesome!

Details:

• No comparison paper for the feel test.
• Subjective methods used.
• *This particular note pad was provided by Exaclair.