Just lately I’ve been reading about proper Chinese notebooks, as opposed to those where components only are made in China and it is assembled elsewhere, and it generally seemed that most people were quite happy with them. So, I set out on my travels around the internet to see if I could find a notebook that had not received much notice and I came across the LEnWA Nature Idea notebooks.
Digging a little further and it turns out that LEnWA produce quite a range of notebooks but this one attracted me because it is just a little different from the rest. This notebook is 128mm x 188mm so just a bit below A5, it’s a fabric covered hardback with 144 sheets of 80gsm paper and comes sealed in plastic with a paper band around the middle telling you all about the notebook and its eco-friendly credentials (see below).
What really interested me was the variety of pages it offers; this notebook offers plain, grid, dot grid and lined all in one notebook.
All this for $13.50 USD seemed like a good deal and a less than two weeks later it had arrived from China. I had opted for the grey version and whilst it looked good on screen I was happily surprised that it looked even better when it arrived. In this colour it’s a smart looking notebook that would be suitable to take and use anywhere and is the right size for most bags.
The thing I didn’t realise when I ordered it was that the pages are printed in very light green ink and most have a small plant design added to each page(see above); in most cases when you open the notebook you will see the design in the top left and repeated in the bottom right of the two-page spread you are looking at. The designs are not at all intrusive and just add a little something to each page, the only one that is a little oddly placed is the leaf on the dot grid pages, for some reason this one is in the centre of the page.
I tested the paper with a generous helping of KWZ Grapefruit and whilst it is visible on the reverse side it does not bleed through and if you look where the text is you can see it would not impede the use of the reverse side of the page.
All in all, this is a nice notebook and if you are looking for something a little different for yourself or as a gift then this may be the way to go. For me, I am looking forward to using my first multi-paper notebook and seeing how it works for me.
Disclaimer: The notebook was purchased with my own funds at retail price. The opinions expressed in this review are my own; and I am not connected with either the retailers or manufacturers in any way.
The Indian Marmalade Company 