I must confess that I’ve wanted one of these notebooks for some time but until recently I could only source them in the US or Japan and the postage and taxes made it too expensive to be practical; and then I stumbled upon Japan Stationery (https://japanstationery.co.uk) a small family run business specialising in Japanese stationery at reasonable prices and very reasonable shipping.
I chose the Find version; it’s a charcoal grey linen finish soft cover notebook and the only exterior embellishment is the Kunisawa name and bird logo debossed in gold foil at the bottom of the front cover.
It has a paper band around the middle. On the back it provides all the essential information you need including size (120x210mm), number of pages (192), and grid size (5mm) all under the motto “i do not seek, i find.”
On the front of the band it has the name of the notebook and along the bottom edge of the band there are three icons which tell you the paper is suitable for fountain pens, ballpens and pencils.
The motto is repeated on the front flyleaf and on the inner rear cover the company name and logo; unlike many notebooks the rear cover does not have a pocket which is not essential but is very useful. Neither does this notebook have an elastic closure which is also very useful for keeping notes and receipts under control.
The paper is cream with a light grey grid printed on it, the grid is obvious without being intrusive and I found I had not difficulty using it (I much prefer dots to grids). The pages are stitched in sections and then glue bound to the outer cover and the finish is excellent.
Kunisawa say the paper is fountain pen friendly so I decided to put this to the test and generously swabbed part of a page and then added some text, in Diamine Oxford Blue. Then I waited for it to dry; and whilst there is some show through I do not think it would affect you using the rear of the page; especially when you remember I was being deliberately heavy handed.
Ultimately, this is wonderful tactile notebook that oozes style and quality and would be suitable in any environment from the boardroom to the local coffee shop and whilst it is too big for your pocket you will have no problem dropping it into a bag.
I have no qualms in recommending this notebook to you; it’s well worth your pennies and I received excellent service from Japan Stationery so I’m happy to suggest that you shop with them.
Disclaimer: This 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 