Black N' Red Available At Staples

[ajoe]

Hi all,

 

Stopped by Staples today to look at notebooks/paper and stumbled upon a "Black n' Red" spiral notebook. They are made in Germany and come in notebooks, journals, diaries, etc. You can check them out at http://www.blacknred.com/.

 

I purchased the Black n' Red E67008U spiral notebook with 140 pages of very smooth bright-white ruled perforated 24lb paper and polypro cover. $8.29 US.

 

I had been looking for a paper to use with my MB149 (fine) which tends to write wet. This paper is exceptional for this purpose. Despite its smooth feel, it has a slight drag that feels really nice with the 149 and produces a fine line much closer to what I like as compared to most other papers, e.g. Rhodia 80g, Staples Arc, or Staples Sustainable Earth (sugarcane).

 

CAUTION: Other pens, especially fine nibs that do not write wet, may not work well with this paper. Every pen I have tried writes about 2 sizes finer on this paper. For example, a Pilot Prera (med nib) (MB Midnight Blue ink) that generally writes very well on almost all papers, turns into an extra fine with substantial drag on this paper.

 

I'm looking forward to experimenting with other pens, but for now, this is definitely my paper of choice for my 149.

 

A Joe

[The Good Captain]

All the Black n' Red ones I've got have Made in England on them but that aside, I agree that all my nibs, whatever thickness, seem to always be 'thinner' on this paper.

[PAKMAN]

I keep a Black n' Red with my Bible to take sermon notes on Sunday. It seems to work well with most inks. Some drying time issues but a blotter tucked inside works well.

[ajoe]

All the Black n' Red ones I've got have Made in England...

 

I double-checked and here is what mine says on the back: (perhaps different models made in different countries?)

 

-----

Hamelin Paperbrands

Red Logdge, Suffolk, IP28 8WG, United Kingdom

 

Made in Germany

-----

[PAKMAN]

Mine just says "Made in the EU"

[Jadie]

 

CAUTION: Other pens, especially fine nibs that do not write wet, may not work well with this paper. Every pen I have tried writes about 2 sizes finer on this paper. For example, a Pilot Prera (med nib) (MB Midnight Blue ink) that generally writes very well on almost all papers, turns into an extra fine with substantial drag on this paper.

 

A Joe

 

A notebook with paper that changes your writing size? That sounds fascinating.

 

I'll have to pick up one to try it out. (I like thin writing because I also write in kanji, so the thinner the better.)

Edited December 8, 2011 by Jadie

[The Good Captain]

The ones I have were bought some years ago; probably at a closing-down 'sale' I seem to remember. So now they might well be made all over the place! It also says that: "Black n' Red is a trademark of John Dickinson Stationery Limited."

Anyway, still reasonable paper but I need to use a wider nib in them than I might do in say my Clairefontaine spirals. Just to get a smoother write.

[swanjun]

I have a hardcover Black n' Red notebook w/ 192 pages and here's what *it* says on the back:

 

Hamelin Paperbrands

Red Lodge, Suffolk, IP28 8WG, United Kingdom

 

Made in Poland

[PJohnP]

Some drying time issues but a blotter tucked inside works well.

 

Very much the case with some saturated inks - I've had pages of text or drawings smear days after writing on them. However, the use of a blotter page almost completely eliminated this problem. OTOH, inks like Sailor Kiwa-guro become truly stellar on this paper.

 

 

 

John P.

[chupie]

We started getting these at work and aside from the papers people

Recommend like Rhodia and Clairefontaine this has be. A nice "common" substitute. Easy to get as it appears

Most office stores seem to carry them. Glad to hear they are at Staples. Will save me a trip across town today!

[chupie]

Score! They also had their Pink & Black hardcover spirals on clearance for $2.50! Fit perfectly in the little present I am making for my bestie. 2 Noodler's flex pens,Jade and Poltergeist Pumpkin; Red, Brown, and Blue Bic Harry Potter Pens; a green Lamy All-STar; PR spearmint and PR Orange Crush, Bottle of Black Swan in Australian Roses, two small Clairefontaine notebooks, two syringes, some empty cartridges and some samples of inks for the HP pens. How would you like that for CHristmas!

Edited December 10, 2011 by chupie

[chrevbel]

Made in Poland

That's where mine were made. And I bought them in Germany. Go figure!

[Bo Bo Olson]

They appear to have Oxford Optic paper. If so, it is real good paper.

[Meleemaker]

My executive(hardcover and had red book mark added ....) has imprinted upon the back:

 

HAMELIN PAPERBRANDS

Red Lodge, Suffolk, IP28 8WG, United Kingdom

 

Made in Poland

 

 

But yeah, I agree they are fantastic books. I wrote in one for a couple weeks, until I got a Rogue Journal which has taken it's place. But if my Rogue doesnt do well under the pen, im going back to my Black n Red

[Runnin_Ute]

My executive(hardcover and had red book mark added ....) has imprinted upon the back:

 

HAMELIN PAPERBRANDS

Red Lodge, Suffolk, IP28 8WG, United Kingdom

 

Made in Poland

 

 

But yeah, I agree they are fantastic books. I wrote in one for a couple weeks, until I got a Rogue Journal which has taken it's place. But if my Rogue doesnt do well under the pen, im going back to my Black n Red

 

Just picked up one of these yesterday. My first BnR. Mine also says Made in Poland. I purchased at Office Depot. Haven't checked Office Max (which is a bit more convenient for me) but I also have a Staples nearly as close. So far I really like it.

[Pen Nut]

Made in Poland

That's where mine were made. And I bought them in Germany. Go figure!

 

Maybe made in England by Polish people

[Mike 59]

Hi, I bought an A5, hardback, spiral bound notebook by Black n' Red in a supermarket in the UK on 19/12/12.

It has the Red Lodge Suffolk address on the back, has 120 pages of 90gsm.

But no indication of where it was made.

Edited December 20, 2012 by Mike 59

[ummbnb]

I've been using these for a few years at work but only recently started writing on them with fountain pens. They are exceptional. So far, very smooth, minimal bleed, etc. My only problem is that I keep four notebooks: one for meeting notes, one as a phone/to-do log and one for confidential notes. I really need to keep my confidential notebook separate from the others and despite my cover labels, I'm constantly picking up the wrong book. I've been on the search for something new for the confidential notes and so far, haven't found what I want. It needs a stiff, durable cover, no perferations (since these need to last basically forever for legal reasons) and be spiral bound (simply as a matter of preference).

[inkstainedruth]

Interesting. I just looked at their website and they are apparently also carried at Office Depot.

I would have to see what the sizes are for their hardbound ones (I generally dislike wirebound, except for little memo pads and small fat notebooks; the "diaries" listed seemed to be more like day/week planners or traditional diaries, so not what I'm looking for).

But they're certainly worth looking into, along with Paperthink recycled leather journals (some of which come with unlined paper, which is a plus in my book) -- those just got a nod in the _Parade Magazine_ insert in my Sunday paper. I looked them up as well, and then contacted the US distributor to find out if they are FP friendly (I was assured that they were, which is contrary to what some of the old reviews on FPN said), and where to get them (still waiting to hear back on local-ish B&M stores, but they're available (some at least) on Amazon, and at a company called katespaperie.com (the one listed in the Parade article) and one called lovenotebooks.com. No affiliations (and no experience with either of the latter two e-tailers, either).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[jacksterp]

Found these in the local Staples as well. Not a particularly large selection, but there never the less.