C.r.gibson Markings Leather Journal

August 17, 2011

C.R. Gibson Markings Genuine Bonded Leather Notebook/Journal

Today I am testing this Markings Journal that has somewhat of an unusual cover. It is harbound in bonded leather. This is in a nice dark tan color with what looks like chocolate brown suede accents. The interior front and back covers also don this nice brown suede and it is stitched to the cover. To be honest, I am not sure you will be able to find this journal on the shelves. If you do, it will most likely be in the clearance aisle or probably at the bargain bin at a closeout store. (This is where I found mine.)

I like how the journal feels in my hand. It feels substantial without being bulky. The curved edges of the cover are a bit odd to me. It seems like wasted cover space since the pages do not have the same contour. Still nice though. You get 224 Ruled pages with 22 lines. The page margins are a bit wide so there is more wasted space. It is a full inch of margin space, a half inch on either side of the page. The paper itself is held together with 6 stitches. I am not sure how well it will hold up to long term use. There is also a brown satin ribbon marker.

The cream colored paper itself is just okay. It will bleed and bleed a lot with anything bigger than an western F nib. My Jinhao X450 with Private Reserve Lake Placid Blue (pre stub modification) blead the most out of all the inks tested. The TWSBI Diamond 540 with a B nib and Noodler's Midway Blue came in second. Predictably, the ink dries very fast on this paper because it gets absorbed into the fibers so well. I was surprised that it did not feather as much as it bleeds. Pelikan Royal Blue from a cartridge in my Rotring Rivette (M nib) behaves really well with this paper as does Kaweco Lagoon Blue with the Kaweco F nib Sport.

Overall, I got what I paid for and at $5 USD, I really can't complain... too much.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6081/6051351145_c314e5005b_z.jpg

Markings_cover by IvanRomero, on Flickr

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Marnings_write_test1 by IvanRomero, on Flickr

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markings_bleed by IvanRomero, on Flickr

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2011-08-16 20.29.50.jpg by IvanRomero, on Flickr

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2011-08-16 20.29.02.jpg by IvanRomero, on Flickr

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2011-08-16 20.45.27.jpg by IvanRomero, on Flickr

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2011-08-16 20.44.55.jpg by IvanRomero, on Flickr

August 17, 2011

I've been using the black Moleskine lookalike Markings for the past coupla, few years -- the narrow rule goes to from edge to edge, for instance. I love this notebook. I have other notebooks, and I'd like to use them, but when I finish a Markings and start to reach for a fresh notebook... I typically end up starting another Markings.

August 17, 2011

I have one more Markings notebook to test. It is a current model and initial ink tests have prooved more favorable. I am not sure if they changed their paper. I need to research the company a little more.

August 17, 2011

I have a small one which I'm using for a specialty journal. And I'm quite impressed with the paper quality—better than Moleskine, as far as I'm concerned.

August 17, 2011

Thanks for the review. Nice looking blue ink.

The Staples in my town carries a wide variety of these journals. The paper varies quite a bit. I found that the paper in the hardbound journals I tried was a bit smoother and a bit less likely to feather than the paper in the "silk" covered journals with the padded hard covers. Both journals are have sewn sections and open pretty near flat, but the hard covers have a greater number of sewn sections and so will likely hold up better.

The Moleskine clone three pack paper journals with 80 pages had smooth paper that was probably better than the paper in the silk covered journals.

None of the papers are rough in texture and so pens tend to write smoothly on them, but some of them are a little too absorbent and so there is feathering. I guess it depends on what you are using the journal for and how wet your pen is.

February 5, 2012

I recently came across a Markings Journal in size about 6in x 8in, 192 pages in bonded leather cover for $12.99 at local Walmart. It was advertised using soy bean inked, acid free paper. The outcome was quite disappointing. I tried with almost all of my pens in several ink brands and colors, but none of them looked legibly on paper, colors washed out and as if the paper was water resistant. Too bad I really like the size, the look and how the paper felt in hands.

Edited February 5, 2012 by fhhcpen