Mr Big - The Journal

[Writer01]

It was five years ago, from memory, when I visited New York on business, and while there I found myself meandering along various streets and alleys. I tend not to 'do' cities much. I don't like shows, and I'm not used to the bustle and noise of a city. Still, I found a couple of interesting stores. One, a DVD store where I bought three disks that I subsequently learned wouldn't play in my UK DVD player, and a stationer's.

 

I wish I could remember the name of that place. It was wonderful. There were pens and notebooks galore. But I was in a hurry (and because I'm an author, on a tight budget). So I wandered up the aisles and fiddled with various things, finally plumping for a brilliant wire-bound notepad. On the cover, in large type, it declared, "Mr BIG," and beneath, in slightly smaller letters, I read, "His Notes, Edicts, & Orders of the Day." OK, I was sold.

 

That pad was used all through that trip, in New York, Boston and Toronto. When I came home, it was the notepad I tended to keep close by. Not to use it too often, but mainly as a simple memento of my trip. And I didn't want to use it too quickly: it was valuable. Because the paper was absolutely fantastic: smooth, thick, creamy, with no feathering or bleed-through whatsoever, no matter which pen I use. My Conway Stewart Drake is a pretty wet writer with a broad nib, but it runs silently over this paper and leaves a perfect line. All with a good 148 x 210 mm pad.

 

So far, so good. Back here, at home, I've eyed the pad many times, thinking I wished I could get another. But clearly, it's an American brand. I bought it over there. That's why I've not splashed out and used it much, because it is irreplaceable. I don't even know what street that stationer's was on, let alone the name of the store.

 

Amazing how dim an ex-computer salesman can be. Today, on a whim, I googled the name of the pad. And found this website: http://www.right-note.co.uk/contact.php

 

The blasted company making my notepad, that I have carefully avoided using for all this time, is less than ten miles from my home. I'll be contacting them soon. First, I'm going to really enjoy filling up the rest of this wonderful notepad with my scrawl!

 

So, plus points: superb paper. In my opinion (purely personal) some of the best paper I've ever used. It opens completely flat, as the picture shows, and when you want, it'll fold back under with the wire binding.

 

Negatives? The cover is nowhere near the quality of the paper inside. They could (maybe they already do now) make a coated cover to increase the pad's life. But to be honest, folks in Chagford tend to have a strong belief that recycling is fun, so perhaps this fits in with the sandal-wearing population? A minor gripe is that it would be nice if the pages were perforated for those occasions when it's necessary to tear out a page or two ... but they still tear out easily enough, so that is minor.

 

Okay, that's my lot. Hope it makes some sense. Has anyone else tried this firm's products?

 

 

That's the pad, with my Conway Stewart collection to one side. Hopefully Graf von Faber Castell won't be upset that I use one of their pen boxes for my CS collection!

 

 

Lovely paper to write on. It's just a shame my writing is not as competent as the paper or the pens!

[jacksterp]

Hand writing is stellar and so, apparently, is your luck.

 

Good job locating the notebook of your dreams - and almost within walking distance.

[nigelg]

Don't want to rain on your parade but, as has been noted on FPN before, it's not unusual over time for manufacturers to downgrade their notebook paper quality to keeps costs down.

On the other hand as I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, I've ordered something from them too.

[OakIris]

Good to hear that you have found the source for the journal that you "fell in love with" so that you can replenish your supply.

 

Like nigelg, I wondered if you had checked out their current paper to see if it was still so wonderfully FP friendly. I do hope that you will post back here if their paper is still lovely and also if you find out that their paper is equally good across all of their collections.

 

Holly

[Writer01]

I haven't got their paper in yet - I've a surfeit of Rhodia and other notepads and a need to fill them before buying more. I hadn't thought of the risk of the paper changing - nigelg, could you pass comment if you get yours before I replenish my stocks?

 

Thanks for the comments. My first topic, I wasn't expecting anyone to read it!

[nigelg]

I've been meaning to update my reply to this thread as I received my order a week or so ago within a few days of the online purchase.

I ordered a "She Who Must Be Obeyed" long lists and notes ( a little gift for SWMBO to sweeten the purchase !), The Scholar and a Gentleman note book (a gift for HWMO (aka me)) and the Garden Shed plans and notes for the allotment. Prices seem quite reasonable and comparable to other brands and the inventive and humourous covers are a bonus.

The paper (IMHO) is indeed ink friendly with no feathering or bleedthrough that I could see with any of the inks and pens I have in rotation.

I no longer have access to a microbalance to gauge the paper weight but I suspect it is 80gsm as it definitely feels thinner than a known 90gsm but thicker than a known 70gsm.

Some may not like the cream tint - very similar to a Tomoe River paper sample I have - though I quite like it.

Also the paper seems to have a very slight texture and under loupe magnification I can see the ink flowing into the "clints and grykes" but again I don't find it an issue in practise.

All in all these are exemplary notebooks which will get a lot of use.

Of course YM may very well V but I have been pleasantly surprised and would have no hesitation buying from them again (of course the usual disclaimers apply).

 

Nigel

[OakIris]

Thank you very much for the update, Nigel. Sounds as if the paper is still quite nice for fountain pens.

 

Now if only there were a source for these notebooks and the stationery here in the USA. I know you originally found the notebook here, and I swear that when you first posted about it I was able to find the Mr BIG notebook on Amazon, but a search today found nothing in the US.

 

Holly

[Kurrurrin]

I found a couple of items of theirs listed on Amazon, but they were long removed from Amazon's inventory. I am fairly positive my wife would love one of the Alice notebooks. If someone finds a US source, please share.

[zenephi001]

 

Many Thanks for this post Writer01 - I've looked & liked.

 

'I am Spartacus' , 'The Odd Squad : Private Views' and 'Sherlock Holmes' for me ... I think ..

[Writer01]

 

Many Thanks for this post Writer01 - I've looked & liked.

 

'I am Spartacus' , 'The Odd Squad : Private Views' and 'Sherlock Holmes' for me ... I think ..

 

Thanks for all the positive comments. Re: US outlets, I'm going to ask them and will update this page if I find they have someone selling out there. Happy writing!

[Plume145]

ooh, this looks like lovely cream-coloured paper too! Thanks for telling us this story, aside from the fun coincidence that the books are made so close to you when you got them halfway around the world, I'm glad I heard about them! They seem like the sort of brand that is so small that the only way to find out about it short of actually coming across their products like you did is through word-of-mouth

[Writer01]

I found a couple of items of theirs listed on Amazon, but they were long removed from Amazon's inventory. I am fairly positive my wife would love one of the Alice notebooks. If someone finds a US source, please share.

 

 

I have managed to have a very delightful chat with the owner of the business (he was tied up with grandchildren after Easter) and he told me:

 

"We no longer have a distributor in the US and are in the process of going electronic. Call me old fashioned, but this development is all new and foreign territory

for me so I am obliged to consult the experts to learn what wizardry is now required to convey correct current details of the the availability of our range in the US

together with an appropriate approach to the FPN site."

 

I will be suggesting to him that he gets a Paypal account!

[teenytina]

He could also open a vendor account on Amazon. They would take care of the "wizardry" and he could just post his stuff.

[inkstainedruth]

I don't know whether these are good prices or not, but I do really like some of the designs. I particularly like that they have things like bookplates (I could really go for the Kelmscott Manor ones).

I hope that these do become available in the US, but I'd really rather see them in a B&M store.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Robinkeys]

Found it!

http://www.carbolicsmokeball.com/catalog/4833/Mr._Big_Notebook/

[Writer01]

Found it!

http://www.carbolicsmokeball.com/catalog/4833/Mr._Big_Notebook/

 

 

I'm tempted by the "Jotter of a Rotter" notepad!

[nana_kathy]

What a hoot... I see several of these in my future..