Quo Vadis Habana - the moleskine killer?

[kates]

Just to say I have grid and lined small Habanas and a grid A5 (larger) all bought from UK and the paper is identical in all of them - fantastic! I have a cut sheet of blotting paper which I just insert to blot any excess ink. I have had no feathering/ bleedthrough at all with any ink I've used so far - including Diamine Dark Green which bleeds through on many papers which are otherwise OK. There is an echo - but not terrible. I think the soft cover may be more of an issue with the larger notebook if you want to write on your knee, but with the pocket size is not really a problem. I've also found that the cover stands up really well to wear and tear, in my use better than the moleskine. (Oh, and a moleskine cahier fits perfectly inside- the back cover tucks into the Habana pocket and the elastic secures it all neatly.) I have to say I love this notebook and really hope the paper quality doesn't start to vary.

[limesally]

Thanks for the additional reviews!

 

Well, it seems worth my while to try again. I almost feel like I should order one from the UK for comparison. The paper from mine is so different from what the rest of you are describing - not just the toothiness, but the fast dry time. I have no drying issues in mine at all. I've tried mine again a few times and noticed that the paper in the middle of the book is smoother than the pages at the ends, which is puzzling enough. But even so, those smoother pages are still not Clairefontaine glossy.

[Guest lh121]

Hi all,

 

Leah Hoffmann from the Quo Vadis blog here. I just wanted to let you all know that there's no difference between the UK and Canadian versions of the Habana, though the paper in the U.S. version has slightly heavier paper (you can read more about it here: http://quovadisblog.com/2008/05/15/moleskine-v-habana/). I'm sorry if you've been experiencing inconsistencies in the quality, however -- will pass that info on to our manufacturing centers.

 

Thanks,

 

Leah

[limesally]

Thanks for popping in, Leah! I posted my comment at the QV blog, but I may as well add it here for consistency

 

Leah, I again appreciate the time you've taken to look into this! In theory then, the Habana I got *should* be similar to the European ones, since I'm in Canada. However, you could be right that I am accustomed to a particular feel from using the Clairefontaine notebooks, which hasn't really matched up with the feel of the Habana I got. The difference between 90 gr and 60 gr could account for it.

 

I did recently order a Habana from QV in the UK, which will be an interesting comparison. Looking forward to it.

 

I should add - I am extremely impressed at the Leah's response, as a manufacturer representative. That's more reply than people typically get from Modo e Modo, which is one more reason for me to keep trying these notebooks

Edited May 27, 2008 by limesally

[inkypete]

Hi all,

 

Leah Hoffmann from the Quo Vadis blog here. I just wanted to let you all know that there's no difference between the UK and Canadian versions of the Habana, though the paper in the U.S. version has slightly heavier paper (you can read more about it here: http://quovadisblog.com/2008/05/15/moleskine-v-habana/). I'm sorry if you've been experiencing inconsistencies in the quality, however -- will pass that info on to our manufacturing centers.

 

Thanks,

 

Leah

 

So there is no difference but the paper is different. OK. :hmm1:

[limesally]

Pete, I think Leah was trying to say that the paper source used for Habana sold in Canada is the same source as that used in the UK.

 

So, (my rambling thoughts now), differences in manufacturer source should not be the reason that my notebook feels different from the ones bluestocking, aka, and jot have. She doesn't at the moment have an answer for why mine is different. Every once in a while I wonder if it's my imagination! But then I'll write a few lines in my Habana after writing a few in my CF, and I'm pretty sure that's not it

 

The Habanas about to be released in the US are made in New York, according to her blog post.

 

I have no idea where the Australian ones, if there are any, will be made!

Edited May 27, 2008 by limesally

[inkypete]

Pete, I think Leah was trying to say that the paper source used for Habana sold in Canada is the same source as that used in the UK.

 

So, (my rambling thoughts now), differences in manufacturer source should not be the reason that my notebook feels different from the ones bluestocking, aka, and jot have. She doesn't at the moment have an answer for why mine is different. Every once in a while I wonder if it's my imagination! But then I'll write a few lines in my Habana after writing a few in my CF, and I'm pretty sure that's not it

 

The Habanas about to be released in the US are made in New York, according to her blog post.

 

I have no idea where the Australian ones, if there are any, will be made!

 

 

I have emailed Leah to try and source them closer to Australia as I don't think they are available here as yet. They sound great but so far evey notebook that sounds great seems to have a small negative - just like the Rhodia webnotes that had me all excited. Ordered them from the US and they arrive only to find Rhodia has compromised the quality of their paper.

This really shouldn't be so difficult!

Edited May 27, 2008 by inkypete

[Juan in Andalucia]

Thanks for the info; I saw some QV last monday and I was tempted to get some, but I got some Rhodia ePures (large size), and some moleskine volants pocket instead.

 

The QV pocket I saw were the same price than the pocket moleskines, and if they don't offer a better paper or price than the moleskine, I doubt they'll live long.

 

I recently got some Liderpapel (another Spanish brand) which were 2€ the pocket one and 3€ the large one!! Ok, they're not as nice, but they very well made.

 

Then I have a pocket paperblank I got from my girlfriend.

 

Juan

[bluestocking]

To be perfectly honest, while I am satisfied with my normal UK Habana, the thought of a Habana with the standard white 90gsm CF paper has me weak in the knees as that's what I've been HOPING for all along. Why are the European versions different, and who can I order an American version from online? It's always the way... you think you've found something only to find out someone else has got it even better!

 

[limesally]

I just received a Habana ordered directly from Quo Vadis in the UK (thanks for the info, jot!) and oh boy! If this had been the first Habana I'd gotten rather than the one I wrote about at the start of this thread, my review would have been completely different.

 

GREAT paper. Exactly what I was expecting from a Clairefontaine product - smooth, semi-gloss, and incredibly fountain-pen friendly. I've tried a number of pens and inks on it, and they work beautifully without feathering or bleeding, the writing is smooth and effortless with no problematic drying times. The paper is definitely thinner than in a regular Clairefontaine notebook, and also a little thinner than in a Rhodia tablet, but it's still pretty good. It's smoother than moleskine paper, but has that nice buff colour and the sort of "snap" that I like about moleskine.

 

So, I have had two diametrically opposite experiences with this notebook. Maybe it is a difference between ruled and blank, I don't know. I would say that if you are at all fussy about the feel of your paper, make sure you open up the notebook before buying it to make sure you don't get a toothy version like I did with my first one. In theory, the paper source for the Canadian books should be the same as the UK ones, so there is still no satisfactory explanation for the difference. But different they certainly were.

 

This second notebook was the smaller 4" x 6" version and also lies flatter than the larger one I got earlier. I have no idea why.

 

Of course, the true test of a notebook in this size, especially head-to-head with moleskine, is how well it will hold up being carried daily. I'm nearly at the end of the pocket moleskine I'm using now, so I'll use this Habana from then on. The other factor, which might not matter so much to other people, is how it holds up for sketching. Probably 50% of my pocket moleskine is sketches and some watercolor wash, so it will be interesting to try it with the Habana.

 

I hope the paper inconsistency I experienced is a rare event - if they are usually like the one I received this afternoon, the Habana is a pretty strong sub for a moleskine, and from recent reports, may beat out the new Rhodia webnotebook for FP friendiness.

Edited June 6, 2008 by limesally

[bluestocking]

Thanks for the update, limesally. I'm glad that I wasn't taking crazy pills in thinking that mine had better paper, and also glad your investment in shipping from the UK was worth the hassle!

 

[limesally]

Yeah, I thought *I* was maybe taking crazy pills for finding my first one so unsatisfactory. But they really are different to me. It's possible that I could hand them both to somebody with a less fetishistic interest in pens and paper, and they would feel no difference whatsover and be convinced I was nuts. I think it's just part of my larger scale sensory issues, like the way I have to cut tags out of my clothing, and can't stand crunchy peanut butter. :embarrassed_smile:

[jakespeed]

Yeah, I thought *I* was maybe taking crazy pills for finding my first one so unsatisfactory. But they really are different to me. It's possible that I could hand them both to somebody with a less fetishistic interest in pens and paper, and they would feel no difference whatsover and be convinced I was nuts. I think it's just part of my larger scale sensory issues, like the way I have to cut tags out of my clothing, and can't stand crunchy peanut butter. :embarrassed_smile:

 

Not to hijack your thread or anything, but when you mentioned sensory issues I had to chuckle. My 6 year old son has these bad! His shoes have to be tied 'just-right' so they aren't too tight and aren't too loose. He refuses to wear some of his clothes because they don't feel good. When we're out walking he stops every 30 yards or so to pull his socks up because he can't stand them being a little loose.

 

Needless to say, this drives me and my wife nuts, but we're trying our best to be very patient and understanding.

[Guest lh121]

One more update about Habana paper and such... as I just explained on our blog:

 

We will be importing the French Habana into the U.S. late this fall (rather than manufacturing it here with U.S.-made paper and French-made covers, as we’d initially planned). France, meanwhile, is going to start producing the Habana with 80gr ivory paper, instead of the 60gr they’re currently using. So there won’t be any difference between the notebooks you’d buy here in North America vs. the ones you’d find in Europe and the UK.

 

Cheers!

 

Leah

[MYU]

Not to hijack your thread or anything, but when you mentioned sensory issues I had to chuckle. My 6 year old son has these bad! His shoes have to be tied 'just-right' so they aren't too tight and aren't too loose. He refuses to wear some of his clothes because they don't feel good. When we're out walking he stops every 30 yards or so to pull his socks up because he can't stand them being a little loose.

 

Needless to say, this drives me and my wife nuts, but we're trying our best to be very patient and understanding.

I had a childhood friend who had a similar problem. He didn't like shoes at all and would take them off any chance he could get. He refused to wear anything except cotton. We used to call him Gandhi.

 

 

But getting back to Quo Vadis Habana, you can't get any of those notebooks shipped to you without paying at least $25 in shipping if you're outside Canada? Yikes. Do they distribute their notebooks anywhere outside the US, or are they strictly a local operation?

[limesally]

One more update about Habana paper and such... as I just explained on our blog:

 

We will be importing the French Habana into the U.S. late this fall (rather than manufacturing it here with U.S.-made paper and French-made covers, as we’d initially planned). France, meanwhile, is going to start producing the Habana with 80gr ivory paper, instead of the 60gr they’re currently using. So there won’t be any difference between the notebooks you’d buy here in North America vs. the ones you’d find in Europe and the UK.

 

Cheers!

 

Leah

 

This is good news! Thanks for the update!

[limesally]

But getting back to Quo Vadis Habana, you can't get any of those notebooks shipped to you without paying at least $25 in shipping if you're outside Canada? Yikes. Do they distribute their notebooks anywhere outside the US, or are they strictly a local operation?

 

oh, no, they're everywhere, I'm sure they are an international company - I just live in a dinky town. Shipping costs are always variable - in my case, and jot's, it actually cost less to have one shipped from the UK to Canada than within Canada.

 

I'm sure the Quo Vadis website will have information on both local and on-line retailers for each country.

[jot]

But getting back to Quo Vadis Habana, you can't get any of those notebooks shipped to you without paying at least $25 in shipping if you're outside Canada? Yikes. Do they distribute their notebooks anywhere outside the US, or are they strictly a local operation?

 

oh, no, they're everywhere, I'm sure they are an international company - I just live in a dinky town. Shipping costs are always variable - in my case, and jot's, it actually cost less to have one shipped from the UK to Canada than within Canada.

 

I'm sure the Quo Vadis website will have information on both local and on-line retailers for each country.

 

I hope they get them out to more retailers soon. I live just outside of Toronto and I still had to order online because I couldn't find one locally.

 

As an aside, I'm glad to see you got a good one limesally!

Edited June 12, 2008 by jot

[NateEssex]

Does anyone know if Quo Vadis uses the same paper with their planners? According to the website they use the 90g, acid-free paper on the Principal as well: http://www.quovadisplanners.com/catalog/principal

 

I will be buying it in the U.S.

 

Can I expect to use my fountain pen with this planner?

 

Thanks...

[limesally]

Does anyone know if Quo Vadis uses the same paper with their planners? According to the website they use the 90g, acid-free paper on the Principal as well: http://www.quovadisplanners.com/catalog/principal

 

I will be buying it in the U.S.

 

Can I expect to use my fountain pen with this planner?

 

Thanks...

 

Quite likely. I've used Quo Vadis planners in the past - the Trinote, specifically, and the paper in it is FP friendly - at least with my pen/ink combinations. It is not the same paper as that which is in Habana right now (it's a heavier weight), but as Leah indicated above, that might change soon.