Homage to the composition notebook

[Sailor Kenshin]

I happen to like ugly, if it's cute-ugly.

 

My current 'morning journal' came from Target, paper made in China. It's a couple years old. The cover is translucent gold plastic with a graphic design (and of course I use gold and brown inks within) BUT the paper is truly weeeeiiirrrd.

 

The half of the page that's closest to the binding feathers and bleeds something fierce. The top half of the paper barely takes ink at all. It's like it was imperfectly sized, or something.

 

Of course I can only use one side of the paper. The ink shows through in a mirror image.

 

I've said it before but part of my NY resolution is to NEVER get rid of older notebooks or inks that are still intact and useable (I gave away far too much of that, including two Sheaffer inks, burgundy and gray, and I'm still kicking myself).

[Vardigon]

I went to the local Office Depot and Wal-Mart looking for these composition notebooks. I found a couple at Office Depot that had paper made in Brazil, but most was made in Vietnam. At the Wal-Mart, most of the composition book paper was made in Brazil, but I couldn't find a college-ruled version :<! And I really really hate wide ruled paper.

[eherreid]

Looks like a more artsy version of one of mine from a few years back (mine is really worn at this point, though....)

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c252/eherreid/compbook.jpg

 

I admit, I kinda like this one.

[SonyaSpiral]

I admit, I kinda like this one.

 

I like that one, too.

 

 

[Sailor Kenshin]

It would allow me to use multiple colors inside.

 

Hey, there are worse neuroses.

[liapuyat]

I figure, I’ll just use colored duct-tape for the spine. But what I need is a recommendation for a glue that binds papers or cloth to paper.

 

Try Borden "Elmer's" Fabric and Paper Glue. It's like PVA glue but is acid-free, for archival scrapbooking, and it dries clear, with a rubbery seal like you find on certain memo pads. I've used it for some hand bound books. You need a nice brush though, and some water on the side to keep your brush nice and soft. Or you could use your hands, and gradually glue the cloth onto the paper as you go.

[Nenona]

What about Gaffer's tape?

I keep wanting to get ahold of some of it. Someone mentioned that it's stronger than duct tape, doesn't migrate, and doesn't have that plastic-y sheen like duct tape has.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I was just at Target, found some colorful comp notebooks, but alas! The paper was made in Vietnam, not Brazil. I've had enough weird tissue-y, non-fp-friendly paper for now.

[rosemaryknits]

But what I need is a recommendation for a glue that binds papers or cloth to paper.

 

Wallpaper paste works very well. Years ago, I bought a number of "milk cartons" of powdered wallpaper paste, and I like using it. Mix a little of the powder with warm water, let it sit a minute or two. If it ends up too thick, then dribble in a bit more water until it is a good consistency to paint on. I've never used the liquid stuff, only the powder, so I don't know how the liquid stuff works. (meaning, the stuff that you buy already liquid, in a bottle.)

 

You can find mountains of information on making your own out of wheat flour or rice flour. It's what was used for centuries, and it is exceedingly easy to make and CHEAP!

 

Elmers works great, too. I bought a bottle at Target, yesterday - 22cents a bottle? All I had was my credit card - there was no way I was going to put 22cents on a credit card. It just seemed wrong, lol. I found the necessary nickles and pennies in the bottom of my pack. It was a fairly large bottle, too. Just so you know.

 

I agree with the recomendation for gaffer's tape, but gosh, it's really expensive stuff. It's so nice, though. Might be worth the splurge.

 

Cheers!

Rosemary

Edited January 7, 2009 by rosemaryknits

[liapuyat]

Wallpaper paste works very well. Years ago, I bought a number of "milk cartons" of powdered wallpaper paste, and I like using it. Mix a little of the powder with warm water, let it sit a minute or two. If it ends up too thick, then dribble in a bit more water until it is a good consistency to paint on. I've never used the liquid stuff, only the powder, so I don't know how the liquid stuff works. (meaning, the stuff that you buy already liquid, in a bottle.)

 

Cheers!

Rosemary

 

I use the Elmer's because it's very humid where I live. I've tried making some wallpaper paste, but sometimes my hands aren't so steady with the actual brushing and pasting, and I can't stand having bubbles in the pasted work! And here it takes a while to dry, so... I took the lazy way out with the Elmer's

 

Or maybe I just need more practice.

 

[Sailor Kenshin]

Bugs enjoy the wheat paste, too, whereas they turn up their noses at Elmer's.

[tdcackler]

FWIW, I've tried several other Norcom notebooks (usually spiral bound) that were made in Brazil. All are fantastic paper that even with my wettest writer is well behaved. Now I have some decent college ruled paper for general notes at meets, etc.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Using that plastic-covered Target comp notebook today. It sucks up my wettest writers and wettest inks, is a struggle to hold open, and refuses altogether my drier writers/inks.

 

Thank goodness I'm already on page 81. Curse you, Perry the Platypus!*

 

I ink-tested several new comp books this week, and all behaved well---better than the Target, even the book made in India with what looks like ruled toilet paper. I won't be able to write on both sides of that, but I can't with the Target book anyhow.

 

I can't wait until it's finished and I select a new one.

 

*seems to be my theme-for-the-day

[tdcackler]

Thank goodness I'm already on page 81. Curse you, Perry the Platypus!*

 

Nice Phineas & Pherb reference.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Thank goodness I'm already on page 81. Curse you, Perry the Platypus!*

 

Nice Phineas & Pherb reference.

 

TY! It's stuck in my head. I'm beginning to sound like Doofenschmirtz!

 

[TMac]

Sailor, try a Norcom comp book (made in Brazil) from Wal Mart.

 

Just bought a couple for 92 cents each. So far it is great paper. No bleedthrough and minimal shows through, I've been easily using both sides of the paper.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I bought two of them---marbled gold, marbled burgundy!

 

Thanks.

[SonyaSpiral]

I bought from Family Dollar a composition book made by CPP Int'l, LLC.

 

Made in India; and has 80 sheets. I like the faint, light greenish-blue lines on the sheets. I bought this notebook because the others' outside covers had the usual slightly glossy finish. This one, poor little thing, didn't have it.

 

It spoke to me. Just jumped in my hand and wouldn't let go.

[Marko Kloos]

Based on the recommendations in this thread, I checked the school supplies aisle at my local MalWart a few days ago, and bought every single one of the Brazilian-made Norcoms they had in stock...fifteen of them.

 

For under a dollar a piece, I can't say anything bad about them. The paper quality is impressive, and I have no bleed-through or feathering with my current working combo (Waterman Phileas, medium nib, loaded with Parker Quink.)

 

Up until now, I've used pads with tear-off pages, but I have to say I really enjoy the composition books. I like leafing through my work page by page in book-like fashion, and it's nice to not have to manage loose pages. I wrote two chapters of my current work in progress into one of the Norcoms, and did a word count when I transcribed the new material into a Word file later, and it turns out that my handwriting yields a little over 200 words per page. With 100 pages that are usable on both sides even with a fountain pen, that means 40,000+ words per composition book. That's not bad for ninety-seven cents.

[openionated]

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