Recently I was contacted by a representative of Pad & Quill to review their hardcover notebooks an, because I have a condition for which there is no known cure, I immediately accepted.
After taking a look through Pad & Quill’s catalog of artisan-made goods, I was expecting a fairly standard to the A5 dot grid journal market. Generally, when an accessory company sells a notebook, it’s more of an afterthought piece with minimal if any points of differentiation from other books off the shelf. After spending some time with the book, however, I have been pleasantly surprised by Pad & Quill’s product. Let’s take a closer look and see what makes Pad & Quill stand out.
Features
The Pad & Quill Journal Notebook comes in both A5(ish) and pocket sizes; The Medium measuring 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches, and the Small measuring 5.3 x 3.7 x 0.5m inches. The books are available directly from Pad & Quill for $21.95 and $17.95, which is around the higher end of average for premium-style journals. I’ve been spending more time with the larger of the two notebooks, as Pad & Quill was kind enough to stamp my initials on the cover, as service they provide for an additional $9.99.
As is typical for the industry, the sizing of the A5(ish) Medium notebook is similar to the A5 Leuchtturm1917, but slightly taller by a fraction of an inch. This size difference is negligible and, as a fan of Leuchtturm’s product, I hardly noticed unless the two were right next to each other. The Pad & Quill notebook also fits perfectly into the Nock Co A5 Seed with very little movement out of the sleeves.
Both sizes of the notebooks are hard bound and linen cloth covered, and available in one color: London Grey. Both sizes have 192 pages of 100 GSM acid-free recycled paper. You also have a choice of either blank pages or a dot grid layout, and you probably know which way I went on that choice.
Using the Book
The Pad & Quill journal has all the familiarity and creature comforts of a premium notebook; the paper is comfortable, the index table is clearly spaced any simple to use, and the contrasting colors of the thread page markers add a very nice touch to the overall look.
The paper performed fairly well. While not 100% fountain pen friendly, I would put this on a very similar level to Leuchtturm’s paper. I did experience some show-through and a little bleed with wider nibs or repeated marks. The front of the page performed admirably as well, showing only some inconsistent feathering with a few inks.
Conclusion
Pad & Quill’s journal draws a lot of comparison to Leuchtturm’s popular A5 notebook. They’re both similarly priced, they’re both excellent quality, and they’re both great for Bullet Journaling or general note taking. It is also externally very similar to Baron Fig’s Confidant notebook with its cloth cover. They have really combined the best of both worlds into one journal and, while the paper is slightly less than perfect, I would have no problem recommending the Pad & Quill Journal for most users.
They may not be as flashy and colorful as other brands, but Pad & Quill has it where it counts. If you’re looking for a new notebook that will feel good under a pen and look good on top of a desk, check out Pad & Quill!
Disclaimer: Pad & Quill provided these products to The Poor Penman blog free of charge for the purpose of review. All opinions stated are those of the author.
The Poor Penman 