Hi, dear Readers,
Freezing season has arrived in Europe. So, I have started to count days until there will be sun and warmth outside again. How to do it? For sure, there is an app for that on your phone, but maybe, it is a good time to use analogue methods for that. Fountain pen and notebook, instead of stylus and iPad, what do you think?
There are so many fountain pens and notebooks to choose from. Which one would be suitable for that purpose, I mean for everyday notes?
I hope that you have already chosen your favourite fountain pen and today I would check for a nice notebook to “pair it” with the writing instrument. I have only two criteria. Look and quality. What would be a beautiful notebook without quality paper? Nothing more than another gadget in your drawer.
Today I want to check if a nice design goes hand in hand with a fountain pen friendliness.
And I also count on an extra sunshine from warm Australia for cold Europe.
Have you heard about Milligram brand? Not yet? What about NoteMaker? Sounds familiar? Sure! Australia! On 10th birthday NoteMaker has changed its name to Milligram. It is not the only change, another is the first store in Melbourne and … a new, own line of diaries and notebooks.
Milligram Everyday notebooks with Edison Mina fountain pen
Bye, bye NoteMaker, hi Milligram!
Let’s play with their notebooks. There are 3 ranges: Linen, Utility and Everyday. Today I will present you the review of the last one – Everyday. A5 size (148 X 210 mm) with ruled pages.
Notebooks are rather thin (80 pages – 40 sheets) with textured (slightly hard) card cover which is very pleasant in touch. They are sold as sets of two.
Milligram Everyday Notebooks pack
Milligram Everyday Notebooks
Milligram Everyday Notebooks
In the set you have one with green and one with black cover. Delicate, silver lines add a touch of exclusiveness and made these notebooks a small pieces of art, an everyday art for everyone.
First impression is very positive. I love that designers thought of every detail. Notebooks don’t look like suits made by English Master of needle and scissors, but, at least, they look like designed and made by top Haute Couture brand. The toned colours (green, black with a little drop of silver lines) add them class and elegance. Nice, fashionable and trendy.
Milligram Everyday notebooks with Pelikan M200 Smoky Quartz
Milligram Everyday notebooks
Just look at the sewing.
Milligram Everyday notebooks sewing
Perfect!
But how about fountain pen friendliness?
Milligram Everyday notebook with Cross fountain pen
Milligram Everyday notebooks with Platinum fountain pen
Milligram Everyday notebooks with Faber Castell, Montblanc and Kaweco fountain pens
Milligram did not go the easy way and did not choose Japanese paper. They went for, not so popular, Italian brand. Good or risky move?
Paper is 85gsm Italian milled Fabriano Boutique Bioprima Book Paper. What a long name 🙂 But it is not everything. It is environmentally friendly, it is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified and 100% TCF (Total Chlorine Free), OBA (Optical Brightening Agent) free, Acid free and completely biodegradable and recyclable. And doesn’t smell at all.
If you are on the green side, you shouldn’t be afraid of using it.
Below you can find writing samples with different pens, nib sizes and inks. I chose nibs from EF up to OBB mixed with inks from classic ones to ones with charactere. I hope, this selection can give you a good view into how paper behaves in everyday use.
Let’s start light weight.
Milligram Everyday notebook – writing samples
Milligram Everyday notebook – writing samples
Milligram Everyday notebook – writing samples
Milligram Everyday notebook – writing samples
Very smooth writing. No skipping. No strange artefacts.
It’s a real pleasure to write on this paper.
Let’s go further and check with more hardcore writing. Perhaps not everyday writing style, but why not check. From 2,3 up to 6,0 mm, oh, and a brush pen too.
Milligram Everyday notebook – writing samples
Milligram Everyday notebook – writing samples
And this time everything is OK, also.
Now it’s time to look what happened to the other sides?
Everyday pens.
Milligram Everyday notebook – writing samples
Milligram Everyday notebook – writing samples
Not bad at all. Let’s write here with Double Broad Kaweco nib with beautiful J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche and check both sides.
Milligram Everyday notebook – writing samples
Milligram Everyday notebook – writing samples
Both sides are readible, no bleeding through.
Any questions?
I have to admit, that this paper is very good. My only advice is, if you want a perfect writing, carefully check your inks. It is interesting that, as you can see on the photos, it looks like paper is more fussy about inks than nib sizes. “Standard inks” like for example Montblanc Blue Royal or Midnight Blue; Pelikan Royal Blue are less visible on the other side, than some fancy ones like Mallow Red.
The same is with Pilot ink with Parallel pen. Check 3,8 size with original Pilot ink and 6,0 with Pelikan Royal Blue.
Milligram Everyday notebook – writing samples
Milligram Everyday notebook – writing samples
How do I find the size, is it practical? Is this notebook worthy of its name? Everyday?Yes, it is. I’m not selfish, so I took this notebook to a pen meeting and … but this probably, will be in the next post on my blog, so if you are interested in, check it later.
I found that this size perfectly to matches my pen case. Really, an ideal solution to carry it there, as an EDC if you are using more than 10 writing instruments daily.
Milligram Everyday notebook with pen case
Milligram Everyday notebook with pen case
Milligram Everyday notebook in pen case
Milligram Everyday notebook with pen case
Australian design, Italian paper, Taiwan made – very nice, trully international trio. And the name is adequate for the nature of the notebook. If you want something new with good quality and fountain pen friendly – you can check this line and I hope you will not be dissapointed.
Milligram Everyday notebook is a piece of quality design, so it looks really nice in a good company.
Milligram, pens and coffee
Milligram notebook with Laban fountain pen
Milligram notebook with Wiland Aleksandra
Milligram notebook, Montblanc, Cross, Pelikan
Oh, I have almost forgotten about sunshine. Unfortunatelly, you can’t count, that any notebook can bring you a real sun (unless you have some hidden powers) but you can draw your plan, how to spend your winter vacation on Australian beaches with a tasty drink in one hand, Everyday notebook in other and fountain pen in … oops.
But where are koalas?
Double M – Milligram and Montblanc
Thank you for your attention, but I have to go now, see you next time. Of course I take my Milligram Everyday notebook with me.
Milligram, Ecco and Montblanc on the go
Could “Everyday” be your EDC Hi, dear Readers, Freezing season has arrived in Europe. So, I have started to count days until there will be sun and warmth outside again.