Journals, not loved

After my morning visit at Exaclair, it was difficult to imagine looking at or touching another journal or a piece of paper, but as I don't have many opportunities these days to do just that I took a ride down to Kate's Paperie to check out some journals that had been reviewed on line and sounded promising.

Hidden behind some other leather-like journals were a few lined, cream coloured Ciaks in two sizes and only one cover colour: lime green. I examined one, and touched the paper and withdraw my hand immediately. It did not feel as if it had the smooth surface I love in Clairfontaine and other papers. I was disappointed and relieved at the same time. Niet!

Then I found a single Awagami+1, a journal Black Cover reviewed not too long ago, and dismissed it immediately as not for me. The entire appearance did not suit my sensibilities and the paper was on the rough side. Niet!

Barnes and Nobles, Park Slope, did not have the Piccadilly's some online reviewers have raved about, but they did have a Miquelruis that seemed to have my kind of paper but not necessarily the style of journal I prefer. In fact it reminds me a little of the Apica notebooks with a heavier cover. I didn't buy it but if I find myself scribbling through a half dozen or so journals I own in the forthcoming months I might consider it--plain, good size (about 6x8), soft cover and lays flat.

So, except for some stationary that I bought at the Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Book store on Carmine Street as gifts, I came away with no paper products except the Journal 21 I will review this weekend.

Hiromi Paper

In the quest for the perfect journal, I followed the Black Cover review, and wrote to Awagami in Japan asking them for US sources for their notebooks.

Aya Fujimori sent me two sources, Hiromi and Kates Paperie.

I've bought fine paper from Hiromi in my bookbinding days, and know they have some of the finest stock around.

Curious why there was such a big difference in price between the two sources, I asked Aya in a follow up email what distinguished one journal from the other, and she replied, "The difference among the Yuzen Spring, Yuzen Autumn, Syuro journals is the cover paper. The Yuzen series is hand printed papers and Syuro is made of rice straw."

Frankly, I like the Syuro variant better as I am not inclined to buy floral covered journals.

So for $12.00 I think I may try this journal as I suspect it could be of a similar quality to Apica--a wonderful paper with a simple cover.

And when I get the Syuro, I will probably also buy one of the Kuretake brush pens that are being offered for a very reasonable price.

PS - Here's a review at Amateur Economist of the journal.