m.memo notebook review

This is a really neat little notebook. With a name like m.memo, you know it's bound to be awesome. Japanese-awesome in this case, as most of us know how great the paper is from The Land of the Rising Sun.

This little notebook has a lot to offer, at least for me. It seems to do what other notebooks fail to do for me. All I wanted was a simple spiral bound, miniature pocket notebook, that's FP friendly. How hard is it? Apparently difficult for everyone else except this little company. :)

Let's dive right in and see what this cute little thing has to offer us:


Overview:

First notebook to get an Amazing score on the review meter! This one is a 95/100!

The good:

• Excellent paper - some of the best I've ever used.
• Small size is great for taking places.
• Perforated sheets make page removal easy.
• It's got those nice wire spirals - the kind that don't bend or get twisted and make me go all OCD.

The bad:

• Paper has a lot of show through - but no bleed through.

The ugly:

• If you hate small spiral bound notebooks, look away, otherwise: nothing.

Notes: This little notebook is really just a fabulous all around notebook. It is NOT a journal, or a notepad for extensive writing. It is a highly portable pad, for jotting down notes-to-go. It has exceptional FP friendly paper, and well... Let's just get to the review so you can see for yourself how great this notebook is. :)

So here is the little notebook. It measures just 105mm x 68mm. The cover looks like plastic in person, but it is in fact cardboard. I have not tried writing on the cover, but from the feel of it, I don't think a FP would work to well.

At the top of each lined page, there are some nice micro-perforations. I find these rather obsolete however. This is a spiral bound notebook after all, and they naturally allow for easy page removal. 

It should be noted as well - the paper is ever so slightly off-white. Hardly noticeable, but it is. I prefer this personally, but some people don't.

My very first test page of writing with this. What do I think of the paper? Honestly - some of the best I've ever used! Allow me a few moments to extol it's virtues unto you: First, it's butter smooth! Incredibly smooth to write on - I really mean it. But, it has a nice tactile feel to it nonetheless. It's not like Clairefontaine smooth, which is a good thing in my eyes. The paper has absolutely no feathering, with any of my pens and inks. Simply put, it is the most pleasant writing experience ever for me.

If you're already used to writing in Japanese notebooks (such as Apica), then this paper may not be anything new to you. Of course, you'll be hooked on the paper by then anyway... :)

My one quibble with the paper is this: It has a lot of show through. No bleed though at all, but due to the thinness of the paper, inks do show through the other side.

Held up to direct sunlight, you can really see the Diamine Orange coming through. You'll also note that the backside of each page is unlined.

Laying down, the show through is much less noticeable.

Here are some more writing samples:

A wet broad nib produces no feathering on this paper. :)

And once again, you can see the show through, but no bleed through. Not too noticeable, and since I personally don't use both sides of the paper, this is a non-issue for me.

Conclusion:

My conclusion? In case I didn't make it obvious in the review, I love this notebook. The small size allows me to take it anywhere with me, without even noticing anything extra. This is nice compared to carrying large notebook around like the CF StapleBound Duo, or the Mead "Moleskine". Both are excellent notebooks, but they are a good deal larger than this.

The paper is excellent for my needs. If really nails what I love to see if FP friendly paper. The only fault I can see is the show through, but then it's hardly a fault really. The paper is fantastically smooth, and behaves very well in all other regards.

I do not yet have the information on where to purchase these. This notebook was a gift. I have requested the info however, and it is on it's way! As soon as I have it, I shall post it up here with a link hopefully.

These notebooks can be had from JetPens.com for the inexpensive amount of $1.65!

And that's it for this paper review. I hope you enjoyed it! Please drop me a comment below and let me know what you think of this notebook. Do you like the small size? Also, am I the only one who finds the perforations on each sheet a tad useless?

Have a good one folks!