I'm looking for a pocket sized note book and pen (maybe a gel ink rollerball) to record ideas and reminders. I don't carry a smartphone so a pen and a pad of paper come in handy. So, do any of you have a preferred brand of note book or pen?
Not a notebook, no, but I do have a favourite pen. The Pilot Frixion. Best thing about it? It's erasible and the friction rubber does its thing without taking the surface off the paper. It comes in several colours and is reasonably priced. I wouldn't use anything else if I'm writing by hand.
My best friend is pencils, not pens. Pencils always write whereas pens don't work in wet/cold weather etc. As for pads, I have oodles upon oodles of them out of necessity. My favourite combo is golfer's pencils (about 1/4 the size of normal pencils so they fit in a pocket; and usually several so you don't have to be concerned with sharpening them until later) with mini-pocket-pads that have a spiral ring at the top (fast and easy to flip to a new page or flip through previous notes......and......the covers come in different colours so you can catagorize if you want - ie, red pad is urgent, green is work stuff, blue is home stuff, yellow is ideas etc.). Granted, ink is more permanent but I've read pencil notes from a hundred years ago (grandfather) that are still very legible.
I literally get the cheapest A5 notepads and plain old biros, I have bags of notepads and my hands would be boring old biro blue if water did not rinse them, I really love the charm of notepads that exclaim ''A5 NOTEPAD'' as long as the paper is obedient I won't bother complicating the process.
I am absolutely in love with Moleskine notebooks. The ones I prefer are about 5.6"x3.6" - they fit in a shirt pocket. They have elastic closures and silk bookmarks, as well as inner back cover pockets. The covers are stiff enough that you can write in them without having a desk or any other hard surface. Great little notebooks, and I never go anywhere without one! I love mechanical pencils. I have these fat-bodied ones that have Ph.D on the pocket clip, but I can't give you any more info about them right now because we're doing renovations here and our house is turned upside down and I can't even access my desk! I like a variety of pens, but they have to be black ink. Only the blackest will do. Currently, I'm using a Pentel EnerGel Metal Tip 0.7mm pen - I have a drawerful of these. I'm also trying to get used to fountain pens, because hey, fountain pens!
I love a notebook that fits into any and all pockets but in general they are between A6 & A7 paper size. The smaller the better for me as I like to have them on me at all times. As far as pens go, since i have small notebooks, i need a pen that has 0.5mm tip. Anything bigger feels like a permanent marker to me but I've since moved to pencils, the golf type as mentioned by Jeff above. They are perfect, discreet and can be taken anywhere, anytime.
I didn't expect to see so much love for pencils! But maybe a golfer's pencil is the way to go. I hate it when you need to write something down but find yourself surrounded by pens that don't work! Still, there's something satisfying about writing in ink.
It was only a matter of time, wasn't it? If you hadn't mentioned them, I would have Moleskines are great, but they're overpriced. If it's simply the size and style of them that appeals, quality knock-offs can be had for much less. I also like the Ciaks, but like Moleskine, they're overpriced. This website is long dead sadly, but if you can't find a notebook here, you won't find one any where. http://blackcover.net/tag/little-black-notebook/
I have a very special bloodwood pen and pencil set that I got for like $50 about 8 years ago. It reminds me of my woodworking days, but I rarely use it. I do not have a favorite notebook or anything, but I am partial to doing all my notes on thick 120lb cardstock that is a very light manila color with some stray fibers here and there. It is not that I also like it for ripping off a corner or two to use as a toothpick or anything... but it also does that very well.
Notebooks don't matter much to me, so long as the paper is of sufficient weight. Writing instruments, on the hand - have to have my fountain pen. Right now I'm using a Waterman.
Yes, this. I get the bigger ones with the elastic strap over the cover. $20 per, but they're what I write all my Important Ideas in. Otherwise I usually get a 5-subject notebook or two. As for pens, I have a really specific preference for purple pens. I'll write with other colors, but I have multiple purple pens - and they're all from Planet Fitness gyms, because their pens are free and write in purple ink, so I'll just steal a couple every time I'm there.
