I've had this notebook in my collection for a while now, and I've finally got a good sense of what it's all about. At first glance, it's a pretty notebook, but that's about where its usefulness ends. It looks great on a shelf, but when it comes to actual writing or drawing, it's a bit of a letdown.
I have to admit, I bought it because of its looks, and it definitely delivers in that department. The nautical theme is a nice fit for my style, and I found myself wanting to draw something pirate-themed right off the bat. Spoiler alert: I did.
The closure mechanism is actually pretty clever. It's a popular design, but it's one of those things that's just nice to have. The little button makes it easy to open and close, and the chain closure is a nice bonus. I've got one on the closure and one on the bookmark.
One of the main issues with this notebook is the stiffness of the cover. Check it out – it's really stiff. And that's why the edges of the cover always try to pop up when you open it. I've even tried to bend them back, but it doesn't make a difference. The result is that the cover always tries to pop up, no matter what.
The paper is a bit rough, but it's got a nice texture to it. It's like old-school paper, you know? And it fits in with the nautical theme. The format of the notebook is a bit small – A6, to be exact – and the pages are even smaller.
What I do like about this notebook is the mechanism. I only just noticed it this year, but it's been here since I bought it a couple of years ago. It's got rings, and they're really nice. The little buttons make it easy to open and close.
When I saw it, I really wanted one like it, but better. Bigger, better quality... I even ordered one, and it's already arrived. So, that's a plus for this notebook, I guess. It gave me the idea to look for a better one.
And here are the drawings I did in it. I'll show you what I managed to draw. Like I said, I wanted to draw something pirate-themed from the start. And I drew the Black Pearl in a bottle. Then... a year went by... and I remembered it again. And it was autumn, so I drew something dark. And here's what I came up with.
I wouldn't recommend this as a gift. Who likes useless gifts, right? It's usually the ones they try to sell as gifts that are the most useless. But I would definitely recommend checking out a notebook before giving it as a gift. Check if it's comfortable to write in, if it opens easily... This one I bought for myself, and it's just collecting dust. It's pretty, but it's not useful.
Maybe the only thing it's good for is pulling out the pages. The mechanism might be okay, I don't know. The chain closure is nice, but the stiff cover ruins it.
I've included some pictures of the notebook and the drawings I did in it. You can see how stiff the cover is, and how the edges try to pop up. You can also see the nice texture of the paper and the mechanism.
I hope this review helps you make a decision about whether or not to buy this notebook. It's definitely not the best notebook I've ever used, but it's got some nice features. Just be aware of the stiffness of the cover and the small size of the pages.