Bound Custom Journals was a Kickstarter project out of North Carolina. All went swimmingly and now they have a site fully stocked with three styles of customizable books to choose from to build your very own: the 4×6″ linen flexible hardcover ($35), 3.5″x5″ memo book ($10) and the 4×6″ leatherette flexible hardcover ($50). The linen cover is available in five colors, the leatherette in two. Even the memo book is available with five color options for the covers.
An assortment of paper types can be chosen for the inside:
Any combination of pages can be used; you can fill the front with a calendar and checklists and then the remaining pages with lined, blank, grid, isometric grid or all of the above. The options are pretty open.
Bulk orders will allow you to customize the covers with your business logo or personal artwork.
As best as I can tell, the interior of the book appears to be a bright white paper stock. And as luck would have it, Brad at the Pen Addict just posted a review of his new journal and memo book from Bound with pen tests and images of interior pages. Check it out as he finds the paper good with gel pens but not so good with fountain pens.
These are VERY enticing to me, but I, like Brad, am a little put off by the price. I understand why they cost this, because they are completely customizable, after all — but if the paper is less than it should be, it kind of defeats the whole purpose of a notebook. Just my two cents! (I will probably take the plunge and order one after Christmas, though!)
I am in the same boat as you and Brad. I was most curious about the paper and just happened to sit on my post until Brad published his establishing that the paper wasn’t up to our fountain pen-using high standards.
As for the price, most planners are at least $20-$25 at retail and Moleskines are $25 these days so while $35 seems pricey, when compared to discount and sale prices, for a built-to-order product I was not all that surprised.