Now is generally the time of year when I start thinking about next year’s planner. For the past few years I’ve been using my friend Nikol’s Year of the Planner, and before that I loved Ruff House Print Shop’s Weekly Planners. I find having weekly spreads where I can make to do list and note daily events to be my favorite kind of planner. I was just planning on proceeding apace with one of the two options above. Until I saw the Effin’ Birds 2023 Monthly/Weekly Planner Calendar.
If you’re not familiar with Effin’ Birds, it started as a Twitter account where author Aaron Reynolds paired “vintage black-and-white bird illustrations with sayings that, more often than not, rely heavily on the F-bomb and other curse words.” The Effin’ empire grew to include other social media platforms, a book, and associated merchandise (stickers, shirts, mugs, posters, etc.) As long as you’re not averse to cursing, it feels like there is an appropriate Effin’ Bird for every occasion.
I’ll admit that during the pandemic, Effin’ Birds could always be counted on for a laugh, or a snort, and brightened my days several times. So I couldn’t resist the siren call of a planner that would give me new things to laugh about weekly!
The planner itself is a sturdy soft cardstock cover, with a sewn binding. This give the cover a bit more of a sturdy feel, but the pages open and lie flat, meaning you don’t need to break the binding to use it. The pages are “printed on FSC certified paper with soy-based ink” and have a sturdy feel as well. Closed, the calendar measures 7.25″ x 9.25″ (18.5cm x 23.5 cm). When opened, it expands to 14.75″ (37.5cm) wide. It weighs in at 1 lb., 1oz. or 485gm.
The planner is divided into sections. At the front you have 12 month’s at a glance in 2 page spreads. Then come the weekly spreads with illustrations on one side, and daily sections on the other. Finally you have a few pages entitled 2024 planning, a few years at a glance and a section for notes. A ribbon bookmark, helps you keep your place.
I have to say I’m super pleased with the paper. I tested various fountain pen inks and nib widths and the paper behaved beautifully. I thought it might feather or bleed, but it didn’t! And there was zero show through.
While I know there are many of you that are die-hard Hobonichi afficionados, I tend to choose thicker papers, and something a little arty in my planner. I guess Effin’ Birds doesn’t qualify as high art, but I think it’s going to keep me amused (and organized) in 2023.
DISCLAIMER: I purchased this planner with my own funds from Amazon.com. Please see the About page for more details.
Following our previous posts about Ring-Bound Planner Systems and Discbound Planner Systems its time to tackle the “elastic planner” AKA the Traveler’s Notebook (TN) or, when not made by the Traveler’s Notebook Company, the “Fauxdori”. The name Fauxdori arose several years ago when Traveler’s Notebook was still under the Midori branding and was refer to as the “Midori Traveler’s Notebook”, hence faux-dori as a name for any similar design.
Many folks will already be familiar with the Traveler’s Notebook but for anyone not familiar with the system, here’s how they work. Instead of rings or discs and holes in your paper, the Traveler’s Notebook is a leather (fabric, cardboard, or other heavyweight material) cover with a series of elastics running the length of the spine on the interior of the cover. These elastics allow for smaller cahier notebooks (thinner notebooks of 64 pages or less, usually) to be slipped under the elastics to hold them into the cover.
Unlike ringbound or discbound planners, the TN-style planner is organized by booklet. You can have a calendar booklet and then a blank booklet for notes and so on. For people looking to combine a bullet journal system with a more traditional planner, the TN/fauxdori system may be a great option. Some people have a notebook with lined paper for journaling, one with grid paper for project planning and then a sketchbook paper booklet for drawing, collage or art making.
The Original regular size”Traveler’s Company cover in Camel (via Traveler’s Company USA)
The Covers:
The original TN leather covers are just a piece of leather punched along the spine for elastics and punched in the back for a horizontal elastic to secure the cover closed. Very simple, minimal and unfussy. Since the launch of the original Traveler’s Company covers, many leatherworking companies and makers stepped in to make covers that include interior pockets, more elastics along the spine and even non-leather options.
Originally, the TN covers were only available in “Regular” size and “Passport” size. The “Regular” size is now widely referred to as the A5 Slim size. (approx. 9″ x 5″). The Passport size is the same proportions as a passport (approx. 4.8″ x 3.5″).
Regular A5 Slim (original Traveler’s Company size)
Passport (original Traveler’s Company size)
Pocket (approx 4×6″)
A5 (approx. 6.25 x 8.75″ — cover sizes will vary to accommodate various numbers of inserts)
A6 – to hold a Hobonichi or similar
B5 (approx. 7.85 x 10.5″)
B6 (approx. 5 x 8″) – will hold Stalogy or Wonderland planner or similar
and many other options…. check sizes before ordering a cover to be sure your notebooks and inserts fit.
The market immediately noticed the need for other options and quickly, leather workers added A5, A6, B6, Field Notes-size and many more.
My Bassy & Co B6 Fauxdori cover with custom stitching color.
Insert Options:
Unlike discbound or ring bound systems, there is no need for additional equipment to add notebooks to your TN. Just loop them under the rubber bands. You can of course print your own custom inserts from the myriad of options available on Etsy but there are some nice options from TN Co. directly including super lightweight paper, watercolor paper and an array of plain papers (lined, graph, blank, etc).
Some people, myself included, will also put full-sized notebooks into a fauxdori cover. I keep a Stalogy B6 notebook in my cover and use multiple elastics to keep it steady and secure (one looped under the front cover and one looped under the back cover).
Traveler’s Notebook Leather Wallet insert from Galen Leather.
For pre-printed inserts, there are several companies I recommend.
If you are willing to print and bind your own inserts for your TN/fauxdori, there are hundreds of downloadable PDFs available via Etsy or individual web sites. Binding your own booklets requires either a stapler (sometimes a long-arm stapler will be needed) or skills in simple stitched bookbinding (a three-hole method is easy and instructions for binding can be found on YouTube or via a Google search).
TN notebooks can quickly be customized with plastic pocket inserts, pen loops or leather wallet inserts and more. Traveler’s Company has also been releasing annual special edition covers with various special add-ons like stickers, rubber stamps, charms and more. The 2022 theme was actually four different covers: Music (passport Size), Hotel (standard A5 slim size), Airplane (standard A5 slim size) and Train (passport size). These sets are very limited edition and tend to sell out quickly. Last year, the theme was B Sides and Rarities and offered a wide selection of special paper inserts including Lightweight and Washable options.
Traveler’s Company also offers other add-ons like their own bullet pens and pencils and even fountain pens. If you like the notebook covers, you don’t need the branded writing tools but they are pretty cool. Like any part of the stationery hobby, you can go DEEP if you want to.
The original TN covers only include one elastic but offered an accessory pack of add-on rubber bands with a lovely little instruction sheet about how to add more notebooks to your cover by using the bands in creative ways. YouTube has lots of TN set-up videos that will show techniques for layering rubber bands and various inserts for the most stuffed TN/fauxdori possible.
Conclusion:
Some people find the standard A5 slim size to be awkward or too narrow to use while others find it to be the sweet spot between portable and functional. If you are not certain about the original Traveler’s Notebook size, I recommend purchasing an insert first before investing in a cover and trying it out. Choose a paper you like and get accustomed to the size. I find the Passport size to be useful as a wallet allowing me to keep paper handy along with cards, receipts, cash and other detritus. I use the fauxdori A6 and B6 sizes for notebooks and journals for various purposes. I keep an original TN for ink testing and swatching. This year my constant companion was my bullet journal in a B6 fauxdori. While I wouldn’t say that I would never switch from a fauxdori planner, I do seem to have more TN/fauxdori covers and inserts than any other binding system.
Do you use a TN/fauxdori? Would you consider one now?
Although I’ve long been a fan of Blackwing pencils for both drawing and writing, I have no love for the erasers attached to them with their iconic ferrules. In fact, I find them so mediocre that they prompted me to go on a Blackwing eraser hack-a-thon a few years ago. After finding the best block eraser for the job (spoiler alert: my favorite is the Tombow Mono Smart), I now hand-carve erasers to put into my Blackwing ferrules. You can imagine, then, how my graphite-dusted eyebrows perked up when I heard the news: Blackwing now offers a soft handheld eraser ($10 with holder).
Since Blackwing cores are made in Japan, and since Japanese companies make most of the best handheld erasers on the market, I’ve often wondered why Blackwing pencils couldn’t come with better attached erasers. My big hack-a-thon gave me the explanation: While handheld (bar style) erasers are the best form factor for performance, the bars that perform the best are often too soft to use inside a ferrule. Some of my favorite soft plastic or “foam” erasers were too flimsy once I had hacked them to a size that would fit. The softness that makes erasers perform well (a kneadable being best of all) is exactly what makes them unsuitable for ferrule use.
As soon as I touched the new Blackwing handheld, I knew it wouldn’t hold up to ferrule hacking. That was my original intention. But it still looked like a decent eraser worth using, so I decided it was time for another eraser rub-off – this time specifically to challenge the Blackwing.
First, I’ll talk a bit about the eraser and, of course, its “ferrule.” The eraser looks like a standard white plastic eraser of the type most pencil users are familiar with. Designed to look like the iconic ferrule and clip, the holder is made of matte black aluminum with a debossed Blackwing logo. Although it’s heavier than the paper sleeve that most bar erasers are covered with, the holder itself doesn’t add much weight. It’s lighter than I expected. It’s packaged in a simple cardboard box.
Bonus points for being a symmetrical sleeve, so I could turn it around and make it lefty-oriented (no, it’s not a big deal to use a righty-oriented eraser, but when most things in life are upside-down or backward to a lefty, it’s nice to have some things that aren’t).
As with the eraser attached to a Blackwing pencil, the clip pulls the eraser out. The eraser can then be extended, making it easier to hold as the eraser gets smaller. When it’s too small, it can be easily replaced (replacement erasers are 3/$10).
Time for the rub-off! I dug into my eraser collection and pulled out a dozen contenders:
I prepped the test sheet (a page of Canson Mixed-Media paper with a mild tooth) with a long swatch of three layers of graphite and a single line that would be the equivalent of a written mark. Both were made with a Blackwing Lab 08.25.22 limited edition pencil, which contains a balanced core (mid-range between Blackwing’s softest and hardest cores). Since I’m a big colored pencil user, I also made a three-layer swatch with a Faber-Castell Polychromos pencil in Pale Geranium Lake.
The first round of testing indicated that all 13 erasers took graphite off eventually, so their differences were mainly in how much effort was needed to remove the marks, how much dust they produced, and their basic “feel.” The Blackwing handheld far outperformed its standard ferruled sister and was a strong defender against the others.
As expected, colored pencil removal performance was spottier. The Blackwing handheld was average in the color category and would not be my first choice (my current favorite for colored pencils is the Rabbit Pure Slim).
For round two, I picked the four erasers I thought were most similar to the Blackwing handheld in terms of performance, dust and “feel”: Tombow Mono, Tombow Air Touch, Pentel Hi-Polymer and Pentel Ain. For this test, I scribbled with the same Blackwing pencil in a Field Notes Brand notebook containing 50-pound Accent Opaque smooth text, which is much less toothy than the mixed media paper. They all performed equally well, including the Blackwing, and all produced similar types and amounts of crumbs. In feel, the Blackwing is most similar to the Tombow Mono; the other three contenders are just slightly firmer than the Blackwing.
Given that the Tombow Mono is a popular favorite among many pencil users for its performance, I’d say the Blackwing handheld is an excellent eraser!
Like most things Blackwing, the question now is less about performance and more about price. When an equivalent-size Mono in a paper sleeve can be had for $3.50, is the aluminum sleeve worth the price? It doesn’t enhance the act of erasing, so its presence is esthetic. Perhaps in a conference room setting, it would look more professional than an eraser used by school kids. But if you just want a solid eraser, the refills without the holder would do the job well at a price comparable to many other good erasers.
DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
This post is an extension of Ana’s post last week. She started the overview – I will be continuing with a comparison of Regalia 80 gsm paper to Cosmo Air Light 83 gsm paper. If you haven’t read her review of the Endless Recorder notebook, you can find it here:
Ana and I have been discussing the future of fountain pen paper lately – the changes in Tomoe River paper and the discontinuation of Cosmo Air Light paper have created upheaval in the fountain pen world over the past three years. Where are ink loving people to turn for comfort in these tumultuous times?
The best way to prepare for the future of fountain-pen friendly paper is to hoard several lifetimes-worth of paper in a giant warehouse… actually, no. Storing non-archival paper for too long isn’t the best idea, so we will need to turn to diversification instead.
This is what started our journey into new (for us) papers, one being the Endless Recorder notebook that uses Regalia paper. This paper is created in-house by Endless and is advertised as “Ink-Loving Regalia Paper” in the “World’s most ink-friendly notebook”. We shall see if these claims are true.
The A5 notebook comes with a hard, leatherette cover (I’ve actually found it is a touch flexible as well) and plenty of features that make it more pleasant and convenient to use as shown on the packaging.
Endless also claims that that is is distinguished by its “uncompromising attention to detail”.
Let’s start with the paper. I’ve made a test page to look closely at various ink characteristics. Here is the front of the page of the Regalia paper:
And the back of the same page:
I have copied some of these test inks on Cosmo Air Light paper:
And the back of the same page on Cosmo Air Light paper:
Shading: Regalia paper is the winner (See the first ink on each paper), showing a greater amount of shading.
Sparkle: This category is a tough call and it depends on what you want from sparkle inks. Cosmo Air Light shows a blinding amount of sparkle but the sparkle often spreads off of the ink and over to the rest of the page. Regalia shows sparkle very well, more middle of the road than Cosmo Air light, but the sparkle remains with the ink and doesn’t spread.
Sheen: Sheen is a close call, but the winner is Regalia paper.
Multi-Chromatic Show: Cosmo Air Light paper wins easily in the multi-chromatic (or dual-shading, chameleon, magic) ink category. Regalia doesn’t show much depth of color for inks with this characteristic.
Haloing: This is an incredibly difficult characteristic to show in a photograph. The best way I’ve found is to show the drop of water in the scribble with the test below. This is a tendency of ink to spread to the outside edges before the ink dries, a combination of the viscosity or perhaps the surface tension of the ink and the absorbency of the paper. It can be described as the crispness of the letter edges. Regalia wins this category by a narrow margin.
Ghosting: Cosmo Air Light paper is the winner, showing less ghosting on the back side of the page.
Bleeding: This is about the same on both paper types. The only bleeding (but not bleed-through) I saw was when I made multiple passes over the same area.
Feathering: None. Both papers win here with incredibly crisp letter edges.
There are several ways to buy Cosmo Air Light paper. The two companies that I purchase from are Galen Leather ($25 + shipping from Turkey or $32 from a US-based retailer for 288 pages of 75 gsm) or Musubi (~$25 US dollars + shipping from Singapore for 208 pages of 83 gsm). Compare the price to that of a Regalia notebook ($23.50 for 187 numbered pages + 16 perforated pages).
My take-away from this post is that I see great results from both types of paper – I’m disappointed only in the multi-chromatic shading aspect of Regalia. Regalia is in my current pile of testing notebooks, and I will continue to seek and test even more paper in the future.
Which type of paper from this review would you prefer?
DISCLAIMER: The items in this review were purchased by me. Please see the About page for more details. You can help support this blog by joining our Patreon.
Artisans and pen enthusiasts in the international pen community, spearheaded by Jon Tello of HelloTello Studios, have created products to support a charity auction, raffle and shop, the Scripting New Stories Collective (SNS Collective). The project was announced on EU Anti-trafficking Day, and is a project to raise funds for the Alba Safe House & Recovery Program, a non-profit organization that serves survivors of sex trafficking in Italy, to change lives for the better.
Many members of the pen community have contributed products for the auction, sale and raffle that will help fund this venture. The Scripting New Stories Collective (SNS) will launch on Friday, Oct. 21. The fundraiser will run through Sunday, November 13, 2022 and the goal is to raise $25,000 to support The Alba Safe House & Recovery Program which serves survivors of sex trafficking in Italy. Alba House provides refuge including long-term housing, restorative care, and tools for reintegration into society. Alba House is the sole beneficiary of any fund raised by the SNS Collective. The SNS Collective is honored to support the work at Alba so that survivors can script stories of hope and freedom for their lives.
The SNS shop will have limited-edition products available for immediate purchase with all proceeds going to Alba. The raffle promises a variety of items allowing participants have multiple chances to win. Exclusive, high-end, items will be listed in the auction for bidding.
Some of the artisans who have provided products for the SNS Collective include:
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I grew up in a Jewish household and didn’t celebrate Christmas until I became an adult, so as a kid I didn’t experience the fun of advent calendars. While traditionally created to celebrate the 25 day countdown to Christmas, I think today’s advent calendars can be fun for everyone. Basically, I think they’re a great excuse to give yourself a little treat leading up to the holiday season and the new year, and after the last few years we’ve had, I firmly believe in treating yourself! So, today I’m highlighting a few fun stationery-themed advents, and a few more that I think are fun for everyone.
For Stationery Lovers:
Diamine Inkvent: For the third year in a row Diamine has put together their ink lovers’ dream advent! Included with each InkVent are 24 small (12 mL) bottles of fountain pen ink behind each “door,” with a larger (30 mL) bottle behind the 25th door. Pre-order yours now because they will sell out!
Martha Brook’s 24 Days of Stationery: Now in its 5 year, this gorgeous advent from the UK includes 24 items of stationery inside enticing foil embossed boxes that have been designed to look like a row of colorful books on a shelf. From a personalized notebook to a 2023 calendar, a set of correspondence cards, luxury pens, gold stationery accessories, and an assortment of chic paper goods, each day offers something different to be revealed and enjoyed!
Not into stationery? No problem!
Bird & Blend Tea Advent: Launched in 2016, this advent is a favorite for tea drinkers! This year the magical advent comes with TWO teas per day – double up on your fun. Available in regular and decaf, this might be the perfect gift for cold weather sipping.
If you haven’t seen something that’s quite your catnip (you know, the thing you enjoy the most that you can’t get enough of!) we’ve got a few other ideas.
Check out what your favorite brewery is doing for the holidays – oftentimes they’ll have an advent or special limited edition.
We hear rave reviews about the Aldi Wine Advent which isn’t out yet for this year!
Got a favorite hobby? There are a million and one yarn and sewing advent calendars, both from indie makers or bigger brand names.
This is a follow-up to a series of posts created several years ago that dove deep into classic ringbound planners. To follow-up, we are going to going to investigate the ringbound planner’s closest cousin, the discbound planner.
Weekly interior spread from Happy Planner
What’s a Discbound Planner:
Discbound planner systems are built on a similar principle to a standard ringbound planner except instead of a hole punched along the edge of the page to attach the paper into a binder, the discbound system uses discs that have grooves cut into them to hold onto the paper. The paper is then punched along the edge, creating mushroom-shaped divots that grip around the discs.
What makes a Discbound Better/Different than a Ringbound Planner?
With most covers, the disc sizes can easily be changed if you need more space or less space. Discs are relatively inexpensive so it’s easy to keep a spare set on hand. Those extra discs can then be used in another notebook set-up you’ll just need extra covers which can be made from cardstock, cardboard or even an old cereal box with a little cutting and punching.
Discs can be made of plastic or metal. Plastic is lighter and less expensive but metal can class up the look of your planner.
Since the paper is punched along the edge, rather than a hole through the paper like a ringbound planner, pages can be added or removed with having to pop open rings and snap them closed. One of the biggest complaints people have regarding ringbound planners is that, over time rings might not close completely or line up properly causing pages to fall out. Not to mention, popping the rings repeatedly in an office, class or meeting room can be a little loud.
Both full wrap covers and exposed disc covers are available. Should you want a more professional, polished look, a full wrap cover like those from William Hannah or Levenger may be preferable. If you want to be able to fold the cover back on itself, therby needing less desk, lap or table space, an exposed disc cover might be a better option. Exposed disc covers are available in a wide array of materials from leather to paperboard and plastic. If you are looking for non-leather options, discbound systems offer a wide array of options.
Levenger Circa discbound notebook
The Big Movers & Shakers:
Discbound systems started with notebooks and then pre-printed pages were added that eventually became planner inserts. As far as I know, the first system using rings came from Levenger, called Circa. (Don’t hold me to it but Levenger was the first company I knew about who was using these discs to bind books.) Staples entered the ring with their ARC system and then many others followed.
Update: Thanks to our readers who reminded me about Atoma. The Belgian company, Atoma were the originators of the discbound system. When their patent expired, other manufacturers came onto the scene as I’ve mentioned above and below, most notably in the US was Levenger and then later Staples, Office Depot (TUL) and then indie makers.
Rollabind, which was one of the US producers of discbound notebooks in the 90s, is no longer considered a brand leader in the discbound business. There are a lot of complaints about the Florida-based company when I Googled the company. As far as I can tell, the company is out of business. Even the URL is available for sale.
In 2015, the Happy Planner was released which built on the large, all-in-one life/family/work planner systems that had been on the market using wire/coil binding (like the Erin Condren Life Planner) except using the discbound system which added the flexibility of a ringbound planner to these behemoth planners.
Martha Stewart’s line of discbound notebooks through Staples ARC line.
There are some stock sizes available for covers for Discbound systems (A4/US Letter, A5 /Half-Letter, A6 and pocket/jotter which is roughly 3×5 are most common). Some brands will offer other sizes but these are the most common.
The advantage of the discbound system is that any paper can be punched and inserted into the system. It doesn’t even have to be the same size as the planner which allows you to punch and insert smaller bits of paper, be they notecards, paper scraps or other documents, and insert them in whatever order you need. Print out a meeting itinerary and punch it to fit in your daily pages. Add a photo between weekly pages to brighten your day. Punch loose sheets of different kinds of papers and add them to your planner or notebook for drawing or ink swatching.
Since the holes are even spaced regardless of the size of your planner, one punch will work with any paper size. Unlike ringbound planners where the hole spacing varies depending on the size of the planner, discbound planners definitely make adding your own pages much easier. The average price for a mushroom punch large enough to punch A4/letter paper is about $50USD.
William Hannah “Plannah”
Customizing a Discbound System:
Like a Ring Bound planner, the discbound covers allow you to add any type of insert you want, in any order you want. You can start with a pre-printed planner system like the Happy Planner and then add additional pages to meet specific needs. Or you can build your whole planner from scratch.
Happy Planner month-on-two-pages layout.
If you pick a common size like A5/Half Letter, finding and printing inserts is relatively easy. You can even go to sources for free pintables like Philofaxy and print the A5 inserts designed for ringbound planners and punch them to fit your discbound system.
There are also 100s of options available on Etsy to download and print yourself. Some inserts will allow you to edit them in Acrobat before printing for even more customization. I find that searching the terms “planner printable” plus the year if you want dated or “undated” or “minimal” gets the best results for simple pages. If you know you want decorative pages, add design elements to your search terms like “botanical” or “celestial” or whatever strikes your fancy.
Discbound planners and notebooks are similar to ringbound planners but they offer different degrees of flexibility and options. I don’t think there are as many high end cover options for the discbound planners which I think is a downside.
Some find that pages that have been added and removed repeatedly from ringbound planners can get bent or damaged so that it becomes difficult to keep the pages in the book. I think this depends on the paper and how gently pages are removed.
Being able to fold pages back on themselves is a big plus over ringbound planners. Being able to add lots of different paper sizes or tidbits is also a big plus.
If you like creating your own planing and note-taking system, ringbound and discbound planners offer a great deal of flexibility and modularity.
Stay tuned! We will be providing a deep dive into other planning systems in the coming weeks.
