Baron Fig Vanguard: A New Direction, and A Good One

Since appearing on the scene two years ago with their "Confidant" notebook, Baron Fig has continued to grow, first expanding into the softcover pocket notebook space with the "Apprentice" series of standard and limited editions, then moving into the pen world with their excellent "Squire" rollerball pen. I was a Kickstarter backer for both the Confidant and the Squire, and have been more than satisfied with both products. Recently, Baron Fig announced that they were expanding their softcover notebook line to include larger-format notebooks, with the entire line to be renamed the "Vanguard". The "Apprentice" would be retired.  

Impressions

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The three sizes of the Baron Fig Vanguard, from the bottom:  Plus, Flagship, and Pocket. 

The Vanguard is a nice-looking set of notebooks. Available sizes include the "Pocket", which is the equivalent of the Apprentice, and a bit smaller than your average 48-page pocket notebook at 3.5 x 5 inches; the "Flagship" (5.4 x 7.7 inches, 77 pages); and the "Plus", which is a large-format softcover notebook (7 x 10 inches, 104 pages) and the one I am perhaps most excited about. In my early days of notebook/pen addiction, I was a fan of the large and mid-size Moleskine Cahier softcover notebooks, but once I moved into fountain pens for most of my writing those fell by the wayside.   

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Baron Fig used very simple, streamlined packaging for this notebook, which will look very attractive when it makes it to retailers' shelves. 

I'm a fan of the textured cover of the Vanguard, which, like the Apprentice, has a nice, tactile quality to it. The color scheme is the same as the standard Confidant, and comes in either Flagship Gray or Charcoal. As with the Apprentice, the binding is stitched with yellow thread. It remains to be seen whether or not Baron Fig will continue with their special edition pocket notebooks, the most recent of which was the Apprentice "Explorer" Edition and apparently is still available.  

Finally, the paper is the same great paper used in the Confidant and the Apprentice, with blank, ruled, and dot grid options.    

Takeaways

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A size comparison of the Pocket-size Vanguard vs. the Plus-size Vanguard.  

In the limited time I've had to play around with these notebooks, I'm impressed. As soon as I finish up the notebook that I currently have going, I'm going to break one of these out for an extended run, though I expect it will be the same great experience that I had with both the Confidant and the Apprentice. Baron Fig uses some of my favorite all-purpose notebook paper. This isn't Tomoe River paper, however, so if you're looking for a notebook that will let you run wild with your widest and wettest fountain pen nibs, look elsewhere. If you're an avid pencil user, it doesn't get much better than writing on Baron Fig paper. 

The Vanguard is available for purchase directly from Baron Fig. The pocket notebooks are priced at $9, the "flagship" at $12, and the "plus" at $15, which is reasonable. It's a touch cheaper than the Moleskine Cahiers (via Amazon, 5x8 size), which I've found to be much less versatile notebooks in terms of the type of pens and ink you can use in them.  

For another perspectives on the Baron Fig Vanguard line, please check out Ana's review at the Well-Appointed desk, which looks at the Vanguard from the perspective of using it as a sketchbook.   

DISCLAIMER: Thanks to James at Baron Fig for sending me these notebooks free of charge, for review purposes. This post may also contain affiliate links.

Update: Sakura Microperm for Field Notes Expedition

I want to provide a quick update of last week's review of the Field Notes Expedition edition pocket notebook. Based on the recommendation of a reader (thanks Brian!), I tried the Sakura Microperm ultra fine pen. Think of a cross between a sharpie and a pigma micron. This is an excellent pen for the Yupo Synthetic Paper. It dries immediately. I've tried to get it to smear and it won't. The only drawback is that there's a bit of a "permanent marker" smell, but the point is so fine it shouldn't be too much unless you're super sensitive to that sort of thing. 

I picked these up on Amazon in a pack of 3, which includes an 01, 03, and 05.

Update will be added to the original review as well.

Galen Leather: A New Source for Custom Leather Goods

A few months ago, I was contacted by Galen Leather and asked whether I wanted to review some of their custom handmade leather goods.  This apparently was part of a marketing blitz, since pictures of their notebook covers have appeared all over Instagram and Twitter as bloggers and stationery enthusiasts receive their Galen Leather packages.  

The Company

Galen Leather is an online storefront run by a brother and sister in Istanbul, Turkey.  According to their "About" page, they've been in operation since 2011 and selling online since 2012.  Galen Leather specializes in making all sorts of leather goods, but what's attracted the most attention are their leather notebook covers, which they make to fit Midori Traveler's notebook refills, Moleskines, Field Notes, and the Hobonichi Techo.  Since I've really enjoyed the Fountain Pen Day-branded notebook cover that I picked up at the Atlanta Pen Show, I decided to go for the Traveler's Notebook-style cover in the "pocket notebook" (i.e., Field Notes-compatible) size.

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I left the brass charm on the blue notebook, but swapped out the charm on the brown for the "evil eye" talisman that comes with every Galen Notebook.  Here's some background on the meaning of the "evil eye". 

The Notebook

My Galen Leather notebooks are each made from a thick piece of leather with burnished edges.  The leather is a touch stiff, at least initially, but with use and wear it should soften up.  The company offers at least 13 different color options (in both leather and bands), many of which are not options for the original Traveler's Notebook.  What I really like is that the Galen Leather notebook comes set up to hold four notebook refills, whereas the Midori notebook comes setup for one or two before you have to purchase more bands.    

Galen Leather allowed me to pick two notebooks, complete with bands of my choice and brass "charms" which can be woven onto the belly band.  They even stamped my initials onto the front of the notebook, and the impression is nice and deep.  I chose the dark brown and the navy blue, both of which are attractive. 

Takeaways

Galen Leather products are nice looking, well-made, and reasonably priced.  I really like this product. I've only had this notebook for a bit, but over the course of two weeks it's become part of my daily carry.  I use it as a sort of "carry all" that fits my pocket notebooks and all the loose papers that I tend to accumulate over the course of the day.  I've kitted it out with two Field Notes-brand pocket notebooks, an Expedition and a Shelterwood, and I've even been able to comfortably tuck my Write Notepads pocket ledger in the back.  I found the brass charms a bit much, to be honest, and felt they got in the way of opening and closing the notebook quickly at work, so I swapped the charm on the brown notebook out for the "evil eye" talisman that Galen includes in every shipment. 

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Close-up of the "Evil Eye". 

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My dark brown Galen Leather notebook with two Field Notes and a Write Notepads pocket ledger. 

Galen Leather prices their products quite reasonably.  One knock many people have had on Midori is that the Traveler's Notebook is fairly expensive for what it is ($49.99 for the large one, before any refills or accessories).  On the other hand, the Galen equivalent is priced at $32 (and ships without any refill).  I see no reason why Traveler's Notebook accessories, such as the paper and cardholders, would not work with the Galen Leather notebook covers.  (I've not checked the compatibility myself, so proceed at your own risk.)

As you can tell from the pictures, I've been carrying the dark brown leather notebook with the navy blue band.  What do I intend to do with the Navy Blue/Gold Band notebook?  Father's Day present for my Dad, since we have the same initials.  (No spoiler risk here, pretty sure he's not a reader of the blog!)  I think my next purchase might be a leather cover for my Hobonichi.  

DISCLAIMER:  This post contains affiliate links, through which I may be compensated a small amount if you purchase something from certain sites linked to in this article.  While I'd greatly appreciate it if you use these links to purchase an item you are interested in, you are, of course, under no obligation to do so.  Many thanks! 

Field Notes Expedition Edition: Great If I Were Going Up Everest Anytime Soon.

I love orange and black as a color combination.  Year-round, too, not just during Halloween.  I'm also a huge fan of dot grid paper.  So it's natural that when I saw the Field Notes Expedition edition, I fell in love with the look of these notebooks immediately.  The Expedition edition ended up being one of the first Field Notes Colors editions I purchased, when I really got into this hobby in earnest a couple years back.  Practically speaking, however, I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with these things.

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Ballpoint or hybrid ballpoint ink works best on the Yupo Synthetic Paper.  Even HB pencil has a lot of ghosting and smearing, in my experience. 

The Field Notes Expedition notebooks are made from Yupo Synthetic Paper, which is described as "100% recyclable, waterproof, tree-free Synthetic Paper" that is "extruded from polypropylene pellets."  In other words, it's plastic.  This stuff won't tear, it's completely waterproof, and depending on what kind of ink you use with it, you can wipe it clean and reuse it.  This last part is what makes Yupo Synthetic Paper a difficult choice for an everyday pocket notebook.  Because the paper is completely non-absorbent, any ink that's remotely water-based or too wet doesn't work at all. Fountain pens, rollerballs, and gel pens simply disappear off the page. You're pretty much limited to writing with a ballpoint pen or a relatively hard pencil.  (I've heard fine-tip Sharpies also work, but have not tested this.)  Soft pencil lead has smearing and ghosting issues.  For me, this limits the usefulness of the notebook, but I'm not the target audience for this product.    

Why don't they work for me as a daily user?  There's too little flexibility regarding the kind of pen or pencil you can use.  With pocket notebooks, I like to be able to jot things down on a moment's notice with whatever pen or pencil that I can find lying around. While I've been carrying the Expedition edition, there have been times when I had to search around for more than a minute or two in order to find a pen that would work on the Yupo Synthetic Paper. What's been the winner?  This.    

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For me, the good 'ol Bic Crystal has been the winner for writing on the Yupo Synthetic paper. $3.49 for a dozen. 

Regardless of whether or not it fills a need for most people, the Field Notes Expedition edition apparently has staying power.  It's still a part of the Field Notes regular lineup three years later, though I'm not sure whether this is due to its popularity, or because Field Notes had a large minimum order requirement on the Yupo Synthetic Paper and therefore has a TON of these things lying around.  Because I don't work "in the field," I probably won't go out of my way to purchase more of them unless things change and I decide to haul my "lawyerly" physique into the Himalayas or Antarctica.  That said, it's a cool product, and I'm glad I have a three-pack.  

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Be sure to write it down.  You don't want to forget Marion's Address in Nepal again. 

Further Reading

A lot of people reviewed the Field Notes Expedition edition when it first came out.  I haven't seen any recent reviews, so I thought it would be fun to write one up.  If you're interested in other people's reactions to this product, check out these reviews.  Most people did far more extensive tests than I did, using different pens on the paper.  

• Brad from the Pen Addict tests out the Expedition edition, and looks at how various pens work on the Yupo Synthetic Paper.

• Johnny from Pencil Revolution tests out the Expedition edition with various pencils.  If you're a pencil user, he gives you the run down on what graphite works best. 

• The Unroyal Warrant does a thorough review, and also links to a bunch of other write-ups. 

You can still purchase the Field Notes Expedition edition from Field Notes directly, as they are part of the standard lineup.  

So what's my favorite Field Notes edition?  For now, it's still the original Kraft paper notebook, and I expect it to remain that way for the foreseeable future.

Five Months with the Hobonichi Techo

After almost five months with this journal/planner/notebook, it's past time to provide my thoughts on it.  I've been using my Hobonichi since January, which has given me nearly five months to figure out whether or not this product is something that is going to "stick".  So far, the answer is a resounding, "Hell yes!" 

What is the Hobonichi Techo? 

Honestly, the Hobonichi kind of defies explanation.  It's sold and marketed as a planner, and many people use it for that purpose, but the pages aren't set up for any particular system.  For example, the pages are graph-lined, which makes it very easy to break each page down into a "daily schedule" in whatever increments you so desire, but you're not locked in to a specific planner system.  The only predetermined "numbering" is the date at the top of each page and a single "12" in the margin halfway down the page.  Many people, myself included, don't use the Hobonichi as a true planner at all.  The notebook contains 365+ pages of high-quality, fountain-pen friendly Tomoe River paper that you can use however you please.  

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The Hobonichi contains the ultra-thin, super smooth Tomoe River paper. 

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The A6-size Hobonichi Techo (in cover) compared to the A5 Leuchtturm 1917.  I've found this journal to be the perfect size to carry around, and the fact that it holds 365+ pages in such a compact format is incredible.  That's the beauty of Tomoe River paper! 

How Do I Use My Hobonichi Techo? 

The Hobonichi is marketed as being "infinitely customizable," and I've taken full advantage. How I use this hybrid journal/planner/notebook changes from day to day.  Some days, I will use it as a journal, simply recapping the day:  what I did at work, good things that happened to me, gratitude items, etc.  Other days, I'll use it for a version of morning pages, brain-dumping everything running through my head before I leave for work in the morning (or, sometimes, before I go to bed at night).  Less frequently, I'll use the Hobonichi as a planner of sorts, but for specific things.  If I'm planning a busy week of blog posts, for instance, I'll use a couple lines of each day to note a reminder of the writing project I'm supposed to be working on to keep myself on track.   

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Last Wednesday was a particularly uneventful day, so I used it to jot down thoughts prior to starting a draft of this review. 

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The Hobonichi also contains over a year's worth of "monthly" pages at the front.  I use them for ink swabs to document what pens I have inked up with with which colors.  

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On days when you don't necessarily have something to write about, or simply need some inspiration to power through, the Hobonichi provides a daily quotation.  Some translate to English better than others. 

Where To Buy the Hobonichi Techo? 

I purchased my Hobonichi early, directly from Japan, because I wanted my journal in hand as early as possible to start the year off right.  The English version of the website is fairly easy to navigate, and shipping is relatively quick and easy.  I believe it took the journal about a week to reach me here in Tennessee, USA, and I was able to add on a navy blue journal cover for minimal cost. All in, given the exchange rate at the time, I believe I spent around $50.  (One Note: on the Japanese website, the English language version of the Hobonichi Techo is called the Hobonichi Planner.  The "Hobonichi Techo" is the Japanese version.)    

Takeaways

The Hobonich is a unique, highly versatile stationery item that I'd place in a category unto itself: neither a true planner, notebook, or journal--it's, well, the Hobonichi.  I'll definitely order another one next year, based on my experience to date.  It's a rare thing for me to stick with daily journaling for nearly five months, and what's kept me on track is the fact that the Hobonichi is not intimidating. There's a relatively small blank page for each day, and it doesn't take much effort to jot down a few things.  If this product interests you at all, the barrier to entry is fairly low (even if you have to order from Japan), and there are so many potential uses for the book that it's worth a shot even if you're not a traditional "planner person."   

Further Reading

For some other excellent pieces on how people use their Hobonichi Techos, check out reviews from Susan Pigott over at the Pen Addict, the Newsprint, and Gourmet Pens.  There's also the Hobonichi Love Tumblr blog, written by the English translator of the original Japanese version.