Limited Edition Alert: Baron Fig Confidant "Metamorphosis"

April 17, 2017

The Spring limited editions are starting to drop, including the quarterly entry in Baron Fig's Confidant subscription service. This quarter's theme is "Metamorphosis," which features a peach/pink cover, a bright blue bookmark, and dot grid paper.

“Great ideas don’t materialize all at once, but rather as a series of thoughts that come together to create something bigger. Metamorphosis reminds us to start small and keep going.”

— Baron Fig

Where to Buy

I'm really digging the peach color, and the "Metamorphosis" notebook might be my favorite limited edition Confidant so far. You can purchase "Metamorphosis" directly from Baron Fig. If you'd like to receive the limited edition Confidant notebooks automatically each quarter (and at a small discount), consider purchasing a one-year subscription.

Disclaimer: The product featured in this post was sent to me by Baron Fig at no charge. I was not otherwise compensated for this review.

Another Baron Fig L.E. Release: the Vanguard "Infinity"

February 28, 2017

As I alluded to in my last Baron Fig subscription update, a new Vanguard release was right around the corner. This quarter’s Vanguard update is the “Infinity” edition, featuring three unique designs which “perpetually weave, twist, and spiral into infinity,” and “serve as a visual reminder of your vast potential to think and create.” There’s nothing “askew” about these notebooks - other than the cover and color scheme, they’re standard dot-grid Vanguards (Flagship model, 5.4” x 7.7”) that come three to a pack. Order yours now on Baron Fig’s website for $14, with discounts for multiple packs and subscribers.

The three "infinity" shapes, out of the shrink wrap.

All three notebooks feature Baron Fig's dot-grid paper.

Disclaimer: Baron Fig sent me the product featured in this post free of charge.

"Shelterwood" on Steroids: Pacific & West Discbound Notebooks

February 8, 2017

Field Notes wowed us a couple years back when they introduced their "Shelterwood" line of limited edition notebooks, which featured a think veneer of cherry wood bonded to a Kraft paper cover. The edition proved so popular that a variation was later reissued as the "Cherry Wood," which remains in their lineup to this day. So, it was only natural that another company would come along and take this idea to the next level.

Pacific & West Large Refillable Discbound Notebook

Pacific & West is a company based in Portland, Oregon that creates notebooks from premium walnut covers and brass discs, similar to the popular Levenger "Circa" Series or the Staples "Arc" brand. Pacific & West first garnered attention with their 2016 Kickstarter project that combined walnut and brass to make a premium spiral-bound notebook, which funded and from what I can tell, received very good reviews. In response to user comments, Pacific & West redirected their resources from making spiral bound notebooks to developing a refillable, discbound version.

The brass discs that form the spine of the Pacific & West notebooks are absolutely gorgeous. They'll also form a nice patina over time.

The Pacific & West Discbound Notebook comes in three sizes: Pocket, Large, and Extra-Large. The notebook featured here is the "Large" - slightly smaller than a traditional A5 notebook. Both the "Pocket" size and "Extra Large" size are also non-standard dimensions, meaning that you will likely either need to use Pacific & West branded refills or cut your own paper to size to fit these notebooks. (You can check out Pacific & West's "Size Guide" here.)

The blank paper in my notebook worked well with fountain pens. I've not tried the lined or dot grid version. All paper is advertised as 70#, and refills come in packs of 120 sheets.

While I would have appreciated a standard paper size that would allow me to punch holes in Rhodia, Clairefontaine or other papers that I use to take notes throughout the day, I found the blank Pacific & West paper to be very high quality. In addition to the unlined paper shown here, you can choose lined or dot grid. The ruling and dot grid is a "low contrast light grey" designed to remain in the background.

As you can see, the paper on the Rhodia No. 16 pad is slightly smaller than the "Large" Pacific & West Notebook.

Takeaways / Where to Buy

I regularly use discbound notebook systems at work to organize project notes and loose papers. The Pacific & West notebook is nice looking and well-made, though if you work a lot with standard-size 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper, as I do, you may not be able to use this notebook as your primary option. If Pacific & West made a standard A5 or letter-sized version, I'd buy multiple notebooks.

You can purchase Pacific & West notebooks directly from the company's website. The notebooks themselves are $59 for the Extra Large, $39 for the Large, and $25 for the Pocket. That may seem expensive, but when you consider the craftsmanship that goes into the cover, and the fact that these use solid brass discs as opposed to the plastic discs used by similar disc-based systems, the price seems reasonable. You're paying for good quality. Paper refills are also reasonable, priced between $7-11 for 120 sheet, which is less than what you would pay for Levenger Circa paper. (I haven't used Levenger paper in a while, but I recall it being relatively non-fountain-pen friendly. I've had a much better experience with the Pacific & West paper.)

Disclaimer: Pacific & West sent me this notebook free of charge for review purposes. I was not otherwise compensated for this review.

Introducing the Baron Fig Askew Confidant Limited Edition

January 31, 2017

Well, Baron Fig did it, for all you doubters out there who met the company's announcement of multiple simultaneous subscription services for as many as four different product lines with skepticism that they could maintain their creative edge. I'm still not sure what, exactly, they're going to be doing with all those limited editions, but the newest version, Askew, makes it clear that it probably won't be boring.

Even the inside cover is hand-colored, with blue ballpoint.

Askew, a collaboration with graphic designer Debbie Millman, is entirely hand drawn, from the inside cover pages to the ruling on the paper itself. Spoiler alert (not really): the hand-drawn lines aren't straight, and on a handful of pages they even cross or devolve into scribbles. Obviously, you're not going to be able to use these pages as you would a typical notebook, but that's clearly not what Ms. Millman and Baron Fig were going for here. The goal of this particular edition is to foster creativity by encouraging people to think "outside the lines." Personally, I really like it, and can see myself using this book as an offbeat journal or for brainstorming sessions.

Everyone has focused on the "usability" of Askew, and whether it was wise for Baron Fig to include this unusual notebook as part of Baron Fig's subscription service. That's a fair question, and one that I've addressed before in my review of the "Black Box" Vanguard notebook. Those who were considering a Confidant subscription, thinking that they would definitely get a standard notebook each quarter - as in, one they can use to take notes at work - may now have to reconsider whether they want to subscribe or purchase on a "wait & see" basis. Of course, Baron Fig could always avoid the issue by doing what Field Notes does - offer subscribers the opportunity to exchange the Limited Edition notebook for a standard Confidant of their choice, if they so choose.

The vibrant violet color of this notebook really changes things up for Baron Fig. I like it, especially the red bookmark.

What's more interesting to me here is the collaboration aspect of this edition, and what it says about Baron Fig's prospects. Debbie Millman is a big deal in the design community: She hosts the wildly popular "Design Matters" podcast, and has been a guest on many other well-known podcasts, including the Tim Ferriss Show. That Baron Fig is attracting collaborators like Ms. Millman bodes well for the future, and I'm excited to see what else they have lined up.

Where to Buy

You can buy the Askew Limited Edition via Baron Fig's website for $20. If you're interested in subscribing to the Confidant quarterly subscription service (or one of the others that Baron Fig offers), you can do so here.

Disclaimer: Baron Fig sent me this product for review purposes at no charge.

Quick Take: In the Pines, In the Pines ...

January 23, 2017

While I received these a week or so ago, I just got around to cracking the box open over the weekend, and I must say that I continue to be impressed with what Write Notepads is doing with their limited edition pocket notebooks. The latest edition, "In the Pines," just confirms for me that I made the right decision by subscribing this past fall. I love the forest green cover and dot grid paper, and the pencils seem a bit different this time (for the better), with more rounded hexagonal edges and a stronger cedar smell.

Beautiful simplicity: thus far, Write Notepads has resisted the urge to do "too much" with the design of their notebooks.

"In the Pines" is a reference to the American folk song of the same name, first popularized by Leadbelly in the 1940s and later by Nirvana on their "MTV Unplugged" album, where it appeared as the closing track under the name "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" (Great album, by the way - I listened to it for the first time in years this weekend - but I digress.)

Unlike other pocket notebook brands, Write Notepads sells and ships their books in tastefully designed boxes rather than shrink wrap.

I suspect these will go quickly, since they've received a lot of attention, so grab some now if they pique your interest. For the moment, pencils are subscriber-only, as is the "In the Pines" sticker. You can order directly via the Write Notepads website.

If you're interested in checking out what Write Notepads has done with previous limited editions, check out my review of the "Kindred Spirit" edition. At some point I need to do some photos and a quick take on the "Royal Blue" edition as well, but in the meantime I recommend reading Johnny's review over at Pencil Revolution.

Disclaimer: I purchased these notebooks with my own funds, for my own personal use.