Bellroy Work Folio A5: A Practical Daily Companion

Today I'll take a more in-depth look at a product that I've previously mentioned: the Work Folio A5 from Australian leather goods company Bellroy. There's been a lot of discussion about this product recently, and I wanted to add a bit of a different perspective, coming from someone who has used the Work Folio "in the wild" for a period of time in perhaps a different context than what's already been discussed. 

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Build and Practicality

I love portfolios. They fit the way I work, which is a combination of being chained to a desk for 4-5 hours a day, with the other 4-5 hours spent moving between out-of-the-office meetings, conferences calls, and court hearings. While I've made a lot of progress in terms of reducing the amount of "junk" paper that I cart around with me, I still need a good notebook to take meeting notes, brainstorm, and record appointments. When I'm traveling, a zippered portfolio provides an easy way to hang onto cards, tickets, receipts and other bits of paper that you tend to accumulate on the road. So when Bellroy reached out and asked whether I'd like to review one of their new Work Folios, I seemed like a natural fit. 

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The Work Folio features a heavy duty zipper and Bellroy's trademark owl logo.

I first heard about Bellroy through curated online retailer Huckberry, who I've been buying from for years. Four years ago, my wife bought me the Bellroy Hide & Seek wallet for Christmas. Other than softening a bit, the leather still looks pristine, and it's more or less the only wallet I carry on a daily basis and look forward to doing so for years to come. I've since added a Bellroy leather pocket notebook cover as well. 

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The Work Folio A5 without the notebook inserted.

Bellroy uses high-quality leather that stands up well to heavy daily use. I'm very hard on bags, portfolios, pens, you name it, so ruggedness is important and I'm not afraid to pay money for a product if I think it's going to last me a long time.  The Work Folio doesn't disappoint in this regard. Bellroy sent me the tan leather option, which feels thick and substantial, and the zipper seems heavy duty enough to last a very long time. Bellroy goods are backed by a three-year warranty. 

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The left inside flap has pockets to hold business cards, notecards, post-its, your phone, a pocket notebook, etc. I'm sure you could also use them to hold a power bank, headphones, charging cables, and other small odds and ends if you use your folio to hold your tech products when traveling.

Inside, the Work Folio has a slot for a softcover A5 notebook on the right, which seems like the main feature of this piece. While there has been some discussion about hardcover A5 notebooks not fitting properly, the Work Folio A5 strikes me as something you would use instead of a hardback notebook like a Leuchtturm 1917, hardcover Moleskine, or a Baron Fig Confidant. While I was able to squeeze in a Confidant, it did leave the folio pretty bulky and the notebook didn't lay completely flat. If you're looking for a leather cover for your hardback notebook, you have other options. 

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The Bellroy Work Folio A5, shown here with the Nanami Seven Seas Writer.

Bellroy ships the Work Folio with a slim A5 notebook, and if that's what you use the one I received was serviceable. You can also find plenty of other softcover A5 options. Personally, I prefer a notebook with more paper than what these slim notebooks offer, so I opted for a Midori MD A5 notebook, which works perfectly. The Nanami Paper Seven Seas softcover A5 notebooks also fit well, and I think that when the Midori runs out I will move over to one of the Crossfields that I have in my stash. 

Due to the lack of a clip on the Baron Fig Squire (Brass "Key" version shown here), this may not be the most "practical" pairing I can think of but I like the combination of the patina on the brass and the leather portfolio. The pen loop is pretty slim, so don't expect that it will hold your fat fountain pens.

In addition to holding the notebook, the Work Folio has a leather pen loop and several pockets to hold cards, your phone, and even an "e-reader or small tablet." This would have to be limited to something like the Kindle Paperwhite or Kindle Fire (or maybe an iPad Mini), but I personally would never think to cart these around in my work portfolio because, well, I don't think they're very practical for professional use, as opposed to a full-size iPad, which requires it's own case anyway. While I may test it out as a tablet case at some point in the future, possibly when I'm traveling and would want to read a Kindle on the plane, my initial thought is that having a tablet in the Work Folio with a notebook would make it too bulky.

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I typically stick a pocket notebook under the left flap. Shown here is an A6 Flip/Flop Notebook from Say Nice Things.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The Work Folio A5 is an excellent product from a reputable and established leather goods company that serves my particular needs well. That said, I can't emphasize enough the need to do your research and consider your own personal preferences and requirements before making a purchase, especially at the price point high-quality leather portfolios tend to command. For most people, this would be a substantial investment in a key part of your workflow, not an impulse buy. If you're committed to hardback notebooks, this particular portfolio is probably not the best option for you, but if you enjoy softcover notebooks like the Midori MD, Life A5, or the Nanami Seven Seas series, I would definitely consider what Bellroy has to offer. Cared for properly, this piece should provide you with years of service. 

I believe the Work Folio A5 is currently in production, and that what Bellroy sent me is a substantially final prototype. The Folio is available for purchase/pre-order on the Bellroy website for $199 USD, with the site estimating delivery in three weeks. If you are interested in an even larger porfolio that holds an A4 pad, and has even more internal pockets, consider the Work Folio A4, priced at $299 USD. 

Disclaimer: Bellroy send me this product free of charge, for review purposes. Many thanks to Bellroy for making this review possible. 

Baron Fig Double Release: "Lock & Key" Confidant and Squire

Baron Fig has announced their first limited edition of 2018, and this time it's a Confidant/Squire combination! The "Lock" Confidant is a gorgeous dark "forest green" color, with a debossed maze cover and a puzzle insert. The brass Squire - a first for Baron Fig - sports a "key" motif, and the packaging from the pen contains a code that you can use to decipher the puzzle hidden in the Confidant. 

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Photo courtesy of Baron Fig. 

The last few limited edition Squire Pens have sold out quickly - as in, within a day or two of release - so jump on this one quickly if you're interested. I've spent the last two days writing exclusively with the brass Squire, and if you like brass pens, this is a good one. The brass will patina quickly: mine has already started to develop after a few hours of use. It's not light by any means, but since the Squire is a shorter pen with excellent balance, you don't necessarily feel the weight of the material. I'd compare the writing experience, in terms of comfort, to that offered by the Kaweco Brass Sport or Supra or the Inventery Machined Pen. 

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Photo courtesy of Baron Fig. 

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I won't go on again about how the Baron Fig Confidant and Squire are two tools that I use on a near-daily basis and can readily recommend, because I've written a lot about both. You can purchase the Lock & Key Squire/Confidant set directly from Baron Fig for $77. This gives you a slight discount, as the notebook and pen are priced at $20 and $65, respectively, if you purchase them separately. This particular limited edition Squire costs $10 more than the standard pen, which is more than fair due to the brass construction.  

As I mentioned, I expect at least the pen to sell out quickly, and this one is even more unique than past releases, so don't wait if you want one. Great job by Baron Fig on their first limited release of the year, and I can't wait to see what else they have in the queue. 

Disclaimer: Baron Fig sent me the pen and notebook featured in this review free of charge, for review purposes.

Notebook Review: Central Crafts Handmade Leather Journals

I was recently contacted by Central Crafts, a UK-based retailer of notebooks, journals, and photo albums, as well as other quirky handmade goods from around the world (such as these amazing animal-themed ceramic coffee mugs). Central Crafts is a family run business located in Hertfordshire, and "passionate about finding and making handmade, quality, ethically sourced products for our organically grown customers which now reach across the globe."  

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The company carries a wide range of leather notebooks and journals from Italy, India, and Thailand, and I selected a notebook to review from their Italian Artisan Journals line: the "Cortona" handmade leather bound journal in the "large" (A5-ish) size. The cover is a smooth leather that is very soft to the touch, and feels like the leather on a high-end briefcase or purse. There's a reason for this: the Italian journals sold by Central Crafts are handmade in Florence, Italy under the "Leatherkind" mark by a small family run manufacturer with over 50 years of experience. They apparently use the same "Spazzolato" leather that is usually reserved for high-end designer handbags. More information can be found on the Central Crafts website.  

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What drew me to the Cortona journal was the two-tone color scheme. I love the contrast between the black leather cover and the light brown edging and stitching. I opted to have my initials embossed on the cover, for which there is a slight upcharge.  

The Cortona contains lined ivory paper, which appears to be the only option available for this particular notebook, but it looks like there may be a blank paper option available in the other sizes. I know, many people would prefer a graph or dot grid option, but for a personal journal or commonplace book - which is what I think I'll use this notebook for - lined pages will work just fine. The paper itself handled most inks very well, including liquid-ink rollerballs and fountain pens.  

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I had no serious issues with feathering or bleedthrough on the paper. With one of my extremely wet Montblanc medium nibs, I experienced some minor feathering that you would have to stare pretty hard to see, as well as some pinpoint bleedthrough/show-through on the reverse side of the page. Neither rendered the page unusable, and I'd compare the paper to that used in the Leuchtturm 1917 notebook or early versions of the Baron Fig Confidant.  

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Takeaways/Where to Buy

I've been using my Cortona as a "commonplace book" for reading notes, and I've enjoyed having this item on my desk. The only drawback is that a journal this nice is non-refillable, so once you use it up you have to purchase another one. That said, the price is reasonable (£29) for an item of this quality, and refillable journals are also available if you prefer.

Fans of leather notebooks and journals should definitely check out what Central Crafts has to offer. In addition to the more traditional Italian line, they offer what they refer to as Indian Rustic Journals, as well as a line made in Thailand out of sustainably sourced tree bark. They also carry a range of home goods and other handmade products from around the world.

Many thanks to Alma and the team at Central Crafts for making this review possible! 

Disclaimer: The product featured in this review was sent to me free of charge by Central Crafts for review purposes.        

Notebook Review: Action Method Notebooks

“Action Method” notebooks have been around for a while, and are one of a handful of products I’ve reviewed here that could be considered “mainstream.” (As in, I have a colleague at work who swears by the Action Method notetaking system, and only uses these notebooks.  He actually found them on his own, too, as opposed to me enabling him.) You may have seen these notebooks marketed in the past as the "Behance Action Method" notebooks, and the current iteration is a collaboration between designers at Behance and Ghostly, two boutique design houses.

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The Action Method Notebook is a great basic, black spiral-bound book that will seamlessly blend in around the office. 

Action Method sent me two notebooks for review: a standard dot grid spiral bound notebook, and a notebook in their “Action Method” format. The "method" itself is a riff on Cornell-style notetaking, where the page is divided into two or more sections: one for actually taking notes from a lecture/meeting, and another section for synthesizing the notes into themes or, as here, action items. With the Action Book, “[f]our distinct zones on each page help you to get the most out of meetings and everyday brainstorm sessions.”

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Action Method notebooks are “designed to help push projects forward, by organizing ideas with a focus on action steps.”

The notebooks are double spiral-bound and all feature a durable black “hard suede” cover. These are sturdy notebooks that should stand up to some considerable daily abuse in your bag or around the office.  The paper is 80lb, 30% recycled blend, which Action Method calls “via Vellum cool white." I’d compare it to Doane or Miquelrius paper in terms of how well it stands up to fountain pen ink: you’ll be ok with extra fine or fine nibs, but with a medium or broader you should expect a bit of bleed or show through. The recycled paper has a nice pleasant tooth to it, though the texture may be a bit much for ultra extra fine fountain pens or “ultra micro” Japanese gel pens.

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Finally, I want to discuss something that many notebook makers ignore, but which I absolutely love about these notebooks: page perforations. The Action Method notebooks are double perforated for maximum versatility. If you aren’t someone who tears pages out of your notebooks, and prefers to use separate notebooks for different topics, you can certainly do that here. On the other hand, if you’re like me at the office, I tend to organize my notes and papers in folders or binders, and sometimes need to scan individual sheets for electronic storage or distribution. That’s impossible - well, not impossible, just really messy - with a nonperforated hardbound notebook or a spiral notebook without perforations where you’re left with a torn “fringe” at the top or side of the page. Here, the double perforation gives you the immediate option of having a plain sheet for scanning/foldering, or a three-hole punched sheet to stick in a three-ring binder. (Yes, people still use those in a law office.)

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

I like the Action Method notebooks. While the “Action Method” notetaking system itself isn’t necessarily something that I use on a daily basis, these are well-built notebooks and I wish more notebook companies would incorporate the double perforation. I can see this one having a place in my stationery toolkit, especially at work.

You can order the Action Notebooks directly from the Action Method website. The price on these notebooks ($16) is fair, though maybe a bit on the high side for a notebook with only 50 pages. To compare, a similar-sized Rhodia spiral notebook gives you 80 sheets for a few dollars less, and the Rhodia “Meeting Book” costs a few dollars more but also gives you 80 perforated sheets. I’m not especially cost-sensitive when it comes to notebooks, especially workhorses that I use around the office, and I do think the price is fair, but in the interest of providing an accurate description of where these sit in the market I figured I would mention it here.

Disclaimer: I was provided these two notebooks free of charge for review purposes. Many thanks to the team at Action Method for making this review possible

Notebook Review: Darkstar Collection

I've followed UK-based Darkstar for the past couple years on Instagram, watching as they've experimented with different sizes, paper, and covers in order to refine their notebook design. They now seem to have settled on two main products: a Pocket Notebook that's 14.5cm x 10cm (slightly smaller than A6), and a larger "Adventure Notebook" that's 20cm x 14.5cm. Today I'll take a look at the Pocket Notebook in the "Shine Star Black" color scheme, which Darkstar recently sent over for review.   

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For an extra £0.99, you can add one of these neat elastic belly bands, which will come in handy if you carry multiple pocket notebooks around with you. 

When I first saw these notebooks in person, "Field Notes Night Sky" and "Pitch Black" first jumped to mind, primarily because all these notebooks feature black covers with reticle grid paper. There are, however, two key differences between the Darkstar and Field Notes products: minimal branding and paper weight. I love that Darkstar limits their cover design to the single "Shine Star" logo, which lends the notebook a sophisticated and understated look - great for working professionals who may not be able to get away with carrying "Dime Novel" or notebooks with shiny holographic covers into meetings.  

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It doesn't show up as much in this photo, but the "Shine Star" logo is black foil-stamped. 

The 100gsm paper that Darkstar uses is high quality, feels nice to write on, and as far as most pocket notebooks go, works fine with fountain pens.  Darkstar states on their website that the paper "will stand up to a range of writing instruments from Blackwing Pencils to Broad Fountain Pens," and that's not inaccurate - the Shine Star notebook contains 54 pages of good paper that's very usable with most fountain pens while keeping to a very fair price point.  That said, you all know I have an extremely high standard for labeling something "fountain pen friendly," which is "zero bleedthrough", and I did experience some pinpoint bleeding on the reverse side of a page. If you only write with very wet broad or stub nibs, and insist on using them in your pocket notebooks, you may have some trouble if you want to write on both sides of the page. 

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For this writing sample, I used a Montblanc 146 with a medium stub (Robert Oster Fire & Ice), a medium TWSBI 580 (Diamine Deep Dark Red), a Schmidt .6mm rollerball refill, and a Pelikan M800 with a fine cursive italic.  All of these pens are relatively wet writers that I wouldn't typically use in a pocket notebook, but I wanted to push the paper to its limits.  While I did experience some pinpoint bleedthrough with the stub and the TWSBI, the finer nibs and rollerballs didn't bleed or show through. Nothing feathered on the Darkstar paper, which is a big plus.    

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I can see these Darkstar notebooks getting some serious use in the future. Since I carry and use my notebooks at work, I tend to gravitate towards sturdy, more understated books (i.e., solid and/or subtle cover designs) over some of the more intricate offerings like those that Field Notes has released in recent quarters. I can appreciate those from a design perspective, but something along the lines of the Darkstar Collection notebooks better suits my day-to-day needs. 

You can purchase Darkstar Collection notebooks directly from Darkstar's website. The pocket notebooks are priced at £6.99 for a three-pack (approximately $9.20 US), and the larger "Adventure Notebooks" are sold in packs of two for £7.99.  In addition to the basic black, the notebooks come in orange, red, and yellow. Darkstar offers free global shipping on orders over £20, so it's worth your while to stock up.  

Disclaimer: Darkstar sent me the notebooks featured in this review for review purposes, free of charge.