The response to last month's review of the Cortex Brand Sidekick Notepad was overwhelmingly positive - there's apparently much interest in this sort of practical “workhorse” stationery product - so I thought it might make sense to dive further into the landscape notebook/desk pad category. Today I'll be discussing the Write Notepads Landscape Notebook, a long-time favorite of mine which plays a similar, yet distinct, role in my personal workflow.
Baltimore, Maryland-based Write Notepads is an independent print shop that makes a full line of spiral notebooks, writing pads, and pocket notebooks in both standard and limited editions. Back in 2020, when I launched the shop, they were one of the first to believe in my idea enough to allow me to carry their products, for which I'm grateful. The main reason I continue to carry the brand, however, is their commitment to quality, and maybe a little bit of ensuring that I personally have ongoing access to certain of the items in their lineup. (Disclaimer: As mentioned, we sell certain of the Write Notepads products directly in our shop. I don't think this affects my opinion of what has long been regarded as a good standard notebook by the community at large, but transparency is important.)
Write Notepads spiral notebooks all feature a fairly durable kraft paper cover and a thick chipboard backing, bound together with a durable double spiral binding.
I enjoyed reviewing the Sidekick Notepad, and the more structured layout of that pad has found its place in my workflow. Certain types of writing that I do, however, requires unformatted paper, and I can burn through a LOT of it quickly. Take yesterday, for example. I spent much of the day on Zoom calls and/or reviewing e-mails in order to collect input from a dozen different people on a project, while simultaneously processing my thoughts into a longer-form outline that will eventually make it's way into a 50-page memorandum. Since I almost always do my first draft of anything by hand, I had a landscape-style notebook (the one pictured here) beneath my keyboard and essentially took notes in "draft" form as I went back and forth in conversation. By the end of the day I had filled four or five pages, with more looseleaf notes taken on a Baron Fig Mastermind pad.
Obviously I can’t show you the actual writing I do in my day job, but it’s nice to be able to write a continuous line horizontally across the page in this format.
Why this personal anecdote? To illustrate why and how I take use case into context whenever I discuss a product, offer a recommendation, and/or make choices for my own setup. For example, in my review of the Sidekick, I noted that it might not be a cost-effective option for "those who burn through 5+ sheets of paper on a daily basis, or who only use desk pads for taking lots of notes and drafting documents." Essentially I was talking about myself and a subset of the T.G.S. readership that I know maintain similar working habits. While none of the paper I use is inexpensive, in order to afford my preferences I do try to keep an eye on the overall cost of the paper I use for certain specific writing-intensive projects, and lately I've even tried to move some of my longhand work to an e-ink tablet (more on that later).
I’ve had very good luck using Write Notepads paper successfully with broad nibs and stubs, even combined with very wet inks.
Given the type of writing that I do, Write Notepads is one of several brands that strikes a balance between paper quality and cost. The paper works well with fountain pens, and is absorbent enough to dry relatively quickly when I'm writing quick notes at work and need to flip the page. The sturdy chipboard covers hold up in a bag, and will last a long time in storage if I need to maintain work notes long-term. Are these notebooks perfect? No. For one thing, I REALLY wish the pages were perforated, and I'd probably be willing to pay a few bucks extra per notebook for that feature. The Landscape Notebook would - in my opinion - be perfectly sized if it were a half-inch shorter to allow for a better fit beneath the keyboard. But no "perfect" product exists - this hobby wouldn't be fun if it did, right? - and that's why I'll likely already have a rotating stable of different pens, pads, and notebooks to collectively get me through my work week.
Despite the absorbency, there is no bleedthrough and very little, if any, show-through on the paper.
Takeaways and Where to Buy
Certain products are great because they're just solid, well-executed examples of what they are, and while not inexpensive, cost-effective enough to allow you to use them in larger quantities without feeling too guilty or extravagant. I've long loved the vintage aesthetic of the Write Notepads spiral notebooks, and whether I'm working with fountain pen, ballpoint, or pencil, the paper remains a staple of my workday.
Color selection continues to expand. Arctic Blue is my personal favorite, followed by Pistachio.
We sell most of the entire Write Notepads lineup directly, via our online shop, at pen shows we visit, and for local pickup in the greater Nashville, Tennessee area. The Landscape Notebook is priced at $20 for a 120-page notebook (writing front and back) and available in several different colors, including Black, Pistachio, Plum, Arctic Blue, and Forest. (While technically sold only in a lined ruling, if you prefer dot grid paper, you can achieve the same landscape effect by taking a Write Notepads Dot Grid Spiral Notebook and turning it sideways.) Those who prefer more structure to the notebook they have sitting under their keyboard may want to look at the Weekly Planner layout, which also features the spiral binding on the side, not the top.
Further Reading
If you're interested in reading more on landscape-style notepads, my other two favorite options include the Cortex Brand Sidekick Notepad (recently reviewed and discussed above), and the Baron Fig Mastermind, which might be the most inexpensive option in my everyday paper arsenal and a top choice for everyday "scratch paper".
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