Last year I received a customized Monsieur notebook for review from Bookblock, to promote their "Bookblock Original" line of custom notebooks. Several weeks ago, Bookblock reached out again to let me know that they will launch a line of "standard" stationery products this fall, starting with the new "Weskin" notebook. They were kind enough to send me two Weskins to review here.
The Weskin is a softcover, clothbound A5 notebook that features two ribbon bookmarks and 192 pages of 90gsm lined ivory paper. I love the look of these notebooks. Mine arrived in yellow and navy blue (there's also a gray option available), and I couldn't be happier with the colors. I enjoy bright yellows, and both the yellow and the navy complement the gilt-edged paper quite well. They seem sturdy and lay flat. Which brings me to the paper....
Each Weskin notebook has two ribbon bookmarks and gilt edging. The gilding makes that satisfying "cracking" sound when you open the notebook for the first time.
The paper isn't bad, and has a nice texture, but I was a bit disappointed to see that it bled through with fountain pens, my preferred writing tool. Fine and extra-fine nibs don't necessarily leave the the page unusable on the flip side, but I generally don't like to have to think about whether the writing instrument I'm using will "work" with my current notebook. With the Weskin, I'd probably have to limit myself to using pencils, ballpoints, and rollerballs. These two notebooks will likely go to my wife, who's a die-hard rollerball fan, loves gilt edges, and will make good use of them!
Takeaways and Where to Buy
Congratulations to Bookblock for putting together what looks to be a quality notebook, with good paper that I wish was a touch more fountain pen friendly. At some point, I hope that Bookblock does for the Weskin what Baron Fig did for the Confidant and up the paper weight slightly to allow us fountain pen users more versatility. I know that some of Bookblock's custom notebooks offer the option of choosing slightly heavier paper, so perhaps that option will be available with the Weskin once it launches? I'd also love to see a dot grid or graph version.
You should be able to purchase these Weskin notebooks directly through Bookblock's online store sometime this fall, and I've also seen the Weskin advertised for pre-order on Amazon, and even at Barnes & Noble. It appears as though Bookblock is planning on making a broader marketing push with this notebook, rather than just selling through their own site and specialty stationery stores. It's always nice to see a notebook of this quality with wide distribution.
Disclaimer: Bookblock sent me these two notebooks free of charge for review purposes. This post contains affiliate links.