Granted, as you can see in the photos, this is far from terrible bleed-through that certainly wouldn’t prevent me from using both sides of the page, and it doesn’t impact the functionality of the notebook. Some might file this away as a minor annoyance and not care or think twice about such things. But, as I’ll discuss further below, at the price point Crane is asking for these notebooks, I personally don’t believe it’s unreasonable to expect absolute perfection, especially when those of us who don’t mind paying a lot for stationery tend to use fountain pens, and the pens and inks I used to test the paper weren't anything crazy in terms of width or wetness. While the paper performs relatively well for 24 lb. stock, and Crane was probably limited to using 24 lb. paper in order to constrain the thickness of the notebook etc., I can’t help but wonder how Baron Fig has figured out a way to make it work using similarly textured paper in the Vanguard and Confidant, while at the same time keeping to a lower price point. A luxury stationery company like Crane shouldn’t necessarily compete on price, but when you’re pricing the product this high, it raises expectations in terms of versatility and performance.
Takeaways and Where to Buy
As with most Crane products, these notebooks are high-quality and beautiful, but expensive. The “Notebook” engraved 5.5" x 8" (A5-ish) book, which is my favorite of the bunch, costs $12 for a single 48-page book. The smaller, 4” x 6” notebook runs $9 for a single 48-page pocket notebook. That’s steep, and if I’m going to pay this much money for high-end stationery, I personally expect to see no bleeding or even show-through. I’m sure Crane will find a market for these notebooks in Crane enthusiasts and the gift market - probably the intended targets - but the price point likely prevents them from becoming a “daily driver” for most people.
You can purchase these notebooks directly from Crane & Co’s online store. Since I do love the look and feel of Crane’s paper, I’d be interested in seeing whether they release a larger notebook or journal with the 32 lb. stock and more pages. Based on my past experience with Crane stationery, I’d gladly pay a premium for that.
Disclaimer: Crane & Co. sent me these notebooks free of charge for review purposes.