Published June 20, 2011It’s nice that every once in awhile we bloggers get sent products we sometimes blog about in an effort to review and promote the items being sent. Who doesn’t love a blank journal made of supple leather that opens up, lies flat and waits for your stupendously brilliant thoughts to flow from your head to your pen to the paper?
The Monsieur Notebooks are the flagship brand of Hide Stationery, Ltd. They are brand new and currently only available in the UK, but are planning for expansion later this year. On the Monsieur website, these journals are described as:
“These covers are made from one single piece of thick vegetable-tanned leather. These have the scent and touch of leather, unlike inferior ‘bonded’, ‘recycled’ and processed ‘genuine’ leathers. Because of this our books have an authentic feel unachievable in mass-produced notebooks. Our books’ understated beauty only improves as they get used, battered and bruised.”
I sampled the small black notebook (below) with my lovely aquamarine Lamy Safari (medium nib).
The flow of the pen on the paper was ultra smooth and I was very pleased to see no feathering of the ink.
I was also very pleased to see there was no bleed-through on the back side of the page.
The journal opens flat, but doesn’t stay flat unless you hold one end down. I prefer journals with the stretching rubber binder that helps hold the journal closed, so was pleased to see that this journal has that.
Overall, I was very happy with the quality of the paper and the overall appearance and functionality of the notebook.
One of you can compare for yourself how these notebooks hold up under scrutiny by winning the large brown journal shown above. Tell me what general or special purpose you would like to use this journal for and either leave a comment or send me an email to Jackie (at) lettersandjournals (dot) com. Giveaway ends 6/23/11.
9 Responses to Monsieur Notebook Review and Giveaway
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Great review Jackie, thanks for sharing and for the chance to win one. these are perfect for so many journal uses, ink, teas, wine and beer tasting journals to name a few. Wish me luck!
I’ve never heard of this brand before but they sound great. Hope they’ll be available in CA soon. Of course, it would be fun to win one first.
As to how I’d put it to use, probably as a book journal or let my teenager use it as a story writing journal.
Lovely journals! Thank you for sharing them with us. If I were to win the large journal, I think I’d use it for a project idea book. I could write directions down and draw little sketches in it for the quilting and beading projects I have in mind. Or I could use it to keep a list of letters I need to write or advice for my granddaughters in the future. Maybe a gratitude journal or even just a list of all the things that make me happy. My mind if overflowing with ideas!
Thank you for the chance to win!
Sharon
Jackie…not familiar with Monsieur Notebooks products, but your review of the journal has sparked my interest. If I should win my personal one, I would use it to make daily or weekly entries of prayers, concerns, praises, etc. reflective of my spiritual journey during this season of my life. Thank you for your generous offer at a chance to win! ~~Linda
p.s. I tried sending you an e-mail at the address given, but I received a notification of :
—– The following addresses had permanent fatal errors —–
(reason: 553 Sorry, your envelope sender is in my badmailfrom list.)
That is a very nice looking journal. If I won it, I would likely use it as a journal. My journal is pretty much a bit of everything: travel notes, thoughts, quotes, so on. So it would certainly get plenty of use.
Best, and keep on blogging.
Wishing I was in the UK as I would be tracking one of these down on my lunch. I would use it for the companion journal to me FEARLESS painting practice.
As an aside, having to log in to comment is such a chore…yawn…I would comment more otherwise…
Hello:
This is such beautiful journal. And a leather cover! Amazing.
I do calligraphy and that’s what I would use this journal for. A large size would be most helpful, as I could do different sizes of nibs, and change to different script styles.
I would be so glad to receive such a journal with so many features looked for in journals, but never having everything in one complete book.
Sany
Beautiful journals and I am very impressed with no bleed though from your pen. I also love the description of the covers – I can almost smell the leather – and that it says they get better with age, battering and bruising! With this in mind I would use it as my ‘commuting’ notebook – to carry around in my bag on the many train journeys I take. Usually looking at the sea view, this is where I get a lot of my ideas for projects, things to write, make, do – so I would write and sketch them in this book.
Have just come across your blog today for the first time – I love stationery and writing letters, so I’m hooked!
Has anyone found a local seller of these Monsieur notebooks?