Clairefontaine Collection 1951 Notebook in Purple

Here is a lazy Wednesday post (as I have been neglecting this blog) - Earlier this year I won a little Clairefontaine collection 1951 notebook from QuoVadis Blog and as soon as I touched that little thing, I fell in love with the paper went straight to order a bigger one from isellpens (at 3.75 a piece). I guess for smaller order, Jetpens' price is also reasonable if you buy 2 (they are 6 bucks for one or 2 for 8) and have enough product to reach the free-shipping limit.

Beside the dimension, the bigger notebook isn't that different. The notebook is 5 3/4 x 8 1/4, contains 48 sheet of lined white 90g paper. The cover is textured and there are two visible (unlike the smaller version) staples on the spine. It's a little less angular compared to the smaller pocket sized one so the edges don't wear off as much.

Originally I planned to use this to copy down libretto I want to memorize but I ended up ripping the first 3 pages out because I needed a notebook to write my lab journal (you all know my other notebooks are heavy on the pattern and this is the blandest one). Thanks to the smooth paper, it's much more fun writing boring procedures, data and analysis (as I can do it neatly, pausing down to think and look at how pretty inks look on the page). All I need to make sure is to be careful with pens/ink like black Pilot G2 or Noodler's Black, both dries very slowly on this paper and tend to smudges if I accidentally touch the page.

Clairefontaine Collection 1951 Notebook Red Coral

Back in January, Quo Vadis Blog hosted a giveaway for the smaller Clairefontaine collection 1951 notebook, I ended up being one of the 33 lucky winners. A few days after the announcement, this little notebook arrived in my mail (courtesy of Sunny from Exaclair).  Look, they even picked the one in red coral, which is my favorite color when it comes to lip products!

The smaller size measures 9x14cm ( 3 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches) and contains 64 pages bonded by staple (that I can't see or feel), according to most sellers. The cover is harder paperback and has a nice texture on it. The color actually gets rub off somewhat easily (if you just toss and let it roll in your bag) so I seal the hinge and sides with some clear packaging tape instead.

Many have raved about the Clairefontaine paper so I will try to keep it short: The 90gm paper is thick-enough (with barely any show through), smooth (not in a waxy-film kind of way) and shows the shading of inks wonderfully. The dry time on this paper is slightly longer (compared to cheaper, more fibrous ones) but that's to be expected.

The smaller size is perfect for poems. Since I haven't memorized any aside from the ones sung in choir, I use it to write down opera arias (The above writing was Seguidille from Carmen) I like. I also use it to jot down to-do, to-draw and what-should-I-buy-next lists. Maybe I should get another one as a flash-card type of notebook, since the bright coral gives me good mood whenever I take it out.

Obligatory Plug - Seguidille performed by Agnes Balsta

Writing was the Bullfighter's Song. Smudges courtesy of Noodler's Tiananmen.

Overall: I really love it and 3 dollars is such as great price for it. Now I just need to find some translucent plastic paper to wrap it (Back in elementary school in China, I used that to wrap the book I want to care for, like a baby).

For the interested:  You can buy them at Isellpens (where I ordered another one from) , Goulet and Jetpens.