My wife always says I have expensive hobbies, like photography and ham radio, and now I’m afraid I’m falling into another one: the analog world of premium notebooks, paper and pens.
I’ve always loved notebooks and writing things down, no matter where I am. But I’ve always stuck to cheaper options from Target or Barnes & Noble. I never actively sought out anything fancy because I was afraid I’d buy something beautiful and then never want to write in it. My goal has always been simple: have something where I can jot down thoughts as a temporary holding place before moving them somewhere more permanent, maybe even digital. At the same time, I’ve always appreciated the beauty of leather-bound notebooks and fountain pens. Right now, that’s where my interests are leaning.
I always carry a Field Notes notebook with me. I have one in pretty much every bag I own: my laptop bag, my iPad sleeve, you name it. But I’ve always wished these little notebooks had one feature: the ability to move pages around or tear them out without damaging the staples. Well, I think I found something that might work for me.
It’s from a company called Plotter, and they sell leather-bound binder systems ranging from pocket size to full notebooks. I’ve been eyeing them for about a year now but never pulled the trigger because they’re pretty pricey.
Today, that changed. I decided to go for it and ordered the Plotter Mini, which is about the same size as a Field Notes notebook but features a five-ring (or is it six-ring?) metal spine that accepts their refills. Along with the Plotter Mini, I grabbed some unlined refills, grid refills, blank refills, and a lifter (basically a hard plastic divider that protects your paper, while giving you a solid writing surface). Plotter says it’ll take about five to six days to prepare the order before shipping, so I’m expecting it in the next two weeks. or so
I’m excited to try it out and see how this system works for me. I think it’ll be a perfect match since it’s flexible: I can refill, change papers, or move things around as needed.
Hey, at least I didn’t go down the route of expensive fountain pens, yet. Maybe that’s next?