Three Papers, One Leather Cover: What's Inside Our Pocket Notebooks
Every pocket notebook in the shop begins the same way: a cover made by hand from cowhide, sheepskin or vegetable-tanned leather, with inner pages you can refill when you reach the end. They come in two pocket formats, M5 and M2.5. What really changes from one notebook to the next is the paper — and the paper decides which pens it will take, and whether it can handle paint.
Here is how the three papers compare.
| Paper | Weight | Suits | Watercolour |
|---|---|---|---|
| P01 · Ultra-light writing | 60g | Pencil, ballpoint, gel, fountain pen, coloured leads | Not designed for paint |
| P04 · Daolin | 100g | Pencil, ballpoint, fountain, gel, coloured pencil, dip pen | Not recommended |
| P05 · Cotton watercolour | 120g | Pencil, fountain pen, coloured pencil, dip pen, watercolour | Yes |
P01 · Ultra-light writing paper, 60g
The writer's paper. Each sheet is so light that a notebook holds nearly twice as many pages as a standard one, which makes it the one to reach for if you fill pages quickly. It takes pencil, ballpoint, gel pen, fountain pen and coloured leads.
Found in 22 M2.5 covers (£32) and 3 M5 covers (£45).
P04 · Daolin paper, 100g
A light beige sheet with a subtle dot pattern. Its low absorbency makes it a pleasure to write on with pencil, ballpoint, fountain pen, gel pen, coloured pencil or a dip pen. Keep it for ink rather than paint — it is not recommended for watercolour.
Found in 2 M5 covers (£45).
P05 · 100% cotton watercolour paper, 120g
The heaviest of the three: fine-textured and acid-free. It is the only one made for watercolour, and it is just as happy with pencil, fountain pen, coloured pencil and dip pen — so the notebook doubles as a sketchbook that fits in a pocket.
Found in 15 M5 covers (£45).
Which one?
- Mostly writing, and you want the most pages — P01.
- Fountain pens and dip pens, no paint — P04.
- Sketching and painting on the go — P05.
Because the leather is natural and every cover is made by hand, no two are quite alike — each product page shows its own leather and colour.
