Review: Quattro Notepad

12 05 2008

Here’s one I hadn’t seen before.  I haven’t had a chance to give it a real thorough test, but here’s a short take.

It’s an 80-sheet pad that’s styled a little like the Rhodia pads, with the stiff glossy-ish cover that folds over (this one has a pea soup-colored cover).  Overall size is 3.4″ x 5.5″, and the sheets are micro-perforated.  It’s made by the Hand Book Journal Company (an offshoot of Global Art Materials) based in Kansas City, MO.  I picked it up at The Art Store in Des Moines for $3.  They’re available in an interesting 8×8 quadrille-ruled format (scan below), a lined format that I didn’t look at, and a blank one.  One thing that’s cool about these things is that Hand Book has also released leather foldover covers for them.  I didn’t check the prices, but with the notepad priced at $3, it probably won’t break the bank for the leather cover to go along with it.  If I decide I like these, I might spring for one. 

The paper is finished, but it’s not the same type of finishing process that Clairefontaine uses for their Rhodia pads; it’s more like the finish on the Ampad Gold Fibre legal pads.  Still, with a fine point, you shouldn’t have many issues. 

Initially I tested it with a Vanishing Point loaded with Pelikan Royal Blue.  Seemed to work fine, although I think the line might have spread out a little further than I’d have expected.  Later, I used a wet-writing Omas 360 on it with good results (better than I expected, actually).  I also tried out a needlepointed nib on it and got predictable results. 

I couldn’t find any traces of feathering, and no bleedthrough.  Granted, I wasn’t using the world’s most saturated inks, but with the Omas being such a wet writer, if it was going to bleed, it would have. 

If you want to try one, here’s a few pictures so you’ll know what to look for.  Happy hunting!  (Pardon the poor photo quality on these…pressed for time!)


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6 responses to “Review: Quattro Notepad”

12 05 2008
Patrick Rhone (14:41:43) :

Mmmmm… Lovely grid on that there unit. Might have to go an scare me up some of these.

12 05 2008
Speedmaster (20:09:48) :

Nice work on that review!

16 05 2008
Chris (06:48:58) :

Prizm had these on sale a couple of weeks ago, buy 2 get one free. I got 3 and carry one of these as “disposable” notebooks, if i’m going to be getting dirty or wet or whatever.

16 05 2008
Speedmaster (07:36:39) :

Nice work! I submitted this to Armand over at Notebookism.com and I see it’s up there this morning. ;-)

16 05 2008
Eric (23:00:40) :

Hey,
I’ve been looking all over for these since the art store at my school has sold out of them. I’m an architecture student and I’ve love carrying these around as a sketch/note pad that fits in my back pocket. I only like using the blank pads but I can’t find them anywhere online and I can’t find it online at TheArtStore either. Did you find them in person, or have you seen them online anywhere?

Thanks!
-Eric

21 05 2008

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