Review by Laura Cameron
Several weeks ago Ana and I were discussing what products needed to be tested and reviewed and she handed me a Mnemosyne notebook. I laughed and told her I’d been using one for ages now and she asked me why I’d never reviewed it before. So today I’ll talk about my trusty Maruman Mnemosyne N183A Inspiration Notebook ($10.00 via JetPens)
I bought my Mnemosyne back when I was first getting into fountain pens and I wanted to try a bunch of different kinds of paper. At $10.00, the Mnemosyne is perfectly priced for trying out and I ordered one from JetPens right away.
The Mnemosyne N183A is an A5 sized notebook (6.5″ x 8.25″/16.25 cm x 20.5 cm) oriented in what I now think of as “landscape” format. The notebook contains 70 pages of 80gsm acid-free paper. The pages are primarily blank, although there is a small line at the top of the page designated as “Title/No.” I usually use this line to document what pen and ink I’m using, but that’s up to you. The notebook is called Mnemosyne after the Greek goddess of memory and this line offers you a way to memorialize and organize your writings.
The N183A is spiral bound with a dual ring system that allows you to fully open the notebook and fold the front pages behind the back cover. I had no trouble opening and turning the pages, or folding them behind. The pages are also perforated, making this a great notebook if you want to pull your sheets out and use them elsewhere. The notebook itself is very light, weighing in at 8.7 oz/247 g and most of that weight is the paper. The cover is made of a flexible black plastic, and there is a yellow cover sheet at the front of the book. The back of the book is sturdy cardboard.
Although I don’t have information on exactly how this paper is produced, it feels slightly slick and coated when used. It performs very well with a variety of pens and ink and, while there is sometimes a bit of bleed through or ghosting on the back with heavier applications (think ink splotches!), I haven’t had any feathering issues at all. This notebook has been my go to notebook when testing new inks, as you’ll note from most of my ink reviews.
I have tried a variety of notebooks and papers since joining the fountain pen community and while I may be pretty smitten with Tomoe River paper, I really can’t say enough good things about the Mnemosyne. It really is an excellent notebook at an affordable price.
Laura is a tech editor, podcaster, knitter, spinner and recent pen addict. You can learn more about her knitting and tea adventures on her website, The Corner of Knit & Tea and can find her on Instagram as Fluffykira.
