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I use cheap notebooks

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Re: I use cheap notebooks

#271

Post by cafard »

jasonpeacock wrote: post #83
LaffertyDev wrote: post #78

It took me a while to get over the fear of destroying/using up nice things. Like enjoying a nice bottle of liquor, or using up a very nice notebook. Eventually I came across the idea that things are meant to be used, and now I'm much more relaxed about damaging/using up the things I own. I read once a stellar idea to help get over the fear of starting to draw in a notebook (or an art project, or a new software projec…

A similar approach I've heard (but never brave enough to do) is when you get a new car, intentionally scratch the paint yourself. Then you won't be as concerned about the inevitable dings and scratches it will accumulate.

An acquaintance claimed to know someone who would use a bat to make the first dent in any new car he purchased. But that could be one of those stories that just travel around.

Re: I use cheap notebooks

#272

Post by hooverd »

sumtechguy wrote: post #157
hooverd wrote: post #138

I use those yellow legal pads. The majority of what I write is just getting my thoughts in order- I don't revisit much of it.

That is what I mostly use. That and post it notes. The notes are nice for 'im done with it toss it'. The pads for making lists of items. I used to have hundreds of old notebooks full of stuff. After one move I went thru them and realized none of it really mattered. Nice paper, very expensive pens/mechanical pencils. I just chucked it all. El cheapo notebook and pens. Switched exclusively to a 'todo' style system for…

The mid-range mechanical pencils are definitely worth it for me. I have some Kuru Togas and love the lead rotating mechanism.

Re: I use cheap notebooks

#273

Post by randomluck040 »

cjsawyer wrote: post #153
LaffertyDev wrote: post #78

It took me a while to get over the fear of destroying/using up nice things. Like enjoying a nice bottle of liquor, or using up a very nice notebook. Eventually I came across the idea that things are meant to be used, and now I'm much more relaxed about damaging/using up the things I own. I read once a stellar idea to help get over the fear of starting to draw in a notebook (or an art project, or a new software projec…

I’ve recently gotten over this sentiment with my electronics. When I was a kid, each device was an irreplaceable gift from a parent or represented the investment of a long time saving. So each device was treated with the absolute care. As a result I spent a lot of time babying hardware. Now I’m a few generations of hardware into being an adult and am retiring perfect condition objects that are just too slow. For what…

This is why my phone looks like I’ve been to war with it. I didn’t pay the price to grip five dollar plastic cases and after my phone has been unbearably slow, no one wants to use it anyway.

Re: I use cheap notebooks

#274

Post by eternityforest »

implements wrote: post #13
eternityforest wrote: post #3

I almost exclusively (On the rare occasion I use paper, mostly as a prop to look professional or not mess up a low tech ambiance, or some other specific use case) use an A5 6 ring binder. I especially like how you can print 2 pages on a US Letter, cut it in half, punch it(If you don't have a 6 hole punch, use an existing 6 hole sheet as a stencil and punch the marks), and it's close enough to A5 to work. It's great f…

> I almost exclusively (On the rare occasion I use paper, mostly as a prop to look professional ... Yellow legal writing pads were good for that, back in the day.

Those are pretty great for that, but small planners have less visibility to other people and they can't see how bad your handwriting is or how long it takes you to write 2 words....

Re: I use cheap notebooks

#275

Post by rpmisms »

capableweb wrote: post #96
rpmisms wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I intend to resell my car, so not going to do that, but I like the idea. Very stoic-adjaecent

You're lucky you don't live in a larger city. It's impossible to keep it 100% scratch/dent free unless you 100% of the time park in your own garage. Even if you park your car in underground, private for-profit garages, it'll eventually end up with a scratch/dent somewhere, somehow.

Yeah, I live in the middle of nowhere and it's far better this way. I just get cat and raccoon footprints on my roof.

Re: I use cheap notebooks

#276

Post by ubermonkey »

mdlman wrote: post #53
ubermonkey wrote: post #42

I use expensive notebooks because I use a fountain pen, and crappy notebooks won't take good ink well.

I’m with you. Although I recently started writing a lot more than usual. I ended up buying a used wire binding machine. I’ve been making notebooks with nice printer paper and cardboard from cereal boxes recently. It’s worked surprisingly well, although I may get a better source of cover cardboard soon. The nice part is that I can make notebooks of any size and any paper (like watercolor paper for sketchbooks) with lo…

This is a great example of the thing that happens a lot: There's the hobby or primary activity (in this case: writing on nice paper) -- and then the all-consuming DIY-hacker-ethos activity of needing to build or modify everything associated with the activity.

I'm glad YOU are happy, and I absolutely understand that you aren't doing this, but a super common thing is that someone mentions a hobby -- pens and notebooks; home espresso; motorcycles -- and is then deluged with instructions about how they should do a bunch of stuff that's really part of the second order hobby (the DIY stuff) and not about the main activity.

I just want to make coffee, or ride my motorcycle, or have good pen and paper options. I don't need to

- Hack a chinese grinder instead of buying a turnkey device; or - Modify a bunch of stuff on my motorcycle when it works just fine as it is; or - Make my own notebooks

But if you're happy doing these things, bully for you!

Re: I use cheap notebooks

#277

Post by ubermonkey »

Symbiote wrote: post #60
ubermonkey wrote: post #42

I use expensive notebooks because I use a fountain pen, and crappy notebooks won't take good ink well.

Writing with a fountain pen was expected of me from about age 8, although the enforcement decreased significantly from age 14 or so. The notebooks / exercise books the school supplied could hardly be considered expensive, so you may just need to shop around. Or maybe downgrade to use cheap ink on a cheap notebook?

Paper compatibility with pens is really a multivariable problem of paper x pen nib x ink choice, BUT I think you may also underestimate how crappy mass-market paper is in the US.

Fountain pens are exclusively hobbyist items. Children are never taught with them, and that kind of penmanship hasn't been a normal part of childhood education in the US at any point in my lifetime.

If everyone is using a ballpoint with paste ink, the paper can get progressively crappier and crappier for a long time before anyone notices.

When I buy notebooks in the UK, though, I find that lower-end notebooks tend to be nicer than their apparent equivalents in the US.

Re: I use cheap notebooks

#278

Post by ubermonkey »

fernandotakai wrote: post #146
ubermonkey wrote: post #42

I use expensive notebooks because I use a fountain pen, and crappy notebooks won't take good ink well.

i've tried a bunch of notebooks and they still don't take ink well -- which ones do you use?

As I noted elsewhere, it's really a question of paper x pen nib x ink, because some combos work great and some won't.

The paper in my Barton Fig journal is fine for, say, my Vanishing Point pens with stock Pilot/Namiki ink, but my Aurora with Birmingham Pen ink bleeds intolerably there. (This is one reason pen people tend to have multiple pens inked at once...)

Anyway, at my desk, I'm using currently a Rhodia Goalbook blank journal. It takes anything I throw at it.

If you can find it, Tahmoe River paper is really great for almost any combo, but they recently changed the mill and I understand the new version isn't as great. Finding it is always a bit of a Thing since they don't make journals; you just have to find a company that's making books with their paper.

I used Moleskine for years, but at some point a while back (a LONG while back), their paper changed and my go-to combo (the Vanishing Points + cartridge ink, because for years I flew all the time and this made it easy) stopped working well on that paper. I moved on to Leuchtturm 1917 notebooks, and they were more like the old Moleskines, but I moved off of them when I started using a wider array of pens and inks because while the L. paper was fine for the VP, it didn't handle fancier/wetter pens as well.

L. now also makes a heavier paper variant, and I have one I haven't started using yet, but I hear good things.

Re: I use cheap notebooks

#279

Post by ubermonkey »

__rito__ wrote: post #50
ubermonkey wrote: post #42

I use expensive notebooks because I use a fountain pen, and crappy notebooks won't take good ink well.

There are many cheap notebooks in the market that handle fountain pens perfectly. You just have to experiment with some and once you find a lineup supported by a good company, you are set for life.

It's interesting you make this assertion without naming any examples.

Mainly, though, I'm replying to push back on the "set for life" aspect of your comment. Paper mills change, and so do notebook makers. Moleskine used to be fine, but they started using cheaper paper a long while ago and my usual combo of Vanishing Point + Pilot cartridge ink started bleeding really badly.

The point is that eventually, someone at $notebook_company is going to change things up, and the odds are that change will make things worse. So you kinda always have to be looking.

Re: I use cheap notebooks

#280

Post by wombatpm »

netsharc wrote: post #171
wombatpm wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I learned this lesson the hard way. I bought a new car after college graduation. Ordered it from the factory, got exactly what I wanted, picked it up with 5 miles on the odometer. I waged that car 4 times in three days. On the 4th day, my mother backed out of the garage and damaged three panels on the front and side of the car. After that I realized it was just a car.

> I waged that car 4 times in three days. "waged"? Do you mean "waxed"?

Yes waxed. Damn autocorrect
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