Review: Quo Vadis "My Weekends" notebook

What: The "My Weekends" notebook in the Memoriae line by Quo Vadis

The Quo Vadis Memoriae line of notebooks are perfect for keeping track of important events, fun times, places to go, and people. The Memoriae notebooks come in a 12 incarnations, and even sport their own website for sharing your entries with others.

The lovely folks at Quo Vadis sent me one of the "My Weekends" notebooks to sample, which was perfect! I'm in a long distance relationship, so my weekends are really important to me. After using it for the past few weeks, I can say that I will continue to use it until it is filled.


The main chunk of the notebook has blanks for writing about your weekend activities. I love that the blanks are open to interpretation. Since there are no labels, you can easily customize your own entry system. I'm still playing with my own system, but I'm enjoying the flexibility.


The back section offers a place to index important places, or locations. Again, the formatting is flexible so you can come up with whatever labeling system you wish. Here is an example of how I've done mine.


The last bit of the notebook is a place for you to write in lists of people, places, events, etc.

Pros:
Offers structured formatting that can be customized to fit whatever you can think of.
Great paper, no feathering with my fountain pen.
Great size. Just larger than a small size Moleskine, so it fits perfectly in my purse.
Lots of options as far as what notebook you get. With 12 different themed journals, you're sure to find something that fits well with your life.

Cons:
A little difficult to find right now. Check out this post to see find out how to get one.

Review: Quo Vadis Habana

Notebook: Habana (5 stars, your pens are going to waste if they aren't being used in this notebook)
Manufacturer: Quo Vadis
Where: The Daily Planner
WTF: A soft cover, yet hard backed, ruled journal with amazing paper.
The Habana Review Set on Flickr
A full list of features can be found on the Quo Vadis webpage

In short? If you own any fine tipped pen (.4 or less) the paper in this notebook will make them feel like whole new pens. Any disgruntlement you've had with the .18 Signos will be resolved.

I've been a fan of notebooks and fine tipped pens for a long time, but the two have never quite met eye to eye before. The fine tipped pens, particularly the .18 Signo Bits, bite into paper and make writing difficult. However, the paper in the Habana makes me want to buy the multi-pack of .18s. I wrote an entire page with a .18 pen and it was smooth the entire way. I honestly wouldn't feel a difference between the .18 and the .38 Signo Bits. I felt that I could really write for the first time with that pen.

The Frixion are also another Habana win. The Moleskine paper buckles and shreds under the Frixion eraser, but the Habana paper showed no sign of it.


The paper was also very resistant to bleed through, and worked like magic with my fountain pens. As seen here, I drew three slow strokes each on the Moleskine and Habana. (Click on the picture to see it bigger on Flickr). The thicker and smoother paper of the Habana didn't allow the ink to feather and there was absolutely NO bleed through like you can see here in my moleskine.

The cover material is soft, but reinforced. This combination produces a cover that avoids floppyness (a major negative of the giant softcover moleskine), yet still feels supple. The cover moves freely with the spine when opened, and the notebook easily stays open on its own. The pages feel smooth and solid. The ruling is up to debate, and is a matter of personal preference. Personally, I like the title area on the top and bottom, and I'm undecided about the wide ruling. The only thing missing is the ability to fold the cover backwards, but that feature is in no way a priority.

The Habana just feels better to use than any of my Moleskines. Using one is a very enjoyable tactile experience from cover to cover. You will love to use it, and you will find all of your pens will feel better to use. I've used Quo Vadis planners before, and this paper quality is something you can find in all their products. Check out their HUGE selection of planners here. I'm serious, no matter what niche type of planner you need, they have it. If they don't? Let them know at the Quo Vadis Blog.

You NEED this notebook if...

...you own pens that are .4 or below

Buy if...

...you enjoy the feel of fine paper
...you want a notebook that makes you feel good when you pull it out of your bag
...you need strong paper for erasing, or heavy inks

Don't buy if...

...you have a strange complex about title spaces
...you enjoy the cold feeling of Moleskine hard covers