I have learned that an excellent way to mitigate Notebook Overpurchase Guilt (NOGuilt) is to write reviews of said notebooks. That way, every time I purchase yet another notebook I cannot possibly need, I feel like I am doing others a service.Â
(Insert self-justification hurl here.)
Out of such mental contortions a good thing occasionally surfaces. Like the V-bookâ„¢, which I found in National Bookstore at Shangri-la Plaza.Â
The cover is faux leather, embossed with a mandala-ish pattern that crosses from front to back. It closes with a magnetic strap, has 96 sheets of acid-free paper and sports an expandable inner pocket. Those who seek the comfort of black covers are out of luck; the unlined journals come in dark brown and light brown, the lined in green with the phrase “green apple” incised in front.Â
I don’t know why the inner pockets have to be *that* expandable. I’ve only ever managed to fit 2 or 3 receipts in them without making the journal look like it’s had too much for lunch.
The Moleskine sketch notebook on the right is slightly smaller, and slimmer.
The V-book’s paper can hold its own against the Moleskine’s, and actually performs better in resisting bleedthrough and feathering. Do note I didn’t use the same inks in both (which should tell you that the scientific method and I are not friends).
While retail for the Moleskine is around Php700, the V-book sells for Php185. The label at the back says National Bookstore is the distributor, so I don’t expect you can find this journal in a competitive outlet. If you were thinking of buying the Scribe, get the V-book instead. (That is, if you have no objections to brown. And mandalas.)
