Customer Reviews

ALWYCH Book - 5¼ x 3¼

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book because I was unsatisfied with the other offerings for small notebooks. I had had bindings fall apart on me, and water damage ruined my notes extremely easily. I found a few reviews of the Alwych book, and thought I would give it a try.

The feel of the Alwych book is great, with a soft cover with only a little bit of flex in it. This makes it perfect to stick in a pocket. Their all weather cover does a great job of protecting the paper from water and moisture, and doesn't feel too much like plastic.

The paper itself is the best bound that I have ever seem and really sticks into the book. It also takes every ink I have thrown at it so far, including ball point and fountain, without showing more than a little through the other side. The blue lines and edges are a nice touch and a welcome change from other, more bland colors.

The binding is the best binding that I have seen on a notebook so far. The pages are really stuck into the spine, and don't seem to be in any danger of falling out, even when the book is folded flat.

There are some things I dislike about the book, which are its square edges and the lack of an elastic. The square edges are the only part of the book that has taken damage, and they are a bit worn now. I like the look, and think it adds character, but it would have been easier to start with rounded edges. The lack of an elastic isn't as bad with such a good binding, and even after two months of pretty constant use, the book stays almost completely closed. However, I have taken to using a rubber band to be even more sure that it doesn't open. This works perfectly, but some may prefer and elastic that is attached to their notebook.

I really like this book, and will use it again. It isn't perfect, but I think it is the best of the several alternatives I have tried so far.

I guess what makes this little black notebook special is its portablility and soft cover. A bit smaller than the pocket Moleskine, the Alwych can easily fit into your back pocket or sports jacket and you'll never notice it's there. The blue-colored edges give this notebook a sense of character. The paper is a bit thinner than the Moleskines, in my opinion; I noticed my Flair marker inkspots are visible on the other side. So are my fountain pen inks. Wish it came with the elastic strap to hold the book closed but I just put a rubber band around it and that seems to work fine.

The worst thing I can say about this little guy is the square corners really need to be rounded because they will bend and take the majority of wear & tear.

Prior to seeing these on Amazon.com, these were hard-to-get notebooks. At one point, I had to order mine directly from a store in Scotland or another in the UK. I hope Amazon continues to carry them because these are really handy.