Customer Reviews

Handstiched Book of Kells Lined Iudaea

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Paperblanks produces some very appealing blank books ... in general, their books work in well, break nicely and feel well-made. The Book of Kells series (there are four altogether) does not disappoint.

The series takes its name from the Book of Kells, an amazing hand-painted manuscript of 680 pages that dates from the Middle Ages. The image used for this blank book, Iudaea, is from the Preliminaries to the Gospels. The colours in the series tend toward deep golds and reds ... this is the one image that incorporates muted greens.

The covers are heavy board, covered with the richly coloured image, which is embossed and intermittently gilded, so that it seems to sparkle. The book has 128 ecru pages (counting front and back separately), faintly lined, secured by an attractive coptic binding (chain stitched signatures and covers with an open spine) that echos the antiquity of the cover images.

The smooth paper - acid free and archival quality - takes ink well, including that from fountain pens. On the interior of the back cover, as in many small moleskin books, there is a gussetted folder, which the publishers call a "memory pouch," for stashing odds and ends.

At 7x9, this striking journal is small enough to carry with you in a day pack, yet not so small that it cramps your hand. An attractive addition to any journal-lover's collection.

I have three of the four designs from the Kells series. Each is a lovely work of art and makes writing a joy. I use mine for my research notes. The memento pocket is an excellent touch and a place to keep loose index cards and pictures. The exposed hand stitching on the "choirs" returns us to a bygone era and makes these notebooks a unique addition to anyones book case.

Just the right size for a travel journal and the hard cover prevents it from getting crumpled. I was happy to have the memento pocket in the back of the book, but could have used more. Plus, once you're home, you have a great keepsake from your travels.