Baron Fig’s new Unfinish notebook is the perfect journal for doodlers

Fans of Baron Fig’s Confidant notebook now have a new version to consider. It’s called the Unfinish notebook because each page in the notebook has an unfinished drawing that invites you to finish it in any way that you can imagine. The drawings are in light blue so you can ignore them if you want to and if you make a photocopy of the page, the blue drawings will not show up on the copy.

The limited edition Confidant Unfinish notebook is 5.4 x 7.7 inch, has 192 pages, and opens flat. It’s priced at $20 and you can find out more at Baron Fig.

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Baron Fig’s new Unfinish notebook is the perfect journal for doodlers originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 1, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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Word. introduces their new Beach Vibes collection


Pocket notebook company Word. has just announced a new limited series of their notebooks called the Beach Vibes collection. This collection includes three different notebook that will be available in packages of three. There’s the Surf, Palm, and Beach cover styles. Once these three styles sell out, they’ll be gone forever. Each 3.5 x 5.5in sized Word. notebook is made in the USA and features 48 lined pages with a stapled spine. You can order a pack of 3 Beach Vibes notebooks for $9.99 from www.wordnotebooks.com.

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Word. introduces their new Beach Vibes collection originally appeared on on June 30, 2017 at 12:44 pm.

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Baron Fig Vanguard Softcover Notebook review


I like notebooks. Even in this increasingly digital world, in which we use apps on phones and tablets to record notes to ourselves and share them with others instantly, I find a traditional notebook to be useful. From anything to jotting a quick reminder to making to-do lists to keeping a journal, an old-school paper notebook can come in handy. And while Baron Fig is best known  for their original Confidant Hardcover Notebooks, they also know that sometimes you might want something slimmer. So they designed their Vanguard Softcover Notebook line with a thinner, soft cover and fewer pages, it and complements their Confidant well. Let’s check it out!

Options

The Baron Fig Vanguard Softcover Notebook is available in the following options:

  • Sizes (Pocket and Plus sizes reviewed here)
    • Pocket (AKA Small) – 3.5 x 5 inches, 48 pages ($9 per 3-pack)
    • Flagship (AKA Medium) – 5.4 x 7.7 inches, 72 pages ($12 per 3-pack)
    • Plus (AKA Large) – 7 x 10 inches, 104 pages ($15 per 3-pack)
  • Colors (both reviewed here)
    • Light Gray
    • Charcoal
  • Page Type
    • Blank
    • Ruled (reviewed here)
    • Dot Grid (reviewed here)

Packaging

The Vanguard notebooks are sold only as 3-packs, not individually.  As shown above, each 3-packed was shrink-wrapped, with a simple cardboard band around each pack.

Features, Functions, and Performance

After removing each 3-pack of Vangards from their shrink wrap, the first thing I noticed was that these notebooks, though softcover, felt of very high quality, from the covers to the pages to the binding.  More on these details below, but together these features contributed to a very favorable first impression.

The above photo illustrates the difference in size between the Pocket and Plus Vanguard notebook sizes.  There is an intermediate size, the Flagship, between these two sizes, but I was only provided these two sizes for review.  Baron Fig calls their somewhat unconventional notebook sizing “smart” dimensions—they are slightly wider and shorter than most other notebooks of this type.  More on the sizing below.

Above, a bit of an idea of the thickness comparison.  The Pocket size (top) has 48 pages, while the Plus size (bottom) has 104 pages.

As mentioned above, one of the little features that I liked about the Vanguard notebooks was the binding stitching.  It may seem like a minor detail, but when minor details are done well, they can become emblematic of the quality of a product as well as a bit of a characteristic trademark.  The yellow stitching is noticeable enough that can help make the Vanguard notebooks more easily recognizable compared to other, similar notebooks.  I also found the stitching to be very carefully done—in the few months that I used these notebooks, not a single stitch came loose, and considering that I carried the Pocket in my pants pocket daily and the Plus to frequent work meetings, I think this is impressive.

Above is a shot of the open cover of the Pocket size Vanguard.  Like its hardcover cousin, the Confidant, Baron Fig has kept the design simple and minimalist, with a single blank rectangle inside the cover for the user to write, sketch, doodle…well, whatever they wish.  I was sent the Dot Grid version of the Pocket size Vanguard.  I’d never used a notebook with Dot Grid style pages before, and I wasn’t sure if I’d like it.  Turns out, I love it.  It’s very versatile because it can essentially be used as a grid-style guide for drawing or sketching, but the dots can also be used like lines on a ruled page.  And the dots are visible, yet faint enough to be unobtrusive.

Above, a photo of the open cover of the Plus size Vanguard.  Again, the Confidant-like, minimalist rectangle is present on the inside cover to allow the user to customize their notebook to their liking.  Also I liked the width between the ruled lines—not too narrow, not too wide.  This may not seem like much, but for me it is an important design element.  I’ve used various brands of ruled notebooks for many years and some had line spacing that was far too wide, which felt like I was wasting valuable space.  Like the dots of the Dot Grid Vanguard above, the ruled lines are visible enough to be useful, yet faint enough to not seem overbearing.

Above, a closeup of the Pocket size Dot Grid page Vanguard with Charcoal cover (top) and the Plus size Ruled page Vanguard with Light Gray cover (bottom).  Visible are the cover texture, the binding stitching, the page dots or lines and the tightness of the pages.  The pages themselves are acid-free, fine grain paper, safe from degradation and allowing minimal ink bleed-through.

Although the photo above makes the Pocket size Vanguard seem a bit large, it really is the perfect size to carry in…well…a pants pocket, purse, bag or backpack.  I’ve been carrying a Pocket Vanguard in my pants pocket as part of my EDC for a while now, and its minimal footprint and thickness almost make me forget its even there.

The Vanguard Plus on the other hand, is a great notebook for jotting in all types of situations.  I’ve used one as my work notebook, toting it to meetings for note-taking and the like.  The soft, yet durable cover means I can stuff it into or grab it out of my backpack, drag it into conference rooms or just about anywhere and it will continue to hold up (and it has).

Conclusion

Like the Baron Fig Confidant Hardcover Notebook that I reviewed a while back, I’ve become a big fan of Baron Fig’s Vanguard Softcover Notebooks. I typically carry a Pocket size Vanguard in my…well, pocket of course…as part of my EDC.  And like their Confidant counterparts, the Vanguard’s construction is very high-quality, with soft, yet durable covers, high-quality paper and sold, yellow stitched binding. If you are in the market for some thoughtfully-designed and well-built softcover notebooks, give the Baron Fig Vanguard a look.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Baron Fig. Please visit their website for more information or to order. You can also find some Baron Fig products on Amazon.

 

Product Information

Price: ‘Pocket’ size 3-pack $9, ‘Flagship’ size 3-pack $12, ‘Plus’ size 3-pack $15
Manufacturer: Baron Fig
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • None
Pros:
  • + Quality construction
  • + "Smart" dimension sizing
  • + Reasonably priced
Cons:
  • None

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Baron Fig Vanguard Softcover Notebook review originally appeared on on June 6, 2017 at 8:36 am.

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Baron Fig Confidant Hardcover Notebook review


I’ve always been a fan of notebooks. They are great for keeping in one place all of your jotting, journaling, doodling, to-do listings, thought capturing, inventing and on and on. I’ve tried several different notebooks over the years, and my favorite had always been the venerable Moleskine. But I’m also a fan of the crowdfunding site Kickstarter, and while searching through it quite a while back I stumbled upon a campaign for the Baron Fig Confidant Hardcover notebook.  It had a clean look and interesting dimensions, so I became a backer and pledged for one. Baron Fig has since become a successful company and has launched additional products, but their Confidant notebook remains their flagship. Let’s check it out!  Gadget on!

Options

The Baron Fig Confidant Hardcover Notebook is available in the following cover colors:

  • Light Gray (reviewed here)
  • Charcoal

And in the following sizes and page counts:

  • Pocket (small) – 3.5 x 5 inches, 160 pages
  • Flagship (medium; reviewed here) – 5.4 x 7.7 inches, 192 pages
  • Plus (large) – 7 x 10 inches, 208 pages

It is also available with the following page types:

  • Ruled (reviewed here)
  • Dot Grid
  • Blank

Packaging

baronfig-confidant_01

The Confidant Hardcover’s packaging was a burgundy-colored sturdy cardboard box with a nesting lid and tray design that protects the notebook very well.  The front of the box features a prominent but simple artist’s depiction of the product inside the box, a Ruled Confidant Hardcover Notebook.baronfig-confidant_02

The rear of the box maintains the simplicity of the front and includes a few brief thoughts about the product inside.  At this point, I was pretty excited to open it.baronfig-confidant_03

Opening the box and removing the contents did not disappoint.  I was immediately taken by the Confidant Hardcover’s appearance, and things just got better from there.

Features, Functions, and Performancebaronfig-confidant_04

As mentioned above, I was immediately impressed with its look and feel.  I liked the gray, textured cover and the size.
baronfig-confidant_05

Opening the cover, there was simply a burgundy rectangle for the owner to write whatever it is that they want to write.  Could be your name, contact info, volume or edition number, a sketch of your dog—it’s up to you.
baronfig-confidant_06

One of the Confidant Hardcover’s features that I appreciated was its “lay flat” design.  I don’t think I did a great job of demonstrating this feature in the image above, but rest assured, the two halves of the notebook do indeed lay flat.

baronfig-confidant_07
baronfig-confidant_08

One thing I noticed about the Confidant was that, after fully opening the lay-flat cover for the first time, the cover didn’t want to lay completely flat against the rest of the pages with the cover closed.  Not really a big issue to me, but since the Confidant doesn’t have a built-in elastic band to keep it closed like many similar notebooks, this could be annoying to some folks.

baronfig-confidant_09

There are two things to note in the above photo.  First, the texture of the Confidant’s fabric cover. Although the Confidant is indeed a hardcover, it has a cloth/fabric exterior. Additionally, the Confidant, like many notebooks, includes an integrated bookmark in a bright yellow color.
baronfig-confidant_10

As mentioned above, I think Confidant is a nice size and feels good in the hand.  In fact, the fabric texture on the cover helps give a bit of grip to it.
baronfig-confidant_11

Because the Moleskine notebook is so popular and considered by many to be the “gold standard” in notebooks, I thought it would be useful to include a bit of a comparison between the Baron Fig Confidant Hardcover with the Moleskine Large Ruled Notebook.  As seen in the image above, the footprint dimensions of the notebooks are slightly different.  The Confidant Hardcover, on the left, is 5.4 inches wide X 7.7 inches tall, while the Moleskine Large Notebook is 5 inches wide by 8.25 inches tall.  In addition, the cover material is different as well.  The Confidant is more like a gray cloth or fabric, while the Moleskine is the recognizable smooth black leather-like material (I’m not sure if it’s real leather, but I suspect not).baronfig-confidant_12

In the image above, the Confidant Hardcover is on the top, with the Moleskine on the bottom.  The Confidant’s pages are thicker than the Moleskine’s.  in fact, I found that, depending on the type of ink used, the Confidant seemed to have a much lower risk of ink bleed-through compared to the Moleskine.

baronfig-confidant_13

In the above photo, the Confidant is again on the top, with the Moleskin on the bottom.  Both have integrated bookmarks, but I think I prefer the Confidant’s wider, more boldly-colored one.  The Confidant also had a bit lighter and more subdued lines on its pages.

baronfig-confidant_14

Conclusion

I’ll just come out and say it: I’m a big fan of Baron Fig’s products and their Confidant Notebook in particular.  I like its size, color and texture and its lay-flat design is handy as well.  Can you find these features in other, similar notebooks?  To a large extent, yes; however, there is just something I really like about the Confidant.  In addition, the Baron Fog Confidant is available in two colors, three page types, and three sizes.  If you are in the market for a new notebook, I would encourage you to give the Baron Fig Confidant a look.

Source: The product in this review was purchased with the reviewer’s own funds. Please visit Baron Fig at BaronFig.com for more info or to order. You can find some of the products on Amazon too.

 

Product Information

Price: $18.00
Manufacturer: Baron Fig
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • None
Pros:
  • + Dimensions are just right and cover color and texture are appealing
  • + High-quality paper with low bleed-through risk
Cons:
  • – No folder on the inside back cover for loose items like other, similar notebooks
  • – Cover didn't stay fully closed after fully opening it flat for the first time

Filed in categories: Paper and Pens, Reviews

Tagged:

Baron Fig Confidant Hardcover Notebook review originally appeared on on April 30, 2017 at 9:30 am.

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Baron Fig Confidant Hardcover Notebook review


I’ve always been a fan of notebooks. They are great for keeping in one place all of your jotting, journaling, doodling, to-do listings, thought capturing, inventing and on and on. I’ve tried several different notebooks over the years, and my favorite had always been the venerable Moleskine. But I’m also a fan of the crowdfunding site Kickstarter, and while searching through it quite a while back I stumbled upon a campaign for the Baron Fig Confidant Hardcover notebook.  It had a clean look and interesting dimensions, so I became a backer and pledged for one. Baron Fig has since become a successful company and has launched additional products, but their Confidant notebook remains their flagship. Let’s check it out!  Gadget on!

Options

The Baron Fig Confidant Hardcover Notebook is available in the following cover colors:

  • Light Gray (reviewed here)
  • Charcoal

And in the following sizes and page counts:

  • Pocket (small) – 3.5 x 5 inches, 160 pages
  • Flagship (medium; reviewed here) – 5.4 x 7.7 inches, 192 pages
  • Plus (large) – 7 x 10 inches, 208 pages

It is also available with the following page types:

  • Ruled (reviewed here)
  • Dot Grid
  • Blank

Packaging

baronfig-confidant_01

The Confidant Hardcover’s packaging was a burgundy-colored sturdy cardboard box with a nesting lid and tray design that protects the notebook very well.  The front of the box features a prominent but simple artist’s depiction of the product inside the box, a Ruled Confidant Hardcover Notebook.baronfig-confidant_02

The rear of the box maintains the simplicity of the front and includes a few brief thoughts about the product inside.  At this point, I was pretty excited to open it.baronfig-confidant_03

Opening the box and removing the contents did not disappoint.  I was immediately taken by the Confidant Hardcover’s appearance, and things just got better from there.

Features, Functions, and Performancebaronfig-confidant_04

As mentioned above, I was immediately impressed with its look and feel.  I liked the gray, textured cover and the size.
baronfig-confidant_05

Opening the cover, there was simply a burgundy rectangle for the owner to write whatever it is that they want to write.  Could be your name, contact info, volume or edition number, a sketch of your dog—it’s up to you.
baronfig-confidant_06

One of the Confidant Hardcover’s features that I appreciated was its “lay flat” design.  I don’t think I did a great job of demonstrating this feature in the image above, but rest assured, the two halves of the notebook do indeed lay flat.

baronfig-confidant_07
baronfig-confidant_08

One thing I noticed about the Confidant was that, after fully opening the lay-flat cover for the first time, the cover didn’t want to lay completely flat against the rest of the pages with the cover closed.  Not really a big issue to me, but since the Confidant doesn’t have a built-in elastic band to keep it closed like many similar notebooks, this could be annoying to some folks.

baronfig-confidant_09

There are two things to note in the above photo.  First, the texture of the Confidant’s fabric cover. Although the Confidant is indeed a hardcover, it has a cloth/fabric exterior. Additionally, the Confidant, like many notebooks, includes an integrated bookmark in a bright yellow color.
baronfig-confidant_10

As mentioned above, I think Confidant is a nice size and feels good in the hand.  In fact, the fabric texture on the cover helps give a bit of grip to it.
baronfig-confidant_11

Because the Moleskine notebook is so popular and considered by many to be the “gold standard” in notebooks, I thought it would be useful to include a bit of a comparison between the Baron Fig Confidant Hardcover with the Moleskine Large Ruled Notebook.  As seen in the image above, the footprint dimensions of the notebooks are slightly different.  The Confidant Hardcover, on the left, is 5.4 inches wide X 7.7 inches tall, while the Moleskine Large Notebook is 5 inches wide by 8.25 inches tall.  In addition, the cover material is different as well.  The Confidant is more like a gray cloth or fabric, while the Moleskine is the recognizable smooth black leather-like material (I’m not sure if it’s real leather, but I suspect not).baronfig-confidant_12

In the image above, the Confidant Hardcover is on the top, with the Moleskine on the bottom.  The Confidant’s pages are thicker than the Moleskine’s.  in fact, I found that, depending on the type of ink used, the Confidant seemed to have a much lower risk of ink bleed-through compared to the Moleskine.

baronfig-confidant_13

In the above photo, the Confidant is again on the top, with the Moleskin on the bottom.  Both have integrated bookmarks, but I think I prefer the Confidant’s wider, more boldly-colored one.  The Confidant also had a bit lighter and more subdued lines on its pages.

baronfig-confidant_14

Conclusion

I’ll just come out and say it: I’m a big fan of Baron Fig’s products and their Confidant Notebook in particular.  I like its size, color and texture and its lay-flat design is handy as well.  Can you find these features in other, similar notebooks?  To a large extent, yes; however, there is just something I really like about the Confidant.  In addition, the Baron Fog Confidant is available in two colors, three page types, and three sizes.  If you are in the market for a new notebook, I would encourage you to give the Baron Fig Confidant a look.

Source: The product in this review was purchased with the reviewer’s own funds. Please visit Baron Fig at BaronFig.com for more info or to order. You can find some of the products on Amazon too.

 

Product Information

Price: $18.00
Manufacturer: Baron Fig
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • None
Pros:
  • + Dimensions are just right and cover color and texture are appealing
  • + High-quality paper with low bleed-through risk
Cons:
  • – No folder on the inside back cover for loose items like other, similar notebooks
  • – Cover didn't stay fully closed after fully opening it flat for the first time

Filed in categories: Paper and Pens, Reviews

Tagged:

Baron Fig Confidant Hardcover Notebook review originally appeared on on April 30, 2017 at 9:30 am.

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