Your impartial and comprehensive review site for writing instruments

Exclusive: GLP Author Tomoe River notebook review

They call me the Tomoe addict

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Tomoe River paper, or that I’m pretty discerning about my notebooks. I go through at least one notebook a month just for work, and I know what I like. At the moment I’m powering through one of these, and wishing the paper wasn’t so rough-textured. First-world problem, I know.

Anyway, when a new notebook maker comes along promising something a little different, I waste no time. In this case, I might well have a scoop with this review: this notebook isn’t even available yet.

I’ve been using it heavily for 48 hours for work and pleasure, and I feel comfortable giving my verdict on everything except long-term durability.

Different by design

The “Author”, by UK-based GLP Creations, is an ambitious first product, with a really clear use-case guiding its design decisions. I admire that kind of approach. Founder Gavin sees this as a notebook for on-the-go use, so it’s designed to be slimmer and lighter than the usual A5 sidebound, hard-cover notebooks.

DSC01362.JPG

It’s a black notebook. I felt a jazzy background was essential.

The cover is soft, faux-leather, and the Author sticks to just 192 sheets of Tomoe River at 68gsm weight, so it all comes in noticeably thinner and more accommodating than the traditional Moleskine template. It’s perfect for sliding into a bag or even a coat pocket. What you might not realise until you compare it with other notebooks is that the page itself is narrower than true A5, by about an inch.

DSC01369.JPG

It says A5 inside. But it’s not.

That reduces the real estate a little bit, but also means it sits better on cafe tables and train seat-trays and in pockets. Again, it goes back to GLP’s use case of travelling note-takers.

2018-03-29 12.06.55.jpg

This flat white was fantastic, in case you were interested.

Paper, tiger

So how does it write? You noticed the magic words: Tomoe River. GLP picked the thicker 68gsm variety, so while there’s less of a smooth sheen than the 52gsm version, the crinkling and showthrough are greatly reduced.

DSC01364.JPG

Obviously the paper performed wonderfully. Showthrough is not an issue.

The paper of course is as wonderful to write on as ever, but GLP has made a number of other design decisions to make the writing experience better. Included in the pack is a sheet of blotting paper to compensate for Tomoe’s slow drying times (I’ve been using a sheet of blotting paper as a bookmark in my Hobonichis and all my notebooks for years). There are page numbers, a contents page (not made from Tomoe, so you don’t have to worry about dry times), rounded corners, a bookmark, elastic closure and a back pocket — almost all of the features I listed out in my article on the perfect notebook for work.

DSC01363.JPG

Back pocket, elastic closure and bookmark all visible.

My review sample was marked with faint 7mm lines, which I found to perfectly suit my handwriting with medium and larger pens — although compared to the dainty 3.7mm grid in my Japanese-language version Hobonichis, the lines feel cavernous. Grid and plain options are also going to be available at launch.

DSC01366.JPG

Here a TWSBI B and a Lamy gold M nib — the 7mm lines are plenty wide.

Because the Author is so slim, there are no steep height differentials between pages, even at the start or end of the notebook. That helps comfort. And although it’s not explicitly a layflat binding, I found that the Author did indeed stay open of its own accord fairly well. The stitching is white and neatly done; I have no worries about pages falling out.

Quietly comfortable

Between writing sessions, with the book closed, the design is understated and handsome. The cover is black (although it appears from the GLP website that other colours are to come) and has a matte finish, with a slight leather texture — not pebbly like the Dingbats finish, but much more tactile than the smooth Leuchtturm or Moleskine. On the back, the GLP logo is debossed.

DSC01361.JPG

Classy debossed logo.

The covers are rounded like the paper, and the spine is rounded too. The edges of the covers are almost piped with an orangey brown, which makes the overall look a bit more organic, a bit less imposing. In the hand, the covers flex noticeably: they’re not floppy and the book won’t roll up, but it’ll conform in a coat pocket or slip into a gap in a bag that bit easier.

Maker:0x4c,Date:2017-11-8,Ver:4,Lens:Kan03,Act:Lar01,E-Y

Bendy. Still stiff enough to write balanced on your knees, though.

So let’s recap. The author is slim and pocketable, with an understated, tactile design. It’s got the all-important Tomoe paper, with a tonne of features: bookmark, elastic closure, page numbers, ToC, back pocket. All for a price that GLP estimates to be under £20, available this Spring from Amazon.

The big competition in the UK at least is the Taroko Breeze, also available at £20, from Bureau Direct. Like the Author, it has Tomoe River paper (about the same number of pages, some given over to ink swatch boxes), but that’s pretty much where the similarities end.

DSC01370.JPG

Here’s the competition.

The Breeze has a card cover, a squared spine and no rounded corners. It’ll get tatty in a bag much more quickly. No elastic closure, no bookmark. It’s a little fancier: the name is prominently foiled in silver right on the front; there are textured blue outer pages; and the page numbers are more subtly integrated into the dot grid on my sample. But it’s clear that the Breeze is meant for the desk, while the Author is meant for the bag.

DSC01371.JPG

The black page numbers are one of the Author’s few clunky features.

I really, really like the Author notebook. The vision behind it is crystal clear, and the execution is flawless (even though my sample is a hand-assembled prototype). At £20, it’s not a cheap notebook. You can pick a Ciak or Leuchtturm up for a tenner.  But if you want Tomoe, you’ve got fewer options. The Breeze is the closest competitor, and it’s the same same price.

The only things I’d improve on the Author are the page numbers, and maybe the colour of the bookmark to coordinate with the cover. I’m already using the Author as my main work companion, and it’s holding up great. I’m sure I’ll rattle through the 192 pages in no time at all — and order another one.

Thanks to GLP Creations for sending me the notebook to review for free. As always, see my ethics page if that concerns you.

24 Comments

  1. slightlyunnerved

    Interesting stuff. Good to see another option for Tomoe River appearing. I have the Breeze, but have never really bonded with it. I’ve been contemplating a HippoNoto, but that brings the joy of being hammered for shipping costs. Will keep an eye out for this one.

    • Anthony

      It’s really very different to the Breeze! I’ve been waiting for the Hippo, which I backed on KS, but that’s 500 pages – a beast by comparison.

  2. rupertarzeian

    Great review. Thank you! I also have the Breeze from Bureau Direct which I like very much, except that I would prefer 8mm ruled lines rather than 5mm dot grid. I usually pencil in some lines on alternate rows. No major hardship. The Author sounds a great product. That TR paper is so luxurious to write on!

    • Anthony

      It’s really hard to go back after TR, I completely agree!

    • slightlyunnerved

      Completely agree. I wish there were more alternatives to dot grids on TR paper. I’m increasingly looking to blank books and using my own ruled guides rather than trying to cram my writing in between the dots. I suspect the thinness of the paper makes it hard to work with. I’d hate to think how muc gets rejected by QC.

      • rupertarzeian

        The Breeze has two ruled pages at 7mm spacing for the Index pages only, so it can be done. Personally I prefer 8mm.

  3. Richard

    B5, please. B5 is the One True Size for work: not as cramped as A5, more portable than A4 or letter.

    • Elaine Pang

      For that, try Stalogy!

      • Richard

        Thanks, Elaine! Ended up ordering $75 of stuff from Omoi Zakka, including five Stalogy B5 books… and some Tomoe River loose-leaf.

  4. Peat

    Quite excited for this. Been on the lookout for a numbered page tomoe river notebook for my next work notebook (currently using a Leuchtturm) and this looks like it will fit the bill. I don’t like the design of the Taroko Breeze at all. The blue Author on their site looks pretty nice, hoping for a grey one though!

  5. Marjorie DUMONTIER

    I’m waiting for him….. But I think I’m also gonna order the Hipponoto (500 pages in 52gsm) and the Desk Bandit ones, you know…. just to compare…. 😉

    • Anthony

      Desk bandit is new to me – going to Google that now!

      • slightlyunnerved

        I’ve just spotted that Choosing Keeping stock the same TR book that you can get from Desk Bandit. £40+shipping from the UK vs Aus$48 + shipping + handling + VAT. That said Desk Bandit has a pretty good selection of Kobe inks, so could be worth a punt.

      • Marjorie DUMONTIER

        Did you take a look at the Desk Bandit one ? I’ve also order the Hipponoto in April but still nothing from there. The Desk Bandit was excellent experience ! Great costumer service and products…. and prices !! The TR notebook is just ….. yum !! Comes with a clear cover, all protected in a cardboard box, just perfect !!

    • TonyT

      Hippo Noto is 68gsm (I have one, and a cream finally on its way)
      Stalogy isn’t TR but is similar
      A couple other US sources for TR notebooks are:
      nanamipaper.com (I have too many of their notebooks, all are 52gsm)
      jetpens.com (the Kanso is B5)
      paperforfountainpens.com
      but I have no clue about shipping costs to UK

      • Marjorie DUMONTIER

        I’m waiting for a cream Hipponoto, I can’t wait to try the 68gsm… I’ve bought one 52gsm at the Desk Bandit (Australia), an A5, great experience ! It came with a clear cover, all protected in a cardboard box, perfect !! Thank you so much for your recommendations because I knew Nanami and JetPens but not the other ones.

  6. David

    Nice review – thanks. This notebook ticks all my boxes.

  7. Anthony

    A quick note to everyone to say that the Author is now available from Amazon in Europe.

    Tomoe River Notebook The Author (Black/Lined) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CS28RG2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_V8zyBb43196E4

    Enjoy!

  8. Debi Humphrey

    Thanks for a great, comprehensive review. I’m definitely going to check out this notebook; it seems to have all the features I like. I prefer lines that are at least 7 mm wide; smaller than that, and I get cramped. Blank is out of the question; I can’t write a straight line to save my life, and I find a line guide clumsy to use and keep in a notebook. A blotting-paper page would really be handy, though. I recently received a Hippo Notto I ordered quite a few months back. While it has that great TR paper, it’s really TOO thick. I don’t like that hand-hanging-off-the-bottom syndrome, and it’s even worse than usual in a notebook that thick. 96 sheets is the most I prefer to handle. The contents page and numbered pages make this a perfect candidate for bullet journaling, which I’ve been intending to try. One of these notebooks might just give me the motivation I need to give it a go.

    • Anthony

      The Hippo Noto is really thick, I know exactly what you mean. Let me know how you get on with the Author!

  9. Jose

    Sorry if it’s obvious for everybody, but what is the black pen on the picture at the top of the page ?

    • Anthony

      Lamy Dialog 3 🙂

      • José

        Thanks a lot for the quick answer. I’m a beginner…😊

        • Anthony

          No problem, always happy to answer questions! 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

© 2024 UK FOUNTAIN PENS

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑