In (Creative) Space with an Odyssey Notebook
Last week, I mentioned that one of my current happy objects is my Odyssey Notebooks 200 page Tomoe River paper notebook. It’s a nice sage green with a silver illustration of Jupiter embossed on the cover. This notebook was part of an order I made from Odyssey Notebooks along with the Greek Pottery Cosmo Air Light notebook which I’ve been using since January as a reflection notebook. I added on the tomoe river paper book, but didn’t have a plan for it. It sat on my shelf for months as I was drawn to my TN, spiral bound, and paper pads for most of the year.
One day in late July, I was having a really rough summer. I work in tourism and, needless to say, summer is the crazy time of the year. I really wanted a change and switching up stationery can help. And this notebook was just waiting in the wings. It was an opportunity to try something new and plenty of space to spill out thoughts and feelings. It was a literally a fresh start that was pretty enough that I wouldn’t need to fuss with decoration or layout unless I wanted to do so. It could just slide into a slot in my desk until I needed to scribble again. Using this Odyssey Notebook has been a joy and I probably wrote more because of wanting to use it.
The notebook itself is A5 with a green vegan leather cover. The cover held up very well to months of sitting on a shelf and a few months of being used daily. I even stuffed it into bags quite often. Not a single scratch on it. The notebook even survive a fall from a hammock during some summer months journalling. The lay-flat spine needed a little training, but then it was perfect. Easy to reference ideas that came out during brain dumps. This notebook is well put together and stood up to some pretty hard use.
The paper itself is the thicker 68 gsm Tomoe River paper which is becoming scarcer as it was discontinued a few years ago. I’d never actually used it and I’m much more familiar with the 52 gsm version. The thicker version didn’t have the crinkle, but it held up very well to ink slinging and any nib/ink combo that I threw at it. The version I used was lined, but the notebooks also come in dot grid and blank. The ruling is light gray and unobtrusive. The pages are also numbered, with a small illustration around each number. When flipped quickly these illustrations create a flip book effect of a planet in orbit.
Despite 68 gsm paper being discontinued, I hope that the crew at Odyssey Notebooks keeps working with the planet and space themes. I really enjoyed using this notebook and wouldn’t mind it in Sanzen Tomoe River paper or another fountain pen friendly paper. It’s nice having a bound journal similar to a Moleskine or Leuchtturm with fountain pen friendly paper. Also, I am a sucker for space-themed things. I used to teach astronomy field classes and will always enjoy looking at the stars.
There are still some of these notebooks in stock at Odyssey Notebooks, they have offered my readers a 10% discount with the code DIME. I did purchase this notebook myself and all opinions are my own.
It was a fun notebook for swatching as well as writing. I often compared inks or added in some swatches of new inks that came into my collection.
Currently Inked
Ferris Wheel Press Frontenac Blue - Kaweco liliput copper 14K BB ‘journaller’ - This got a refill this week because I am enjoying this nib and ink combo. This is a nice teal-leaning blue with blue shimmer that is perfect for a winter tone.
Laban Athena Grey - Kaweco liliput fireblue 14K M ‘journaller’ - Still working through the refill from last week (only a little bit left!) and debating on keeping it inked so that I have a neutral color around all of the fun colors that will be coming out of the Inkvent starting on Saturday.
And that’s it! I have been avoiding inking up pens in preparation for Inkvent, so I’m flying with just my two Kaweco liliputs for a few days.