The Code and Quill Origin Notebook (via Code&Quill) was originally launched as a Kickstarter project just about one year ago in January 2015. The general idea was to create a notebook that would suit the needs of creative type.
The defining feature of the Code and Quill Origin Notebook is the ruling and layout of the pages within it. The above image shows a close up of the left and right page layout. Once opened, the left side of the notebook has a dot grid ruling that allows for either regular writing or provides structure for sketching, while the right pages all have an indentation rule that is ideal for taking notes about what you may have just sketched on the left side of the notebook.
The outside of the Code and Quill Origin Notebook has a pretty cool design that puts a bit of texture into your hands when you pick it up. Not only is the outside covered in an array of raised spots similar to the feeling of a basketball, but there is also a small cloth ribbon stitched onto the cover with the name Code and Quill brand name printed on it.
On the inside of the Code and Quill Origin Notebook things are pretty simple. Its lined in red and offers a simple box with one line to presumably jot down something like your name, a subject for the notebook or a date range that you are using it in.
One thing that is always a great feature in a notebook is the ability to lay flat when open without anything holding it down and without creasing the spin backwards first. I’m on the fence about the one thing that I initially felt was missing from the notebook, which is a page finder ribbon like you find in many other notebooks. I do like that the notebook just lays open so that reduces the need for a page finder in some instances, but it would be nice to have one there for when you completely close the notebook once you put it away after using it. Not a deal breaker, but a little bit of a curiosity as to why one wasn’t included.
Code and Quill Origin Notebook Writing Sample with Fountain Pens:
The 192 pages of acid free 100 gsm paper inside of the Code and Quill Origin notebook handled all of the inks I threw at it very well. There was no feathering with my fountain pen and the ink didn’t spread not to mention that the fountain pen nib glided over the paper very smoothly with no toothy or scratchy feel.
So the backside of the page that I wrote on is where I run into a little bit of an issue with the Code and Quill Origin Notebook. The left side of the open notebook in the photo above shows the back of the page that the writing sample was written on. I found that with the very light grey dot grid pattern on the back of the page, most of the pens I wrote with overshadowed or at a minimum distracted from the pattern and make it hard to use the back pages of the notebook. From my experience the .38mm Jetstream ballpoint pen and a Uniball Kuru Toga mechanical pencil fared best for lacking much showthrough. In a notebook like this, its kind of a fatal flaw in my opinion since that layout was designed for people to be able to use both pages when the notebook is laying flat like this.
If you have some very light inks and/or very narrow tipped pens you might be able to get away with it. Check out the Code and Quill Origin Notebook (via Code&Quill) where you can find the other color (black an Grey) covers as well as their Traveler soft cover version.
©2016, Brian Greene. All rights reserved.
