OrangeArt Tattersall Journals

Earlier this month at the stationery show I was amused by the OrangeArt Tattersall journals that just so happened to match one of my favorite dress shirts from Gambert Shirts, so I couldn’t resist picking up a set for myself.  Check out these tattersall journals at the OrangeArt website and then check out the rest of our review below.

OrangeArt Tattersall Journals Shirt Pocket

As you can see the tattersall pattern on the journal cover and my shirt are almost identical, so I included the yellow and grey version in my pocket as well to get a little contrast in there.  In addition to these two colors, you can also get a package of them that includes a black/blue and red/grey set of journals.

OrangeArt Tattersall Journals Blue Grey and Green Blue Side by Side

The journals are made in the USA and are bound by two staples on the spine.  Each journal has 40 blank pages made with 100% recycled paper.  The paper seems to be a shade off of pure white, leaning towards an ivory tone, but its very subtle.  The journals are listed as measuring 3.5 inches by 5.5 inches, but I found that my two journals were actually close but not exactly there.  The yellow and grey one was actually closer to 3.25 inches by 5.25 inches, and the blue and green one was closer to those stated measurements.  If these were from a huge manufacturer I’d probably be annoyed by the inconsistency, however the small batch and craft-like feel of these allow me to give them a pass on that measure.

OrangeArt Tattersall Journal Fountain Pen Writing Samples

I have to say I was surprised by how well the paper in these tattersall journals from OrangeArt handled fountain pen ink.  Each of the fountain pen inks that I tested above handled very well, with the Noodler’s Bernanke Blue being the only one that was a bit touchy.  None of them showed through on the back of the page or showed any signs of feathering.  The Bernanke Blue did spread a bit and show through some on the back, but I think because it is designed to be a fast drying ink, it also absorbs into the paper more than other inks.  Thats kind of a guess, but it seems like the logical conclusion to draw.  Either way, I wasn’t expecting these to handle fountain pen ink all that well but this group of inks proved me wrong.

OrangeArt Tattersall Journals and Note Cards

If you were looking for some nice looking note cards, OrangeArt has you covered there too with their matching tattersall note cards.  It doesn’t show at all in the pictures, but the note cards and the journals have a cool textured feel to them as well.  On the horizontal and vertical lines that make up the grids, you can feel the zig-zag print of the pattern.  This textured feel almost reminds you of the feel of actual cloth with a similar pattern on it.

Overall these are very nice and unique stationery items that have a hand-crafted look and feel to them.  You should definitely check out the OrangeArt website and see what else there strikes your fancy.  Oh and since there is always a call out about getting items free of charge for review, I want to make it clear that this was not the case here.  These were a purchase with no support or discount from the folks at OrangeArt, they weren’t cheap, but for me having a journal and note card to match my shirt was definitely worth the extra cash.

©2016, Brian Greene. All rights reserved.