Code&Quill notebooks review

I have an addiction to notebooks that surpasses my ability to fill them. There is something irresistible about a brand new notebook, especially ones that I’ve never tried before. When the folks at Code&Quill asked if I would like to take a look at their Traveler and Origin notebooks, a little voice in my ear said “go ahead Julie, you know you want too…” And the voice was right. Let’s take a look at these notebooks to see if they might earn a spot as my next daily journal.

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

Code & Quill notebooks are available in two styles, the Origin which you see above on the left, and the Traveler, which is on the right. Both notebooks are 5.5″ x 7.7″, have 100GSM acid-free paper and are available in Grey, White and a limited edition grey. Both notebooks have a unique label sewed on to the cover that has the Code&Quill logo embroidered on it. The differences between the Origin and the Traveler are that the Origin has 192 pages, while the Traveler only has 120 pages. The Origin is hard bound, while the Traveler is a soft bound notebook.

Both notebooks have a simple classic style, with colored end papers and a large white box info box. The Origin has aqua colored end papers.

While the Traveler notebook has red end papers.

The notebook has a combination of ruled and dot grid style pages. The left side of the spread has a dot grid and the right side is ruled with subtle indentations (click the image above to see a larger view). The paper itself is off-white with light grey lines and dots. This combination of page styles lends itself to sketches, lists, notes and even coding for programmers.

The paper is neither thin or thick. I would say that it’s a nice medium thickness that holds up well to ink, gel ink and marker.  I used a pen with a Pilot G2 gel ink refill, a Sharpie ultra fine point permanent marker and a Uniball Jetstream ink pen.

Only the orange Sharpie had a very slight bleed through.

Both notebooks have a spine that has been designed to allow the book lay flat on a table. Moleskine fans considering the Code&Quill notebooks should know that neither the Origin or the Traveler notebooks have a back pocket, a ribbon marker or an elastic band to hold the cover shut.

Will one of the Code&Quill notebooks become my next daily journal? If I were to pick between the two, I’d go with the Origin just because I prefer a hard bound to a soft bound notebook. I do wish that these notebooks included a ribbon and an elastic band to hold the cover shut because I tend to stuff my journals with all sorts of papers, stickers, pictures, etc. It’s going to be awhile until I’m ready to start a new journal, so I can’t say right now if one of the Code&Quill notebooks will make the cut.

I found the Code&Quill notebooks to be very well made and surprisingly affordable. The soft bound Traveler notebook is priced at $15 and the hard bound Origin notebook is priced at $20.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Code & Quill. Please visit their site for more info and check prices on Amazon.