#codeandquill

Code&Quill is a young, Virginia Beach-based brand that gained popularity on Kickstarter when its campaign for a series of meticulously designed and branded notebooks surpassed fundraising goals. In an age of new notebook brands and spin-offs, all seeming to inhabit steadily-increasing price niches, Code&Quill succeeds, in my opinion, at crafting a series of notebooks that strikes a careful and conscious balance between price, paper, binding, and branding. This balance can still be fine-tuned, but generally compares very favourably to other notebooks available on the market.

There are two C&Q notebooks currently available: the paperback Traveler and leather-emulation hardcover Origin. Both notebooks come packaged in red cardboard cases. I’m not sure if these cases are meant to serve as carrying cases, but, even if they aren’t, they still did a great job of it. It was sometimes a little difficult to slide the books out of their respective cases, but I think that this had more to do with a side effect of some part of the manufacturing or shipping process, where the cases seemed to have concave faces that made it hard to fit the books in. Both books feature the same style of paper, with an ivory white shading featuring grey ink marking a dot grid on the left page and an indented line (where lines are marked with small vertical lines at regular intervals). The grey markings go along with the paper colour quite nicely, and are unobtrusive yet useful.

Both books also share some aesthetic similarities. These include the sewn logo patch on each cover, and bright red endpapers that introduce the book. The books come in three cover colours - black, grey, and white. I sampled the white Origin and grey Traveler. The black Origin really appeals to me, though, and I’d like to try that next.

The Origin is Code&Quill’s flagship notebook. It features a hardcover with a leather-like finish that feels like soft plastic. I like the design of the cover, and the cloth binding generally lets the notebook lie relatively flat when open, achieving the same level of opening as similarly-priced cloth hardcover notebooks. The paper is palatable to most types of pens, and, while it did not seem specially made for fountain pens, it still managed them well with little bleed and feathering. The paper isn’t as glossy smooth to feel as the standard comparison Rhodia/Clairefontaine, but smears ink less as a result, too. I like that the Origin includes 96 sheets, and I think writers will find that this book can be used for quite some time. Actually, coupled the durable hardcover finish, I think that the Origin is better for traveling with than the Traveler. Keeping a hardcover, as opposed to a softcover, in a bag filled with other items and books prevents paper from being folded and damaged, and I found myself taking the Orgin with me wherever I went while I used it.

The Traveler, the same size as the Origin at 5.5 by 7.7 inches, is a softcover notebook that holds 60 sheets. The paper type and writing quality is the same as the Origin, but the cloth binding is enclosed within a softcover, glossy cardboard-style enclosure. The Traveler is much thinner than the Origin, and, in its case, could very well serve as a portable notebook that someone can carry with them throughout the day. One issue that I noticed was that the cover was strangely bent when I received the notebook, curling upwards at a steep angle. I tried to flatten the cover by placing it under some large reference books for several days, but this couldn’t completely get rid of the curvature. I think that some condition of the shipping must have similarly damaged the notebook cases and the Traveler cover, or some aspect of the products finishing must have resulted in the paper stock being affected and curving.

The Code&Quill Origin sells for $20, which is in similar territory with most other notebooks of this style. This is in line with similar flagships for other companies, and is fair when considering the quality of the hardcover finish and the number of sheets. This segment of the market is competitive, though, and I think that reducing the price by a few dollars would increase the appeal of the Origin greatly. I think that a two-pack at a reduced price could also get more people to take note (pun intended) of the notebook, and I know that I would be interested in purchasing a double pack for $30 (the cost of a double pack Kickstarter reward tier).

The Traveler is a bit harder to assess, if only because it represents something novel in notebooks. Where the Origin is a modified take on a popular notebook typology, the Traveler, with its cloth binding, relatively large sheet count, and glossy softcover build, is relatively a new combination, at least to me. At $15, it occupies a space between softcover wirebound notebooks and hardcover books. For those wanting a notebook that is less stocked with paper, and thinner to carry around, the Traveler serves as a good choice. I would recommend this book to those interested in trying a new style of notebook. If I had to choose between the two notebooks, the Origin would likely win me over with its premium hardcover and page count.

Code&Quill’s debut notebooks are stylish and practical, meshing novel nuances with tried-and-true typologies. While there are some aspects that, in my time with pre-production samples, could have been improved upon, these notebooks are interesting and equally usable. The company has branded itself as making notebooks for creatives, and while it is true that artists, designers, and the like will appreciate the Origin and Traveler, I think that Code&Quill’s collection will be appreciated by anyone who uses them.