I don’t often post recommendations to other businesses in my blog, mainly because I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing so if I hadn’t personally dealt with them. Today is different, though. This morning’s post brought with it a beautifully hand-bound notebook/journal crafted by my friend Robin Smith at Bookworm Bindings, and I couldn’t be happier with it.

Full disclosure: Robin, a US ex-pat living in Scotland like me, is a customer of Goodwriters Pens as well as a friend. She has tucked my business card in to the books she has sent out to her customers, giving me some nice advertising; once I have her business cards, I will be returning the favour. But this blog entry is not for the sole purpose of giving Bookworm Bindings free advertising – I’m writing about Robin’s new venture because I am a very satisfied customer. Since I know that many fountain pen users are interested in notebooks and journals as well, it made sense to bring her to your attention.

On to the book, then. I was given a choice of book size, cover design, colour of end pages, a nice variety of metal corner-pieces, and lined or unlined paper. Robin chose the bright head and tail band colours which went nicely with my choices. The creamy paper – I opted for unlined – is of good quality. I tested it with a fountain pen and a gel pen; both, of course, smeared a bit if touched immediately after writing, but the fountain pen ink dried quickly, with the gel pen ink taking slightly longer. For both pens there was no feathering of the ink, and very little show-through to the other side of the page.

For pricing and shipping as well as more photos of available options, follow the link in the first paragraph. If you have any other questions about Bookworm Bindings you can contact Robin through that link as well.

Note: the book I ordered is the grey-and-white 3D ‘illusion’ cover, pictured. My thanks to Robin for permission to use the photos of some of the other books she has made, taken from the Bookworm Bindings Facebook page.