Review: @BaronFig Confidant Three-Legged Juggler Notebook

I'm a total sucker for all things limited edition. I don't know why exactly; it just feels more exciting, I suppose. I have previously reviewed the Baron Fig Confidant notebook - the original. This here is the Confidant Limited Edition Three-Legged Juggler!

Our mission: To champion thinkers in their journey to create and inspire the world.

ABOUT

Size: 5.4" x 7.7"
Color: Mustard Yellow, light green, white
Ruling: Dot Grid
Sheet Count: 192
Paper Weight: 100 gsm
Price: $18.00 (with free US shipping)
Where to buy: Baron Fig

APPEARANCE

The Three-Legged Juggler Confidant comes in the same type of packaging as the regular Confidant - a solid box that is really cool, and really fun. It's slightly larger than the notebook itself, and is decorated with light green and slightly darker green diamonds, as well as the Three-Legged Juggler image. The regular Confidant box is attractive, but I really wanted to keep this one. It's just so much fun, and when the notebook is full, you can put it back in the box and file it on your shelf. It'll look awesome.

The notebook is mustard yellow with a smooth linen hardcover. The braided bookmark is a mellow green colour, complementing the yellow perfectly. The corners are rounded on both the covers and the paper. The binding is also stitched, making it open easily, comfortably, and without glue looking messy.

I like the colour of the paper - a little off-white, easy to look at, and with a dot grid pattern. The dots are light grey, and like the original Confidant, it's easy to see them when writing, but they are not obstructive.

Overall, the appearance is very much like the Confidant, just with a different colour scheme. I think it looks great!

PERFORMANCE & FEEL

The Three-Legged Juggler is not too shabby - it loves pencils, ballpoints, gel pens, and some rollerballs. Markers will bleed through but not feather.

Fountain pen behaviour will vary - the paper is absorbent so with wetter application, there will be some feathering and bleed through. Finer nibs will perform better.

The following is totally true: I experience feathering and bleeding, particularly because I use flex pens and broad nibs, but I still love using this paper. Something about it is so tactile. Writing on it, touching it, filling up the notebook (which I have now done)... it's hard to describe unless you use one yourself. Toothy, but not rough, very responsive. Very interesting.

Particles in ink look good, sheen is toned down.

Brush pens using fountain pen ink work really well - little show through, no bleed through, and no feathering. Sheens and shading looks good on the paper as well. Overall, it's tolerant but not the ideal fountain pen paper. Nevertheless, I enjoy using it with fountain pens exclusively.

PROS

• Opens and lies flat.
• 12 perforated pages.
• Three rulings - blank, ruled, dot grid.
• Simple, appealing design.
• Cute packaging.
• Braided bookmark is sealed at the end so it doesn't fray like it did in the original Confidant.
• Acid-free archival quality paper.

CONS  

• Paper is not very fountain pen friendly.
• Lacks an elastic closure. 

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OVERALL 

I love the colours that Baron Fig chooses - they're fun and, although maybe a little weird, look pretty good. Although the paper is not completely fountain pen friendly, I love the way it feels and sounds to write on it with a fountain pen, which is exactly what I do. I use it for practicing my writing because the dot grid is ideal for me.

Like the previous Confidant, the paper tolerates gels, pencils, ballpoints, some rollerballs, and liquid acrylics/drawing & calligraphy inks quite well, so if those are your thing, that's great! Fountain pens vary - very wet or broad nibs are going to feather and bleed a lot, so the back side is not usable. I can live with bleed through and show through but feathering bothers me. That said, I love the way it feels and sounds to write on this paper, and the notebook is nearly full of my handwriting practice - all with fountain pens.

I enjoy what Baron Fig is doing - refining their notebooks through user feedback, and releasing fun ones.

I was provided this notebook free of charge to sample, play with, get accustomed to, and review. I was not compensated monetarily to write this review. All opinions are my own. There are no affiliate links in this review.