Review: All Write Waterproof Notepads @AllWritePaper

All Write paper is made without trees. It is composed of 80% natural minerals and 20% non-toxic resin. The result is a strong, durable paper that is waterproof and tear resistant. The production process is more environmentally friendly than that of normal pulp paper. For more details, check out All Write. Thank you to All Write for sending these for review (and upcoming giveaway so stay tuned).

ABOUT

Size: 14.5 cm x 9 cm
Color: White
Ruling: Grid
Sheet Count: 50
Paper Weight 120 gsm
Cover Weight: 420 gsm
Price: € 4,76
Where to buy: All Write

APPEARANCE

The All Write waterproof notepad is a pretty plain notepad. It is wire bound at the top with double metal coils. The cover is thin and flexible, blue, with AllWrite.com on it. The back cover is also blue and explains what AllWrite paper is. Right inside the back cover, there is another wide page that has details about the Fisher Space Pen, along with a slot to accommodate the clip of the pen. It's interesting and is basically a built in pen loop. The pages are white with sharp edges, a bold frame around the page, solid lines, and dashed columns.

PERFORMANCE & FEEL

The notebook is a soft, flexible notebook. I like the size of it and how compact it is. It flips up, reporter style. Since the paper is so soft and flexible, it's difficult to turn the pages quickly over the coils - the page holes can snag on the coils. The pages slide around and stick out from the covers quite easily, but since they're flexible and tear-resistant, they don't get dog-eared and bent.

Gel pens were difficult to use, especially if they had finer tips - the sharp metal tips dug into the soft paper and it was hard to write (i.e Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.4 mm). The Uni-ball Signo 207 0.7 mm was easier to use. The Pilot Choose 0.7 mm was so inky it smeared even after I thought it was dry. Marker/felt tip pens were okay, but felt like they were snagging on the paper. It felt like there was too much friction between the tip and the paper.

Markers were better tolerated but suffered from the same sensation of too much friction. Rollerballs were nice to use because they were so inky and felt like they were gliding on to the page, but they were smudgy.

Some inks faded and I couldn't figure out the pattern. The ink just disappeared (nope, not the Pilot FriXion either).

Fountain pens that weren't too find were very smooth, and brush pens worked as well. The issue came up a few days later when I went back to the notebook and found almost all the inks had faded or soaked into the paper. Strange, and some inks were not affected.

I think it's best to just stick to ballpoints and pencils, which were the most fun to use on this paper, and stuck around the best. Ballpoints that were otherwise dull really stood out on this paper, probably because it was so smooth, the ink just seemed to pour out of the pen.

It's waterproof paper anyway, so an all weather ballpoint/pencil makes the most sense! I love how smooth this paper feels, and it's definitely tough. It stretches when pulled, instead of tearing. I found the grid a little dark but with a bold ballpoint, it worked.

PROS

• Smells fascinating.
• Waterproof.
• Super smooth paper.
• Tear-resistant.
• Pairs perfectly with the Fisher Space Pen. 
• Eco-conscious: chlorine-free, acid-free, recyclable, no toxic emissions during production processes, no water/other chemicals added during production processes.

CONS  

• As the pages are so soft, it can be difficult to turn the pages over the coils.
• The smell of the paper might turn some people off. I love it.
• Not fountain pen friendly - tolerates ink, but changes the color and behavior of it in strange, unpredictable ways. 
• In fact, most liquid inks behave strangely on this paper.

OVERALL 

The idea of no-tree paper is very intriguing and I do love the eco-aspects of this paper. It smells fantastic, it's super smooth, it's waterproof. Perfect with ballpoints and pencils. If you need waterproof paper, this works! Even if you don't need something water/oil-repellent, and you just use pocket notebooks, it's nice to support one that is eco-conscious.

I received this item free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion. No affiliate links.