Éminence grise

What in the name of blue blazes is this? Alright, grey blazes. Can one even have grey blazes? Oh, whatever. But seriously, a notebook from LAMY?

Yes, the firm most famous for those ubiquitous, if perhaps not totally scintillating, fountain pens are also making paper these days. Or having it made for them, at least. For this A5 marvel is actually manufactured in Italy, and that's a good thing - because it has all the plus points of Fabriano. It may or may not be the product of Fabriano, of course - we couldn't possibly comment - but it has a similarly tactile cover, a similarly classy sewn binding, and similarly terrific paper. Three of these for £8.50 is an absolute bargain!

Now the rulings are admittedly a little eccentric, as Amanda has rightly pointed out. 'Griddled' is indeed the term we will inevitably all find ourselves using from now on. But one soon gets used to it. 

It's worth getting used to it, because this is a notebook which works for its living. The paper has a little texture to it, so it collaborates well with pencils or cheap steel nibs (which can slip around on smoother surfaces). But as it happens, big wet gold nibs can rub along with it pretty happily too. That's a neat trick to pull off, and when the day comes that we re-enter an office or two, this will look the part as well. Sehr schön!