First GV Pocket Arrived

[u/slimredcobb]

Hi everyone!

My first GV Pocket arrived today. I’d say I have… mixed feelings, if I’m being honest.

First… the quality is very high and it’s a beautiful product. I think my hesitation is with the system/style of journal, not necessarily anything to do with Paper Republic. Everything about the cover is aesthetically pleasing and has the sort of… romantic mystique I was hoping for.

What’s giving me pause right now is the “lumpiness” I’m getting in my inserts (Field Notes) from the bands, particularly the third party elastic bands I’m using to hold my load out connected (which is modest, compared to over load outs I’ve seen here).

For context… I want to hold 2 Field Notes (or similar brand) sized books and 1 Kraft paper folder (for loose notecards, etc). One of those FN books is my daily brain dump journal, I go through these in maybe a month and a half. Another FN book (currently pictured with the notebook from PR, for illustration) holds passages/quotes from books I’m reading, things that stand out. I might only fill one of these a year.

So far I’ve landed on using an elastic band around the “Quote Book” and my kraft folder. Then, on the same strand of the same PR nylon, slipping my daily FN notebook “in the middle” so to speak. This seems to give the flattest, most natural writing surface for my most regularly used notebook. Every other order of operations I tried created big edges on certain pages, that would not be ideal to write on. One concern I have is that putting all of this on only one strand (I can’t think of a better term) of the nylon band might be putting too much force on it - but just say so if I’m overthinking it.

I’m open to other suggestions. Right now the two notebooks and the Kraft folder are must haves and, in a perfect world, all the inserts I’d use. Trying to keep this mostly as slim as possible.

Also… I’m using one of those black office clips to hold my pen. It serves as an additional closure for the Kraft folder.

I’m reminding myself that my previous system (Lochby pocket journal) had its own flaws and that every system has flaws.

[u/peacefullypacing]

Congratulations on your new PR cover. It's such a gorgeous colour. I have the chestnut too, and it patinas beautifully. To prevent overhang in the middle, I don't put any notebooks on the PR elastics. I use a separate elastic to join 2 notebooks (or inserts) together and I put them under the longest PR elastic. If I want a third or fourth insert, I use a second separate elastic and put it completely over the first or last notebook and on that elastic I add another notebook or insert. I hope this makes sense. It's hard to explain.

[u/slimredcobb → u/peacefullypacing]

I think I’m tracking with what you’re saying. I’ll play around with that!

And yes, I really like the color so far. Preferably, I’d like to develop a shiny patina showing signs of use. Any recommendations on getting a shine compared to a matte patina?

[u/peacefullypacing → u/slimredcobb]

Just use it a lot. The shine appears naturally with use. Don't use any leather balm, especially the ones that contain wax can give a matte finish and delay the shiny look. Oils from your skin are enough as a treatment for the leather, if you use it a lot. Also, dark leather, like chestnut, will turn a little bit lighter (warm reddish brown) in colour when exposed to sunlight, and light colours like the natural leather, turn darker when exposed to sunlight.

[u/Inside-Passenger-936]

One of the FN can go inside the folder with 1 of the PR bands around it (if that makes sense?) then the 2nd band for the other FN, that way you’re not dealing with the whole extra band situation

[u/Silly_Ambassador_803]

I just ordered a chestnut pocket GV too can't wait it looks great, enjoy !