Maruman Mnemosyne Project Holder

This was something I couldn't resist: a Maruman Mnemosyne Project Holder padfolio with a 188 notepad, something I've not seen anywhere but Kinokuniya (of course). They had exactly one in stock, along with one of the larger Project Holders that I decided to bypass (for now, if not for good).

The 188 is my favorite size at 5.8 by 8.3, similar to the wonderful Rhodia Bloc No. 16 notepad. The Project Holder is made of study yet very flexible black vinyl/plastic, and the outside carries the gold Mnemosyne embossed logo.


Inside it has a side pocket and also a slit for business cards or post-its or whatnot. The notepad is on the right, and fits snugly into the top slit. Other notepads will also fit into this, which is great as I'm not sure I always want a Mnemosyne gridded pad to write on.

It's sleek and elegant, a great way to carry your Mnemosyne notepad. It's a bit pricey at JetPens, which in itself interesting: usually Kinokuniya's items are higher than JetPens, as the former has a very large bricks and mortar store on 40th Street and 6th Avenue so overhead adds a lot to the cost. But this 188 Project Holder was almost $10 less at Kinokuniya than at JetPens. Not sure why that would be, but it could be a matter of a simple "oops--wrong number."

If you are thinking of purchasing a distinctive-looking padfolio, the Maruman Mnemosyne Project Holder in either size (medium or larger) is something to consider.

Maruman Mnemosyne Project Notepad #188

I love the Maruman Mnemosyne line, with the slick black cover and bright neon yellow sheet on the inside explaining who Mnemosyne was (the Goddess of Memory and the mother of the 9 Muses).

The 188 in particular is a favorite, size A5 (almost the same as a Rhodia No. 16, but the 188 is about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch longer) with one-sided gridding of pale brown-gray-green ink that doesn't get in the way of writing or reading. The paper is nowhere near Rhodia quality of 80gsm, but it's fairly close (possibly 70gsm to 75gsm).

I'd actually say this paper is more pencil friendly than ink-friendly, even gel ink will leave a heavy shadow that makes using both sides impossible. The cover and back material are actually a bit thicker than Rhodia and don't wear down as fast or as obviously.

I like the way the pencil looked and felt gliding over the paper as I tested it out with my strawberry Hi-Tec-05 gel ink pen and a Koh-I-Noor pencil. I didn't notice any obvious smearing, either. So the 188 is a good work-day notepad, expensive as all get-out but worth the money if you want something that's sturdy and good-looking for projects of any and all sort.