For all of us who love the Word. Notebooks designs and quality but wanted something beyond the bullet system and ruled pages, the wait is over.

Word. Notebooks released what I hope is just their first new page-style notebook, conveniently named Dot Grid. The result is a great addition to their line and gives us an alternative to the standard ruled pages in all their other editions. Selling notebooks over the last year through Notegeist, I noticed a graph or dot grid page style clearly is the most popular, although ruled and blank have their fans too. Dot grid gives you the structure to write as though ruled, or sketch as though gridded.

The clever designers at Word. decided to repeat the dot pattern on the cover, along with their iconic Word. circle imprint. The overall effect feels more elegant that other Word. covers, making this new kid in their lineup stand out well.

Spec-wise, the cover stock and inside pages are as the rest of the Word. Notebook line:  quality paper that in my experience holds up well and works excellently with all writing tools except fountain pens. For nib-lovers, it’s a mixed story:  feels good to write on, but the 60# stock is just absorbent enough to make your strokes feather and bleed just a bit, and enough to make EF and F nib strokes fatten up a bit. You can, of course, mitigate the issue somewhat through nib/ink combinations. I’ve had some success along these lines in Field Notes using a Japanese EF nib and a little thicker, dryer ink.

As carry-around pocket notebooks, you can’t go wrong with Word. and the new Dot Grid makes that even more true. Sturdy, quality, great designs all combine to a great choice for your next pocket notebook.

Where to Buy

You can get a pack or two of the new Word. Dot Grid Notebooks online at various retailers or direct from Word. Notebooks. If you’d prefer a sampler approach to checking these and other Word. Notebooks out, the new Papernery Pop-Up Shop has three varieties of Word. Experience samplers available, all including a Dot Grid notebook.

Giveaway!

This review’s giveaway is TWO Word. Notebooks sampler packs featuring the new Dot Grid notebook. Two lucky winners will get a pack of Dot Grid, Black Bandana, and Tan Camo Word. Notebooks plus a Blackwing Volumes 211 bonus pencil to help you get started with those to-do lists or sketching/journaling. Enter below using any of the entries you’d like (some required), but note that we verify all entries before awarding. Giveaway ends midnight, EST, Saturday November 21. Open ONLY to entrants who can provide a U.S. shipping address.