The Fortress Logbook
It's been nearly three months since I last shared some thoughts about my little homemade notebook project. In the last few weeks, I finally brought it across the finish line, and am very pleased with the results!
What used to be called the Endurance Logbook is now the Fortress Logbook, from Psalm 91:1-2 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust" (ESV). The fortress image is prolific, with 19 uses in the book of Psalms alone, and I think it's fitting for a Lutheran-geared Logbook that's also made to withstand a beating.
The Fortress Logbook uses Rite in the Rain weatherproof cardstock for the cover. I prefer the real-paper feel, and it's much easier to write on. Similar to the Terraslate waterproof paper, this solves the splash and sweat issues, which constitute the most common issues that my pocket notebooks encounter. The cover features two illustrations, both in the public domain; one of a fortress and the other of Christ crucified. I've transitioned all the writing to Merriweather font, as opposed to Courier, which I feel is an aesthetic improvement.
The interior pages are made of Mr. Pen 5x5 graph paper, which is thicker than your average graph paper, but not as beefy as Field Notes. I think it does the job beautifully, offering quality and durability without unnecessary bulk. I accidentally got 4x4 paper most recently, so we will have 10 or 11 notebooks with bigger squares. Mr. Pen has always been a delight, in my experience.
There is no flyleaf; this notebook is simpler, and I wasn't finding the flyleaf particularly useful in reality. The inside front cover has space for all the personal information I want it to hold, and the inside back has a devotional writing, along with some other fun info. To maximize space, the outside back is used as well; there is a Scripture passage and a little paragraph about the Fortress Logbook.
Testing, Planning, and Making
To date, I've made five Fortress Logbooks. I filled one, am using another, and give the other three to family members for testing. I've made a couple minor alterations, and now feel that the Logbook is nearly in its final form. There are four color options, corresponding with the four cardstock offerings from Rite in the Rain: White, Gray, Green, and Tan. A code on the inside back of each Logbook indicates the color. Long term, I'd like to make a little stockpile of these and open up an Etsy store to the public. For now, we are still in a very small-scale phase of the operation. My costs are very low, and I believe I can offer competitive pricing in the pocket notebook space. In testing, my first notebook did a great job; it didn't have any tearing or durability issues, and I ran some water from the sink over the cover at the start, with very pleasing results. It's satisfying to use, with useful and high-quality features and materials.
My building process itself has also become more streamlined, with it only taking ten minutes or so to put a notebook together. There is also very little waste; the Logbooks measure 5.5 inches high, allowing me to cut an 8.5 x 11 paper in half, to create two covers each already at the correct height. The cutting, folding, stapling, and trimming process is simple and satisfying, and produces a quality product (now that the computer tinkering has been ironed out). I've really enjoyed using my new utility knife from Milwaukee for the trimming steps. All my tools and materials are up to date and well-suited for the job.
A Note on Writing Utensils
For a couple months now, I've been using a new pen that has become my favorite: the Uni-ball Micro 207 Plus. After having some consistency issues with the Sharpie S-Gel, I decided to try something new, and boy has it been impressive. Normally, my pens end their life either lost or damaged. But this pen has been absolutely rock solid through weeks and weeks of daily writing, with smooth, dark, consistent ink, no spring issues, and just great overall performance. This is a great example of Japanese craftsmanship. For a week or two now I've been waiting for the ink to finally run out; every now and then I unscrew the tip to check how much is left, and it's almost written itself dry. The Uni-ball works great for the Fortress Logbook interior pages. For the cover, I would recommend an extra-fine sharpie, a nice dark ballpoint (which I don't have yet), or a pencil. Regular Sharpie is a little too thick for the space; pencil worked great in my current Logbook.
