I’ve been using an XL Moleskine as a shop notebook for damn near a decade—one a year, like clockwork. There’s a stack of them now, seven deep, lined up like the archives of a mad scientist. And yeah, there’s a kind of romance to it. Weathered faux-leather, dog-eared pages, the smell of ink and failure. I can flip back through them like old war logs—scars from projects long buried and half-won.
But romanticism has a price… and it’s inflexibility. You want to glue a blueprint in there? Better grab the glue stick like a schoolboy. False starts? Irrelevant notes? Tough luck—they’re bound in with everything else, a permanent reminder of what didn’t work. There’s no clean way to rip pages out without tearing the soul out of the book itself.
So a few weeks back, I’m rambling about all this on The Garage Journal, foaming at the mouth like a lunatic archivist, and a name gets dropped: MeePlus. A husband-and-wife outfit making Japanese-style binders with 11mm German rings and leather so nice it probably comes from cows raised on Mozart and mineral water.
Naturally, I took the bait. The thing shows up—one A5-sized binder—and it’s thinner than my old Moleskine but with a spine of metal and the flexibility of a circus acrobat. Add and remove pages at will, slot in custom-printed blueprints, 3D models, ransom notes, whatever your twisted little brain can conjure. And when it’s full? Archive the damn thing like Cold War intelligence.
Of course, all binders share the same ancient curse: the infernal rings. They dig into your hand when you’re trying to write on the left side (if you are right handed). But these? These are German-engineered 11mm angels. So small, the problem disappears—especially on the A5. It’s a non-issue unless you’re writing with a cinder block.
Now for the kicker: this thing ain’t cheap. $199 for the A5 model. When I first saw the price, I nearly spit coffee through my nose. But then I touched the damn thing. Pueblo leather—soft, textured, absurdly nice. The rings? Krause-made, best in the world. You start to realize this isn’t just a notebook—it’s a finely honed piece of gear.
I was so sold I spent my own money on another—this time a personal size. I use it every day for work notes, to-do lists, madness scribbled between meetings. I’ve gone full planner nerd. Hell, I’m even eyeing a third one—mini-sized, for use as a wallet and pocket notebook. God help me.
Sure, there are alternatives. Filofax has been doing this for years, and you can find their vintage stuff on eBay. I’ve heard their new offerings are awful. Plotter’s another one—sleek, Japanese, trendy. I’ve fondled one in person. Nice gear, but the attention to detail didn’t hold up. For example, MeePlus chamfers the edges of the spine. Plotter doesn’t. That matters when you’re holding the damn thing every day and sliding it in and out of pockets and bags.
So yeah, I’m in deep. And no, this system isn’t for everyone. You have to be the kind of freak who finds peace in organization—who gets twitchy without a pen in hand and a plan on paper. But if you’re wired like that, this thing could change your life.
More details here.
Also, here’s what I’ve learned in the field so far:
Supplies:
• Hole Punch: I picked up a 6-ring punch from Amazon, then 3D printed a spacer to place the holes 3mm from the edge. Gotta keep that alignment tight.
• Corner Rounder: Absurd luxury, but I like rounded corners. Bought a cutter. Zero regrets.
• Paper Cutter: I print on letter paper, then slice it down to A5. Feels like prepping for battle.
Paper:
• Life Noble Gridded Paper: My all-time favorite. Built for the shop. Comes in binder refills. Worth hunting down. Sometimes, if you are lucky, you can find it on Amazon.
• Plotter Grid Paper: Too faint, too tight. Useless unless you’ve got hawk vision and a magnifying glass. You can see all of their refill options here.
• MeePlus Lined Paper: Excellent. Takes fountain pens like a champ. Comes in two weights—the heavier one is pure bliss. You can see all of their refill options here.
• Tomoe River Graph Paper (RayMay refills): Nearly weightless, but zero ghosting or bleed-through. Feels like black magic. I don’t use it every day because it’s rare and expensive, but holy hell, it’s impressive. Update: Just found a cheaper source here.
That’s it—for now. I’ll keep you posted as I spiral further into this madness. But if you’re like me—wired tight, addicted to analog planning—then maybe, just maybe, you’ve found your next obsession.
