Neubautan Handmade Notebooks Review: Artisanal Journals Built for Fountain Pens

Introduction

Most notebook reviews on this site revolve around pens and ink, so a dedicated notebook feature is a rare treat. Today’s subject is Neubautan, a small artisan stationery brand based out of Brazil. The company was founded by Roberta Neubautan, an avid journal user and stationery enthusiast who turned her hobby of binding loose sheets of paper into a business. Each notebook is handmade to order, and buyers can choose from a range of color combinations, paper thicknesses, and page counts. Four versions were looked at for this review: the S35, two A35 variants, and the large B35.

What Makes Neubautan Notebooks Different

The first thing to know is that these notebooks are built to order, by hand, with a lot of customization. Paper weights range from 120 grams all the way up to a very thick 240 grams, and page counts run from 120 up to 300 pages. Cover and spine colors can be mixed, with 14 different possible cover and spine combinations available depending on the model.

The company also makes a point of shipping its notebooks without any branding. The idea is that the notebook is wholly owned by the customer, who decides how it should be filled. It is a distinctive philosophy, though some buyers may prefer at least a small mark on an inner page.

The Lineup: S35, A35, and B35

The S35 is the smallest of the group, with a blood-red cover and a black spine. The A35 comes in two flavors here: one with an amethyst linen cover and matching spine, and another with a smooth dark cover and black spine in a size comparable to an A5. The B35 is the largest notebook of the four, with a smooth concrete-grey cover paired with an amethyst spine. Three of the four have smooth covers, while the amethyst version uses a linen texture that is available in a couple of versions.

The linen cover has one practical downside worth flagging: it absorbs spills. A small ink drop left a permanent mark, so anyone prone to accidents at the desk may want to lean toward the smooth covers.

Paper and Fountain Pen Performance

The featured amethyst A35 has 200 pages of 150 gram paper, which is on the thick side. The paper itself is offset paper, a stock designed to absorb ink well, and it shows. Testing with four fountain pen inks, including heavy applications, revealed only the smallest amount of bleed-through even when the paper was soaked. With normal writing, bleed-through should not be an issue at all.

The test page was dot grid, and it handled everything from fine nibs to broad ones gracefully. For writers who prefer thinner paper, the current 120 gram minimum may still feel heavy. A thinner option, something around 68 grams, would broaden the appeal.

Everyday Usability

The binding is a little stiff out of the box and takes some time to break in. The notebook does not lie especially flat, particularly in the middle, where a bit of force is needed. The upside is that the hard cover makes it comfortable to write on from page one all the way to the last page, without the awkward break-in period some notebooks demand.

Two ribbon bookmarks are a welcome touch, and there is an elastic closure. One quirk: the elastic strap orientation differs between models. On the smooth-covered notebooks the strap runs horizontally across the back, while on the amethyst linen version it is designed to run vertically. It takes a while to get used to the vertical wrap, and it can feel unnatural at first, but once oriented correctly it sits without binding.

Pricing and Shipping

Pricing varies with customization options and page counts, but the reviewed configurations came in as follows. The large B35 costs $35, the A5-sized C-cover notebook is $24, the amethyst A35 sells for $40, and the smaller S35 is $16.

The biggest disappointment is shipping. The company currently offers only an international shipping option at $40, which is very cost prohibitive if you want to try a single notebook. Buying several notebooks at once makes the shipping far more reasonable, but it removes the usual try-one-first approach. Another friction point: while the website lists many color names, the pictured notebook is only shown in black, so buyers are left guessing what colors like Bush (likely a darker green) or Earth (likely a brown) actually look like. A color swatch per option would help a lot.

Buying Advice

These notebooks make the most sense for fountain pen users who like thick, absorbent paper and want a handmade, fully customizable journal. If you prefer thin, showy paper that highlights ink shading, the 120 gram minimum may feel too heavy. If you do order, consider bundling a few notebooks to make the $40 international shipping worthwhile, and lean on the brand directly if you need a better sense of the cover colors before committing.

Conclusion

Neubautan delivers genuinely handmade notebooks with thoughtful details: comfortable writing from page one, ribbon bookmarks, a no-branding philosophy, and paper that handles fountain pen ink beautifully even under heavy saturation. The stiff binding, the thick-only paper range, the confusing elastic orientation, and especially the high flat shipping cost are real trade-offs. For the right buyer, though, a customizable artisan notebook with excellent ink absorption is a compelling proposition.