Brand Overview: MacLellan Books
Thanks to Brad Golding for the wonderful behind the scenes video and to Alistair MacLellan for inviting us into his studio.
As a small business ourself, it’s so incredibly important to us to be involved in the local community. With MacLellan Books, the community comes to us! MacLellan Books, headed by Alistair MacLellan, is an independent book bindery out of Elmira Ontario, just down the road from us in Cambridge. We’ve come to know Alistair as a friend through his craft, and we’re so pleased to be ever-expanding our selection of his products.
MacLellan Books notebooks are excellent for any occasion, and you’ll know that they are made with care as soon as you pick them up. Pictured here, from top to bottom, are the B6 Scarlet, the A5 Natural Linen in lined, the A5 Yellow Clothbound in dotted, and the A5 Black Leatherette Numbered Limited Edition.
Upon seeing a MacLellan notebook for the first time, you’ll probably notice that the covers are thicker and the notebooks are a bit heavier than other brands you might be used to. This all comes from the individual crafting of each notebook, and you can be sure that it is strong and sturdy as a result! This is especially evident on the A5 varieties, available in both lined and dotted.
The wonderful covers are another key feature of the hardcover MacLellan Books notebooks. Easy to clean and fun to use, the notebooks come in a variety of covers, including cloth, linen, and leatherette. No matter which option you choose, you can feel the craftsmanship as soon as you pick it up, and you won’t be able to stop feeling the texture!
Some of MacLellan Books’ notebooks are made with Cougar paper, which is roughly 100gsm. This is one of the heavier papers we carry in store, but don’t worry! The paper is still smooth and fountain pen friendly. Due to its thickness, it can also handle media like brush markers and light washes of watercolour. This paper is found in all of the A5 size notebooks.
The notebooks that don’t have Cougar paper are filled with the sought-after Tomoe River paper, which is perfect for all kinds of wet media. As we detailed in a previous blog post, Tomoe River is one of the best types of paper you can get if you write with fountain pens, and its coating allows you to use all kinds of wet media with a much lower gsm! The Tomoe River paper can usually be found in the B6 size notebooks and the pocketbooks.
If you prefer a softcover notebook, MacLellan makes those as well. Tomoe River Cahiers, which are B6 size, have blank pages on the inside and are perfect for a slim art journal or an ink-test booklet. The pocketbooks, which are an A6 size, are sold in packs of two or three and feature either Cougar paper or Tomoe River paper depending on the cover. We also have an exclusive artist collaboration between us, MacLellan Books, and local independent artists, which we highlighted in a previous blog post.
Whether for work or for a bullet journal, the notebook’s numbered pages and fountain pen friendly paper make it a great desk companion. Pictured here is the A5 Yellow Clothbound in dot grid.
Presently, we carry a range of MacLellan Books notebooks, all of which are exclusive to us at Phidon. Each book is handcrafted with attention to detail and a love of the craft that can only be found at an independent level. The most recent introduction to our lineup is the limited edition Scarlet B6 Tomoe River notebook, which was designed for our 12th Anniversary. This notebook has a bright red cloth cover and black accents, including a black closure elastic and embossing, and a matching red bookmark. It features an incredible 320 pages for its small size, meaning that you can write for much longer without compromising the weight of the notebook.
Though MacLellan Books notebooks are classy enough to use in any setting, we recommend them particularly for three reasons: work, journals, and gifts! Since the notebooks are so strong and durable, they can travel with you no matter where you go, making them great for both work notes and bullet planning. If you’re looking for a gift that is both unique and meaningful, MacLellan notebooks are Canadian, local, exclusive, and independent. You can’t get much more personal than that!
With small runs of each notebook, the sky is the limit for what types of paper and notebooks that could be introduced in the future. Keep your eyes open for new paper varieties, new colour options, and new covers as we discover new options and collaborations! We will be sure to keep you updated with any new releases in our newsletter, which you can join by signing up below. As always, you can always find our full selection of MacLellan Books notebooks on our website.
What’s your favourite MacLellan Books notebook? Let us know in the comments!