Hannah-Time!

If you're as old as me, reading the title of this post automatically took you back to 1990 and MC Hammer. If you're not, it didn't. Never mind.

"From the incredibly tactile Italian leather outer, through to the vibrant suede lining and bespoke arrangement of pages inside, William Hannah notebooks are designed to be as individual as you are."

I use one of these to journal every morning.

David Round, the man behind William Hannah, writes a Daily Post, which he publishes on social media, "because writing helps." I make an order a few times a year to restock my folder. The company produces a broad array of refills, including my favourite, the fifty day intention pack. First thing, I review the day before. Did I do what I intended to? What did the day teach me? What am I grateful for? Then I move on and document my intentions for the current day. It's simple, but structured. It supports a routine, or a ritual even. My day starts at the kitchen table with my journal.

Does it need to be in leather outer with specialised inserts? Of course not. Any notebook would do. The tool enhances the ritual. Reflecting and setting intention is what I do in that book. I find comfort in that.

Putting on my stationery critic hat, how do I assess the design, materials and service?

Design

Disc binding. Some love it, some hate it. If you imagine a Filofax (ask your parents, kids), replace those rings that snap shut like bear traps with solid disks. Refills do not have holes, but slits that clip onto the disks. As per rings, this facilitates lie-flat and allows paper to be inserted and removed at will. Refillable books need a system and while I don't love disc, it allows me to have a beautiful leather cover.

The cover. You can choose from many colours of leather. You can choose many colours for the felt inner. I have whiskey and purple. Oh, and agave and lime. Alright, I also have dark chocolate and orange in the pocket-size. These are beautiful things.

Refills

The paper is fine. I mean fine in both the positive way and the negative way. I find it good with my fountain pens, but dry time is quite slow, which can lead to annoying smudges if I'm going too fast.That said, I understand the challenges around paper. Disc binding requires a robust paper, and not everyone is prepared to pay extra so that they can use fat nibs and wet inks in their book.

The refills are excellent. From unruled, to dot all the way through to diary pages and many more, there's great choice.

Customer Service

Second-to-none. David makes himself available for queries. Packaging is artful and delivery rapid. I have no hesitation in recommending William Hannah. I should warn you however, they are addictive.

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