Review: Archer and Olive Grid Journal

Assessing the Archer and Olive Planner

In November 2019, I had the pure joy of being able to assess the amazing Amy Tangerine and Archer and Olive Collaboration for the 2020 planner! Ill be using this planner as my 2020 memory keeping planner, so go check it out in the post above!

Our New Review of Archer and Olive in August 2019:

Since we reviewed this back in May last year, there have been significant updates and changes to the Archer and Olive notebooks. One of the key changes was that the note book was made into an A5 notebook, as well as the addition of the planner range, and finally the black out notebooks. This is more an update than a specific archer and olive review.

In the last month, Archer and Olive have dropped 2 new products – the dot grid water color notebook and the B5 planner. Both of which have been incredible to use!

I did a test run of really wet and watery paint in the 200gsm watercolor notebook. It was glorious! I think I am now a fan for life with these amazing products! The packaging as always is incredible. The recyclable planner boxes really just add an additional touch to the unwrapping it!

Honestly the Archer and Olive products just keep getting better and better!

You can watch the unboxing video below:

Our First Review in 2018:

Well, I couldn’t wait to review this! So lets call this the ultimate Review of the Archer and Olive Notebook The excitement waiting for it to arrive was incredible. When I missed the delivery I could have cried. BUT! It arrived the very next day! In the most delightful packaging in the history of amazing.

I have been following Archer and Olive for a while and when I heard they had a 160gsm paper notebook. I was all into it! So lets talk price, you can grab them on th A&O website for $28+18.50usd shipping to NZ which ends up being about $67nzd. Thats pretty darn steep for a journal. Buttttttt 160 gsm and the gorgeous covers? Remember if you want to see some of our other journal reviews you can head over here to see all the journals we have reviewed.

What was the Archer and Olive bullet journal like?

So lets get started. The branding is immaculate. From your delivery to opening it, everything is beautifully and lovingly made. Id say, thus far, this has been like a gift to receive over a purchase. I like that a lot.

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After opening it like a gift, we hop straight onto the front cover. The cover was bound by a gorgeous custom band. Loved it. The little scalloped edging, even the logo. Everything just has the most delicious touch.

The cover is a hard cover, mine is peach and embossed with goal foil on a cloth cover. Scrumptious. There is a elastic loop closure keeping it all together. There are 2 matching ribbon book marks. The cover is hard.

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When we open this baby up, I was sad to see there were no page numbers or index. As usual there was a “this book belongs to” and I TOTALLY wrote my name.

review archer and olive grid journal

So lets move onto the nitty gritty. There are only 112 dotted pages. Weirdly, because of the binding you loose some of your first and last page. The notebook opens flat, and the binding supports this. There are no page numbers. The dots are 0.5mm sqaured. There are 24 dots across (or 23 boxes) which makes it hard to make 2 12 hour spreads if needed. And there are 38 down (37 boxes). The Journal is A5 but is somewhat smaller than the Scribbles that matter or the Lemome. There is a back pocket with fabric for odds and ends.

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The 160gsm paper Pen test

This was great, was really excited and as always gave a solid go on the watercolors too. The paper is extremely thick at 160gsm. It feels more like cardboard than paper. It is bright white and not off white like many others.

Obviously the pen test was a breeze. No bleed, no ghosting.

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Water color was interesting, the paper sucks up some of the watercolor/water and can create some piling. While there was bearly any (if any) warping of the paper when dried, it was definitely clear that the paper had sucked up the water. Again there was zero bleeding and zero ghosting.

If you want to use watercolor pencils in this notebook, I highly recommend reading about which watercolor pencils are best!

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Finally I tried to wreck it with watercolor and pencils and it faired well! again minimal warping and no bleed or ghosting.

(inspiration for my cover page was from @sea_journal and Inspiration for my watercolor was from @jonas_draws)

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Sustainability

I popped them an email and the lovely Bonnie stated the manufacturer they use is certified FSC, the cover and inner are made of recycled material, and no dyes or product was tested on animals. And for social sustainability, something that was really important to Bonnie was that the manufacturer pays above market to all employees and is an equal opportunity employer.

Pros and Cons of the Archer and Olive Notebook

Pros:

Love the bright white paper

Love the thickness

Good with wet wash

The packaging was amazing and so lovely. I loved the extra little touches.

Cons:

Only 112 pages would be nice to have a few more.

No Page numbers

Decision on the archer and olive notebook review

Well I like it, and its going to be my new journal for the next. however many months it takes to fill 112 pages. I think the cost to NZ (Around $67nd) is a bit steep for what you are getting.

Overall this would be a good journal for us artsy types! And I am excited to put it to its paces.

I give this one a 4.5/5!

review archer and olive grid journal

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