the journal
A5 cloth-bound journal
192 pages, section sewn, made in Melbourne.
$135 AUD
Free shipping within Australia. 30-day change of mind returns.
Bark or Slate
The journal is built for daily writing. A5, 192 pages, cloth cover bound over rigid board, section sewn so it lies completely flat from the first day. No prompts, no habit trackers. Open space on the left page, a single rotating line at the bottom of the right page, and nothing else.
We tested dozens of papers before landing on the one inside it. The paper is the part of the object you touch most. That sounds like a small thing. It isn’t. The binding lasts. The cover holds its shape. A journal you finish this year should still be worth opening in ten.
The journal runs 192 pages. One page for the day, one for reflection. Finishing one is a closed chapter, and a natural point to reset before the next begins.
Slate or Bark
Two cloths. Both book cloth, matte, dyed through.
Slate is a deep cool charcoal. It sits quietly against most desks and most rooms. The cloth is Cialux Carbone.
Bark is a deep oxblood. Warmer in the hand. At a distance it reads closer to leather than to cloth. The cloth is Savanna Burgundy.
Slate disappears into a workspace. Bark sits in front of one.
Slate
Bark
Made in Melbourne
The journal is bound by Marvel Bookbinding in Melbourne. Section-sewing, cover application, deboss, trimming. All done in the same workshop, by the same team, to the same specification. Marvel have been doing this since 1986.
It would be cheaper to make the journal overseas. We chose not to. The journal is made in batches of 100. More on the materials and production on the Production page.
★★★★★
I was gifted this beautiful notebook and have been using it to record my grandmothers story because I want it to stand the test of time. I absolutely love it and know it will be a notebook I’ll have as a keepsake forever
★★★★★
Amazing quality! I was looking for a journal that felt really well-made, and I’m so glad I came across this one from be.still. It’s so easy and comfortable to write in, and the pages lay beautifully flat. At first, I wasn’t sure about the price, but now I completely understand what I’m paying for - the quality is definitely there! Another big plus is that it’s Melbourne made ❤️
★★★★★
Arrived beautifully packaged, and the journal itself is even better. I went for Slate, which is such a lovely, understated colour. I've gone through so many notebooks over the years, but this is the first one I can actually imagine finishing.
Who this is for
People who already write, or have been meaning to for years. Who understand that the object you reach for every day is worth more attention than the one you use twice a year. Who have owned enough cheap notebooks to know the difference.
Who this isn’t for
This is not a productivity journal. There are no prompts, no trackers, no goal-setting frameworks. If you want a system that asks you to fill in boxes, this isn’t it. The journal is for people who already know what they want to write about, or who are willing to sit with the blank page until they find out.
Waiting on a different colour, or the notebook. You will know before it is public.
The paper
Knight Smooth 120gsm, made by Gruppo Cordenons in Italy. Uncoated, warm white, chosen for how it feels under the pen through a long writing session. Most hardcover notebooks use 70 to 80gsm.
Ballpoint, gel and fineliner sit cleanly on the page. So does a fine fountain pen nib with a standard ink: no feathering, no bleed-through.
The ruling is generous, with a margin on both sides. Fewer lines than a notebook. Reflection isn’t dense writing.
in detail
As a gift
This is a journal for someone who thinks on paper. If you know one, it needs nothing added to it. It arrives boxed and banded, ready to hand over as it is.
There is a field in the cart for a message. It is written by hand and placed inside the box with the journal.
Specifications
Format A5, 148 x 210 mm
Pages 192, on Knight Smooth 120gsm
Ruling Lined, single ink
Binding Section sewn (Smyth), lay-flat, square back
Cover Hardcover, book cloth over 2400 micron board, blind deboss
Marker Charcoal ribbon, matte
Cloth Slate (Cialux Carbone) or Bark (Savanna Burgundy)
Made in Melbourne by Marvel Bookbinding
Dispatched within two business days from Melbourne. Australia 3 to 5 business days. International 7 to 14 business days. Full shipping and returns detail on the FAQ page.