Collecting notebooks has been one of my guilty pleasures since I was a little kid. It started with stationery and cute envelopes, like most little girls. Then the hobby turned into collecting different colored pens then finally, notebooks.
Most people buy notebooks to write on them but I on the other hand just collect them. The ones I fall in love with are too pretty to write on so I usually just display them on the shelf.
But when the need arises, I do dabble on a few of its pages - sometimes writing random ideas, bad poetry, important text messages, song lyrics, or sometimes my grocery list.
Suw(h)at Handmade Notebooks and Journals
W(h)at?
Just last week, I got acquainted with this new brand of handcrafted notebooks and journals: Suw(h)at. The brand name, which came from “so what” and the bisaya word suwat (write) is a Cebu-based startup which was launched only a few weeks ago. I’m not sure if I got this right, but I think the emphasized (h) also meant the products are “handmade.”
The designs of the notebooks are inspired and patterned after fiction-based fandoms. The first batch’s design is based on the TV series Game of Thrones. Next lines were said to include other pop-culture themes such as Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. They said they’ll be releasing a new line of notebooks every month.
W(h)y?
According to their website Suwhat.com, they “seek to empower individuality and thoughts through carefully crafted and personalized paper products.”
W(h)o?
This craft startup is the brainchild of three young enthusiastic individuals: (from right to left) Erika Lagunzad (the brains), her boyfriend Remil Jusayan (the hands), and their co-worker Ashley Uy (the mouth).
They started the business thinking their market consisted of students. However, after launching their brand, they got more inquiries and purchases from the working populace and those interested in fan-based merchandise.
W(h)ere?
For now, the orders are made online. They also limit buyers to those in Cebu city since they want to hand-deliver the notebooks to the buyers. Meetups are made at IT Park, Lahug, where the three work during the day.
W(h)at I love about Suw(h)at
The people behind the brand
Why? They are practically fresh out of college: Erika and Remil being 22 and Ashley being 20. I admire how they, even at a young age, are really passionate their business endeavor - from idea creation, production, marketing to delivery. Amazing effort!
Makes me think what I was up to after college. Hmmmm...
The originality
Aside from being carefully handcrafted (which makes each notebook original in its own right), some of the notebooks have quirky original quotes on the cover written by Ericka herself. Some examples are “The Names of people I want to ‘accidentally’ hit with a car,” “I always finish what I sta…,” “I can’t say anything nice so I put it in writing” and “An Expert’s Guide to Minding your Own Business.”
I got “A Better Love Story than Twilight.” I'm not really sure if this is really an original line since I think I've seen this on 9gag memes before. Nevertheless, it's funny! Hahaha sorry Twilight fans.
The versatility
Although they have a monthly line of featured notebooks, Suw(h)at is open to custom orders for a minimum purchase of five pieces. This versatility makes them very attractive to notebook hoarders (such as myself) or those who want to give the notebook as a personalized gift. You can also customize the size, number of pages, etc.
The cost
And I say this from a working individual’s point of view. Their notebooks start as low as P100 so I think it’s not bad - knowing that the notebook went through someone’s hands to create. They also give discounts when you buy a set of five.
Suw(h)at notebooks: a review
The size? Perfect. It could fit even my small bag.
The binding? It looks well crafted. I’m not really sure what the best binding method is. As long as the pages stay together, I’m happy
The pages? They use high-quality ivory paper which is a huge thumbs up for me. I don’t write straight without lines but that’s okay.
The cover? I like that it’s hardbound and I think the printing is great. I just wasn’t too thrilled about the glue blots that didn’t dry. I know they were did in a hurry thus the flaw.
It could be said that the imperfections could highlight the originality of the piece but I’d rather have uneven pages than a notebook cover that didn’t dry quite well. If there’s something that needs to be improved, the drying process would be worth looking into.
It could be said that the imperfections could highlight the originality of the piece but I’d rather have uneven pages than a notebook cover that didn’t dry quite well. If there’s something that needs to be improved, the drying process would be worth looking into.
The paper tag? (or whatever else it’s called lol) I love it. It shows how great their marketing and advertising efforts are. You can see their website, Instagram profile and Facebook name.
Suw(h)at website: http://www.suwhat.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suwhatcrafts
Instagram: https://instagram.com/suwhat_crafts
Preferred hashtag: #suwhatna
In conclusion:
Since I’ve posted the photo of the notebooks on my social media feeds, I’ve been getting nothing but positive feedback and inquiries. If you’re into notebooks, go ahead and order!
