Introducing the Summit and Clutch Notebooks - Blackwing

A Notebook for Every Job

By Alexander Poirier • Published 05/09/2017

We know how important it is to have the right tool for the job (you wouldn’t believe how many times I switch between different Blackwings, even when I’m just taking notes). The same can be said for notebooks. When we launched the Blackwing Slate notebook three years ago, we designed it to be a versatile Blackwing pencil companion. It did its job beautifully (mine hasn’t left my side since I ripped off the shrink wrap) but, as we got to know the people who use our pencils on a daily basis, we also got to know the breadth of things they create with them. Enter the Summit and Clutch notebooks.

Not everything fits on a 8.5in x 5.5in canvas and, at the same time, not every task requires a full-sized, hardcover notebook. The Summit and Clutch notebooks seek to address these respective challenges, while rounding out our notebook options and giving Blackwing users the right tool for whatever project they’re looking to tackle.

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The Summit Notebook – Large-Format Creating

Sometimes, you need room for your ideas to take shape. The Summit notebook is a no-frills, large-format notebook with plenty of room for brainstorming, sketching and writing. It features a flex cover (imagine the thickness of a hardcover, with the flexibility of a paper cover) and our signature matte black finish. Inside, you’ll find 160 pages of 100GSM ivory paper and a ribbon placement marker.

And that’s it.

This is our blank canvas. Once opened, the useable space in a Summit measures 15 inches x 10 inches. You can take notes in your Summit and then take notes about those notes. You can sketch a landscape, turn your head 45 degrees, and keep on sketching.

Blackwing Summit

Where we use the Summit

Tucked in a briefcase or messenger bag on the way to a meeting.

On a desk (or whatever your workstation may be).

Side by side with our laptop, analog working alongside digital.

In a brainstorm session, thinking up new Volumes ideas.

Blackwing Summit

The Slate Notebook – EDC Pencil Companion

The Slate was designed to be our everyday Blackwing pencil companion, and it still fulfills that role. A hardcover, medium-format notebook, the Slate is the most versatile notebook in our family, suited to tackle any task you can throw at it. What separates the Slate from the herd of similarly-sized notebooks are the unique features you won’t find in any other notebook.

Each Slate features a unique dual-sewn binding that gives it a soft spine, allowing it to lay completely flat when opened. The Slate also features a built-in pencil loop that comes loaded with a Blackwing 602 pencil, so you’ll always have a pencil handy. Each notebook measures 5.5 inches x 7.5 inches and contains 160 pages of ruled, blank or dot-grid 100GSM ivory paper. Like all of our notebooks, the Slate features our signature matte black finish.

Blackwing Slate Journal

Where we use the Slate

In a coffee shop, alongside a freshly brewed Americano.

In a morning meeting as we organize tasks for the day.

At a writing desk, at the end of a long day of staring at screens.

Next to a guitar, filled with verses and song ideas.

Blackiwng Slate

The Clutch Notebook – Portable Idea Capturing

We detailed the Clutch Notebook in an earlier blog post. It’s our answer to the problem of getting more space out of your pocket notebook without compromising its portability. We designed the notebook to open like a clamshell rather than a book. So, while the notebook measures 3.5 inches x 5.5 inches, the usable workspace is actually 7 inches x 5.5 inches.

Each notebook is sewn bound and features 48 pages of 100GSM ivory paper. Our signature matte black finish is wrapped around a sturdy cardstock cover, making the notebook portable but durable. The Clutch comes in sets of 3, so you can have one for your pocket, one for your backpack, and one for your Pencil Roll. If the Blackwing Slate is your companion for when you know you’ll want to create, the Clutch is your companion when creativity sneaks up on you.

Blackwing Clutch

Where we use the Clutch

In a back pocket while we wander the city streets.

In a messenger bag as we bike our local trails.

Tucked into a Pencil Roll, ready for the lightening strike of creativity.

In the palm of our hand, jotting notes on the train.

Blackwing Clutch