I’m a paper snob and I’m not afraid to admit it. At one point, I had my Korean and Japanese friends important paper products and pens for me when they went back home between school breaks.
While yes, it’s easy to get European brands (primarily Clairefontaines from France, amazing for precision and cursive writing), the line-up found in Montréal isn’t too extravagant, or cheap for that matter. I’ve travelled a bit and in the process picked up a few goodies, but in most cases I’ve stuck with my large ruled Moleskines. However, with the help of Yelp! and foursquare when I got lost (I have absolutely no sense of direction when it comes to downtown Montréal), I stumbled upon my new favourite gem in the city, Papeterie Nota Bene*.
Papeterie (French for a stationer’s, or a store that specializes in fine paper) Nota-Bene* is packed in a color coordinated and orderly fashion. A paper shop on the ground floor and an open concept gallery above, it`s obvious the kind of crowd the store usually attracts. Out of all the paper shops I’ve been to in Montréal, it’s the only one with such a diverse collection. From Whitelines (Sweden), to Leuchtturm (Germany), to Apica (Japan), and even the extremely colourful Pantone (USA) collection, the store brims with paper and store owner Russell can seriously go into detail about anything you question. Something I love the most about this place is they let you pick up anything, usually having an open book or sheet set, and they don’t harass you every two seconds. If any of you have been lucky enough to get to a Paperchase store in London, the vibe is pretty much the same. If anything, Nota Bene* reflects the European way of store handling. If you don’t live anywhere near Montréal, you won’t get to enjoy the store’s ambience, but you can always make an online order if you’re shipping to somewhere else in Canada or the USA.
Another thing that amazed me about the small store was that while on one half of the shelving wall there was an entire collection of Clairefontaines, right beside it was this. Cards, envelopes, and letter paper in all different cuts, shapes, and sizes. The art of the written letter or thank you note is basically extinct (I blame e-Cards, if anyone still even uses those), so to find some place where it still has value is pretty amazing.
Anyway, if you’re looking for Moleskines (they have the 2012 daily planner!), Rhoda, Clairefontaine, Pantone, or just random finds and Japanese paper, do yourself a favour and check out Papeterie Nota-Bene*. They`re also having a sale until November 13th (20% OFF!) so it`s a good time to stock up before the new inventory ships in!
(if you’re coming from place des arts métro, go to the rue de bleury exit and go up the stairs
and walk straight up towards sherbrooke. if you get lost, go in the other direction.)
