The Saga continues...

We maybe haven't talked about Viking as much as we should have done, given how excellent their products are. Let's correct that oversight.

To complement the thoroughly reliable pencils and the old-school but quietly lethal sharpeners, they make notebooks too. Maybe we should even call them sketch books; 158gsm is seriously thick paper, and there's no ruling. But for the travel diary, urban sketching companion or design journal this is a compelling offering.

There are few gimmicks here, but all the features you'd want in something you're genuinely planning to use. The Saga Verso is a serious hardback, so it can handle rattling around in a backpack for a while, and the sturdy sewn binding means the paper won't be falling out in a hurry. The paper itself is absolutely perfect for graphite, but it can handle wet nibs with ease and could probably even withstand watercolours.

As a thoughtful (and unusual) addition, Viking have included a waterproof plastic sheet to place beneath each page when wet ink or paint is in use; they really have considered all the angles with this one.

What's it like to use? Reassuringly robust - but not, as the saying goes 'reassuringly expensive''. £18 for 160 pages is decent value, and unlike some cheaper notebooks from dubious sources, this one won't be gathering dust on a shelf.