Ask Adam Savage: Preferred Sketchbook

This question from Tested Patron Justin Wogamon is a popular one: "What kind of sketchbook do you use for planning?" Join this channel to support Tested and get access to perks, like asking Adam a question:

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#AdamSavage

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[logans]

I think I can speak for everyone when I say that I am very grateful you decided to keep making content after Mythbusters. Everytime you make a video, my day get just a little better. Thank you.

[argella]

Hey Adam! For a video you should do a bookbinding project where you make the “successor” to your current sketchbook!

[ILikeBurgers]

I love how he goes "wait right here" instead of just jump cutting. Feels like we are actually sitting there with him

[Cameramanandy]

When you fill it up, take it to a book publisher and have them re-create it as a coffee table book. I’d buy that in a heartbeat

[cewaugh]

Gosh, if you can talk them into producing more let us know. Seems practically perfect 📚

[Gnomes_]

Ahhh! As a bookbinding enthusiast, AHH! If you contact a local traditional bookbinder (there’s almost definitely one in San Fran) I’m sure they could make you one. And you’d be supporting a sadly under appreciated trade (and some highly skilled makers)

[eldonfox]

You need to contact them and create a "Tested" sketchbook!

[SpencerFoxworth]

I would personally love to watch a video with you talking to the paper experts about this. Feel like that would be incredibly interesting!

[bradcook]

As an artist, and someone who loves art supplies and stationary of all kinds, I have been SUPER curious about this and I'm glad to see a video for it!

[fifty]

Yes, awesome! A video like this is perfect! It shines a light on things like the craft of bookbinding, and I learned about the real oil-dipped endpapers, and that the groups of pages are called 'signatures'. This is a really ripe area to get in some guests, some learnings, some shout-outs like to the CP Leathercraft corp mentioned in this video... Always a pleasure to learn about more makers!

[cathalbrady]

Im so glad he made this video. Ever since I saw the sketch book in a video a few months back I wanted one. I ended up searching Amazon and came across a good copy. I bought two and have been designing shop projects and loads of builds in them and I love looking back on my drawings and plans. It acts like a portfolio for your work nearly. Thanks for the idea Adam.

[jamesguo]

I love that this channel isn't just trying to make money with affiliate links or sponsors. If one of Adams favorite things is something that Tested cant get a commission on, they still take the time to create the content about it. Love it.

[bryanjohnston]

If you cant find something, you can always try you hand at building your own (in this case binding your own). Have the paper experts place you mentioned find the right medium for it and I am sure you have some leather you love lying around the cave. Then you'd have to build a binding jig and press. I am sure it would be a fun project we would all love to watch.

[CatalinaThePirate]

😃 Just when I think this channel couldn't possibly get any more interesting, it DOES! 😄 I love it. Adam, you have such a delightfully positive way of looking at things, and I truly appreciate you for being *YOU.* Please don't take this the wrong way, because I am all for someone improving themselves, but *don't* *ever* *change.* I hope you never lose your wonderful enthusiasm. 😏

[Mr.Borgin]

Hearing that Adam said: “making 10 of them so that i have an livetime supply“. 😭 i realy hope you get way older than 73

[BGSLM]

@Adam would it be possible to keep us updated on what paper type it is please, so we can try and get the same for our own sketch books in the future. Thank you

[Zeldur]

My favorite sketchbook is one I got behind the Pantheon in Rome. There's an amazing art shop there with very reasonably priced supply. It is Fabriano Drawing Book. 60 pages, bound traditionally or spiral at the short end, 14.8 x 21cm (it's small so I can stuff it in my purse), 160g/m^3 or 80lb paper. I would love to grab more some day. The binding on the short end allows for your hand not to rest on the bindings at all, no matter the orientation.

[川新-ki]

My recommendation: midori MD notebooks. You can easily build a fancy cover to your liking, and replace the book when it’s full, and put it on the shelf. The paper is phenomenal for both pencils and first and foremost for ink, the binding is wonderful and durable. Not sure how easy they are to come by in the US but the paper quality is really outstanding. They come blank or with different variants of grids/lines.

[mreillydesign]

I worked in a print shop for a few years. The paper sounds like a type of vellum. I worked with both very translucent vellum (which is what is typically thought of when people ask for it) and very opaque vellum. One of the biggest benefits I noticed with it is it is smooth and you cleanly erase on it (at least in my experience).

Kelly Paper should have lots of it available (we used them as a paper supplier) and if you can’t get another production of the notebook I suggest a one day build and you make your own notebook (might take a few days because of drying and waiting).

Beeswax, bone, and glue and your ingenuity, you could really make something amazing and teach a relatively simple craft at the same time. In college we made our own books for a class and I even made my first set of leave behind notebooks for job applications. They were fold over notebooks with my resume and portfolio printed on beautiful off-white linen.

Anyways, I really do think it could be a fun build. Good luck with your hunt Mr. Savage!