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Montblanc 9596 Notebook Medium Review ?


christianch

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Hello !
I was wondering if anyone is using the Montblanc notebook (Mod. 9596 as per picture) and if it feels is a good option vs. other alternatives.

Thanks

Christian

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As a user of MB pens I like these notebooks a lot. The format is slightly wider than Leuchtturm1917, Rhodia, or Moleskine books. As posted in these forums, the Moleskine notebooks are not suited to FP use due to excessive feathering and bleed through. The Leuchtturm has a few nice features such as numbered pages, an index, and date entry, but these are things you can write in on any notebook. The MB notebook is very high quality and has a matte ribbed heavy paper cover with the MB symbol embossed in silver. It is nice enough to use without a cover, but it is soft, unlike the hard cardboard Leuchtturm or soft rubberized (?) Rhodia. MB makes a couple of different leather covers for this notebook including a stiffer Meisterstuck German made cover and the soft Italian made one shown. The leather cover shown is amazingly luxurious (smell, touch, sight (I am not sure about taste)) so I had to buy a dollar store neoprene "computer netbook" cover ($1) to protect the MB cover!! This setup is not ideal for quick notes. By the time I get through all the covers to a blank page I forget what I wanted to write! They also fit the leather paperback covers found for MUCH less $$ in chain bookstores. There is no ribbon bookmark so if this is a desired feature you would have to use the ones that are part of the leather covers. I haven't measured it, but the paper appears to be between 24 and 28 lb stock. Each page is lined with silver and has a MB symbol at the bottom. There is no bleed through or feathering with even my wettest nib so these are designed with FPs in mind. The ink shown is MB Royal Blue and there is writing on the other side of the left page. There is a premium cost to these notebooks, like their other products, so expect to pay $10 - $15 more than competitors. The biggest difference is the MB icon printed as a footer and on the cover, and the width.

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I love Mont Blanc leather and the understated branding. Only have a couple of small pieces but lovely stuff!

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As a user of MB pens I like these notebooks a lot. The format is slightly wider than Leuchtturm1917, Rhodia, or Moleskine books. As posted in these forums, the Moleskine notebooks are not suited to FP use due to excessive feathering and bleed through. The Leuchtturm has a few nice features such as numbered pages, an index, and date entry, but these are things you can write in on any notebook. The MB notebook is very high quality and has a matte ribbed heavy paper cover with the MB symbol embossed in silver. It is nice enough to use without a cover, but it is soft, unlike the hard cardboard Leuchtturm or soft rubberized (?) Rhodia. MB makes a couple of different leather covers for this notebook including a stiffer Meisterstuck German made cover and the soft Italian made one shown. The leather cover shown is amazingly luxurious (smell, touch, sight (I am not sure about taste)) so I had to buy a dollar store neoprene "computer netbook" cover ($1) to protect the MB cover!! This setup is not ideal for quick notes. By the time I get through all the covers to a blank page I forget what I wanted to write! They also fit the leather paperback covers found for MUCH less $$ in chain bookstores. There is no ribbon bookmark so if this is a desired feature you would have to use the ones that are part of the leather covers. I haven't measured it, but the paper appears to be between 24 and 28 lb stock. Each page is lined with silver and has a MB symbol at the bottom. There is no bleed through or feathering with even my wettest nib so these are designed with FPs in mind. The ink shown is MB Royal Blue and there is writing on the other side of the left page. There is a premium cost to these notebooks, like their other products, so expect to pay $10 - $15 more than competitors. The biggest difference is the MB icon printed as a footer and on the cover, and the width.

 

Many thanks for your kind review ! I did end up buying a similar MB leather cover and I am very happy with it. I had a similar experience with MB Royal Blue Ink and virtually all montblanc inks. Some inks (e.g. Diamine) do show a heavier bleed through but not Montblanc inks - perhaps some testing to work only with premium inks :) Similarly Graf von Faber Castell Inks are also behaving well on this paper.

 

Compared with Smythson the Montblanc notebook is way better and less expensive (even with the leather cover). I agree with you that the opening of the cover might be time consuming but I got used to it. I did test virtually all notebooks recommended in this forum (including Design Y from Japan and others with Tomoe River paper) and frankly there is no comparison with the montblanc one. The paper is just way better than the Japanese one (that is slow to dry and makes the writing look too shiny and not natural for a fountain pen) so I don't really understand what is so great about shiny thin paper.

 

The only downside is that the paper is a cream color and not pure white but beside this, the MB is a winner for me!

Once again your great photos are very helpful indeed. I didn't do some photos of mine yet but I might add it to this topic at some point.

Thanks

Christian

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Mine does feather a bit with the MB pens and MB ink, not so much with the Sheaffer F with MB ink, still have to try the Lamy and Pilot pens which are a lot finer. Do love the italian leather cover, i got the cognac one.

 

Edit: Pictures added

 

It looks worse in person though:

Still awesome, besides it's almost A5 size a bit wider but a thick (2cm or 3/4") A5 notebook will work in it as well
Edited by jsolares
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Love the leather, the paper not at all, i do wonder if improper storage could've caused it, it is rather humid down here.

 

MB Notebook

Tomoe River

 

 

I have also noticed a huge variation in the feathering depending on which Ink I use. All Diamine ink feathers a lot on this paper. Montblanc standard inks (e.g. Royal blue) are way better on this paper. May be is done in purpose? :D

Edited by christianch
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I have also noticed a huge variation in the feathering depending on which Ink I use. All Diamine ink feathers a lot on this paper. Montblanc standard inks (e.g. Royal blue) are way better on this paper. May be is done in purpose? :D

 

I only have MB bordeaux and MB emerald green ink from Montblanc, might buy royal blue and try it out, but i want color! hehe, time to research dry colourful inks perhaps?

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  • 1 month later...

I recently acquired several of these notebooks from the MB boutique in Perth, Western Australia. They are currently my go to notebook. I have written in them with a wide range of MB inks and have experienced no feathering or bleed through. They are well constructed (robust) - my only criticism is the lack of a bookmark (ribbon).

Edited by Gary1952

Intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.

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  • 2 months later...

Hello !

I was wondering if anyone is using the Montblanc notebook (Mod. 9596 as per picture) and if it feels is a good option vs. other alternatives.

Thanks

Christian

I know this is a pretty old thread... But I had to throw my two cents in... I love these Notebooks and use them everyday.Years back I bought a MB Boheme FP at an MB store and the Manager gave me this pad for free...She swore by these pads. I'll tell you, she knew what she was doing, two weeks later I went back to the store and bought the Leather Meisterstuck Medium Portfolio. I also love there large Notepad refills.

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The MB FP inks that don't bleed through as bad as others, are Royal Blue, Toffee, Irish Green, Oyster Grey and Midnight Blue... But I guess it all depends on the ink.

 

I gotta tell you though, as I look back through older Pads, the paper is completely white, with exactly 25 more pages, and a hair thicker.. they must have changed manufactures 3 or 4 years ago... the older ones also bent in better, laying flatter when you opened it... the grey dividing lines were also thinner and sharper in the older pads.

 

If anyone can find a medium sized notebook at this same exact size, 6 1/2 by 8 1/2, that's FP friendly let me know.

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where does one get the medium notebook refill, in the U.S.?

"I am a dancer who walks for a living" Michael Erard

"Reality then, may be an illusion, but the illusion itself is real." Niklas Luhmann

 

 

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where does one get the medium notebook refill, in the U.S.?

MB Stores or MB web page... on the web page you have to call and order, they're $36.00... very expensive for a notebook... but they last me about a year.

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