Moleskine paper gar gar gar

[Splicer]

Yeah, this topic has been beaten to death already, but I just sent email to Moda & Moda begging them to do something about the quality of their paper. I take it as a personal insult that they make such wonderful notebooks that are such terrible notebooks. It's as though they're telling us we'll love whatever (bleep) they produce as long as they put a high price tag and a ribbon on it. I know I shouldn't take it personally; they wouldn't be the first company to sell us pigs with lipstick.

 

Yes, I've tried Noodlers inks... those feather just like everything else. I suspect the paper is just so inconsistent that there's no telling whether you'll get halfway decent paper or not. The formula has definitely changed in the past couple of years... the odor of newer Moleskines is distinctly different from the older variety.

 

If only Clairefontaine or Miquelrius would buy Moda & Moda and force some good paper on them. I don't buy the argument that they have to hold to tradition regarding the paper; how do they explain the Volants and Cahiers and now the City notebooks with full-color maps and plasticky tracing paper? I'm pretty sure that Van Gogh didn't have one of those.

 

In the meantime, I'm searching for alternatives.

[Samovar]

Hi Splicer,

I've tried a lot of pen and ink with my Moleskine and I found a few that works:

 

Lamy 2000 EF and Lamy blue/black

Hero 100 and Noodlers black

Pilot Capless and Pilot black

Pelikan Steno XXF with Binder Blurple

Danitrio Densho EF with Noodlers black

Pilot Birdie with Pilot Black

 

I would suggest Apica notebook, it's just an amazing notebook.

 

Samovar

[Brianetta]

My Moleskine hardly feathers at all with black Quink. Unfortunately, it does something worse - bleeds through to the other side of the page.

[exit here]

Do I throw out my Moleskines or my pens ...I am a newbie and already looking for a gridded alternative to the Cahiers ...I wonder if I can take these pads back the reseller because clearly they are not 'fit for purpose'.

 

The beaten to death is not altogether true as any discussion of moleskine has become one of alternatives ...and the names of lesser known products are becoming more known.

Edited May 9, 2007 by exit here

[BillTheEditor]

Do I throw out my Moleskines or my pens ...I am a newbie and already looking for a gridded alternative to the Cahiers ...I wonder if I can take these pads back the reseller because clearly they are not 'fit for purpose'.

 

The beaten to death is not altogether true as any discussion of moleskine has become one of alternatives ...and the names of lesser known products are becoming more known.

In your Moleskine, you should find/have found a slip of paper inviting you to email Modo & Modo with any QA comments. Why not email them and tell them you want a refund? That would be Plan B if the retailer isn't cooperative.

[Splicer]

I've only tried Noodler's, Private Reserve, and Aurora inks in them with various results. I was particularly disappointed after reading how Noodler's is specially formulated to never feather. Look at the third photo here:

 

http://splicer.com/2007/05/03/mark-of-the-moleskine

 

that shows Private Reserve Black from my 51 and Noodler's Hunter Green from my Rotring Initial. Obviously the pens have something to do with it as well as the inks. The Rotring is a wetter writer than the Parker.

 

I haven't had too much trouble with bleed-through per se, but the paper is transparent enough that it may as well bleed through. I can see what's written not just on the next sheet but on the sheet after that! so turning the page over even when not bled through, of course I can see clearly what's on the other side.

[Splicer]

I would suggest Apica notebook, it's just an amazing notebook.

 

Thanks. Yes, I have an Apica and I like it very much. However it does not have the «bonus features» of the Moleskine. With the folder in the back of the Moleskine it can double as a wallet. I like the band closure and the stiff oilskin cover helps if I'm writing in my lap instead of at a desk or table. I've never used a bookmark in my notebooks but for some reason I like the fact that they are there for me in the Moleskine. I like the color of the paper and the 6mm ruling.

 

...but the quality of the paper is a dealbreaker. How can they get everything so right and the one critical element so wrong? I feel like I've sat in a Rolls-Royce, admired all the appointments, luxuriated in the comfort of the seat only to find that there's no motor. But I'm welcome to get out and push!

[Tricia]

It must vary from batch to batch or something because the ones I have do very little (as in almost none) feathering. Since I'm an ink junkie, I tend to switch off paragraph by paragraph, or at least entry by entry, so I've tried a lot of inks! (The pens vary, too, obviously.) Even my Monteverde fountain pen ink rollerball works splendidly in my Moleskine (while skipping on pretty much everything else).

 

I do get some show-through, but only once or twice did I get actual bleed-through and that was more my fault (holding the pen too long in one place) than the paper's. I did notice that, surprisingly, Noodler's Highland Heather (in that case with a dip pen) had more show-through than almost all the other inks I've used. I say surprisingly because the ink itself is not very dark.

 

(The 'almost' in my first sentence refers to PR's Chocolat in a very wet writing Cross Century (not a II). I do get spider-veins (the very tiny ones) with that ink/pen combo.)

 

I agree about the nice extras with the Moleskine. There are quite a few fairly decent knockoffs out there now, though most are made in China, I believe. However, I do believe that Rhodia has just introduced a new Moleskine-esque journal that you might want to check out.

 

Edited to note that it's not Rhodia but MiquelRius that has the Moleskine-esque notebook.

Edited May 10, 2007 by Tricia

[lefty928]

I agree that the variation in paper quality is frustrating -- what one ends up with seems to be luck of the draw. I have gridded and lined Moleskines from several years back that have very smooth paper -- the paper in my most recent pocket Moleskine, gridded, is much rougher. It's not feathering so far, though. I tend to stick with EF nibs to minimize showthrough, so that may help. The proportions, hard covers (in unobstrusive black) and fact that they lie flat make me keep buying them, grrr.

 

By the way, I've always been amazed by the number of manufacturers that make blank notebooks that have pretty covers and awful paper inside. Seems backwards. And to make matters worse, some of them shrinkwrap them so you can't tell what the inside pages are like (I just Pass Those By). Unfortunately, even some seemingly smooth papers feather horribly.

[Brerarnold]

It must vary from batch to batch or something because the ones I have do very little (as in almost none) feathering. Since I'm an ink junkie, I tend to switch off paragraph by paragraph, or at least entry by entry, so I've tried a lot of inks! (The pens vary, too, obviously.) Even my Monteverde fountain pen ink rollerball works splendidly in my Moleskine (while skipping on pretty much everything else).

 

I agree. They must get their paper from different places at different times. I have not had a problem with any pen/ink combination so far. I don't get feathering, bleed-through or show through with any of them. I guess I have been lucky, not in what I've used, but in the paper they've used.

[markc]

Hey Splicer! Great to see you here.. (At least other then Stylo)

 

I read your post on your blog and decided to try my little stash of Moleskine pads. Oddly enough, the Noodlers Midnight Blue doesn't feather, and it dries on the paper quite nicely. I tested this with both my Medium and Fine Parker 51s and my newly added Pelikan pens (400 and 800)...

 

So, I'm guessing its bad batches of papers.. Which really stinks because you could start out with a great notebook and buy another when you fill it only to have it not approach the same quality you got used to.

 

I also found a location in SF that sells clairefontaine (sp?) papers. Sunset Stationers on Irving and 10th.

 

By the way, they're having a sale this weekend on Cross FPs.. (25% off)

 

Oh, and Flax is having a pen show (Valencia and Market) on Saturday from 11-3..

 

(No affiliation etc etc etc)

 

 

[Titivillus]

I haven't had too much trouble with bleed-through per se, but the paper is transparent enough that it may as well bleed through. I can see what's written not just on the next sheet but on the sheet after that! so turning the page over even when not bled through, of course I can see clearly what's on the other side.

 

That's one of those funny things that one person would consider a problem and another would consider something that gives it a vintage feel. Being able to see through the paper is something that I enjoy about the moleskine as it gives me the feeling that I've put something on paper.

 

Kurt

 

I think there is somewhere here that I tried about a half dozen or more inks/ pens and really didn't have that many problems except for a bold nib.

 

Edited May 11, 2007 by Tytyvyllus

[exit here]

The gridded (see other threads before referring to it as Graph ..Grrrrr) is of particular importance to me and I am determined to get to the end of this ...

 

It is easy to identify a Moleskine that will feather before you buy it ....sniff it ...the original formulation is a dusty scent almost scentless (a gridded notebook) ...the (gridded) Cahier it just plain stinks.

 

I don't think you will have any problem remembering and might be the new marketing campaign for moleskine ...the fine has some dust ...the stinky has a stink.

 

Cannot wait to go to my pen shop and start sniffing.

 

Aussie!! ..Aussie!! ..Aussie!! ..Oi ..Oi ..Oi Bunny!! Bunny!! Bunny!!

Edited May 11, 2007 by exit here

[AndreaDuni]

Very strange thread. Infact I use moleskine to classify my pens and inks and it is the best paper notebook I tested.

I had this moleskines and had never a problem:

• pocket ruled notebook
• large ruled notebook
• pocket blank notebook
• pocket 18 months agenda

I wrote to Modo&Modo give them my compliments about quality of the paper, that also with broad nibs never shows the inks through the sheet and has never had ink flowing problems. The only problems I always have is about the glue of the woven bookmark. In all my moleskine I added my glue because it flyed away.

[Splicer]

Very strange thread. Infact I use moleskine to classify my pens and inks and it is the best paper notebook I tested.

I had this moleskines and had never a problem:

• pocket ruled notebook
• large ruled notebook
• pocket blank notebook
• pocket 18 months agenda

I wrote to Modo&Modo give them my compliments about quality of the paper, that also with broad nibs never shows the inks through the sheet and has never had ink flowing problems. The only problems I always have is about the glue of the woven bookmark. In all my moleskine I added my glue because it flyed away.

 

I think they must sell the good ones in Italy and ship all their defective runs to the USA, figuring us dumb Americans won't be able to tell the difference.

[AndreaDuni]

MMM

it could be possible, not that Modo&Modo thought it, but you stupid americans cannot notice the differences...

 

talking out jokes, it is possible that there are coincidences and/or noodler's problem. The only noodler I have is the blue ghost and never had problems on moleskine.

with the fpn le i'm waiting also a pr and two noodlers. I will test again.

Edited May 11, 2007 by Netnemo

[Splicer]

That's one of those funny things that one person would consider a problem and another would consider something that gives it a vintage feel. Being able to see through the paper is something that I enjoy about the moleskine as it gives me the feeling that I've put something on paper.

 

Yeah, I'm like that with my stationery. Love my airmail paper! But in a notebook I want to write on both sides of the page.

 

[rroossinck]

Steve, have you tried any inks other than those that you mention? If you haven't, and you have the chance, try Pelikan's line of inks. They're the only ones that I have ever used that consistently have NOT feathered on 8-10 different Moleskines, and in 10-15 different pens. From time to time I'll get the little tiny "spider veins" that another poster referred to above (and I can post a scan of that if needed), but they really work well for me. They don't smear (I'm a southpaw and need to have ink dry pretty darn quickly or else my writing ends up pretty messed up), they typically don't bleed through (although I've noted that this is somewhat of a page by page thing), and they look reasonably good. When I journal in a Moleskine, I'm typically only using one of two pens - a 51 Vac (incidentally, a 1945, similar to yours) with a Fine/Extra Fine or a Cross Solo with a Japanese Extra Fine. Both of these perform very well for me.

 

The only fault I have with the Pelikan Royal Blue (which is my go-to ink) is that it's a thinner ink, and as such tends to not deal well with oil from my fingers. When I write on a Moleskine, I'm hard-pressed to not touch the paper with a thumb or forefinger. When the nib gets to that spot, I typically have this sort of funny spot on the page where the ink doesn't go on the paper quite right.

 

If you haven't tried Pelikan, I'd give it a go. Contact me B/C with further questions, as I've made a bit of a study of the same things you have with your Moleskines.

 

...BTW...where's the blog entry with the photo of the 51?

[jdooney]

Been there done that.. got the tee-shirt a zillion times. The only thing that I found that works for me is a Hero 100 and washable blue quink for Moleskine. Since I use my moleskine for meetings around the building where I work that is okay becasue I'd rather not bring an expensive FP away from my desk just in case I lose it.

 

Then while at My desk I use better FP's and Rhodia.

 

 

[Djehuty]

Maybe I was just lucky, but I purchased my first Moleskine recently, and so far I've had no problems with it. Using Waterman Florida Blue, there's only a wee bit of show-through, no bleed-through yet, and it dries relatively quickly.