Hi All,

I have decided to start a journal and it's going well. I've picked up a journal book at Staples that's leather bound and I think has 240 pages (lined). I am wondering if it's a good choice though. I've read that a lot of people like Molskine products. What is so special about them? Are they really that much better than the rest? And what would be comparable in quality. I would like something that's easy to write in (folds flat) and a bit original. I would also like t to be durable enough so I can pass my journal on to my children.

Thanks for your advice,

Rafal

You may try a Paperblanks notebook with Coptic binding. They lie completely flat, have excellent paper, and come in beautiful designs.

I don't think the Moleskine is exactly 'original' the way I think you mean (unique looks . . . though they may be 'the original', that is, the first of their kind). They're just basic-black journals with elastic closures.

I think the design of the Moleskine is what people like, aside from the history and mystique (used by famous writers or artists). It comes in nice sizes and has nice features (the aforementioned elastic closure; a built-in pocket in the back), and also looks nice with a black leather(ette?) cover and cream-colored paper in plain, lined, or grid.

However . . . I (and by the posts here, apparently others) have found the paper wanting. I personally had trouble with it feathering FP ink TERRIBLY. Others have said it's a hit-or-miss proposition, with one batch being good and others not so much.

You've come to the right place for info, though . . . browse through this particular forum (and the other one devoted to discussion but not reviews) and you should find tons of opinions and ideas on things to check.

I actually like the idea of a black book. I want it to be simple but high quality. By original, I don't mean fancy coloured, but Genuine, classic, looking. Hopefully not something "run out of the mill" mass produced in China and sold in Walmart without any continuity. If I'm going to be keeping the journal for years, as I hope, I want all the volumes to be the same.

I guess, what is another, flat folding, journal that is of better quality than Moleskine and has been around for a while?

Any more ideas?

I've kept journals for years, and haven't really made any effort to use the same volumes. That is one potential advantage to Moleskines - a shelf of them would indeed look very uniform, if that's what you're hoping for later on.

I'm using a moleskine for my journal now after decades of using other books. Its main disadvantage, as others have said above, is that the paper quality is not consistent. and not always fountain pen friendly. I've found good ink/pen combinations that work well with mine, but you may not have the same experience.

Why I might keep using a moleskine:
hardback cover
elastic closure
buff pages
accordion pocket
the paper feels really nice to write on with an FP, if you find the right combination.
opens reliably flat

Why I might use something else:
I don't care about the Hemingway/Chatwin thing, which I think is a crock
There are much better fountain pen friendly papers out there (Clairefontaine, Rhodia, Miquelrius, etc)

I have not tried them, but others here have posted links to Exacompta journals, which have leather covers and Clairefontaine paper. I would definately try those next if I gave up on the Moleskines. Rhodia just came out with a journal called the ePure, and Rhodia paper is quite nice. Clairefontaine makes both spiral bound, soft cover, and hardback notebooks, which might also be worth looking into. That said, I have a Clairefontaine notebook right now that is really annoying me because of its refusal to lay flat.

Paperblanks are absolutely beautiful journals, but again are inconsistent for FP friendliness, and I have found occasional problems getting them to lay flat. But a shelf full of Paperblanks would be an impressive site one day.

Mostly, you have to consider what *you* want. Some people also like to use paint, markers, or collage in their journals so if you want to do that you'll have to take that into consideration too.

Using a Cross Townsend, I did experience some trouble with Moleskine. I believe part of that problem thoug is linepsacing, which is very narrow. My handwriting is very neat and small, so it's not really a problem for me at all, but I could imagine other people may find this troubling. I now have a Sailor Professional Gear Fine, and this pen is very well suited to this kind of paper/lining. The nib just hums along on the paper. Some might find the lack of feedback to be a bit sterile, but for extended periods of writing, the paper really allows you to scribble away. A nice touch of the notebooks (I think), is the rounded corners. With other notebooks, the edges will bump and split, but not so with the Moleskine. They also have a pageholder, and an elastic band for keeping it all together if and when you use it to gather random scraps of paper.

They also offer city-specific notebooks, so if you're planning of writing a journal documenting your visit to one of these cities, they offer one place to get your information, and write down your experiences. I have not tried these, though, so YMMV.

If you're looking for something to pass onto your children, I think this would be a very good candidate. It's a shame that there are no really great notebooks anymore, like leatherbound books or celluloid paper, but there it is.

I decided to try the Moleskine. I got it at Chapters and they had a very nice selection of notebooks / journals. They also had some nice, fancy looking journals bound in leather with gold edging around the sheets. They were about the same size as the Moleskine Large journals but about 25% less money. I do, kind of, like the utalitarian look of the Moleskine book better. It looks like it's very well made and after writing a bit in it usong my parker 51, I have not had any feathering or show through problems.

oh, you're in Canada, then!

Good to hear it's working for you and the pen you're using. I think they're reasonable well made - BUT my large one from last year *just* started to tear at the spine. I'm not sure why. I was pulling it off the shelf to refer back to something and the top part of the spine binding started to tear a bit.

So, I don't know....be careful, I guess

Hi.

I'm on my fourth Lee Valley Tools Everyman's Journal. The paper is fountain pen friendly, and shows shadowing only with my wettest writers, not to mention the price is right!

Here is a link to the book:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=...t=1,46096,46113

I hope this helps,
French

Hi Limesally,

I carry my small moleskine in my back pants pocket, which provides a lot of stress for the book. Before I start to carry a new one, I wrap the cover with black duct tape. The tape holds the covers on the book and gives just enough re-inforcement to keep the book in one piece.

I hope this 'trick' helps with your ripped book.

French

This looks like a nice, but large, journal. I like the classic look and construction but it is too big to carry with me everywhere (which I intend to do with a journal).

Thanks you very much for the suggestion.

Rafal

Hi Rafal,

I write in these at night, before I go to sleep. While this sometimes leads to some very interesting and nearly illegible portions of entries (if I'm really tired), it makes the size a non-issue. I do carry a moleskine with me for notes, to do lists, etc during the day. For Christmas a couple of years ago I purchased my wife a moleskine and leather cover from Renaissance Art (http://www.renaissance-art.com). She carries it everywhere with her, and the book has held up great. The cover is an amazing specimen of craftmanship, and looks a whole lot better than my duct tape covered moleskine.

French

Exacompta offers several journals that might meet your needs. If refillable is the way you want to go, have a look at the Exacompta Prestige Journal. It's got a classic black leather cover and can accept a number of different refills, including graph, lined and blank sheets, all of which are made from high-quality, fountain pen-friendly paper.

Another option is the Journey Notebook from Exacompta. It comes in two sizes, one of which is small enough to fit into your back pocket and has velvety smooth lined paper that is ink-o-philic (I just made up that word). If the plain cover doesn't float your boat, the Journey notebooks come with a number of cool cover designs and are also available in brown. I really like these, but don't take my word for it. Here's a and Review from a fellow FPNer and a very satisfied customer.

James

i too use my "51" with Pelikan Blue and it works great every time on moleskine!! (i found out that Pelikan Blue works well with a number of F pens on moleskine)

have you tried "Black n' Red" notebooks? that paper is quite FP friendly with no bleeding, even if you drop a whole bottle of ink on the page!!!!!!!!!! i know you can get those at office depot, i don't know about staples.

best,
PR

James,

The plain, black Journey Notebook looks like it just may be the ticket. I am currently using Moleskine, but I find that if I start writing with medium and wider nib, I get pretty bad feathering. I do realy like the narrow line spacing of the Moleskine and the fact that it lays very flat. Can you comment on how the Exacompta Journey compares in those areas?

Thanks,

Rafal

Unfortunately, Nota Bene did not have any of those when I went there last. I am going to have to pressure them a bit, me thinks.

I have been using Moleskines pocket notebooks for a year now for journalling. With 96 pages you get three months out of each book, so just 4 a year on a shelf. Portability was important to me as I carry the latest one with me to fill in at a time that is convenient to me. I use a Brother labeller to label mine with the year and the quarter number.

I have just gone over to Notables, a Moleskine copy that looks just as good, but is half the cost here in the UK. Review here. They are the same size and in years to come might look good if I can keep it up, although t doesn't take much reading back to realise what a tedious life I have!

I would say that once you have decided stick to the same thing. Something that suits you and a notebook that doesn't cost a fortune. A line of the same notebook will look very cool on your shelves.

Good Day All,

And Happy New Year!

I thought I would mention a brand that has not been mentioned heretofore. I just purchased my second Fiorentina leather bound journal from Barnes and Noble. There was mention that the journal should be easily portable. These journals are portable, but just barely, at 6" x 9" x 1.5" think, with over 300 pages. I use a Red and Black notebook to keep "To Do" lists, "To Get" lists, make grocery notes, and in general notes on what happens during the day. Then I put down the most important happenings in the Firorentina, along with my thoughts on them. So the Fiorentina becomes my permanent record, the Black and Reds I thow away after a time.

Just thought I would add my $0.02 worth.

Regards,

Wade

Thanks French.

I ordered mine yesterday. The surface shipping to the UK is slightly more than the cost of the journal, but comes in under the import duties limit, so in 6 - 10 weeks I will have it in my hands!!

I used a Canson journal. Canson paper is my favorite. Its french paper. Its pages feel like 20~24 pound paper.