Why Are Moleskines So Expensive

[andreasn]

I don't understand why moleskine notebooks are so expensive, almost double the price of other sometimes better notebooks.

 

Is it the just the brand or are they just stupid.

 

This is what's always kept me from buying them.

(I havn't actually ever tried them, but from what i've heard here their not very good

 

Where i live the a5 sized ones cost over 20 euros.

[wastelanded]

Marketing.

[londonbooks]

I was interested by your post since I am a faithful Moleskine customer. Which notebooks are you referring to that are better and less expensive - I might give one a try. I'm not averse to changing manufacturers and Moleskine is kind of expensive (although I never pay full price).

[inkypete]

Marketing.

Thats it. They are marketed as a premium brand but, sadly, don't live up to that expectation. Most people find they are poor quality for FP use. You're not missing much.

[erpe]

Indeed marketing and targeted at the type of people that consider fountain pens old fashioned. Check the Moleskine website and have a look at the stores, you will see what I mean. On the other hand, I have been using Moleskines without any problems since my preferred pen/ink combination works on the paper. Just lucky if you can live with the limitations

[Cryptos]

They are trading on faded glories.

 

If Hemingway were alive today he would have shot his Moleskines just to put them out of their misery.

Edited July 11, 2014 by Cryptos

[maksim]

Yep, overpriced.

 

I much prefer Black n Red, and just other regular brand store notebooks I can find.

 

Michaels has some on sale from time to time, picked up a bunch for $2, beats a $20 moleskin any day of the week.

[GTOZack]

i dont like moleskine paper they are... i dont know what happened to them lately

 

a few years ago they were great.

[Algester]

outsourcing and well a lot of stuff happened yes I also stay away from moleskine because of my gut feelings they they won't work on FPs well I went with that and got better paper for cheaper notebooks well not very very cheap I can say relatively inexpensive ones

[inn3rs3lf]

Marketing, without a doubt.

 

I must confess, I bought into it a few weeks ago (Being new to the FP game), I mean, who doesn't want to use the same brand that Hemmingway used, right? Only to find that my R5 ($.50c) books from my local stationary shop have better pages in them. And I'm not even kidding.

[The Blue Knight]

To sum up my experiences briefly :

 

• High cost.
• Sub standard paper (ASDA smart price comparable).
• Good form factor and deign.
• By no means worth the price tag.

[Algester]

moleskine once did have good quality paper in their notebooks so good that it can stand up to the inkiness of FPs but now... all that is lost in the annals of history maybe you can get moleskines produced back in the 1990s I think they will be better... IF ever you find one

 

my theory is that they just now relied in the branding than quality since pretty much their paper quality is so messy looking for the perfect moleskines (of today's printing) for your FP will be an arduous task

Edited July 11, 2014 by Algester

[wastelanded]

Let's get something straight. The company we're talking about here opened up shop in 1997, making notebooks based on an old design. Hemingway, or any of the other names they drop, did *not* use this company's notebooks.

 

ETA: Not just trading on past glories, but trading on manufactured glories. Like certain pen manufacturers.

Edited July 11, 2014 by wastelanded

[wastelanded]

Mead/Studio notebooks from Dollarama have vastly superior paper. At $2 a pop.

[erpe]

Hemingway, or any of the other names they drop, did *not* use this company's notebooks.

 

Correct, they explain on the website where the brand-name comes from and in every product you will find the same story printed in the backpocket.

http://www.moleskine.com/bruce-chatwin-the-songlines

[Lyander0012]

Erm, I do admit to ripping a page out of one of the "sample" Moleskine cahiers in store then doodling on it a bit to test the paper. Dry inks in F and M nibs were okay, but J. Herbin in a F nib? Meh :/

I do agree that the current incarnation of Moleskine, which isn't even related to the historic version that they so proudly tout about (they got the rights to the name is all), merely capitalises on the branding. I mean, most people who wouldn't otherwise care for writing instruments or good paper have at least heard of Moleskine. Also, they're quite prolific, being available at most places that haven't even heard of Rhodia or Clairefontaine. While I confess that some of their special editions (Hobbit & LoTR, Peanuts, Star Wars, etc) are rather attractive and tempting to purchase, I know that I won't be getting much use out of the paper, which would be a waste.

 

 

Cheers!

Kevin

[erpe]

The paper in the cahiers is even thinner than in the hardcover bound versions, about 65 gsm, pretty useless for most regular pens.

[penrivers]

Yep, italians bought from frenchs the rights to make it, then hired Bruce Chatwin to design its journels under his very personal specifications I think he concentrated in measures

against rains and other kind of humidifications it would be wise to investigate the opinion of P. Leigh Fermor about that issue, it should exist. I have one, just to accomplish the

"I must have it" condition of some relatively low cost iconic things in the market, cant see the fuzz, paper is stiff and thick, I never write in it. I have some excelents from walmart with fake suede covers in fade greens, blues, browns and blacks, silky ribbons and elastic rings, in diferent sizes with astonishing good paper. But I am vulgar, for my everyday I use composition note books 80 sheets, 160 pages 4.5x3.25 in, they cost 50 or 75 cents in thrifty stores, originally they are blue and white, but whenever I begin to use a new one (I have maybe 10 or 15 waiting), I paint the paper covers with a black marker totally, and after 10 years of use they are still beautifull.

Edited July 11, 2014 by penrivers

[wastelanded]

Fake heritage is nothing new, especially in our circle. Conway-Stewart, Kaweco, to name two. But at least Kaweco are upfront about it.

[torstar]

you have to adjust to the paper and pen and ink and nib and flow each time you want to write

 

writing on Moleskin isn't the same as other papers, adjustments are required for effective use

 

shape up or ship out