Are the Moleskine's worth the price?

[zencowboy]

I haven't used Moleskine enough to give you a definitive answer, but from my experience the paper in a Moleskine is not always fountain-pen friendly. I bought the New York city Moleskine for a trip in May and that notebook had nice, thick paper with no feathering or bleeding. I used a fairly wet, medium-nib Waterman Phileas and the notebook performed flawlessly. At that point I was such a newbie that I didn't even know about the problems associated with using a fountain pen.

 

Liking the city Moleskine, I bought a regular Moleskine journal and it has turned out to be problematic. The only pen I can use without feathering or bleed-through is a Hero 132 with a F/XF nib. All my other pens cause so much bleed through that I can only use the front side of each page. I haven't worked up the nerve to buy another Moleskine to see if I get one with better paper.

 

Other than paper-quality concerns, I think the Moleskines are well constructed. I've subjected mine to a lot of abuse and they've held up. Good luck and let us know your experience.

[sparkzz]

I've wrestled with this myself. I have decided to make my own journals/memo pads. Find the paper you like. Michael's Craft Stores have quite a selection of different weights, sizes, and colors, some with grids, some without(unlined). You may decide a high grade printer/copy paper is sufficient. Then search the web for "how to make your own notebooks" and you'll find three or four good articles with pictures on the subject.

It doesn't look too hard, and you can come up with your own neat covers.

It looks like a good rainy day project.

Edited July 10, 2008 by sparkzz

[andysw81]

A Japanese company called Mucu make notebooks of a similar size to the small Moleskine journals.

 

From my experience the paper was of a high quality (much better for fountain pens than Moleskine paper), and the cover and stitching were very durable. There were only two drawbacks: no inner pocket and no elastic band (although it is possible to buy the band separately, which is inserted into the back of the notebook).

 

More info at: http://mucu.jp/products-e/PB-A.html

 

(Note: plain, squared and ruled versions are available, not just the diary. Oh and they come in black and beige, as well as orange!)

 

I'm not sure about the availability of Mucu products outside Japan but this notebook retails for JPY1800, which is almost exactly the same as the small Moleskines.

[digitalnative]

I'd have to say they're worth the price when on sale, or if you find a good bargain. I'm a bit of a Moleskine fanboy, but am also among the first to admit that there is much better paper out there. I have a few Apica notebooks, a Clairfontaine and several Rhodia pads that I use. Those are exceptional in terms of paper quality. When it comes time to put something in the bag or to take along on a trip, I reach for the Moleskine. It's taken a while, but when you find the right pen/nib/ink combination that works for you then Moleskines are worth it.

[AlecG]

I don't think they are worth their paper!

So certainly not the notes I need to pay them with.

For about 15 Euro's I got a nice size.

 

But for 18,5 Euro's I bought a nice one in Brittain.

See also this review: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...15&start=15

It seems to me like a very nice notebook, useable with FP, although not as perfect as some others, but I do use the Sterling Silver Perfect Pencil from Graf von Faber-Castell when I'm on the road and it has 256 pages....

in 14mm thickness and 180gr of weight.

So that are a lot of useable pages with limited thickness.

But I also like the fact that for this price I get nice india paper, goatskin leather cover, hand bound (not glued or stapled) and a neat good look.

 

When I need a larger notebook I have "Atlanta Excelent" but they are not on sale outside the Netherlands AFAIK. They could be well out of production completely,

but I've got a pile of about 50 of them. They are expensive, 25 Euro's have about 144 pages, very good paper for FP, stiff carboard cover with a blotted plastic outside, linnen back and stitched/bound.

Also I just got a very nice classic floppy manuscript from Smtyhson, but that is so unbelievable expensive that I won't buy it again, it is very nice, gilded and all,

but just too expensive in an every day use situation. And I prefer the goatskin from Allan's Journal to the pigskin that Smythson uses. Just MHO.

I think I write my first novel in the Smythson. Some day ....

Edited July 17, 2008 by alecgold

[chomann]

So I ran some rough back of napkin math. The first assumption is that in the end writing all comes down to surface area for ink. If you are writing massive amounts or needing value, then don't go Moleksine. A general Sheet (front and back) of legal pad paper can hold roughly 2 sheets of Moleskine writing (front and Back). When you run the numbers with some general numbers, Legal Pads =50 sheets (100 pages), moleskins hold 120 Sheets (240 pages) and you find the LCD (lowest common denominator) at 600 sheets. That's 5 Moleksines of paper compared to the 6 Legal Pads of paper. Now when you assign some pricing (at time of wirting this)... That's roughly $85 for Molskines, and with Tops white paper from Walmart is $14 / 12 pack. .. so for the 6 leagal pads that $7.

So in short $85 of notebooks = $7 in Legal Pads.

That's 1,116% MORE for Moleskines (and I'm being conservative)

With that kind of cash you can buy one hell of a nice padfolio, and upgrade your legal pad paper quite a bit. And still have some money left over for Pens and Gear.

Plus Moleskine Paper sucks for Fountain Pens.....

Edited June 22, 2016 by chomann

[amberleadavis]

 

Plus Moleskine Paper sucks for Fountain Pens.....

 

 

 

Exactly! I figured out how much I was paying and instead had a notebook made for me by FPNer GatzBCN.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/290613-red-leather-journal-with-tomoe-river/

 

 

Check out her work here:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/298679-tomoe-river-journals-and-more/

 

AND she is in PenWorld magazine this month.

[ink-syringe]

Posted 24 April 2008 - 21:08

zombie thread

[briang]

I used to use MS, but the prices have gone higher and i much prefer Rhodia now.

[mmg122]

QUOTE(fuddmain @ Apr 24 2008, 01:59 PM) 589508[/snapback]Field notes: http://fieldnotesbrand.com/Apica: http://stores.ebay.com/Take-Note-Writing-Gear - CD-15 or 6A10 would be good for class notes.Thanks for the tip. The Field note ones look nice...although wish the came in an non-lined version. Have you tested them with a fountain pen? I've heard about Apica but they very few sheets per book, then there is the problem finding them....

Field Notes notebooks come in lined, plain and graph paper. I use my fountain pens with them without much problem...no bleedthru, minimal showthru, no feathering. I find that M-F-EF nibs work best. Wetter, broader nibs exhibit more showthru.

Recommend!

[ImCannibal]

I have used the Moleskine Cahiers, field notes, 80 pages, military memorandum books, and a few other pocket sized notebooks and I found one that beats them all for use with the fountain pens I have. The poppin notebooks sold at staples come in 3.5"x5.5", contain over 100 pages, are lined, quite durable, and affordable. That's just my 2 cents though.

[amberleadavis]

 

Posted 24 April 2008 - 21:08

zombie thread

 

 

 

I know... I know...

 

 

But it is still relevant.

[Rama33]

Yes! I bought the standard Moleskin yesterday for $19. My so-so Kaweco Sport writes beautifully on the Moleskin paper. I keep trying other notebooks but keep coming back to Moleskin. I have a Hobonichi planner and I must say that I do enjoy putting ink on Tomoe River paper.

 

That brings up a question. Has anyone used Tomoe River paper with ARC or Levenger's Circa system? I don't imagine it would work very well.

 

Thanks!!

 

.....so I don't like to waste money. But I do believe in you get what you pay fro. I was looking at some Moleskines last night and just wondered if they really are worth the extra dollars for my carry around notes? If the quality and durability are really there or is this just a snob appeal for the name ? Thanks for your input.

[sciumbasci]

Moleskine's paper is lame. So much so I was forced to write on it with a pencil: sometimes a bic could do a mess on it's flimsy pages.

 

Been looking for a replacement everywhere, heard a lot of advices, but all the alternatives had either white and not ivory pages, or weren't available, or didn't have the band to keep them in place. I lucked out one day and bought, based on reviews and advices from others that been there before me, Ciak products, handmade in Florence.

 

Comes in a variety of colours, sizes, plain, ruled, grid, rigid or soft cover. Organizers, copybooks... You name it.

 

And it's cheaper than a Moleskine. I can't but praise these products. Also, the model with horizontal band works as pen holder, too!

 

The only thing I wish they had is a pocket like the Moleskine. But I guess you can't have everything.

 

http://www.intempo.eu/Data/Files/HtmlEditor_Files/image/Prodotti/Main_ciak_eco_raw_web.jpg

 

http://www.agendine.it/Data/Files/HtmlEditor_Files/image/GalleriaFoto/novit%C3%A0%202012/ECO_nuovi.jpg

 

http://www.intempo.eu/data/files/htmleditor_files/image/prodotti/cartesio-organizer-black.jpg

Edited June 30, 2016 by sciumbasci

[PaganArcher]

I used Moleskine in high school prior to my fountain pen days. It was terrible then, at least for me. I've since switched over to Leuchtturm1917 notebooks and haven't looked back.

[amberleadavis]

For the price, I really like Miquel Ruis paper. I used it in law school and it was the one paper that my gel pens would not seep through to the other side. I still use the MR paper in the office in our desk journals and I buy the notebooks for taking to trial instead of regular legal pads.

[amberleadavis]

Rama, I tried the TR paper and it didn't circa well for me, but the ARC paper at Staples is mostly FP friendly.

 

Edited: I found that with a broad italic wet nib, I could get spotting on the back of the paper but no bleed through or feathering.

[FountainPenCowgirl]

I can admit now that I fell for Moleskine, mostly because they felt more "adult" and writer-friendly than the journals commonly available in places near where I live.. I have a *lot* of filled Moleskines, including several used for thought work for my doctoral program. Gel pens were my writing instruments of choice then. They worked fine, and they've held up well over time.

 

Since finding fountain pens, I've moved to Leuchtturm (a brand that, sadly, I snubbed in more than one bookstore before I knew better) because the paper simply works better. I still have unused Moleskines that I'll keep, since I'll never stop writing. They may end up having a use sometime.

 

Worth the price? Eh. Maybe not. But I've used worse, for not much less.

Edited July 2, 2016 by FountainPenCowgirl

[Studio97]

I buy moleskine if I can find a deal on them but not at regular price. I'm currently using a pocket M. But the paper is so thin I use a waterman FP with a fine nib and Waterman violette ink and that has very little strike through. I wanted to use my Sarasa .7 gel pen but the paper is just too thin. I tried TUL gel pens but it skips on moleskine paper but works great on anything else. I should just give up and use my existing stack of M notebooks but don't buy anymore. My MB ballpoints do work well on the current notebook. Too inconsistent paper.

[Kublai Khan]

I used to buy hardcover moleskine notebooks. Writing in them is ok, But their spines are not the sturdiest and do fray quite heavily. So much so that I had to buy a notebook cover to put on at least the current notebook that travels with me on a daily basis. If you're writing in multiple notebooks and keeping them all on your desk, you should be fine, but if you write in a single notebook until you've exhausted the pages, be prepared to see that spine get quite frayed over time. Or put a cover on it.