Moleskine: what a disappointment!

[mitaka]

Follow-up on my replacement attempt. It turns out that this Moleskine notebook didn't have that leaflet with the quality control number in the inner pocket. I thought the number was on the "History of the Legendary.." brochure that does come in the inner pocket. But there was no other leaflet as the Moleskin website claims it should. On some other website I read that they started putting this quality control leaflet on books shipped after 2006. I am kind of skeptical of the idea that the notebook I just bought a few weeks ago in Japan (through Amazon Japan) was made pre-2006. Anyway. I submitted my quality problem e-mail on the Moleskine website with the picture. Now waiting to see if they will send a replacement.

[Mrsal]

hmmm... i just got my first moleskine last weekend, a cahier 3 pack, and have had no trouble with the paper quality, and the binding cant become what yours did too... hope you get yours replaced.

[Aristarco]

Another nagging issue was the really terrible quality of the paper in bleeding through any FP/ink combination I tried. All my pens (Parker Sonnet, Pelikan M200, Pilot Custom 74) are F or EF and I only use Parker or Pelikan ink. I can see how the ink just spreads and confuses many letters. Worst part is that you cannot write bigger of course because of the small line width, so you are doomed.

 

Moleskine is indeed a tricky notebook with varying quality ranging from bad to worst. I bought a couple and found the oilcloth (it's not oilcloth, it's a cheap binding plastic fabric) has lots of bubbles. The cover looks like a failed project from kindergarden. I found something interesting when testing the paper: Parker ink gives the worst results. Sipdering is immense. Bleeding is complete. Feathering is so much the thing almost grows wings! So I'll stick to my hand-made notebooks from now on. At least I make what I want out of a paper I knw it's good, using a binding I know will survive me, and in the size I want. Best advice? Don't waste your money again in a Mole. I learnt that the hard way too.

[mucephei]

I have several Moleskines but I doubt I'll buy another. I have found the best pen to use on its wretched paper is a red Pilot 78G with PR Plum, though I have another 78G which has Noodler's Bulletproof Black which I use for my astronomical logs. Though I like the binding and the elastic, I'll be looking for notebooks which feature better paper such as Clairefontaine.

[effrafax]

You know, I read these Moleskine-bashing threads regularly, and it's almost like we have two completely different products. I have quite a few Moleskines (two large, plain journals; two large, plain reporters; several cahiers in black and kraft, plain, ruled and graph and in different sizes) and I just don't get any inconsistency. In fact, they are the most reliable paper to write on that I have (bar one - see below), and I have one and a half shelves of different notebooks, journals and pads of varying type and quality. They have been purchased variously from local shops here in Brisbane or on Ebay.

 

When I get a new journal or notebook, I always turn to the last page and do some tests with various combinations of pens and inks. Mostly I use Noodlers, with Custom 74s in different nib sizes, Sailor 1911s, Lamy Safari/AL-stars and Studios with everything from EF to 1.9mm ci, and it is extremely rare that there are any problems with feathering and/or bleeding. The Noodler's Inks range from BP Black, most of the Eternals and some Swisher exclusives like Aquamarine, one of my favourites and my all-time favourite, Coral Sea, which is quite fussy. My bleed test for paper is to hold the nib in one spot for about five seconds, which really sorts out the good from the bad papers.

 

So maybe I'm just incredibly lucky, I don't know. I've spent a lot of time and money trying to find the perfect journal and notebook, and realised after about a year that I already had them. The only thing I would say could be improved, for me, is that I'd prefer metric sizes. No biggie.

 

The only other paper I have that is as consistent as the Moleskines I own is in some A4 Rhodia notebooks: they don't have the ruggedness of the Moleskines, but the paper is excellent. I have some Rhodia blocs that are very good, but after buying the white paper, I bought an A4 stapled yellow paper bloc, and that paper is rubbish by comparison. Feathers and bleeds several inks, and is nowhere near as smooth.

 

The flip side to this story is that we don't get a lot of choice in paper in Australia from retail sources. Rhodias are hard to get when Borders is out of stock. No Clairefontaine that I've been able to find, nor any other of the frequently mentioned journals and notebooks. We get an awful lot of rubbish Chinese paper, then the occassional gem, which you can't replace as they never get stocked again. Moleskines, however, are easy to find. Thankfully. So far ...

[Phaedrus]

You know, I read these Moleskine-bashing threads regularly, and it's almost like we have two completely different products. I have quite a few Moleskines (two large, plain journals; two large, plain reporters; several cahiers in black and kraft, plain, ruled and graph and in different sizes) and I just don't get any inconsistency. In fact, they are the most reliable paper to write on that I have (bar one - see below), and I have one and a half shelves of different notebooks, journals and pads of varying type and quality. They have been purchased variously from local shops here in Brisbane or on Ebay.

 

When I get a new journal or notebook, I always turn to the last page and do some tests with various combinations of pens and inks. Mostly I use Noodlers, with Custom 74s in different nib sizes, Sailor 1911s, Lamy Safari/AL-stars and Studios with everything from EF to 1.9mm ci, and it is extremely rare that there are any problems with feathering and/or bleeding. The Noodler's Inks range from BP Black, most of the Eternals and some Swisher exclusives like Aquamarine, one of my favourites and my all-time favourite, Coral Sea, which is quite fussy. My bleed test for paper is to hold the nib in one spot for about five seconds, which really sorts out the good from the bad papers.

 

So maybe I'm just incredibly lucky, I don't know. I've spent a lot of time and money trying to find the perfect journal and notebook, and realised after about a year that I already had them. The only thing I would say could be improved, for me, is that I'd prefer metric sizes. No biggie.

 

The only other paper I have that is as consistent as the Moleskines I own is in some A4 Rhodia notebooks: they don't have the ruggedness of the Moleskines, but the paper is excellent. I have some Rhodia blocs that are very good, but after buying the white paper, I bought an A4 stapled yellow paper bloc, and that paper is rubbish by comparison. Feathers and bleeds several inks, and is nowhere near as smooth.

 

The flip side to this story is that we don't get a lot of choice in paper in Australia from retail sources. Rhodias are hard to get when Borders is out of stock. No Clairefontaine that I've been able to find, nor any other of the frequently mentioned journals and notebooks. We get an awful lot of rubbish Chinese paper, then the occassional gem, which you can't replace as they never get stocked again. Moleskines, however, are easy to find. Thankfully. So far ...

 

notemaker.com.au is pretty reliable for Rhodia. They have Clairfontaine but have been sold out of it for a while. If you place an order over AU$75, they ship for free to Australia/NZ.

Disclaimer -I have no affiliation with them. I've ordered from them a few times now (Rhodia, Moleskine and Crown Mill paper).

[Souldrifter]

I've had good luck with both the large and small cahiers for taking notes in class and such, and also journalling on the go (Death Valley, etc). Beyond that, the hardcovers have been a huge disappointment in terms of writing with fountain pen ink on lined paper. I have a sketch book I doodle in, but it's the thicker paper and ... I use it for sketching, not writing. I have moved to the US made Quo Vadis Habanas with cautious optimisim and have not been disappointed so far. I've also got a plain covered Clairfontaine cloth bound notebook I use to take notes for a personal project in. It's got slightly wider lines which truly bug me, but I've moved from a F to a M/B nib for that particular notebook so I guess it sort of evens out.

[Orval]

I had exactly the same problem with my Moleskine notebook as the topic starter. Back to the much cheaper and trustfull Clairefontaine notebooks. Moleskine is just a brilliant marketing hype. With their poor quality, this phenomena will not last. Never again for me.

[inkypete]

Another plug here for notemaker.com.au - great Aussie source for Rhodia. They haven't actually run out of the Clairefontaine - it hasn't arrived yet from France. They put it on the page ready to roll and the shipment has been delayed. Last time I checked it was due early May. Keep an eye on notemaker as they have plans to bring in other ranges including Quo Vadis (Habanas please). the guys who run the company love fine stationery. I think there will be news soon on a great range of inks too.

 

 

 

 

You know, I read these Moleskine-bashing threads regularly, and it's almost like we have two completely different products. I have quite a few Moleskines (two large, plain journals; two large, plain reporters; several cahiers in black and kraft, plain, ruled and graph and in different sizes) and I just don't get any inconsistency. In fact, they are the most reliable paper to write on that I have (bar one - see below), and I have one and a half shelves of different notebooks, journals and pads of varying type and quality. They have been purchased variously from local shops here in Brisbane or on Ebay.

 

When I get a new journal or notebook, I always turn to the last page and do some tests with various combinations of pens and inks. Mostly I use Noodlers, with Custom 74s in different nib sizes, Sailor 1911s, Lamy Safari/AL-stars and Studios with everything from EF to 1.9mm ci, and it is extremely rare that there are any problems with feathering and/or bleeding. The Noodler's Inks range from BP Black, most of the Eternals and some Swisher exclusives like Aquamarine, one of my favourites and my all-time favourite, Coral Sea, which is quite fussy. My bleed test for paper is to hold the nib in one spot for about five seconds, which really sorts out the good from the bad papers.

 

So maybe I'm just incredibly lucky, I don't know. I've spent a lot of time and money trying to find the perfect journal and notebook, and realised after about a year that I already had them. The only thing I would say could be improved, for me, is that I'd prefer metric sizes. No biggie.

 

The only other paper I have that is as consistent as the Moleskines I own is in some A4 Rhodia notebooks: they don't have the ruggedness of the Moleskines, but the paper is excellent. I have some Rhodia blocs that are very good, but after buying the white paper, I bought an A4 stapled yellow paper bloc, and that paper is rubbish by comparison. Feathers and bleeds several inks, and is nowhere near as smooth.

 

The flip side to this story is that we don't get a lot of choice in paper in Australia from retail sources. Rhodias are hard to get when Borders is out of stock. No Clairefontaine that I've been able to find, nor any other of the frequently mentioned journals and notebooks. We get an awful lot of rubbish Chinese paper, then the occassional gem, which you can't replace as they never get stocked again. Moleskines, however, are easy to find. Thankfully. So far ...

 

[effrafax]

notemaker.com.au is pretty reliable for Rhodia. They have Clairfontaine but have been sold out of it for a while. If you place an order over AU$75, they ship for free to Australia/NZ.

Disclaimer -I have no affiliation with them. I've ordered from them a few times now (Rhodia, Moleskine and Crown Mill paper).

 

Thanks for the tip Phaedrus, I'll check them out.

[oracle202]

I'm getting very sick of Moleskin's lack of QC. Many of mine have different quality papers used all in one book! I have now begun switching to Rhodia books, and I'm much happier!

[mitaka]

Quick follow-up.

 

I filed a complaint e-mail (with a digital picture posted also in this thread) with Moleskine S.r.l. of Italy on April 17, to which I received a nice and apologetic response within one week. They told me that they will send a replacement immediately. The replacement arrived directly from Italy today in Japan (in less than a month), where I reside. I am not holding my breath on the quality of the binding of this one, although it looks relatively sturdy. The Moleskine history insert does have a quality control number, whereas the previous one didn't. Having gone through several pages of the previous one, and read in others' postings, I know that the paper quality is not very consistent, especially with feathering issues. But I also think that if one uses blank version instead of lined, one could somehow minimize the visual effect of feathering by writing letters in somewhat larger sizes. So, I don't know what I will do with this replacement for the moment. But as I said, I might use blank Moleskines in the future. For reference, I am currently using L!fe Noble Note which has excellent paper for FP though not a hardbound cover (a problem that I take care with a Kokuyo Systemic notebook cover).

 

That should not happen. I have abused several moleskines and nothing like that occured. Get in touch with Mondo & Mondo and send them the pictures.

 

K

 

Well, I just checked their website and they do seem to have a "send e-mail with a picture, get full replacement" policy, which is nice.

Moleskine quality

Replacement claim

 

They are also quite frank in admitting the possibility of defects because apparently they are all handmade in China in different small factories and the quality is not always consistent. So, yes, I will do as you say and ask for a replacement. I might use the replacement with ballpoint or some other type of pen but not fountain pens. As many many others remarked in other threads, the paper is simply not good for FP.

 

[Titivillus]

Quick follow-up.

 

I filed a complaint e-mail (with a digital picture posted also in this thread) with Moleskine S.r.l. of Italy on April 17, to which I received a nice and apologetic response within one week. They told me that they will send a replacement immediately. The replacement arrived directly from Italy today in Japan (in less than a month), where I reside. I am not holding my breath on the quality of the binding of this one, although it looks relatively sturdy. The Moleskine history insert does have a quality control number, whereas the previous one didn't. Having gone through several pages of the previous one, and read in others' postings, I know that the paper quality is not very consistent, especially with feathering issues. But I also think that if one uses blank version instead of lined, one could somehow minimize the visual effect of feathering by writing letters in somewhat larger sizes. So, I don't know what I will do with this replacement for the moment. But as I said, I might use blank Moleskines in the future. For reference, I am currently using L!fe Noble Note which has excellent paper for FP though not a hardbound cover (a problem that I take care with a Kokuyo Systemic notebook cover).

 

I have received not a single peep from M&M after I sent them a pic of my diary with the binding completely in shreds. Wonder if a followup is in order?

 

K

[Rainwalker]

Tacky, tacky - replying to my own reply!

 

Must add an addendum: I ran out of Moleskine notebooks and am waiting for my next shipment, so continued journaling in the Habana which I abandoned as soon as I got my Moleskine.

 

This beautiful, white paper turns my "B" nib pens into Mediums and my "M" nib pens into Fines. Not for me! I like wet writers.

 

[Akumar]

That should not happen. I have abused several moleskines and nothing like that occured. Get in touch with Mondo & Mondo and send them the pictures.

 

K

 

Well, I just checked their website and they do seem to have a "send e-mail with a picture, get full replacement" policy, which is nice.

Moleskine quality

Replacement claim

 

They are also quite frank in admitting the possibility of defects because apparently they are all handmade in China in different small factories and the quality is not always consistent. So, yes, I will do as you say and ask for a replacement. I might use the replacement with ballpoint or some other type of pen but not fountain pens. As many many others remarked in other threads, the paper is simply not good for FP.

 

They are so friendly in talking about replacing that once when such a situation arose my anger cooled so quickly I just decided not to exchange at all. Later I found that my kid had tampered with the moleskine and that is where the problem arises. Just mail them and they will send you a new one. Though i personally feel that the accident that happened to yours is quite uncommon and may have been caused when someone, without your knowledge, allowed your moleskine to get wet.

 

[usonian]

Just to add to the anecdotal evidence - I've been using plain, pocket sized Moleskines for two years and have never encountered a manufacturing defect like this - I'd definitely contact the company over something like that.

 

With regards to FP-friendliness (or lack thereof), It really depends on your favored pen & ink combos... same as evaluating any other paper. Wet/broad writers do tend to bleed, but I've been happily using F & EF nibs to write in my Moleskines with good results... I wouldn't want to write with anything heavier in the pocket sized journal anyway.

 

With regards to the marketing, I've always thought the breathless claims about Van Gogh and Hemingway were a bit ridiculous... I just like that they're sturdy (in my experience) and have an understated, classy look & feel to them.

[luka505]

Quick follow-up.

 

I filed a complaint e-mail (with a digital picture posted also in this thread) with Moleskine S.r.l. of Italy on April 17, to which I received a nice and apologetic response within one week. They told me that they will send a replacement immediately. The replacement arrived directly from Italy today in Japan (in less than a month), where I reside. I am not holding my breath on the quality of the binding of this one, although it looks relatively sturdy. The Moleskine history insert does have a quality control number, whereas the previous one didn't. Having gone through several pages of the previous one, and read in others' postings, I know that the paper quality is not very consistent, especially with feathering issues. But I also think that if one uses blank version instead of lined, one could somehow minimize the visual effect of feathering by writing letters in somewhat larger sizes. So, I don't know what I will do with this replacement for the moment. But as I said, I might use blank Moleskines in the future. For reference, I am currently using L!fe Noble Note which has excellent paper for FP though not a hardbound cover (a problem that I take care with a Kokuyo Systemic notebook cover).

 

I am glad to see their customer service working as advertised. I am using Moleskine notebooks for almost two years now and only one of them experienced a torn cardboard binding. However, all the papers inside still stich together, so this is more of a visual hinderance than anything else. I only had about 15 pages left when it happened and it didn't fall apart by the time I was finished nor in the mean time where I stil use it as a reference from time to time. Oh, and it was my doing - I carry it in a shoulder bag compartment together with my cell phone and every time I put either of those in the compartment it was rubbing the binding. It took about a year of such constant molesting to bring it down, so I can say I'm satisfied so far. Though, I haven't been using FPs to write in Moleskines...

[drawline]

I'm really eager to get my head around this, but thought i'd hold of on starting a thread and post here instead. I got two Moleskines like.. a year ago. One reporter and one classic large, both plain. I got some feathering, but I mainly use very featherproof inks, like bulletproof black and fountainpen fit pigment inks so it wasn't that big of an deal. Then when I got a plain small a while after, and also now recently a classic large, the character of the paper had changed noticeably. When people talk about varying quality I assume its about how they take ink, but what I noticed (and didn't know i'd miss so much as I took it for granted), was shift from a.. on these thin papers, wonderfully crisp, sharp, but still smooth feeling, to a somehow thicker, spongy, dragy feel that puts me off. The former attributes was consistent in both the reporter and classic. Think the paper is thicker too, and it is apparent to the touch as well, it seems softer. What is going on? It just sucks, it didn't seem like much, but it would have been a great bulk solution, with a great feel to the paper once it worked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edit to add: would just like to clarify because I think it is an important distinction in guessing about process changes/batches being err, paced differently? It is not just softer, Clairefontaine could be called soft as far as feel goes, it is spongy/coated to the point of being slightly sticky to the touch, while the old paper was "dry".

Edited August 3, 2009 by drawline

[meiers]

That should not happen. I have abused several moleskines and nothing like that occured. Get in touch with Mondo & Mondo and send them the pictures.

 

As for the quality of paper. I've had some variation in quality but I must not be as excitable about some bleedthrough or feathering as I've been using them for years and like the size of the item.

 

K

 

I agree; I have used Moleskine products for years without that problem. They are usually sturdy and reliable even though I throw them into the sling bag and open them countless times daily.

 

I am a high school teacher and use Moleskines for my daybooks. Never had a problem. Mine have stood up to a lot of abuse.

 

Matt

Edited August 4, 2009 by meiers

[Pfhorrest]

I think you got a lemon. The bindings should be very durable.

 

Also, I use Pelikan ink on my Moleskine, never had a problem.