Moleskine Sketch

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The other day I went on a perilous adventure to fulfill my eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25.

So I bought this.

 

Now - I usually don't buy notebooks online without reading about them first, but as it was only 12 and change rather than 20 or so, I figured who cares. It's a blank sketchbook - I'll use it no matter what.

 

Ugh...

 

I WISH I had read the reviews first. The paper is like that paper that cheap manilla folders are made from. This stuff has no give to it. Inflexible. Not totally awful, but the surface doesn't like ink at all. Well -- most inks. It's sort of waxy - too much sizing I guess.

 

All is not lost though. It LOVES some inks more than others. You can't even tell it's a funky paper when using these inks.

 

Here we go.

 

Red cover. Nice materials. I don't like the elastic band though, as it's so loose and floppy when not wrapped around the book. It totally gets in my way. I just keep it wrapped around the back cover so it doesn't make me crazy.

 

 

Bleedthrough. most inks wouldn't dream of bleeding through this paper as it's about a foot thick, but Heart of Darkness from a moderately wet broad nib (MB 149) just LOVES to show it's face on the other side of the page. None of the other inks I've used have done this.

 

 

It loves...

Noodler's Bad Green Gator.

When I started this drawing I was expecting it to act up, but no, it worked perfectly. As if I were drawing on some nice copy paper.

 

 

Also loves...

Pilot Black.

That's just awesome. At least I have ONE black that works on this paper.

 

 

It hates...

Well, everything else I have beads up on the surface and takes a REALLY long time to dry. I'm talking water on wax. It's awful.

Check out the pics...

 

...Noodler's Zhivago from TWSBI with broad nib...

 

 

...Brush pens. Noodler's and Kaime with HoD and proprietary black cart. Ugh... Thin lines with Noodler's black. Double ugh.

 

 

I used some rough micromesh (the red/brown one) to sand one of the pages to see if the ink would stick any better. It helped a LITTLE. Not enough to take a picture of the page.

 

THen I thought about wetting a page. In printmaking we wet some papers so the ink sticks better. It washes off some of the sizing. I tried that with this. A wet paper towel and a curled up page later, and my Bamboo pen with broad nib and PR Spearmint/MB Black ink mix worked well, but with lots of feathering. Maybe I got it too wet.

 

 

It makes a great scrap book though. Here's a portrait of me (as a worm!) that one of my 7th graders made for me last week. I LOVE it!!

 

 

Would I buy another one of these? Not if you put a gun to my head. Not if you GAVE it to me.

Ugh.

[fabrimedeiros]

Nice review! I also bought one about 3 years ago without have read any review before! :bonk: :bonk:

 

Those are a good stuff, BUT for ballpoint users! Not for us!! Even for roller is not good.

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I do have a couple ballpoints I could use. Hmm... Good idea.

[Uncle Red]

Try pencils?

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Yeah for sure I will. I've got enough nice clutch and mechanical pencils that I should have no end of fun with this.

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Well - turns out I don't like the way that pencils feel on this stuff either. So will wait till I get back to school and keep it as my "AT SCHOOL" sketchbook and use with my Lamy Scribble BP. If I STILL can't stand the way the paper feels with THAT pen, then I'm going to give it to one of my students, or just use it as a sort of scrap book.

[stevlight]

I use the Moleskine sketchbooks alot. The paper is very weird. I like that it reminds me of the old manilla folders--I used to draw on those as a kid.

 

I find Platinum Carbon Black works pretty good.

 

Namiki black is great {probably the same formula as Pilot black--same Co.}

 

Noodlers black works OK

 

Aurora black is a nightmare

 

 

I really want Moleskine to make a watercolor sketchbook in the portrait format --as they only make their watercolor book in this long awkward landscape format. Their watercolor paper is great for fountain pens.

 

There is even a Moleskine Facebook Group trying to get Moleskine to make portrait watercolor book--how hard could it be?? They make bags and reading glasses now!!!

Edited November 23, 2011 by stevlight

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I may end up using it with nothing but Pilot black and Bad Green Gator... but that would be so boring in the end.

[Prvt. Toter]

I hear those work great for firestarters! I have a really nice looking (NONAME) leather covered journal with a paper in it that wont hold anythng.. I finally gave it to my daughter to user her crayons in. It DOES work for that.. so if you don't want to start fires you can buy some crayolas...

 

RW

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:roflmho:

I tooled around on it last night with some inks I haven't used in a while.

So Pelikan Blue Black, Black, Lamy Blue Black, and I already mentioned Pilot Black and Noodler's Bad Green Gator, love this paper.

It's funny though, Pelikan Blue doesn't stick at all. It beads up and barely leaves a mark.

 

The Pel B/B looks REALLY good on it actually. I'll use it with those inks that work. At least I have more than two, now.