Moleskine: what a disappointment!

[mitaka]

I am extremely disappointed by the first Moleskine classic notebook I purchased. After only using it for two weeks and having written on 6 sheets altogether, the binding has completely come off. And not from the front cover but from the back cover, i.e. I don't even open the notebook on that side. I use this notebook as a 1-page-a-day diary. So, it doesn't get any heavy duty whatsoever. I am completely baffled. What are they thinking?

 

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.

 

So, this is it. I am basically over with Moleskine (and somewhat glad that it failed within the first 2 weeks and 6 pages--imagine this happening after I was halfway through the book). As I understand it, it is just a major marketing scam and the company that took over is pretty much milking the brand mystique until it can fool as many unsuspecting customers. I cannot imagine Hemingway using Moleskins in 2009 just based on the quality of the product.

 

[Titivillus]

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

 

Edited April 16, 2009 by Titivillus

[RayMan]

As far as the bleeding is concerned, I don't believe that Moleskine advertises its journals as being FP friendly. Several members of FPN have reported, however, that there are certain nib and ink combinations that work well with Moleskine journals.

[Pippin60]

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

 

I still love or tolerate Moleskine but the one thing I have never seen is their binding fall apart. That to me is the only thing they do right. There must have been some sort of manufacturing problem with yours.

[inkypete]

Moleskin - sensational marketing but the quality of the product doesn't live up to the expectation created. Paper is garbage and thats not good enough in a premium product. Must say that I have not had any problems with quality in terms of the binding or general construction of the notebook. But the paper inconsistency is enough for me to not buy the product. Try the Habana notebooks - meets all my expectations with Clairefontaine paper. Beautiful.

Edited April 16, 2009 by inkypete

[mitaka]

Manufacturing problem? Maybe... I am not going to bother wasting any more time in corresponding with the company to get some kind of redress. I guess I will have to somehow clip the diary pages I had completed (don't know what to do with them afterwards though) and start a new one with another brand. Living in Japan, I might get lucky with Maruman or Apica (as others have noted).

 

Paper quality: really poor. That's a good reason for me to stay away from it going forward. I wish they delivered more value in the paper department instead of lining up all those celebrity endorsers and shiny covers (e.g. Met opera edition etc).

[ofpwriter]

It was a good thing that I stumbled upon to this topic... I have not tried these notebooks, but influenced by the hype associated, was gonna try one though. Now, not so sure. This isn't the first time someone says the paper quality is poor, and now the binding too. Hmm...

 

I'm using Liederpapel notebooks. They work fine for me and I can get them from a local bookstore. I think the paper is good but basic: no bleedthrough or other whatnots IMO. If anyone has experience about these, I'd appreciate a comparison with some known and high-class notebook.

[mitaka]

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

 

I still love or tolerate Moleskine but the one thing I have never seen is their binding fall apart. That to me is the only thing they do right. There must have been some sort of manufacturing problem with yours.

 

This blog from April 2007 here mentions similar cases of binding falling apart and also displays a picture of it:

Black Cover blog

So, apparently it is not an uncommon thing and the reason given there is because of the production having been moved from Italy to China.

[Pippin60]

Moleskin - sensational marketing but the quality of the product doesn't live up to the expectation created. Paper is garbage and thats not good enough in a premium product. Must say that I have not had any problems with quality in terms of the binding or general construction of the notebook. But the paper inconsistency is enough for me to not buy the product. Try the Habana notebooks - meets all my expectations with Clairefontaine paper. Beautiful.

 

 

I agree with you about the Habana notebooks I just wish they also had the page marker.

[mitaka]

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.

[Phaedrus]

As far as the bleeding is concerned, I don't believe that Moleskine advertises its journals as being FP friendly. Several members of FPN have reported, however, that there are certain nib and ink combinations that work well with Moleskine journals.

 

 

I've complained previously about Moleskines in one of the many Moleskine-bashing posts. I tried lots of combinations of pens and inks without much success, so I was always a bit skeptical of these reports -especially when I couldn't replicate the results. Today my new fine nibbed m805 arrived. I filled it with Iroshizuku syo-ro and proceeded to write on my Rhodia pad. We were not amused... In a fit of desperation, I retrieved a previously abandoned Moleskine from the bottom of my satchel. This has lots and lots of failed attempts to marry various pens and inks with it (including other fine-nibbed pens), spidering and bleeding through its pages. This time... success! I can even write on both sides of the page.

 

The ink/pen combo also writes nicely in my Rhodia webnotebook. This was also a success. No bleed-through or spidering.

 

The webnotebook triumph was not unexpected. While it doesn't behave well with some of my lubricious pens, it isn't as permiable as the Moleskine. What was unexpected was the satisfactory writing experience using the 25 cent Olympic 240 page bulk cheap exercise book and with some of the other bulk, cheap offerings that grace the stationery cupboard at work. No spidering or bleed through here either.

 

I'm pleased about this discovery because I seem to have stumbled on a pen and ink combo that provides a pleasurable and funtional writing experience on paper that is easily obtainable from... well from almost anywhere really.

 

I still agree that the Moleskine should not cost as much as a notebook that uses higher quality paper. I would rather write on nice Clairefontaine paper with a thick nib that lays down a jucy wet line. I'm happy to pay a bit more for the aesthetic and kinesthetic pleasure that accompanies such an experience. Moleskine quality is certainly not in that league.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[nscampos]

I used once a Moleskine and it was a disappointment also.

I much prefer other notebooks like Leuchtturm, Gildhall and Stifflexible.

[BBailey]

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.

[limesally]

Moleskin - sensational marketing but the quality of the product doesn't live up to the expectation created. Paper is garbage and thats not good enough in a premium product. Must say that I have not had any problems with quality in terms of the binding or general construction of the notebook. But the paper inconsistency is enough for me to not buy the product. Try the Habana notebooks - meets all my expectations with Clairefontaine paper. Beautiful.

 

 

I agree with you about the Habana notebooks I just wish they also had the page marker.

 

I have to disagree about the Habana and say that my experience shows inconsistency in paper quality (rough, toothy, bleeding) at less pages and a higher price than moleskine. I did however get a page marker in mine But if I'm going to deal with paper inconsistency, I may as well pay less for it. The Habana I have is worse than any moleskine I've gotten.

 

However, the binding issue above is intolerable! Definitely justifies asking for a replacement/refund.

 

[kookychick]

In the US-made Habanas I have, the paper quality has been consistent. I remember reading a thread about your experience, limesally--was your Habana a US-made one? The US-made ones don't have ribbon markers and have bright white paper (though I would love one).

 

I haven't written in all 7 of my small US-made Habanas, but the paper is bright white and super-smooth to the touch in all of them, and I cannot detect any inconsistency in paper quality in the US-made ones. I believe the ones NOT made in the US have different paper, though--I can't speak to the paper consistency/quality of those.

 

I purchased a small Moleskine with a 40% off coupon, just to see what the fuss was about. Haven't had a chance to write in it to compare it, though!

[Rainwalker]

My experience with the Quo Vadis Habana is the same as limesally's - very inconsistent, very disappointing.

 

 

 

[limesally]

In the US-made Habanas I have, the paper quality has been consistent. I remember reading a thread about your experience, limesally--was your Habana a US-made one? The US-made ones don't have ribbon markers and have bright white paper (though I would love one).

 

I think it was the European made one - creamy paper with narrow grey ruling, and a ribbon marker. Probably around 80g or so in weight - just a guess.

 

Every once in a while, I pull it out to see if I can tolerate it. Nope, still can't.

 

By the by, it's the one Stephanie (biffybeans) refers to in her review when she says she would never want to write on stuff like this again - I sent her a few sheets. But, I don't really want to whine about it unduly - I just wanted to mention that it is not necessarily The One we've been waiting for, in terms of consistency.

[kookychick]

Curiouser & curiouser! Rainwalker: If you don't mind, would you please share where you bought yours? I got some of mine from Swisher Pens, and some from The Daily Planner, all US-made, and they seem to be fine! They're the blindingly white paper, though.

[kookychick]

I think it was the European made one - creamy paper with narrow grey ruling, and a ribbon marker. Probably around 80g or so in weight - just a guess.

 

Every once in a while, I pull it out to see if I can tolerate it. Nope, still can't.

 

Thanks for the clarification, limesally! I went back and found your original thread, and I'm wondering if anyone had a problem with the US-made Habanas? Just trying to see if there are any inconsistencies within the same manufacturing plant, or if it's a US-made vs. non-US-made thing!

[Rainwalker]

Mine was purchased from The Daily Planner, extremely white, as you said, and has no place marker ribbon.

 

My B nib pens (Waterman Carene and Montblanc 146) do not write well on this paper consistently. The absorbency of the paper seemed to vary a lot throughout the page.