I've Had It With Moleskine Once And For All

[Nerdyhistorian]

I read a while on the Twitter account of moleskine or Cultpens that Moleskine is coming out with notebooks that have 120gms paper?

[Olya]

 

I read a while on the Twitter account of moleskine or Cultpens that Moleskine is coming out with notebooks that have 120gms paper?

 

gm² is no indication for ink friendliness. E.g. Tomoe River is somewhere at 52gm²... It is the coating and general quality of the paper, which determines ink compatibility.

[Nerdyhistorian]

This new notebook from Moleskine is the one I meant: https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/MS65517/moleskine-bullet-notebook

According to Cult Pens Twitter: "The paper in this Bullet Notebook is actually really great! No bleed through or feathering with fountain pens like some of their other notebooks."

[Karmachanic]

According to Cult Pens Twitter: "The paper in this Bullet Notebook is actually really great! No bleed through or feathering with fountain pens like some of their other notebooks."

 

 

£20 for 150 pages? Never mind!

[ISW_Kaputnik]

The earliest journals that I kept with fountain pens were in cheap composition books. I bought a Moleskine as an intended upgrade, and it really did not work that badly, but that was seven or eight years ago. The main problem I had with it at the time was the narrow line spacing; I now prefer blank paper for everything, although I still have some lined paper from other brands to use up. The Moleskine paper seemed okay, with my fountain pens although I've since found better. But I can believe that it's gotten worse.

 

I have another one of their journals which I've never completely filled, again because of that narrow line spacing. Also a blank paper journal which I could use as a pencil sketch book if I run out, and a little pocket sized Moleskine with alphabet tabs, which I use as a personal glossary when I learn new words. The little one again seems to have good enough paper, but it was bought quite a few years ago, probably at roughly the same time as the others. And I tend to use very fine nibs when writing in it.

 

It seems that Moleskine is successfully selling an image. Regardless of the actual quality of the paper (and again, my own experiences have not been bad), they don't really need the fountain pen market to be a success. And the design with the back cover pocket, bookmark, and elastic closure is attractive.

 

I've settled on Tomoe River paper as my favorite, the blank Nanami "Standards" are a good journal for me. Clairefontaine, Rhodia, Life, Kokuyo, and Apica have all worked out well, and I have enough notebooks to last me several years at least. No reason to try Moleskine to see if they have improved.

Edited April 2, 2019 by ISW_Kaputnik

[bogiesan]

£20 for 150 pages? Never mind!

Rhodia and Leuchtturm have both jumped on the bullet journal wagon with offerings in the same range. There are many others.

 

This is a statement we often make, “I’m not paying THAT MUCH for a notebook!” Puzzles me. We will gladly spend $150-$1,000 on a superb pen and $20-$50 on a bottle of excellent ink but won’t spend similar money on excellent paper bound into a notebook. (I’m not saving the new molie notebook is any good; I have neither seen one nor touched one so I have no idea.)

 

https://www.leuchtturm1917.us/notebooks/special-notebooks/bullet-journal/

https://www.rhodiapads.com/collections_premium_goalbook.php

[torstar]

I enjoy using the notebooks with my fountain pens.

 

I realize that i have to press a little bit lighter than some other papers, but that's called a wise use of the pen and paper in front of me in reality.

[txomsy]

This is a statement we often make, “I’m not paying THAT MUCH for a notebook!” Puzzles me. We will gladly spend $150-$1,000 on a superb pen and $20-$50 on a bottle of excellent ink but won’t spend similar money on excellent paper bound into a notebook. (I’m not saving the new molie notebook is any good; I have neither seen one nor touched one so I have no idea.)

 

Maybe it is because of my own experience. As I mentioned earlier, there are plenty of alternatives around. I've been using little black (or other colour) books for decades, and always could find one that was cheap and FP friendly. Some six years ago the offer had decreased to almost nil, but nowadays it is again easy. So for me, at least, the reasoning is simple: if I can get much better notebooks for much less. why should I pay THAT MUCH?

[sansenri]

 

 

 

It seems that Moleskine is successfully selling an image. Regardless of the actual quality of the paper (and again, my own experiences have not been bad), they don't really need the fountain pen market to be a success. And the design with the back cover pocket, bookmark, and elastic closure is attractive.

 

 

Exactly. As I have mentioned other times, Moleskine is a product heavily based on marketing concepts.

It's not the quality of the paper that matters, it's the final image they sell.

And as opposed to other brands that do use marketing but in which the basic concept is quality (+luxury, distinction, etc., think Montblanc), their products are based on the idea of the rugged notebook to keep always in your pocket for notes, that looks good and is comfortable to use. Quality is an option.

 

As every company heavily involved in marketing, they may however have discovered there is a market segment whose's needs are unmet: fountain pen users, or more probably people who use ink in general (art customers).

 

It does not surprise me though that price of such notebooks will double, it's another classic in marketing: premium pricing.

[Karmachanic]

Rhodia and Leuchtturm have both jumped on the bullet journal wagon with offerings in the same range. There are many others.

 

This is a statement we often make, “I’m not paying THAT MUCH for a notebook!” Puzzles me. We will gladly spend $150-$1,000 on a superb pen and $20-$50 on a bottle of excellent ink but won’t spend similar money on excellent paper bound into a notebook. (I’m not saving the new molie notebook is any good; I have neither seen one nor touched one so I have no idea.)

 

https://www.leuchtturm1917.us/notebooks/special-notebooks/bullet-journal/

https://www.rhodiapads.com/collections_premium_goalbook.php

 

I'm not going to pay THAT MUCH for THAT notebook.

I have no problem, however, paying $26 for a Nanami, 480 page, Tomoe River notebook. Or two.

It's a value thing.

Edited April 2, 2019 by Karmachanic

[miwishi63]

This is a statement we often make, “I’m not paying THAT MUCH for a notebook!” Puzzles me. We will gladly spend $150-$1,000 on a superb pen and $20-$50 on a bottle of excellent ink but won’t spend similar money on excellent paper bound into a notebook. (I’m not saving the new molie notebook is any good; I have neither seen one nor touched one so I have no idea.)

 

Excellent food for thought. Your dollar amounts for pens and ink are well out of my price range, but your point is valid. It might boil down to what you want to do with what you have written down. I would expect to pay a premium for archival quality paper that I could expect to last for a long time if I wanted to preserve what I had written. However, anything of importance that I write is also converted into electronic form which, while it will not last forever, will almost certainly outlast me.

 

Perhaps, having expended significant financial resources on pens and ink, some people want to find a way to "save money" as a way of justifying their other expenditures. I'm a pathetic stationary junkie so I don't bother justifying my paper purchases - I just enjoy them!

[almoore]

For my £20 or thereabouts I would order another 'The Author' notebook from GLP.

 

Al

[evyxmsj]

I've just bought one of those Pentode and almore on a gamble. *Tiny* bit of feathering and bleedthrough: I'm happy with it and will write on both sides. Love the soft cover with coloured sides: I feel like I'm writing in a novel! Kinda miss an elastic closure, but that's just muscle memory confusion

Edited April 7, 2019 by evyxmsj

[ardene]

Hi

 

I have used these for years

 

http://nuco-direct.com/nu-elite-prestige-black-pu-wiro-journal/

 

Exclusively with fountain pens and never had an issue, I like the cream paper version but the do white as well, covers available in black or tan.

 

They have doubled in price in the last 5 years but worth it.

 

Paul

I find their spiral-bound notebooks very nice for all my fps irrespective of nib.

[bogiesan]

Stumbled across these while in Edinburgh:

 

https://www.waverley-books.co.uk/store/category/14_waverley-scotland---tartan-notebooks-and-journals-from-scotland/

 

Waverley tartan wrapped commonplace notebooks. If you wander around the site you will find a link for the USA distributor. The makers claim to be fountain pen users themselves. Sort of.

 

https://www.waverley-books.co.uk/store/category/34_do-the-waverley-commonplace-notebooks-take-fountain-pen-ink/

[1nkulus]

Leuchtturm and Rhodia have been my go-tos. I've recently tried Mnemosyne but I find that any ink I use on their paper tends to look faded, and my lines seem finer on that paper than on others. So I can't recommend them without that caveat... but they are fountain pen friendly, and mainly intended for FP use.

 

I use Moleskines for gifting.

+1

 

apart from printing my own templates on HP 32lb paper.

[1nkulus]

So for me, at least, the reasoning is simple: if I can get much better notebooks for much less. why should I pay THAT MUCH?

+1

 

I have no problem, however, paying $26 for a Nanami, 480 page, Tomoe River notebook. Or two.

It's a value thing.

+1