why people love, and hate, moleskines

[Titivillus]

I've seen the same difference between the blank versions and the weekly planners, with the planners bleeding less than the blanks.

 

Yes, me too - my planner will take the wettest nib I'll throw at it. Puzzling, isn't it?

 

didn't really think about that until I jotted some notes with a FP and I think it is true that a planner has more FP likeable paper.

 

Kurt

 

[QM2]

I've seen the same difference between the blank versions and the weekly planners, with the planners bleeding less than the blanks.

 

Yes, me too - my planner will take the wettest nib I'll throw at it. Puzzling, isn't it?

 

didn't really think about that until I jotted some notes with a FP and I think it is true that a planner has more FP likeable paper.

 

 

The large grid notebooks are better than the blanks as well

[Ducttapeearth]

I got a Moleskine. It bled with a G2. Now, that's pitiful. I usually write in a Rhodia. It's like writing on water.

[ianmedium]

I love the way both my Mont blanc and waterman take to my moleskin, I have yet to find a journal that betters the writing experience for me. It got even better last year when I changed from lined to unlined!

[maria322]

I serve up a "ditto!!" on your handwriting - lovely!

 

 

[ianmedium]

It's funny, I have used Moleskins for some time now and have had no issues with them, I love the way my fairly wet nibs lay down a line, no bleed through and no feathering..I must be one of the lucky ones to get good batches!

[henrico]

I think the problem is inconsistencies in paper quality. I looked at several sizes and models of Moleskine the other day and felt differences in the texture of the paper. They are of high quality from manufacturing and binding point of view but the paper leaves much to be desired.

 

Henrico

[tawanda]

I think we tend to forget that Moleskines are not made exclusively for fountain pens. I expect FP users are a very small percentage of the market for the company. There are so many positive points about Moles that I can forgive them the paper problem. I just work round it by finding the right nib/ink combo.

 

I have journalled and written fiction for years, in all manner of notebooks. I only began using Moles about 5 years ago. But they have enhanced my writing pleasure a thousandfold, and on so many different planes. I'm with adair. I would weep if they stopped producing them and just like Bruce Chatwin before me, would probably try and buy up the world's stocks. (Although if you look in my study you'll see I'm well on the way to doing just that)

 

[derkleineHerrFriedemann]

A Delightful message. Thanks.

 

I myself wish Moleskine was still Italian.

[Juan in Andalucia]

I use Moleskines all the time with different pens, most of which are F nibs. I've found some inks that work great with moleskines: Montblanc blueblack, Pelikan 4001 black, and Parker and Waterman blueblack. Pelikan black is the one I use the most.

 

Juan

[inkypete]

It is all about consistency. Reading this thread demonstrates exactly why Moleskin notebooks are not for FP users. Every time you buy one you don't know what you will get. If the paper was consistent then you could make a considered decision on whether or not the notebook is right for you. The current batch of coloured cover volants is very good to write on - if that paper was in the regular notebooks I would buy them. But its a lottery. To me thats just not good enough in a premium product.

[limesally]

yes, as pointed out in my original post, it's all about consistency, or lack thereof.

 

I wish, however, I could see that kind of consistency in other notebooks; the much touted Habana, frex, was a grave disappointment to me for its rough, bleedy paper, and it cost me a good deal more than a moleskine. I would jump ship if I could find a completely consistent product that I didn't have to order from overseas.

[The Bantam Scribbler]

Have you guys tried the softcover Moleskines? By softcover, I don't mean the volants or the cahiers but the default Moleskine design in the softcover version. I think this is a relatively new line to come out of Modo & Modo, and I've found the paper paradoxically thinner but much less prone to bleeding than the legendary hardcover stand-by.

 

I also happen to find the SC's a heck of a lot more enjoyable to write in, since they can be bent to the contour of a knee or any other "workspace" without my hands feeling awkward and meeting with the resistance of hard oilcloth. In addition, they have a lot more of a "classic journal" feel, even though you may wanna grab yourself one of the many beautiful cases and covers over at etsy.com to protect it from the rigors of wear and abuse!

 

Personally, though I'll always be open to fooling around with other journals, my heart belongs to Moleskine!

Edited April 13, 2009 by The Bantam Scribbler

[dvorak]

I've found that if I want to use a Moleskine, I can do it sucessfully (and using both sides of the page) if I take a little time and tune up two factors.

 

I don't use a broad nib pen... a dry medium or better yet a fine / extra fine nib works well.

 

I use a drier ink. For me this normally means BOTTLE lamy BLUE-BLACK. The stuff in the converters does not have an iron gall component, and does not behave the same. I daily use an XF parker sonnet or an XF lamy 2000 with this ink and I get near zero feathering with acceptable levels of show through.

 

I'm such a fan of the form factor, it's a crying shame the paper is such (poop). I'm waiting on some Cartesio notebooks, maybe that satisfy my need for a quality notebook.

 

Brent

[BladeArcher]

I just write one one side of the page. That solves the bleed-through problem and I can use any combination of ink and pen I like.

 

Regards,

Blade

 

 

[DarkAudit]

I have a softcover pocket lined Moleskine. I have tested it out this afternoon with my Esterbrook and a 9550 nib. Works quite well, with little to no bleed-through. Started to get just a little with a 2668, and a little more than that going all out with a 9128. Only then did it become any sort of issue for me.

 

Since I don't plan on writing Spencerian script in this notebook, that's not a big deal.

[The Bantam Scribbler]

I have a softcover pocket lined Moleskine. I have tested it out this afternoon with my Esterbrook and a 9550 nib. Works quite well, with little to no bleed-through. Started to get just a little with a 2668, and a little more than that going all out with a 9128. Only then did it become any sort of issue for me.

 

Since I don't plan on writing Spencerian script in this notebook, that's not a big deal.

 

Terrific! I'm happy it worked out for you!

 

I recently "re-discovered" my cherished softcover Moleskine after misplacing it for several weeks, and I plan to immediately test out all my new ink samples from Peartree in there!

[Gcouch]

Moleskine is a hit or miss thing. You just have to get good at picking the one off the shelf that will get the best results.

[bogiesan]

Moleskine is a hit or miss thing. You just have to get good at picking the one off the shelf that will get the best results.

 

Interesting idea.

The individual items are shrink wrapped.

So there must be a way to discern the quality of the paper by...what?

 

Me, I stopped fussing about paper for notebooks. I use my fountain pens and I enjoy the experience of having a nice notebook. I use one side of each page for two reasons: no bleed through issues and the information becomes much less dense so stuff is easier to find. And I can make important notes on the verso side if necessary; they really stand out. That's four reasons, I guess.

Edited April 11, 2012 by bogiesan

[alvarado]

I used to be a huge fan of Mole from the 90's. The quality by then was good, and the time you held one in your hand was like holding some sacred book. The quality has dropped substantially in the recent years. I used to write with a broad nib of fountain pen or Uni Signo 207. Both of them have serious bleeding now. The thickness of paper is getting thinner and thinner. And I am trying to migrate to Rhodia phase by phase.