I have one of the big ones. It’s nice; the paper is high-quality, and it feels more compact than a spiral. I don’t know if I’ll buy another one, though. I mean, the history is nice, and it’s a damn fine notebook, but, like Beware of Doug, I’d have a hard time justifying the cost. I’ll write in pretty much anything–hell, my preference is a black, Mead, 1-subject spiral notebook–so spending that much on one notebook is kinda silly.
It is nice, though. . .
I can say that I’m quite happy with my Moleskine that I took for a test drive. I got one of the large, ruled notebooks, and needing something to do with it, I started writing. I finished 240 pages last week, and since the story ain’t finished, I’ve started on the second volume. Same overall setting/theme as my two NaNoWriMo novels. The pocket in the back is really handy as well; that’s where I keep a list of character names and (right now) my tickets to the TC Film Festival.
Thanks for the help in deciding!
Glad you like it. I bought one because of this thread, and it is really nice.
One thing I want to chip in: I am pretty sure that the ones sold by Amazon.com and the ones sold by Barnes & Noble are not the same product. They look the same and have superficially the same packaging, but the numbers of pages differ. If I’m right, then “Moleskine” now describes not a brand, but a certain kind of product, being manufactured by different companies.
Hmm… The ones I’ve gotten at Borders match the descriptions on the Moleskine web site. Are you sure you’re comparing like items? The pages may differ based on size or stuff like that.
Good grief, people! Do you realize how many moles have to die to make these notebooks?
I’m into my 11th Moleskine now. Until a few years ago, my rule was that every new journal had to be different–it had to have a different color, or a different cover, or amusing colored paper, etc. No more.
There’s an intermediate size that still fits in a waistpack or small bag, but lies much flatter than the small. The cover never disintegrates, and if you get the sketchbook, felt tip pen almost never bleeds through a few years later, unlike many previous journals I’ve used. Ink dries quickly on the page–important for us lefties. The elastic strap keeps it a bit more tidy and private.
I find the small too small for most poetry, but the medium is a pretty good size for sonnets, long paragraphs, course schedule drafts, etc. It’s also big enough for small drawings or collages, whereas the “small” is rather cramped.
The Moleskine website appeared to be undergoing a revision a few weeks ago. The numbers and descriptions generally didn’t match Amazon’s. However, I try to get my Moleskine’s at my local independent bookstore, even though they’re a couple of bucks more. I figure he needs the money more than Amazon/Borders/Barnes & Noble does, and he carries books that aren’t bestsellers.
I, too, bought one as a result of reading this thread, and it has:
Just a slight bump, since another thread (the pen one) made me think about it - I use a pilot G2 gel rollerball in my moleskines. What do other people use (besides glass pens, that is?)
I’m seeing some lovely new ones. I’m itching to get the watercolour paper sketchbook (acid-free, 200gms, 25% cotton archival paper) and the new cahiers small notebook (64 pages, last 16 are perforated for easy removal). No Citybook for Cape Town, so I’ll have to jury-rig my own.
And I’d only just gotten some blank sketchbooks for my birthday a couple months ago, damnit!
Glad you liked it, js_africanus.
I was using a Sensa fountain pen, but then a fella I’m acquainted with saw me using the fountain pen and gave me a Diplomat Classic, since he knew he’d never use it himself. I’ve been using that. It’s amazing.
Can’t resist sharing, now that the thread’s been bumped: Moleskine Hacks and the Moleskinerie.
That’d be a Pilot P-700 fine-point (0.7), in purple, at the moment.