Moleskine: What's the attraction?

[strider_ani]

I actually was kind of disappointed in mine. The ink from my fountain pen wouldn't go on properly. I gave up and just use a normal pen, even though I bought the fountain pen for the moleskine!
Other than that, I havn't had a problem with mine and it's lasted me longer then any other notepad I've had.

[nbmaine2007]

Use a Pilot G-2 .05, Works great. I've never used a fountain pen, but I'd imagine that they wouldn't be very good for Moleskines.

[Tombstone]

Use a Pilot G-2 .05, Works great. I've never used a fountain pen, but I'd imagine that they wouldn't be very good for Moleskines.

...and you would be correct to a point. The paper quality in a Moleskine notebook simply is not consistent enough to rely on it for fountain pen use. Where the first notebook on that fat stack at Barnes and Noble might not bleed or feather, the one behind it just might, or the one behind that. The paper in the Moleskine's can very from 64g to 80g, or so I've read. I have Moleskine cashier notebooks all over the place in my EDC, but I would never use anything but Bic or similar pen in it for fear of bleeding through to the next page.

[boarderx]

The binding on my 5.5" moleskine split after maybe 6 months of daily usage. Other then that, the book is holding up fine. The paper thickness is decent - at least the ink I'm using doesn't bleed through. I use a UniBall Signo ink pen. Love the micro size and the ink won't smear if it gets wet.

[defuse kit]

I might start carrying one, but my fondest memory of a Moleskine notebook was a really, REALLY hot girl in college using one.

[dmattaponi]

A friend of mine picked up a knock-off brand Moleskine at a Walmart a few months back. I have been carrying my Moleskine since January. The other day we were at a Bible study, and he pulled his off brand Moleskine out, and it was literally falling a part. I asked if he had been carrying it in his pocket, and he said "no". He only carries it in his briefcase and when he comes to the Bible study. Mine on the other hand has been carried mostly in a cargo pocket, daily, since January, and it is still is very good shape and holding together fine. Mine cost $9, his cost $5. The difference in price was worth it in my opinion. Also, I use a Fisher Bullet pen on mine notebook, and I've had no problems with ink bleeding through. In fact that was one of the things that I liked so well about the combination of the Moleskine and Space Pen.

[Mesach]

I prefer the Cahirs to the normal moleskines, but I like them as well... I just think that the Cahir is a better form factor for throwing in my back pocket.

Also I prefer the Grid pages, to the normal lined or blank pages. Anyone have a specific preference on page type?

[someoneyoudontknow]

I've used various Moleskin notebooks for a few years, and other than sweating through the cardboard covered ones (switched to the plastic ones), they help up great.

Something to keep in mind though is the sketch book and note book. The notebook has thinner, lighter paper than the sketchbook.

Just something to keep in mind incase someone might have missed that minor detail

[Atomick]

An admitted Moleskine addict, I've been an illustrator my whole life, and I journal regularly, especially while on the trail. I've been through every major brand, from Caslon to those niche-y Japanese office-supply-pr0n ones of odd sizes and grids, and I keep coming back to the stupid Moleskines. I've used everything on 'em, from Prismacolor markers to ball points to gel (hellooooo, Pilot Hi-Tec 0.25!) to Sharpies in 'em, even watercolors. The sketchbooks have less bleed-through than the lighter-weight journals, but even then, c'mon, it's still paper that has limits. But just like some pipe smokers love the lucious hand-feel of the pipe and some drivers adore cars that seem to respond to their thoughts, the Moleskines for me just have that perfect mix of ruggedness, weight, paper feel, thickness/thinness, and heck, even smell out of the box that makes them my notebooks of choice.

The only thing they're not good for, for my needs, is scanning original color artwork - the paper's not neutral enough for a lot of my needs. But I have my bright-white, high-rag, much larger Caslon hardbounds for that.

[nbmaine2007]

My daily carry Moleskine, in its Saddleback Leather cover.