Moleskine Ruled Notebook Large
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Book Reviews of Moleskine Ruled Notebook Large
Book Review: Needs Better Paper
Summary: 2 Stars
There's a lot of good to be said about the notebook, and Moleskine deserve credit for reviving this design which had nearly disappeared. The hard cover. . . the elastic band. . . the cloth bookmark. . . the ivory paper. . . the rounded corners. . . It's all good. I might quibble that the ruled lines are spaced a bit narrowly for my handwriting. It's good with a EF nib pen, and it fits a few more lines on each page, but it's a wee bit cramped compared with my normal handwriting.
What really ruins it for me is the paper quality. I've heard it varies from one batch to the next, and it sure seems like I got one of the bad ones. I found many combinations of fountain pens and ink are prone to ugly feathering and bleeding in it. With many of them it's impractical to write on both sides of the sheet, which basically cuts the notebook in half from what it should be. TO BE FAIR, I found I could tame it by choosing the right ink (Noodlers Black) and using a not-too-wet fountain pen. Indeed, I would be willing to take this extra effort to adapt to this notebook's quirks if there were no better alternatives out there.
Recently, though, other companies such as Quo Vadis and Rhodia have come up with their own moleskine-style notebooks featuring high-quality paper. They cost a bit more, but I figure this type of notebook is a premium product to begin with. In the future I'll give Moleskine a miss and spend a little more for a better notebook. (Being able to write with confidence on both sides of the page means I could actually come out ahead on cost too.)
Book Review: Never going back
Summary: 5 Stars
I have used daily journals all my adult life. For years I used Daytimer notebooks until electronic calendars took over their most important function of keeping track of my appointments. So most of my notetaking for the past few years has been in wire-bound notebooks. My son came home for Christmas and had to find a supply of the Moleskine notebooks as that is all he would use for his work-related note taking. Based on his recommendation I ordered a couple of these hard-covered journals from Amazon, along with a Fisher Astronaut pen that I have always wanted (that's another review). Anyway, the Moleskine notebooks arrived and I started my daily journal in one. I like to use a fountain pen for this type of writing and the combination is superb! In my daily business notebooks I usually only write on the right side of the pages due to ink bleeding through, and that is just with a ball-point. The fountain pen ink on the heavier Moleskine paper looks great and does not bleed through at all, letting me write on both sides and get full value out of these premium books. I am in and out of these all day and so far the elastic closer is holding up well, time will tell on that. The paper color, color and weight of the lines, all are perfect. I will likely order 2 or 3 more of these to make sure I always have one on hand.Book Review: Great journal, especially if traveling.
Summary: 5 Stars
I love the large Moleskine, particularly when traveling. It is large enough to use as an everyday journal, but small enough to carry when traveling, going on a day trip, or riding a subway. The elastic band to hold the journal closed is great. It holds a pen inside the covers snugly and without warping them. The expandable pocket is great for holding mementos, train tickets, receipts, postcards, or whatever other small items you collect or might need to stash where you won't forget it. The Moleskine is also durable. I have never had pages fall out or covers fall off. Overall, it is well made and practical.
Others have complained about the paper, but I have never had a problem with it. I generally use a ballpoint pen (Zebra Z-501) writing on both sides of each page with no trouble, no bleed through, no grooving of the paper, or other flaw. I am sure some fountain pens or rollers may leak through, but a good ballpoint pen will usually be preferable when traveling anyway.
This journal suits me perfectly. I am sure others prefer larger journals and some may require thicker paper, but this journal provides lots of space to write without being cumbersome to carry.
I recommend the Moleskine Large Notebook.
Book Review: Clerical luxury
Summary: 5 Stars
I'd never heard of the Moleskine brand until I searched here on Amazon for an adequate notebook in which to keep my work-related notes and logs. When I came upon the Moleskin notebook, I was skeptical. After seeing all the reviews, however, I was sold; I ordered a notebook the very next day.
No surprise that Amazon fulfilled the order with incredible expediency, and I had the notepad days later.
Right from the start, I knew that it was a quality item. From the orange quasi-jacket surrounding the notebook to its elastic band to the subtle MOLESKINE stamp on the back, this beauty oozes luxury.
That being said, here are the pros and cons:
+ Solid notebook offers a solid writing surface at all times.
+ Elastic band keeps the notebook closed, and all items within the notebook secured.
+ Back pocket offers another space to hold small notes and other items.
- Price is a bit steep, given how few pages you get compared with other lesser notebooks.
- Pages aren't thick enough to resist bleed-through of ink from my pen of choice: The Uni-Ball Vision Elite.
All in all, it IS a great notebook, and despite the few shortcomings, I highly recommend it.
Book Review: Great product, but the price...
Summary: 3 Stars
Technically speaking, this is a good product. It is compact, durable and well-made. I have used these notebooks for essay-writing and journaling and am a satisfied user.
The main drawback to the Moleskine is the price. There is no way in the world that these made-in-China notebooks are actually worth $12-$20 dollars per unit. Some people (like me) will pay that price, so you can't really fault the company for charging that much, but the principle at work here is the same one that gets people to pay $5 for coffee at Starbucks without batting an eye. Form over substance.
Serious literature, if its first draft is written down on paper at all these days, is probably more likely to be recorded in a Hillroy scribbler. Most aspiring writers won't care how many famous people used Moleskines, but they WILL care about the price. With so many inexpensive competitors available, it's much easier to pick the vynil-backed competitor usually sitting on the same shelf. In fact, if they had historically been as expensive as they are these days, those famous artists who are noted as Moleskine users probably would have been forced to find a cheaper alternative.