Moleskine Classic Notebook Review

The great Moleskine experiment is over.

It was short, but telling. And I wish it would have ended differently. I appreciate Moleskine as a company. I love the projects they take on, like digital apps and online magazines. I love their product designs and their product tie-ins. I’m a fan of their pens too.

But their notebook paper sucks.

I bought this notebook to see if the rumors I had heard about improved paper were true. It is worse than I expected. With a fountain pen, it feels like I’m using a stone paper notebook, which if you have ever tried, you will know that the paper feels spongy and soaks up the ink. It was instant absorption with every fountain pen I tried. A picture is worth 1000 words

There was no need to go much further, but I did my penance on the next page for thinking this would work. There are a few redeeming choices if you absolutely must use this notebook:

Good pens for Moleskine:

Ballpoint, like the Bic Cristal or Uni-ball Jetstream.

Gel, like the Uni-ball Signo or Zebra Sarasa Clip.

Drawing pens, like the Sakura Pigma Micron.

Average pens for Moleskine:

Rollerball pens, like the Uni-ball Vision or Pilot Precise V5.

Liquid ink refills like the Schmidt P8127.

Brush pens, the finer the better.

Bad pens for Moleskine:

Fountain pens, any nib size or ink type.

Pens in the Good category feel nice on the page and don’t feather or bleed. Pencils fall into the good category as well. Average pens can experience some bleed and feathering, especially with wider tip sizes in the category. Bad pens, well, let’s just say don’t use fountain pens with Moleskine notebooks. Your office copy paper is a better choice.

“But Brad, I don’t use fountain pens!” I hear ya, and you may be ok purchasing and using a Moleskine notebook. I’d say with ballpoints and pencils you will be perfectly happy. And while gel and drawing pens fall under the Good category, the wider tip sizes could get you in trouble, especially if you like to draw or sketch. For that, you should use the Moleskine Sketch Notebook, which is a great product.

Recommending a Moleskine is too difficult. There are too many caveats. Too many what ifs to dance around. And there are too many other good options on the market that don’t have the ink challenges Moleskine does. In hardcover format, Leuchtturm1917, Rhodia, Baron Fig, and Apica are easy to find and are far superior in every way. For softcover, that list easily triples.

If you are reading this blog you know all of this already, yet Moleskine remains the most popular notebook of this style in the world. The marketing machine has ramped up to epic proportions. They are synonymous with the little black notebook. But there are better choices. A lot of them. Remember this: Pen friends don’t let their friends buy Moleskine.

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TAGGED MEMO PAD: A Waterproof Pocket Notebook

(This article was first published on Mai-Bun. Written by Takuya Takahashi. English translation by Bruce Eimon.)

You know that little tag that is stapled onto your your clothes when they come back from the dry cleaners?

Did you know that those tags are stapled onto your clothes BEFORE they get washed? If you think about it, it makes perfect sense - if it was done afterwards, they would have no idea which shirt belonged to whom. But think this through all the way.. The washing machines used by dry cleaners are no slouches. They are heavy-duty industrial strength machines that give your clothes a thorough wash. A tag that can survive such a thorough beating is not just waterproof - it is a special kind of paper that is literally classified as “washer-proof” paper. TAGGED MEMO is a pocket notebook made out of this washer-proof paper.

This unique design gives you a very comfortable grip.

Its soft cover allows it to easily conform to the curvature of your pocket.

The entire notebook is made out of the washer-proof paper, so it can take a beating, easily withstanding any rain or your wet hands. Even if you drop it in a puddle or put it through the washer, just dry it out in the sun and it will be ready to use again. (A video of how the paper weathers 8 hours of being soaked in water: https://vimeo.com/152410499) Just be careful, though. The paper may survive, but any kind of water-soluble dye based ink may wash out when it is immersed in water. The Fisher Space Pen or the Unibal Power Tank may be good companions for this notebook.

Most “water-proof” paper out on the market is heavily coated, giving it a slick and glossy feel. This paper is quite different. It is slightly toothy and has a fibrous texture that feels quite nice to write on, especially with pencil. With fountain pens it feathers a bit and feels a little scratchy. Then again, this is not meant to be written on with water soluble inks. Each page is perforated, and you get 100 full pages.

This is one sturdy pocket notebook that will last you a very long time. With extended use it even takes on a nice worn look, like a nice pair of broken-in jeans. No need to be dainty with this one. You can take it anywhere!

Recommended for:

• People who like the outdoors.
• People who have painful memories of ruining their notebooks in the rain/pool/sprinkler.
• Meteorologists and reporters who spend a lot of time chasing storms. :)

Information: TAGGED MEMO PAD｜HI MOJIMOJI

Maruman Spiral Note Basic Notebook Review

“Hi Brad,

I’m a student on a budget and am looking for a notebook with paper that will allow me to use all of my favorite pens and is affordable. Can you help me out?

Sincerely,

Lots of emailers during back to school season”

Historically, this is one of the harder emails for me to answer, until now that is. The Maruman Spiral Note Basic Notebook is the answer.

There are a ton of variables in the notebook needs for students. One main requirement rarely changes though: They want a side bound notebook. That’s what they have used all their lives, that’s what is available at local office supply retailers, and that is the most functional layout for sometimes limited writing areas students have to work in.

You would think this would be an easy answer, but for the stationery obsessives that are emailing me it isn’t. And it hasn’t been for me either.

Most students with this question are wanting to use fountain pens, and almost none of the readily available store options are going to cut it. The paper isn’t good enough. If it was, they wouldn’t be emailing me.

On the other end of the spectrum, paper that is fountain pen friendly usually comes in a bad format for students - top bound, hard cover, too few sheets, etc. - and expensive on top of that.

The Kokuyo Campus lineup is one I’ve pointed to on occasion. They meet the paper requirements, but are either too few pages or too expensive, depending on which of the many models you are looking at.

I also mention Rhodia a lot because they are more readily available, although not exactly cheap. The top bound nature of the pads isn’t great for students who need to constantly refer to their notes, or who need a more compact notebook.

So back to the Maruman Spiral Note. It ticks nearly all of the boxes students want in a notebook. Side spiral bound, 80 perforated pages, B5 size, high quality paper, and cheap, at least compared to other nice notebooks. I’ll grant that $6 is still expensive compared to the $1-$2 store bought notebooks, but the performance you get from the paper is worth it if you are using fountain pens.

The Spiral Note also comes in lined, grid, or blank, so students can choose the format that is best for them. If these were available when I was in school I would have a stack of the graph notebooks without a doubt. It handled every pen and pencil I threw at it with ease, with the exception of alcohol-based markers. The Sharpie test failed big time. But other than that is was a joy.

I’m having a hard time adding something to the negative column for this notebook. It’s kind of ugly I guess? The basic kraft covers are boring and are bad photo subjects, but at least they are thick and should stand up to heavy academic usage. They are perfect for doodles and stickers though.

The paper quality is the star here. If these 80 sheets of Maruman goodness came as a loose leaf pack it would still be worth the money in my book. That it is bound and designed with students in mind it makes it an easy choice for anyone wanting a better note taking experience.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!