🟢 Moleskine paper quality comparison

If you’re enjoying these videos then consider becoming a channel member, for regular exclusive content, early video access, and (mostly) ad free viewing.
🟢 kzbin.infojoin
I’m also an eBay seller:
I may earn a commission if you make a purchase, so please use this affiliate link.
🟢 ebay.us/1ai601

[@ish8138]

As mentioned below, the grey one has much darker lines than the other which is probably why it looks darker on the page edges. When I go to buy one I always look for pale lines on the edges as I don't like writing on the ones with dark lines. Good luck with your next one!

[@lovefromjuliaxo]

I’ve never liked these much, just feels like a Tesco notebook with a fancy logo

[@battybibliophile-Clare]

Moleskine are too variable to pay full price for, and often hopeless for fountainpen. I thought the bleedthrougn on both was awful.

[@Flatability]

The better of the two Moleskins wasn't perfect, but I tend to use a Pilot G2 for those, and other brands for fountain pen. I'll certainly be exploring all sorts of ink and paper combinations over the coming months. Thanks for your input.

[@battybibliophile-Clare]

@@Flatability it was an excellent video, and I look forward to your future content on the subject.

[@jse684747]

outstanding informative video.

[@Flatability]

Glad it helped

[@knutvonheim3838]

The last 2-3 years I only use their plain paper, and I look for the most yellow paper I can find. Then use black ink in fountain pens, and test any other ink in the back (like you did) before writing. However, the format of large, expanded is a favourite I want to continue to use :)

[@Jenscraftsandjournals]

Thank you for this review. I bought a 2024 Moleskine planner from TJMaxx (it was only $12.99). I didn’t like the paper. I just use it now for future planning, but I notice how thin and low quality the paper is. I noticed the corner differences on your notebook right away and how the lower quality is made in China. I have a yellow quality control sticker. (Not sure what that means). I appreciate your review.

[@Flatability]

Thanks for your feedback.

[@subgirl]

Interesting! The covers have such different radiuses on the corners, the belly bands are clearly different colours/quality of papers & the rulings are printed darker & heavily on the grey one. All of those things I would have thought from the initial moments the grey one would have been better for liquid inks (aside from the more heavily printed rulings).

[@Flatability]

It's certainly an interesting discovery. I just couldn't believe my eyes! Incidentally, I'll be testing more notebooks, and more inks, every Thursday, starting this week. Thanks for your input, I appreciate it.

[@reinventingrene]

I haven’t bought a moleskine since they did away with the thick beautiful sketch book paper. O how I miss that loveliness

[@Taylor852]

Interesting! Mine bought in hong kong doesnt have a QC sticker!

[@manvstationery]

That seem quite like a lot of work, Ill stick with Leuchtturm 1917 who are always great quality ;)

[@Flatability]

I quite like Leuchtturm notebooks. They seen to have the right blend of qualities for me, although others say that the qualitiy varies; so we'll see. Great channel name by the way.

[@clams.b]

I thought I'd give Leuchtturm a try recently - the notebook I got is absolutely great, but the 2024 diary suffers awfully from bleedthrough. The notes page is effectively unusable if i use a fountain pen or fineliner to write in events on the page overleaf, which is rather annoying.

[@Flatability]

That's interesting. Thanks for your input.

[@SuzWhat]

Very interesting. 😮 I use a very fine point Energel ball point and never have bleed through. I can see why you’d want to know as a fountain pen user. Thanks for sharing! Peace and love..Suz What ☮️💛

[@Flatability]

I've been using Moleskins for a decade or so, and I've tended to use either a Pilot G2, or V7. But I'm certainly getting more involved with fountain pens. Thanks for your input. I appreciate it.

[@IvanRomero-ho8wv]

Thank you for sharing. It's intriguing to see many differences between the notebooks. 😮 I wonder if it's a case of multiple manufacturing plants being involved or maybe older stock mixed with newer stock.

[@Flatability]

I've been using Moleskines for years, with gel pens, and only recently have I been thinking about pen & ink. The difference between these two Moleskines was certainly an eye opener for me. Thanksfor your input. I appreciate it.

[@battybibliophile-Clare]

@Flatability The oldest Moleskines were a different company, that manufactured in Paris and were used by many famous people. The current company trades on the fame qnd name, but in reality are nothing like the original product.

[@Flatability]

Thanks for your feedback. I'm inclined to agree with you. I wonder what Bruce Chatwin would have thought of all this.

[@IvanRomero-ho8wv]

@@Flatability that sounds like the talk of fountain pen companies like Ester Brook and Conklin, the companies are just a name that was purchased and is just a shell of the original. It happens in the watch world too. Nivada, Bulova and Invicta come to mind. It doesn't mean I don't buy them but when a company just lives off its past glory days, and does nothing to honor the name they inherited, you can't help but feel like it's just a cash cow. I'm not saying the companies are not supposed to make profits but that they should at least try to bring honor to their name sake.

[@battybibliophile-Clare]

@@Flatability not a lot, I suspect.

[@annoftheoldbogroad1534]

Wonderful video. I am starting to live for your videos. I am called Tyrone on the Moleskine FB So sad When you add everything up it is a very tough decision I love them but I am still devastated my green notebook. The price increase in the past few years have been staggering Having said that I am planning an Symthson £130 journal. At 30p day I would be happy if I could use as I want They are on a very slippery slope

[@Flatability]

Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate it.

[@waggermama]

Having only tried Moleskine very recently, i was really put off by the paper, it felt pulpy. I do remember Alicia from Adventure Denali commenting on the quality codes and the rather varied paper. It’s disappointing that such a widely available notebook should be so inconsistent.

[@Flatability]

I've mainly been using Moleskines for at least a decade but, now that I'm getting into fountain pens, after many years of using a Pilot G2 and V7, I'm becoming more discerning. Having said that, I like everything else about Moleskines. Tricky situation. Thanks for your input. I really appreciate that.

[@shugatastic]

When Moleskine used to be made in Italy before it was sold to an European company, my memory is that their notebooks were really superb. Fast forward to today I think their notebooks are now manufactured in a few different countries including China, Vietnam, etc., so my guess is that the inconsistency may be due to that 🙁 I understand that companies sometimes have to make financial decisions but I also want them to keep themselves standalone and continue making things their way that is original…on a side note Lamy is now under Mitsubishi Pencil (Uni), although Mitsubishi says it’ll respect Lamy’s heritage and the acquisition won’t affect their integrity but it just feels different, in principle…maybe it’s just me 😅 Thank you for the thorough video!

[@Flatability]

With the exception of the "Covid years", the company seems to be making significant profits, year on year. I do wonder, given the high price that consumers are willing to pay for the brand, if it might be possible for the company to improve their paper quality. There are plenty of people, like me, who are disappointed with the uncertain paper quality, and who have taken their custom elsewhere, so I do wonder whether a focus on a focus on paper quality might actually have a net benefit for the brand, especially because some other, lesser known brands have such a fanatical following due to the perception of good paper qulity. It's certainly an interesting situation, and I wonder what Bruce Chatwin, or Earnest Hemingway, would have thought of all this. Personally, over the last decade or more, I've consistently been using just two brands (Moleskine and Rhodia) but I've recently been testing several other brands, specifically because of my renewed interest in fountain pens. I'll be exploring these on my "ink & paper" Thursdays from this week. Thank you so much for your input. I appreciate it.

[@steampunkvampyre]

This is why I only ever use Filofax paper in my Kensington

[@anneelfique2913]

Hello ! Someone know about the red sticker quality control?

[@implozia1360]

I too live in the UK and bought unsold or charity shop Moleskines (like from TK Maxx more often but also the odd one at RSPB and whatnot) and it explains to me why the last hanful of Moleskines I bought has the grey sticker and the bleedthrough and ghosting absolutely horrid from mere GRAPHITE and BALLPOINT INK! I am an artist with a mechanical pencil obsession and the fact that Moleskine, a brand I couldn't even dream of getting my hands on in my homecountry because of such exorbitant pricing, finally getting an opportunity in the UK, only to find the paper is even more garbage than no-name school notebooks. Disgusting.

[@Flatability]

I hear what you are saying. I may discuss your points in a future podcast.

[@salvadorluquegarcia2159]

Gracias por el vídeo. Estoy usando una libreta MOLESKINE A5 de 400 páginas comprada en Amazon y no me había fijado en el tema del sangrado de las páginas por que prácticamente no tiene. He mirado la pegatina de control y es de color azul_celeste. Es un detalle que no te fijas. Gracias a tu vídeo estaré más atento a la próxima compra. Saludos. (Siempre estoy buscando libretas y papeles donde escribir con estilográfica sea un placer)

[@Flatability]

Interesante. Gracias.

[@Noteability]

I have experienced the same issue with Leuchtturm 1917. Two notebooks bought from the same place. The only difference is that one notebook is a blank one, and another is a dot grid. I have zero issues with the dot grid notebook. but the blank one bleeds like Moleskine

[@Flatability]

Interesting. That is indeed what I have also heard.

[@JT1358]

Doesn't endear them to me if they can't even be bothered to give their different products different designations. If they're completely wrapped in cellophane your only clue is the overall look, and the differences may not be that obvious at a casual glance - I prefer grey to red so would likely have bought the lower quality one! Buyer beware.

[@Flatability]

It's certainly a tricky situation.

[@JT1358]

​@@Flatability Does the paper the band is made of give a clue to the paper inside? The band on the red one looks like it might be of a better quality paper.

[@Flatability]

The bands appear to be of similar quality, but just a different shade. So hard to tell.