My Moleskine notebook review..

The popularity of Moleskine notebooks has always been peculiar to me. Who on earth would pay so much for a notebook you can more or less purchase for a tenth of its price? Chee Weng said you have to write on it to understand its greatness so seeing as bookdespository.co.uk had a 10% discount off all its items, I decided to take a plunge and buy the small ruled notebook.


A week later, I think I can recommend it as a good purchase for those in a habit of taking notes. It’s still a big ask to persuade someone who’s value-conscious about its merits but I think I’ll take a stab. First off, opening the wrapping and holding it, you’ll realize that it’s a really well-made notebook. I love how unassuming and understated it is, almost a beauty in simplicity kind of thing. It looks really professional as well.

The binding, the materials used and the build quality feels really solid and durable. The binding is such that you can open it flat. Every notebook, regardless of size or layout, comes standard with a ribbon bookmark, an expandable pocket and an elastic band to keep the notebook closed.

Chee Weng was raving about the paper and after writing on it, to be honest, I don’t really feel a significant difference. I definitely feel that writing on it is much smoother and it absorbs ink really well but this may be down to the placebo effect of dropping US$9 on a fucking notebook.

As purchases go, however, I’d give it a solid 8/10. I use it as a log book and everyday, I look forward to filling its pages; recording my thoughts and results in it. It’s great to read back on it when I need to and find everything there. Could I have done it on a regular notebook? Of course; but there’s something intangible about the Moleskine notebook that makes you just want to write in it. Like Chee Weng deduced, it’s probably down to its build and paper quality.

Of course, there’s also the supposed legacy of the notebook; it’s marketed as the book that Hemingway, van Gogh and Chatwin used to write in. A quick wiki search has found it to be nothing more than a marketing angle: they used the same type of book but it’s not the same brand. Nevertheless, I never bought the book for the glamour anyway; I mean, the book design hardly screams “look at me!”

So, if you’re asking if it’s a worthwhile purchase, my conclusion would be: if you have something you feel you’ll record on a daily basis or if you want to use it as a journal or organizer for work, then why not? There’s a premium to pay, sure, but I don’t think you’ll regret the purchase too much. It’s hard to justify the price to curious minds but screw what they think. Moleskine notebooks. Awesome.