Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Ruled, Black, Hard Cover (5 X 8.25)The Forest Stewardship Council

Usual high quality, quick delivery, as expected.

I was looking for a journal/notebook and arrived at a shortlist of two: this one and the Ciak large black notebook, so bought one of each. This is a comparative review of the two, which I hope you will find useful.The notebooks are very similar, both black, both the same height, but with the Ciak being about 15mm wider. They have about the same number of pages, but the paper in the Ciak is thicker and heavier, so the book is thicker, and weighs in at 481g compared to the Moleskine's 346g (on my kitchen scales). I have written in both of them with a fountain pen (fine nib) and found that, even with the thinner paper of the Moleskine, the writing surface is good and the ink does not bleed through to the other side of the paper. Both notebooks are lined, the lines being of a similar colour and thickness. However, the lines in the Moleskine extend to the edge of the paper so that they are visible down the edge of the book when it is shut, whereas the lines in the Ciak do not. The space between the lines is virtually identical, with the Moleskine squeezing in 31 lines per page to the Ciak's 30. The Moleskine has a stiff cover, whereas the Ciak's is soft and felxible. The Moleskine has its famous pocket at the back, which the Ciak does not. The Moleskine has a vertical elastic closure, whereas the Ciak has a horizontal one. Both have sturdy bindings, but I found the Moleskine easier to use because it opens wider and stays flat under my hand as I write. The Ciak resists being opened to the full 180 degrees, so is more of a struggle to use. Last but not least, on current prices the Moleskine is a fair bit cheaper, worth considering if you're going to get through a lot of them.Which is best? Depends on what you want. If you want something that is beautiful and sensuous, then the Ciak wins. The more practical among us would probably prefer the Moleskine. I've now got two notebooks with only a page used in each, so it will be a while before I need to buy another. I may change my mind in the meantime, but for now I think it will be Moleskine for me. So you may also wish to consider the Moleskine's pedigree as the notebook of choice of van Gogh, Hemingway, Picasso, Chatwin and Williams.

Great little note book. Lovely colour and good value for money. Perfect for every day notes.

It’s fine for what I need it for

Good quality notebook with lined paper that does not bleed ink when writing. I like the strap and page marker to help with keeping the notebook closed when not in use. Ideally would have preferred a pen loop strap so that I can keep all the items together. Would of been a 5-star if this the pen strap.

Wonderful quality of paper and sleek design.There are cheaper options for notebooks that are good, but the feeling of this one in the hand makes the extra few quid worthwhile.

Quality as expected

I have had a paperblank notebook and I thought I would try a different brand to see what is was like.I have two paperblanks, one small which I use a lot and carry around with me. The other bigger which I leave at home. The small one has got a bit battered, and the cover has come off from the notebook itself (this is wear and tear). The big one is looking still neat at home on the bookshelf.Now lets talk about size and paper quality-The same size notebook from Moleskine and Paperblanks are different. The depth of the moleskine is much less than that of a paperblank, PLUS it has more pages. I guess this additional thickness comes from the cover. The Moleskin hard cover looks pretty good and sturdy, only time will tell. The quality and thickness of the paper in both appears to be the same. Neither like my fountain pen very much, even though I have a fine nib. The ink shows through on the following page. On the Paperblank, the ink even fades - not sure if it is the fault of the ink though. I have yet to test this on the Moleskine.Both have inside envelope sleeves for storage of things.Moleskine looks very smart / professional, while the Paperblanks have great designs - if size is not too important, then it is a matter of choice of looks as the paper is pretty much the same, but for those who need even the extra couple of mm that the Moleskine can free up in your pocket / small bag then the choice is clear. The weight is about the same.