There is a growing affliction amongst paper lovers: an addiction to the Moleskine brand of notebooks. When I gave up on ta-da list and abandoned my PDA, my Moleskine filled the gap. This post is proof that a simple, quality notebook can give you just as much of a buzz as owning the latest iPhone, Palm, Blackberry or other device. It will also introduce the Moleskale, a light-hearted tool for determining how high up the ladder your addiction to Moleskine has taken you.
Goodbye gadgets
After years spent tracking the latest gadget trends, handing over my credit card for a PDA upgrade every 4-6 months, and receiving odd glances in public for reading The Gawkish Geek’s Guide to Gadgets (monthly), I gave up my fancy gizmos and electronic organisers for good.1
Hello Moleskine
In recognition of the intense effort it takes for a self-confessed gadget geek to drop his ‘habit’, I hope you won’t mind when I admit to replacing it with another: the love of Moleskine notebooks. These simple notebooks are both beautiful and relatively gentle on the wallet.
The Moleskine brand
The Moleskine brand offers a range of high-quality, expertly-bound books in a smooth fake leather cover dubbed “Moleskine.” The Italian brand was purchased in 2006 for 60 million Euros by French giant Societe Generale. The notebooks are a wonderful example of understated features and attention to detail combining to create something rather special. Rounded corners, an elastic strap, a hidden pocket at the back, and a bound-in fabric bookmark all add to the experience.
The crowning touch for me is the printing of “In case of loss, please return to…” on the first page of every book, a feature normally reserved for diaries, which reinforces the notion that Moleskine notebooks are objects to be treasured. The idea was suggested by author Bruce Chatwin, who was so fond of travelling with the notebooks that he ordered one hundred of them and panicked at the thought of losing one:
“To lose a passport was the least of one’s worries. To lose a notebook was a catastrophe.”
The two most popular sizes are pocket (9x14cm) and ‘large’ (13x21cm).
Notebook varieties
Here are the common notebook varieties. (Not shown here: watercolour, storyboard, music and info types.)
The Moleskine diaries
In addition to the notebooks range, Moleskine offer a selection of diaries too:
Other Moleskine miscellany
There are a wide range of relatively recent additions to the Moleskine range. These include cahier, city guides, soft cover, and volant (coloured) editions.
The cost and value
So how much do the little fellas cost? At the time of writing, a large notebook will rob your purse of about £11 (or around $16 in the USA and €15 in Europe). It’s not bad value at all.
Are they worth the premium price when compared to cheaper notebooks? That’s up to you. For me, there’s no contest. Moleskine notebooks are a simple pleasure and writing in one is a joy.
Which should you buy?
It depends. I suggest you try the following two:
The “large” lined notebook (hard cover): Great for your notes and todoodlists. At just 13x21cm, it’s very portable – “medium” would probably be a more fitting name for its size (just under A5 in ISO paper size equivalent). Many people prefer the unlined edition. Try both.
The 12 month weekly diary: The same size as your large lined notebook, you can carry these two around or slip them in a backpack with no trouble. Some prefer the combined 12 month diary planner with built-in notebook, but I like the extra space the weekly diary offers.
Recommended pens and pencils
Once you get into posh notebooks, you’ll find yourself drifting towards fancy writing implements too. It’s easy to go crazy here and spend silly sums of money. Don’t. Set a low budget and stick to it.
If you find yourself paying for a pencil on a credit card, you know you’ve lost the plot. Likewise, you don’t need an executive power pen to enjoy writing. You might like the idea of signing your cheques with the $600 “Compensator” you’ve seen in the jeweller’s window, but your family won’t appreciate hunting for their dinner to sponsor your habit.
I use and love the The Pilot G2 pen (about £2), the Parker Jotter ballpoint, and Faber-Castell’s Perfect Pencil (about £24).
Do you really need this stuff?
No you don’t. Quite frankly it’s all just a wonderful luxury. You can spend a tenth of the money and still have a notebook and pencil that are perfectly functional. And, in the words of Hamlet, there’s the rub.
When you spend a lot of time writing, you don’t just want functional. You want beautiful. You need a writing experience. You seek a connection with the page that enhances the writing process; a combination of notebook and pen(cil) that encourages you to think of writing as a pleasure, not a mundane chore.
If you think this is a little over-the-top – that falling for an inanimate notebook is simply too intense – you probably need to buy one to understand. But be warned: once you do, there’s no turning back.
The Moleskale: ranking your addiction since 2008
There is a definite variation in the level of ‘commitment’ (read: insanity) from the Moleskine enthusiasts scattered across the globe. This simple chart that I’ve dubbed the Moleskale attempts to categorise them.
As well as showing you which level you fall into, I hope it will reassure you that you’re not alone! Let’s quickly break down those levels in detail.
Level 1: Wanting one
The first level consists of all the poor souls who’ve been convinced by friends, relatives, and strangers that they need to own one of the cursed things. For some of you, I suspect that reading this article has placed you firmly on this level. (For the record: I’m not sorry at all. The more people who like these things, the less insane I’ll seem. Welcome aboard the crazy bus! Destination: Moleville)
Level 2: Buying your first one
When you find a shop that sells them (see the resources section below), and strike up the courage to break one of your larger notes by buying one, you’ve climbed onto level 2. Congratulations! It gets easier from here on, I promise.
Level 3: Carrying it everywhere
When you’ve dared yourself to taint your prized possession by marking that first page, you’ll either discard it and wonder what the big deal was, or you’ll discover it’s something you want to carry with you everywhere. Like your keys and wallet, it will start to become one of the things you check for as you pack your bags and leave the house. You should probably stop here. Unfortunately, many don’t.
Level 4: Visual customisation
If you’ve had your Moleskine notebook debossed (or done it yourself, like my todoodlist notebook below) you fall into level 4.
You can also have it done professionally. The results lack the ‘handmade charm’ you get when tattooing your own book with an embossing pen, but some may prefer the precision that pro debossing offers:
[Image sources: Apple Moleskine | WordPress Moleskine]
Finally, if you purchase a notebook that’s been customised by an artist or illustrator (like the one below), you’ve also reached level 4 in your addiction.
[Pictured: The Train by Modofly]
Level 5: Functional customisation (Moleskine ‘hacks’)
Now we’re starting to get serious. If you’ve reached level 5, you’ve got it bad. Congratulations: you’re a fully-fledged Mole person.
Moleskine ‘hacks’ consist of adapting your notebook to add additional functionality, such as a pen holder. Quite why you’d want to waste your time doing this baffles me (level 4 was bad enough), but it’s an important part of diagnosing the condition, which is why it’s on the Moleskale.
For documented evidence of just how deep the mole hole goes, check out the videos on the instructables website.
Level 6: Moleskine covers and cases
At this point, you might as well just give up and buy a PDA. That said, I equally admire and feel sorry for anyone who wishes to protect their notebook further than is necessary by enclosing it in a dedicated case.
In all honesty, some of them are quite fun. Who knows how I’ve managed to resist so far?
[From a range by Erin Leigh. Visit her shop at Etsy.]
Level 7: Moleskine collecting
The penultimate stage is characterised by a desire to seek, pursue, and make silly offers on limited edition Moleskine items.
One of the most sought-after right now is the Moleskinerie limited edition notebook from their first annual exhibit in January 2008.
Level 8: Writing a guide to Moleskine
I confess: I’m stark-raving bonkers. While I’ve not ‘hacked’ my Moleskine notebooks, bought a dedicated Moleskine cover, or actively sought to purchase limited edition notebooks, I fully admit that writing a guide about Moleskine should see me skip a few levels and put me on a wacky one of my own.
Lock me up and throw away the key if you must; just leave me a notebook to write on before you do!
Is there a cure?
‘Fraid not. Once you’ve been bitten by The Mole, there’s no turning back. You may find it leads to even higher-class drugs.
Footnotes
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I am only slightly ashamed to admit that I’ve purchased an iPhone since writing this post. But, even if someone created a Moleskine app, it wouldn’t be the same, would it? ↩
