5.01.2012

Finally, A Finished Moleskine

The crowd was wildly untamed that late March afternoon. Preparations were made earlier that day for a celebration that would be remembered through the ages. Balloons were netted, confetti corked, the champagne put on ice. The police could hardly hold the barricades up as the climax of the event was about to take place.

I was about to write my final words in this God-forsaken Moleskine journal.

It was an event that was over two years in the making. You could blame a lack of daily writing for the sluggish pace. When I bought the Moleskine back in January of 2010, I didn't know any better, I swear. I was convinced, as many of the uninitiated are, that if Picasso, Chopin and other famous artistic minds had used this journal, then I should have one as well.

I was very wrong.

As a nearly-exclusive fountain pen user, I found out pretty quickly that the "1-ply" paper quality that Moleskine affords (don't you have another square to spare?) just doesn't cut it for most pen & ink combinations. Part of the fun in owning fountain pens is to write with the entire gamut of the visible spectrum, and the journal I chose to write in is color-blind. It would only "accept" lighter, less saturated colors. All other inks had a fair amount of bleed-through to the other side of the page. I'm not a wasteful person, so only using one side of the page was not an agreeable solution.

Making sure that there was always a pen loaded with Moleskine-friendly ink around, I drudged on through the journal. It wasn't until after doing some homework on the internet that I found many like-minded FP users to be complaining of the same issues with the paper. The ultimate solution - we started carrying Rhodia!

After my pen tasted the promise land of 90 gsm, French-milled, ivory silkiness that is the Webbie, the Moleskine's days became numbered. There was much unrest about how long it would take to finish the last 30 or 40 pages that remain in that wretched Mole, but it had to be done. There were principles to uphold.

Sensing the imminent transition, the citizens ordered the new Rhodia Webnotebook into the presence of the writer to push him to write more and faster. The new journal, wrapped in its thin layer of clear plastic and packaging, taunted him, made his hand quiver in regret as the last few pages were being written. The crowd became cross, frustrated and impatient.

5 sheets to go. 7 pages left. 2 pages. 1 more entry.

As the last word was laid to rest, the crowd erupted into relief and jubilation. The writer collapsed in tears and raised his arms to embrace the sky. It was done. That chapter is over.

Here are the pages that were used to catalog the ink & pen combinations that were used over the 2+ years. They are in order from the very last page of the journal going inward (in reverse).





 

Take my life lesson seriously folks - if you are an avid fountain pen user, you would be doing yourself a disservice by using a Moleskine journal. Go Rhodia and never look back.

12 comments:

  1. A marvelous, and funny, tribute to your dedication to thriftiness and your perseverence in a "just because" kind of situation.  I expect a glass of that champagne next time I come.

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  2. My issue with moleskines is that most ink takes far too long to dry so if your not careful everything smudges. I also feel as though I MUST complete a journal before moving on to another. I'm currently within 100 pages of finishing a 400 page Mead gridded journal, it's been just over a year. In the meantime I have collected no less than a dozen journals to continue in...I think I have a problem...

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  3. Very good blog post but I have to confess I LOVE moleskine journals. I have tried the webbie and it was too slick for me. And yes I'm a fountain pen user. I use mostly extra fine nibs so perhaps that is why the moleskine performs so well for me. I just love the color of the paper and the way my ink looks on it. It's a total joy to write in. I wish there was a moleskine to fit my Pelle Journal cover then life would be complete.

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  4.  Robyn - Extra-fine nibs had, by far, the most success in writing without having bleedthrough on other side of the page. So, I don't blame you for liking Moleskine if it works for you :-)

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  5. Hey Karen, I'll have a glass of champagne and hopefully a Dolcevita Oro the next time you come. I'm still working on getting an ETA and will give you a call when I have a firm date so you can come and pick it up.

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  6. Curtis, I see no problem here. :-) I wish I could write faster to keep up with the notebook & journal purchases!

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  7. I have 10 pages left. I love how it feels, I love the size (XL for me) I HATE that I can't use my favorite pens without them bleeding through. I am actually using a M Lamy with blue black ink so I only have 10 pages and not 20 to write on! My only problem now is what to replace it with. I haven't found another soft sided journal in the same size. I have about 4 days to figure it out. Any suggestions?

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  8.  Thanks for the comment, Lilardie. Does the Moleskine you are looking to replace have a soft, flexible cover? What would the XL size measure in length and width? I personally love the Rhodia Webnotebooks, especially for fountain pens, but they only come in two sizes, the largest of which is 8.25" x 5.5" and they are hardcover.

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  9. The one I'm using is 9.75 x 7.5 and has the soft cover.  I actually bought the Rhodia meeting notebook, but I am turned off by the spiral binding.  I wouldn't mind a hardcover leather notebook, but the size needs to be close.  The 8 x 5 webbie is too small.  :( 

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  10.  That's pretty much where I am...to much paper not enough time!

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  11. So proud of you! :) Never look back, my friend. The world is your oyster, and that oyster is made of paper that can actually be satisfactorily written on.

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  12. Go Rhodia, or Quo Vadis Habana. I love mine, and the covers look more elegant. I loved reading this post. I, too, loved the Moleskine until their paper turned bad and cheap, and have moved on.

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