Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Ruled, Black, Hard Cover (5 x 8.25)

I Always buy several every year for myself and daughter who is an author and she is who introduced me to Moleskin notebooks. The quality is amazing and they are quite durable. Great gift along with a nice fountain pen.

The Perfect Companion for Every Writer and Thinker!** I recently purchased the Moleskine Classic Notebook in large, ruled format, and I can confidently say it has become my go-to notebook for all my writing needs. As someone who values quality and functionality, this notebook exceeds my expectations in every way. **Quality Construction**: The quality of this notebook is outstanding. The cover is sturdy and durable, providing excellent protection for my notes and sketches. The classic black design is sleek and professional, making it suitable for any setting—whether at work, school, or personal use. **Paper Quality**: The paper is a dream to write on! It’s thick enough to prevent ink bleed-through, allowing me to use various pens and markers without any issues. The ruled lines are perfectly spaced, providing guidance for my writing while still allowing for creativity. **Size and Portability**: The large size is ideal for those who like to write or sketch freely. It’s spacious enough for extensive notes, brainstorming sessions, or journaling. Despite its size, it fits comfortably in my bag, making it easy to carry around wherever I go. **Versatility**: This notebook is perfect for a variety of uses—journaling, note-taking, sketching, or even as a planner. I love how it adapts to my needs, whether I’m at a meeting, in a lecture, or simply jotting down my thoughts. **Overall**: The Moleskine Classic Notebook is an exceptional product that combines style, durability, and functionality. It has quickly become an essential tool in my daily routine, and I appreciate the attention to detail that Moleskine puts into their products. If you’re looking for a high-quality notebook that enhances your writing experience, I highly recommend the Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Ruled, Black. It’s worth every penny and will inspire you to put pen to paper!

I've long been an avid fan of notebooks, and more generally, quality stationary. I own quite a number of notebooks, both self-bought and those that were gifted to me. However in each case, the notebook somehow fell short and I would find myself disheartened to write in them a few pages in. They were either spiral-bounded, poorly bounded, lines were ruled too wide, had poor paper quality, etc. Yes, I'm absolutely anal-retentive over the quality of my notebooks and how I write in them. I've always thought about Moleskines as a teenager, and I finally took the plunge recently. Never again will I ever consider purchasing a different brand of notebook. The binding, cover, and paper quality of this notebook are top-notch. The ruled lines are a perfect width. The elastic band keeps the notebook closed and prevents damage to pages should I just happen to haphazardly throw my Moleskine into my bag. The additional pocket at the back of the notebook is also great for keeping little tidbits of information, such as business cards from restaurants I want to write a short little review for. I originally started to write in my Moleskine using a Tombo Playcolor 2 black pen (available in Japan), and the ink dried nicely. However, I recently adopted this: Sharpie Pen Fine Point Pen, 2 Black Pens (1742659) . These Sharpie pens are perfect for writing in your Moleskin for three main reasons: 1. The ink dries near-instantly (even faster than my Tombo pen), leading to minimal ink-transfer and smearing. 2. Minimal pressure needed to apply ink, so your pages lie flat after writing on them instead of being wrinkled from a ballpoint pen. 3. Bold ink colors lend to great aesthetic. I'll never use Moleskine for taking class notes in (except perhaps the thinner paperback notebooks that come in sets of 3), since the number of pages is overkill for most classes. I'll use Five Star notebooks for that. But for everything else - rants, thoughts, and introspection - this Moleskin is perfect.

The best books for keeping notes.

LONG STORY SHORT: I love these. I have been journalling and writing in Moleskine notebooks for over 15 years. During some seasons of life, I wrote in one every day. When my wife got pregnant recently, I decided to write a journal of my thoughts feelings and musings during the 9 months of pregnancy, and give him the journal on his 18th birthday. There was no doubt what kind of journal I'd be using for such an important undertaking. PROS -Great quality. Constructed well, great materials, great paper quality. -The paper is "soft" if that makes any sense. You really can feel that the quality is on a different level from the everyday paper that you're used to writing on. -Strong binding that lasts throughout many openings and closings, when writing 1-3 pages per day. I've used several different kinds of journals over the years, including many Moleskine knockoffs. Most of them don't fully hold up by the time you finish writing in the journal. This one always has. -Good quality elastic band to keep it closed. -Little folder pocket in the back, why? Who knows. But you can put stuff in there. -Braided "book mark" ribbon. Soft and doesn't fray. If it does, you can re-burn the edge and you're back in business. -Front page has a "In case of loss, please return to:" section. I lost one one time...and someone returned it...so that was nice. CONS -Some knockoffs come with 2 bookmark ribbons. Why you'd need two in a journal...I wouldn't know. But this one only has 1 -The "In case of loss, please return to:" section in the front of the book has an additional line for "As a reward: $ ____________. That's always bugged me. First of all, I think people should return these sorts of things out of the kindness of their own heart. Second of all, how can you put a value on something you haven't written yet. First thing you do is put your name and number in there, and that you'll give someone $1000 if they return it to you?? what if you lose it before you've written anything in it?! are you contractually obligated by your reward line?! What if you put $5....and then end up writing in the notebook the calculations that make time travel possible?! Then you lose it...and some dude finds it and decides $5 isn't worth his time...and throws it in the river! ....I'm no historian, but I bet that's happened before. The time travel thing. Just return the notebook people. It probably means something to someone. Be good to one another. Are you still reading this? What were we talking about?....oh yeah. The Moleskine. Buy it. It's good.

I am 32 years old at the time of this review, and I have been keeping a journal almost literally since I knew how to write. I have vivid memories of myself sprawled at the top of the stairs in my mom's old house, a little girl of no more than 6 or 7, scribbling away in my journal. I'm sure whatever I was scribbling at the time was half illegible and made no sense, but who cares. Over the past 25+ years as a diarist, I've tried just about every type of diary and journal there is, from kitschy one-year diaries with locks to plain old spiral or composition notebooks to elegant, beautiful blank hardbound books with fancy designs on them. After all these years, I have definitely concluded that a Moleskine-type notebook is best for journaling. What do I mean by "Moleskine-type" notebook? Simple. I mean a hardbound notebook of a convenient size (the Moleskine "large" is perfect in my opinion at about 5x8 -- it's small enough to throw in my purse, yet not annoyingly tiny.) I mean a notebook with an inner pocket so I can store odds and ends. I mean it has a ribbon marker so I can find my place easily, and an elastic band closure so the pages don't get messed up when I'm traveling around. I mean it lies flat when it's open so I can write easily. I mean it's durable as hell no matter how much I throw it around, and has acid-free, archival quality paper. This type of notebook is incredibly functional for journaling. It's not overly fussy, and it actually lasts a lot better over the years than some of those "fancy" ones I've used in the past. I have leather-bound journals I used in college 10 years ago that I thought were a quality investment. Guess what? They're falling apart now, while my Moleskines of a similar age still look practically new. Now. I should mention that, contrary to popular belief, Moleskine is certainly not the only company to make this type of notebook. Rhodia, Leuchtturm, Quo Vadis, and other companies all have similar offerings, with the hard cover, ribbon marker, inner pocket, etc. A while back, I went on a little tour of all these competitors' notebooks, for comparison. The upshot: I still prefer Moleskine, and here's why. While Moleskine is nearly perfect, it does have one quality that many consider a flaw: the paper is thinner than all of its competitors' notebooks. This means you can really only use certain types of pens with it (I'll tell you my favorite in a second.) It's not fountain pen friendly, so if that's what you prefer, forget it. It even has trouble with many ordinary "inky" pens, such as rollerball pens. Any of these will produce bleed-through to the other side of the page, which, like all of you I'm sure, I abhor. BUT. The problem with the competitors' notebooks, for me, is that the "higher quality" 80g or 90g paper many of them use tends to mean I have to wait forever for my ink to dry. And try as I might, I'm just not comfortable with that. From Rhodia to Leuchtturm, I had this problem with them all. I couldn't find a quality paper that would actually absorb the ink quickly enough for me to continue writing as fast as I wanted to, over to the next page. That is why I still prefer Moleskine, even though the paper is thinner than many of its competitors. Thankfully, I've found a solution that works for me: Pilot G2 gel pens. Unlike Pilot rollerballs (e.g., V7 and V5), the G2 produces no bleed-through to the other side of the page in the Moleskine notebooks, and yet there is no dry time required. I can write continuously, pages upon pages, without having to stop and wait, or fear smudging. I'll admit it's inconvenient to only be able to use one type of pen, which is why I'm giving the product 4 stars out of 5. But for me, this balance is perfect. So I'm a Moleskine die-hard. I've tried the alternatives and concluded that for me, this is the best balance. Hopefully I've given you enough information to decide whether you will feel the same.

These notebooks are simple, but that simplicity is what makes them amazing. I have one sitting on my nightstand, and when I pick it up before bed, it encourages me to write. I'm not sure why this is, but there's something about the way Moleskine's books are put together that compels it.

Entering the last third of my life, I have decided to record some of my memories, and have chosen this Moleskine notebook for the task. The size, look, and feel of the cover and paper announce that what's within has some significance. A set of Sharpie Retractable Fine-Point Pens, 3 Pack included a blue pen strongly reminiscent of the fountain pens I used long ago - another layer of dignity and nostalgia. If I write at a moderate pace, it does not bleed through, so the writing space is doubled compared to most other paper notebooks. A diary needs assured privacy if one is to remember and write freely of events and feelings. The notion of prying eyes feels inhibiting, if not downright frightening. I'm not prepared to have my wife, children, or nanny browsing the intimate details of my life. Research uncovered the NV200 NanoVault with Key Lock . It's called a GunVault, but one could as easily choose to call it a personal strongbox - so I will. With one of the foam liners removed, this very well made steel box nicely and precisely holds my Moleskine notebook and pen, with room for a passport and some credit cards as well, and even more if desired. Two screw holes in the steel bottom provide the option of easily attaching the strongbox to a wooden drawer. Alternately, the exterior strongbox size, smaller than a hardbound dictionary, makes it practical to store and carry the secured diary in a briefcase. Now I feel (physically) prepared to hold a mirror to my life.