Moleskine Notebooks Are Versatile, Durable and Practical

When I first noticed Moleskine notebooks at stationery shops and bookstores, I was skeptical. They are marketed as "the legendary notebook" of artists like Hemmingway, Van Gogh, and Matisse. I thought Moleskine notebooks were overpriced; pretentious crutches for people who thought a special journal would help them create better work. However, when I received a Moleskine notebook as a gift, I was surprised by its versatile, durable, and practical design. In fact, I was so pleased with the Moleskine notebook that when I filled the last page of my first, I immediately purchased a new one.

The best feature of the Moleskine notebook is the moleskin, also called oilcloth, itself. It is weather and wear resistant, with a rigid, leather-like feel. I carried my Moleskine notebook in my pocket or jammed it into my knapsack, and after months of rugged use the cover remained essentially undamaged. Unlike flimsy, cardboard-bound notebooks the Moleskine notebook holds up under all manner of abuse--I'd hazard a guess that if you carried it over your heart in a breast pocket, it'd stop a bullet (don't try this at home).

The cover of the Moleskine notebook is held closed by a strong elastic band. I am amazed that after months of repeated openings and closings, as well as nervous idle snapping, the band on my notebook remained tight and unbroken.

Unlike cheaper notebooks, which are glue or perfect bound, the Moleskine notebook is thread bound. This means that when fully opened, the Moleskine notebook lies almost completely flat, allowing you to use both pages for drawing, writing, or whatever you can imagine. It also means that the binding is almost impossible to break--I've never heard of a Moleskine notebook coming apart or pages falling out because the binding comes loose.