Category Archives: Moleskine myth-busting

Moleskine Monday: “Legit Quality and Design, Faux History”

Here’s someone with a realistic take on the Moleskine brand: “This is a company that took a famous novelist/travel writer’s (Bruce Chatwin) description of his favorite non-living travel companion (the brandless, black-covered, elastic-banded, ribbon-bookmarked notebook) and from it built a brand that is extraordinary in its implied history and prestige. …the company only came into … Continue reading Moleskine Monday: “Legit Quality and Design, Faux History”

Piccadilly Stockpile?

I am really liking the small squared Piccadilly I’ve switched to as my current daily notebook. The quality is much improved from the first Piccadilly notebooks I bought— the elastic is tight, the back pocket works, and everything just seems solid. I like the paper, which is nice and smooth and seems to resist more … Continue reading Piccadilly Stockpile?

Four Notebooks Reviewed Part 2

In the first part of this review, I discussed the outward appearance of four similar pocket sketchbooks, the Moleskine, the Pen & Ink Journal, the HandBook, and the Derwent Journal. Now I’ll look at the insides. Rather than bore you with repeated photos of almost identical things, I’ll just point out a few details that … Continue reading Four Notebooks Reviewed Part 2

Four Notebooks Reviewed Part 1: Moleskine, HandBook, Derwent, Pen & Ink

The notebooks I use most frequently are hard cover pocket sketchbooks, with heavy unlined paper that is suitable for various kinds of ink, pencil, and watercolor paints. I like to doodle and draw sometimes, so this type of notebook works well for me even though I also tend to use them for keeping a journal. … Continue reading Four Notebooks Reviewed Part 1: Moleskine, HandBook, Derwent, Pen & Ink

“Creation versus Consumption”

Here’s an interesting article from The Simple Dollar, in which the writer’s notebooks are a key example of something many of us struggle with: I like pocket notebooks. During my years as a young professional who still harbored some little sliver of a dream of someday becoming a writer, I would often pick up a … Continue reading “Creation versus Consumption”