MoleskineClassic Plain Paper Notebook, Hard Cover and Elastic Closure Journal, Color Black, Size Large 13 x 21 cm, 240 Pages

I love this notebook. This was my first moleskine and it has been great in that I've really gotten into writing and drawing again. For me, this being a premium quality notebook only helped me fall deeper in love everytime I used it. The notebook has a real quality feel but not all pens will work perfectly on the paper so you may have to do some testing. I did some testing and by far my favourite pen to go with it is the Energel 0.5mm needle tip. It dries fast, doesn't bleed and is a great quality pen. The pilot G-2 0.7mm is another good pen with minimal chance of smudging and no bleed through. Also the Pilot hi-tecpoint V7 fine didn't bleed but can smudge a hair more. If you're more of a pencil guy then rock on.The lack of page lines worked fine for me as I mix both text and illustrations and have no trouble writing without lines. That's not true for everyone though and it's down to you to make that choice. Great notebook, good luck!

I am an English Language student and I feel naked without a good journal or writing pad to my side. Previously I have found Pukka Pad writing pads and journals to be quite good.Moleskine appear to be very well praised for their journals- I am happy with this product.Arrived in two days.The Moleskine I received is not what appears in the product picture which looks as if it has some light coloured pattern, but rather it is plain black with a subtly leather look and feel. I prefer blank pages, and especially creamy coloured blank pages.I am using either a ball point Parker pen or a Uniball Jetstream 0.7. The paper is smooth to write on (considering you also have a good pen, I've heard that Moleskine paper may not be as friendly with a fountain pen. Look it up). There is 'ghosting', where the writing can be seen on the next page. I have no qualms with this but some people may do, so it's worth mentioning.In the back of the notebook is a pocket to keep stray sheets of paper or whatnot. Handy, I use these often with other notebooks.Over all, good size and it's quite comfortable to write in, it lays rather flat and does not fight back when you lay it flat to write. I am very particular with my journals as I often intend to keep them for a long time (a year or so) and they often contain important ideas and plans.I am not intending to join the Moleskine fan club that I see on the net where people will swear and live by the name as if it provides them oxygen- I am simply only interested in a functional product. This is a nicely made notebook and I am happy to pay the price I paid as it does not feel cheap at all.Edit: Since writing this review I have began to use a Uni Pin fine line 0.5 pen. It is a good compliment to the Moleskine paper, smooth action that glides, doesn't blotch or bleed, nor show through the page anymore than a regular ballpoint.Edit 6/2/16: The book mark ribbon is starting to fray quite a bit. My Pukka pad's bookmark didn't after a yer of use.

This is my standard notebook for exhibition reviews. Being red means I don't come out of the house with the wrong notebook! I've now filled several.The paper is thin and works extremely well with my preferred writing implement. I think it's possible it's a bit too thin for any pen which tends to be seen through paper.I'm a big fan of the band which keeps the Moleskine closed as it means the pages inside don't get messed up or inadvertently torn when at the bottom of my bag. The enclosure on the inside of the back cover is particularly useful for collecting business cards when meeting artists! I pop them in straight away and that way they get back to my desk safely.The only thing that could improve this Moleskine for me would be some way of labelling it on the outside for filing which doesn't involve me filling out a sticky label.

I originally bought the large ruled notebook, but found that the line spaces were a little on the narrow side for me. Having now got hold of the plain version, it's obvious that this is the one I should have bought in the first place; I much prefer a blank space rather than blank lines. But each to their own.Having used mine for a few weeks, I can find no fault with the classic Moleskine design or the quality of the workmanship. I like the off-white paper which is neither too thin or too thick. The overall size of this notebook - rather than the pocket version - is perfect, neither too large or too small. And there are enough pages to store my genius ideas or inane ramblings for a long time, if not years. If you tend to jot things down on scraps of paper, as I do, you can either stuff them in the expandable pocket at the back or between the pages - and the elastic keeper will prevent anything falling out. In short, it's a joy to own and use. I've seen other notebooks that might be 'finer' (and more expensive) but this is a supremely practical notebook designed for heavy, every day use by the thinkers of the species. And it's unlikely to fall apart after a couple of months as cheaper notebooks do. I wouldn't be without mine. Long live Moleskine.Note: The Amazon description states that this notebook, and others in the Moleskine range, are leather bound. Well, mine isn't. It's 'merely' hardback. But don't let that put you off. Personally, it makes no difference to me.