Moleskine Love

If you read here regularly or have perused my web page, you'll know that I am obsessed with like pens and stationary, in particular moleskines. I finally bought one this weekend and dared to open it yesterday. I had touched it many times, in the shrinkwrap, but wanted to get a few things ready before I opened it. The time had to be right, the atmosphere correct, I had to have decided on which pen to use, and had to know which hacks I would use with my moleskine.

Normal people are now thinking I am insane but part of the reason I could take so long considering these things is the huge amount of pages and forums dedicated to these very topics. Just check out the google results for moleskine pens (1,150,000 results) or moleskine hacks (1, 450,000 results) or just moleskine (11,300,000). Read stories about people who boil the paper with different inks on it to see how both the paper and ink stand up or put the paper under strong lights for weeks on end to determine the same. We're an odd bunch if you're not into it.

The little thing was expensive for a notebook, but then again, there are much more expensive ones and I could pay $38 USD for a place to hold my 3x5 index cards (but I like Levenger--it is like pen and paper fantasyland for me). The moleskine was a treat for myself for finally accomplishing something I've been trying to do for a while. Hubby looked at the notepad and said, "I don't get it, what's the big deal?" And I really couldn't explain. It's like explaining to someone who loves maple ice cream, why I cannot stomach the stuff. I just don't like it. Hubby gets excited at Canadian Tire stores and drools over Princess Auto flyers. I don't get that, but I know enough not to ask him to explain it because that's his thing and if you don't get it, you don't get it.

Anyway, after all the research and knowing what I need in a notebook (after a looooottttt of debate, I decided on the pocket plain for my moleskine), I decided on a pen (more about that later); that I would put sticky notes on a few of the back pages so I would have something to write on in case I needed to give a number or address to someone; that I would add a couple of index cards to the little pocket in the back for the same reason; and also include a pocketmod in the back pocket (mine has four weekly diary pages, two sudokos and a yearly calendar). I had a couple of sudokus left over after some failed attempts to make the pocketmod correctly so I stuck them in the back pocket as well. Added a copy of Mike Shea's Writing Tips PDF (folded correctly) and I was set. My moleskine seems to be everything I need right now.

But the pen. Ah, the pen. After reading a lot about which pen to use, especially at Moleskinerie.com, I decided on a Uni-ball Signo 207. Unfortunately, I bought a .7mm tip and I think I should have gotten the .5mm. The line is just too thick for me. It's wonderful (a really great pen) in my normal writing books (regular old 24.1cm x 15.2 cm spiral notebooks) but in the small notebook, with the nice paper, I want a finer line that can't smudge as easily. So, I thought about it and read some more discussions. I considered just going to a ballpoint and using a nice Zebra F-301 I really like, or even a pencil, but decided I really wanted to try the Pilot G-Tec-C4. So, I went out to buy one and while at Staples, I found something else interesting. It was a Zebra F-301 Compact, a F-301 which can be compacted into a very small pen (important when you want to carry your moleskine and pen in a small purse). I bought the Pilot and the Zebra and like them both very much. The G-Tec has a .2mm point, but is still smooth on the page. For now, I think I will try out both of them for a while and also try to get a finer point Signo. (I am just picturing my non-pen-crazy friends reading this and rolling their eyes--if they made it this far.)

As for the moleskine, the paper is beautiful, the cover is great, the elastic band and bookmarks are pluses, the pocket in the back is just what I need and the fit, well, the fit is perfect. My hand was made to hold it. In other words, I love it.

As Mike Shea said, "If I spent the time writing that I do surfing around looking at pens, I'd be Stephen King."

If such things as this interest you, then check out the Moleskinerie.com/Notebookism.com Holiday Giveaway (and if you win one of the big prizes, remember who sent you there).