4 ms·

Artists' sketch books can take a beating as well and have thicker paper (Moleskine make sketchbooks as well of course), but sketchbooks by Daler, Rowney et al t

Artists' sketch books can take a beating as well and have thicker paper (Moleskine make sketchbooks as well of course), but sketchbooks by Daler, Rowney et al tend to be in A series sizes here in Europe and that shape is fatter than the Moleskine. 'The Alwych Book' notebooks have really thick creamy paper and heavy blue lines, and the smaller ones will fit in a pocket easily. They are your white-van driver's notebook, basically indestructible. Both are a good percentage cheaper than Moleskines.

Swizec 13y ago
But at the end of the day, I pay 10 euro for 3 backpocket moleskines and it lasts me a year. That's cheap enough for me considering it works perfectly and I have never been disappointed.
- keithpeter 13y ago
  Good for you. I take it those are the 'cahier' style notebooks with the stitching along the back spine and one fold? Like this... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cahier-Plain-Pocket-Journal-Brown/dp/8883704940 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cahier-Plain-Pocket-Journal-Brown/dp...
  - Swizec 13y ago
    Yup, exactly those. See, amazon has them for 5 euro ... how anyone thinks that is super expensive I don't know.
    - phaus 13y ago
      Some people like larger notebooks. When you can get a full-sized notebook for .15 at Wal-mart, 20 bucks for an A4 Moleskin sets the expectations pretty high. I'm not above spending 20 bucks on a notebook, I just think Moleskin's paper isn't very good, when compared to other notebooks.
      - Swizec 13y ago
        Yes, but people who like "full-sized" notebooks aren't Moleskine's target market. The target market are those of us who prefer this format to the full-size. Also I don't have Wal-mart here, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find a cheap leather-bound (or fake leather, I don't know or care which Moleskine use) notebook with 190 pages that aren't pure blinding white, for 15 euro on the official site, or as low as 10 on Amazon. Sure, there are plenty of cheap notebooks, but those usually don't have the same specs so the comparison is somewhat unjust. Hell, if you wanted to go really cheap, you'd just buy a stack of printer paper.
        phaus 13y ago
        They make A4 sized notebooks, so yes, people who like full-sized notebooks are part of their target market. I wasn't trying to imply that the 15 cent notebook is Moleskin's equal, I'm just saying that the availability of adequate paper sets the expectations of expensive notebooks pretty high. There are notebooks just as expensive as a Moleskin that I would pay for, because I find them to be better in quality.
        Swizec 13y ago
        Actually their large notebooks are smaller than A4 ... it's one of the main reasons I like them.
        phaus 13y ago
        They make all kinds of notebooks, including A4. http://www.amazon.com/Moleskine-Folio-Notebook-Professional-Series/dp/8862931921/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382926553&sr=8-1&keywords=moleskin+a4 http://www.amazon.com/Moleskine-Folio-Notebook-Professional-...
- bennyg 13y ago
  Exactly - they're my favorite to sketch and jot down ideas in and totally worth the investment in the short term.
jamesbritt 13y ago
These are pretty good: http://www.amazon.com/Pen-Ink-Notebook-5-5X3-5Ls-Blank/dp/B006C5TFP8 http://www.amazon.com/Pen-Ink-Notebook-5-5X3-5Ls-Blank/dp/B0...
kabdib 13y ago
I have boxes and boxes of artist sketchbooks. They're great. I stole the idea from a friend of mine. "I use little notebooks for little ideas, bigger ones for bigger ideas." He added, "I have a coffee-table sized one at home that I've never written in, because I've never had an idea that big." That said, recent redesigns by Strathmore have added a perforation to the notebooks. I am old and cranky and cannot tolerate this for some reason, and thus am searching for a new standard notebook. So far a cheap chemistry notebook carried by a local college bookstore looks good, and I may buy a big boxful if they hold up well. Moleskines are fine, but tiny, and not large enough for doing engineering diagrams.
- keithpeter 13y ago
  A local artists' materials shop would offer a range of sketchbook styles (perforated, non-perforated, bright white, cream, and various sizes and weights of paper) and probably be glad of your business if you are the type who buys a whole carton of books at once! My old University still sells lab books with hard covers and alternate grid and lines. The grid is in green and there is a choice of 1mm/10mm or 2mm/10mm/20mm on the grid (UK). Because all the science undergrads use them the supply can be depended on. The engineering department in the University where I took my first degree always insisted on us making sketches with a machine pencil and no ruler on plain paper, especially during lectures. Their argument was that you needed to learn to express your ideas in visual form quickly. I wasn't very good at it but stuck with it and tend to prefer plain paper now. I trust we all back up our better pages with a phone camera or scanner?

Swizec 13y ago

But at the end of the day, I pay 10 euro for 3 backpocket moleskines and it lasts me a year. That's cheap enough for me considering it works perfectly and I have never been disappointed.

keithpeter 13y ago
Good for you. I take it those are the 'cahier' style notebooks with the stitching along the back spine and one fold? Like this... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cahier-Plain-Pocket-Journal-Brown/dp/8883704940 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cahier-Plain-Pocket-Journal-Brown/dp...
- Swizec 13y ago
  Yup, exactly those. See, amazon has them for 5 euro ... how anyone thinks that is super expensive I don't know.
  - phaus 13y ago
    Some people like larger notebooks. When you can get a full-sized notebook for .15 at Wal-mart, 20 bucks for an A4 Moleskin sets the expectations pretty high. I'm not above spending 20 bucks on a notebook, I just think Moleskin's paper isn't very good, when compared to other notebooks.
    - Swizec 13y ago
      Yes, but people who like "full-sized" notebooks aren't Moleskine's target market. The target market are those of us who prefer this format to the full-size. Also I don't have Wal-mart here, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find a cheap leather-bound (or fake leather, I don't know or care which Moleskine use) notebook with 190 pages that aren't pure blinding white, for 15 euro on the official site, or as low as 10 on Amazon. Sure, there are plenty of cheap notebooks, but those usually don't have the same specs so the comparison is somewhat unjust. Hell, if you wanted to go really cheap, you'd just buy a stack of printer paper.
      - phaus 13y ago
        They make A4 sized notebooks, so yes, people who like full-sized notebooks are part of their target market. I wasn't trying to imply that the 15 cent notebook is Moleskin's equal, I'm just saying that the availability of adequate paper sets the expectations of expensive notebooks pretty high. There are notebooks just as expensive as a Moleskin that I would pay for, because I find them to be better in quality.
        Swizec 13y ago
        Actually their large notebooks are smaller than A4 ... it's one of the main reasons I like them.
        phaus 13y ago
        They make all kinds of notebooks, including A4. http://www.amazon.com/Moleskine-Folio-Notebook-Professional-Series/dp/8862931921/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382926553&sr=8-1&keywords=moleskin+a4 http://www.amazon.com/Moleskine-Folio-Notebook-Professional-...
bennyg 13y ago
Exactly - they're my favorite to sketch and jot down ideas in and totally worth the investment in the short term.

jamesbritt 13y ago

These are pretty good: http://www.amazon.com/Pen-Ink-Notebook-5-5X3-5Ls-Blank/dp/B006C5TFP8 http://www.amazon.com/Pen-Ink-Notebook-5-5X3-5Ls-Blank/dp/B0...

kabdib 13y ago

I have boxes and boxes of artist sketchbooks. They're great. I stole the idea from a friend of mine. "I use little notebooks for little ideas, bigger ones for bigger ideas." He added, "I have a coffee-table sized one at home that I've never written in, because I've never had an idea that big." That said, recent redesigns by Strathmore have added a perforation to the notebooks. I am old and cranky and cannot tolerate this for some reason, and thus am searching for a new standard notebook. So far a cheap chemistry notebook carried by a local college bookstore looks good, and I may buy a big boxful if they hold up well. Moleskines are fine, but tiny, and not large enough for doing engineering diagrams.

keithpeter 13y ago
A local artists' materials shop would offer a range of sketchbook styles (perforated, non-perforated, bright white, cream, and various sizes and weights of paper) and probably be glad of your business if you are the type who buys a whole carton of books at once! My old University still sells lab books with hard covers and alternate grid and lines. The grid is in green and there is a choice of 1mm/10mm or 2mm/10mm/20mm on the grid (UK). Because all the science undergrads use them the supply can be depended on. The engineering department in the University where I took my first degree always insisted on us making sketches with a machine pencil and no ruler on plain paper, especially during lectures. Their argument was that you needed to learn to express your ideas in visual form quickly. I wasn't very good at it but stuck with it and tend to prefer plain paper now. I trust we all back up our better pages with a phone camera or scanner?