Moleskine

A moleskine is a style of notebook currently being manufactured by Modo & Modo (http://www.modoemodo.com/) of Italy. A moleskine is bound in oilcloth-covered cardboard (Moleskin), has an elastic band to hold the notebook closed, and, due to the sewn spine, lays flat when opened.

Moleskine's most famous endorsement comes from Bruce Chatwin, who used them constantly throughout his travels, and wrote about them glowingly. Chatwin's original source of notebooks dried up in 1986, when the owner of the Paris stationer where he purchased them died. The modern moleskine is fashioned after Chatwin's descriptions of the notebooks he used and are not a direct descendant.

Although Modo & Modo claims the notebook has been used by other well-known artists and writers, such as Picasso, Matisse, and Hemingway, it is not clear that they used the same style of notebook that Chatwin did, though there is evidence that they used some kind of "pocket notebook." [1] (http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A1113346). One well-known writer who has confirmed using them is Neil Gaiman, who wrote about his love of moleskine notebooks on his blog.

Today the moleskine notebook has a romantic image as a traveler's notebook of choice, mostly due to Chatwin's heavy endorsement during his own many travels and Modo & Modo's advertising of that fact. Moleskines have a cult-like (but playful) following today [2] (http://www.moleskinerie.com/). Although more expensive than the average notebook, its adherents swear by the high quality and design.

Modo & Modo's product line

Modo & Modo sells Moleskine notebooks in many varieties, and are constantly adding new styles to meet popular demand (such as the storyboard and reporter versions). [3] (http://www.moleskine.com/eng/_interni/catalogo/default.htm)

The "standard" notebooks come in two sizes, pocket 3.5 by 5.5 inches (9×14 cm) and large 5.25 by 8.25 inches (13×21 cm).

• Pocket notebooks are available in many varieties: ruled, squared, plain, address book, info book, and music (192 pages each); sketchbook and storyboard (80 pages of heavier paper); Japanese pocket album (60 continuous pages); and memo pockets (six pockets instead of paper).
• Large notebooks are available in ruled, squared, plain, and address book (240 pages); sketchbook, with 100 pages; and memo pockets (six pockets).

• Diaries come in large and pocket sizes, as above, and in "diary" and "weekly diary" versions.
• Cahier (Fr. "notebook") notebooks are thinner, and come in sets of three. They are also available in two different colors, black or buff(kraft). They also lack the bookmark and elastic closure present on the other notebooks, and have a visible stitched spine. The three sizes are pocket (64 pages), large (80 pages), and extra large ( 7.5 by 9.75 inches (19×25 cm); 120 pages); each size comes in ruled, squared, or plain varieties.
• The discontinued volant notebooks are like the cahiers, but without the back pocket. They also have soft covers. They come in ruled, squared, plain, and address book varieties, and in pocket (64 pages) and large (80 pages) sizes.
• Reporter notebooks are similar to the standard notebooks, except that they are bound at the top instead of on the side. They come in pocket and large sizes, and in ruled, squared, and plain styles.

External links

Official Sites

• Moleskine home (http://www.moleskine.com/eng/default.htm)
• Modo & Modo (http://www.modoemodo.com/)

Unofficial Sites

• Moleskinerie (http://www.moleskinerie.com/) — A Moleskine blog
• MoleskineArt (http://www.moleskineart.com/) — Each Moleskine has a story to tell
• the Wandering Moleskine Project (http://octolan.com/journey)
• Le Moleskine à Beleg (http://octolan.com/moleskine) — An online Moleskine sketchbook (mostly in English)
• onionboy (http://www.onionboy.ca) — An illustrated journal (mostly in Moleskine with other art)
• Ninth Wave Designs (http://stores.ebay.com/Ninth-Wave-Designs)

About moleskine

• 43Folders.com Wiki: Moleskine (http://wiki.43folders.com/index.php/Moleskines)
• The Myths of Modo and Modo's Moleskine 'Users' (http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A1113346)
• ionfish: Moleskine Musings (http://ionfish.hwcommunity.com/archives/2005/04/moleskine-musings/)

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