Saturday, January 19, 2008

Notebook Heaven

The Moleskine, the traditional notebook for the likes of Van Gogh, Hemmingway, Picasso and Chatwin, is actually bound in oilcloth and cardboard. I say traditional (and the Moleskine website calls them ledgendary), but the name Moleskine was not coined until 1986, and not registered until 1996.

The 'original Moleskine' (the notebook so favoured by the intelligensia) was made by a French bookbinding business that supplied a fashionable Paris stationary shop; but production ceased in the mid 1980s. The modern Moleskine, now printed in China and sewn in Italy, did not come into being until 1998. Since 2006 the brand has been back in French ownership.

Moleskines feature a handly elastic strap (for keeping your space pen in place), and a spine that allows the book to be laid flat. Many different sizes and colours are available, although 'traditionally' Moleskines were black.

According to their blurb, "red is the new black", so, clearly, some clever marketing men are in charge of things now.

For more information see the Moleskine website

5 comments:

Lane Mathias said...

Drool. I want a big one. Mine is only tiny and weedy. I think I'd be a proper writer with a big one:-)

Unknown said...

I have a small one for the hand bag and a bigger one for enlarging my thoughts :-) Just love 'em.

HelenMWalters said...

I'm feeling more inadequate by the second ...

Jenny Beattie said...

Leigh, are you on commission honey? For everytime to mention moleskines? Anyway, they are gorgeous. I discovered http://www.grandluxe.com/catalog/ (don't know how to link it in a comment!) and they make similar books that are rather sexy and lovely.

By the way, thanks for the meme. I enjoyed it.

JJx

Leigh Forbes said...

Lane - I'm sure you're right. This must be where I am going wrong.

Liz! Two Moleskines! Quelle indulgence? !

Helen - [whispers] You can order online, and I'm sure they'll deliver in a plain brown envelope if you ask them to.

JJ - It's all for the benefit of my friends-in-need-of-a-notebook-fix. Glad you like them! Grandluxe.com looks rather luscious - especially those organisers with the different-coloured spines...very nice!