Moleskine soft cover notebooks
If you still love the Moleskine size and paper feel, compare current listings carefully and look for older stock when cover feel matters.
This Moleskine soft cover notebook quality issue review is about a subtle but frustrating change: the newer soft cover notebooks do not feel quite like the older ones. For a brand built around touch, portability, and a classic notebook feel, that matters.
The reviewer has used Moleskine notebooks for more than 20 years, so this is not a simple anti-Moleskine rant. It is a comparison between what made the notebooks appealing in the first place and why the newer soft cover can feel less premium.
| Area | What changed or still works | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Size | The slightly narrower-than-A5 format remains portable and comfortable for journaling. | Still excellent |
| Cover alignment | The paper block lines up neatly with the cover, avoiding the overhang seen on some notebooks. | Still excellent |
| Paper feel | The 70gsm ivory paper feels soft and pleasant, though it is not fountain pen friendly. | Good feel, limited ink handling |
| Old soft cover | Older covers had a smoother, shinier, more leather-like feel. | Preferred |
| New soft cover | Newer cover feels more textured, less premium, and a bit flimsier. | Main issue |
Why Moleskine still has appeal
There are better-spec notebooks if you only judge by paper weight or fountain pen performance. But Moleskine has always had a specific appeal: a narrow portable size, soft ivory paper, a clean cover-to-page alignment, and a simple black cover that feels good in the hand.
That is why a cover change is not a small detail. When the cover is part of the reason someone keeps coming back to the brand, a less premium feel changes the entire notebook experience.
Old cover versus new cover
The older soft cover had more of a leather-like sheen and smoothness. It caught the light in a way that made it look and feel more premium. The newer cover shown in the video appears duller and more textured.
This is difficult to capture perfectly on camera, but it is exactly the kind of difference you notice when you handle notebooks in person. The new one is not necessarily unusable; it just does not feel as nice.
Paper and alignment are still part of the appeal
The review also explains why Moleskine still works for some writers. The paper lines up neatly with the cover, which gives the notebook a clean finished look. There is no distracting overhang or loose-looking edge.
The paper itself is 70gsm ivory paper. It is not for wet pens, but it has a soft feel that many people enjoy. If you write with pencil or ballpoint, it can still be a comfortable everyday notebook paper.
The close-up quality complaint
The most important complaint is tactile: the new cover feels slightly cheaper. It is less smooth, a little more textured, and seems thinner or flimsier than the older cover. On a notebook you hold and open constantly, that difference can become annoying.
The expanded notebook shown in the video also made the issue more obvious, because a thicker notebook puts more attention on the cover and structure. If the cover feels weaker, the whole notebook feels less trustworthy.
Thickness and flexibility
Comparing the notebooks from the side shows why construction matters. Moleskine notebooks are simple objects, but the thickness, cover flexibility, page block, and binding all affect whether the notebook feels durable and premium.
The older cover appears to have held up well over time. The newer cover had not yet been used heavily, but the concern is that it may not age as nicely if it already feels less substantial from the start.
Who should still buy one?
If you love the Moleskine size, mostly use pencil or ballpoint, and enjoy thin ivory paper, a soft cover Moleskine can still make sense. The basic format is still practical and the notebooks remain easy to find.
But if the cover feel is the reason you buy Moleskine, it is worth checking the notebook in person if possible. Look for older stock, compare the sheen and texture, and avoid buying blind if you know the newer cover will bother you.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Excellent portable notebook size.
- Clean cover-to-paper alignment.
- Soft ivory paper feels pleasant with pencil and ballpoint.
- Classic simple design.
- Older soft covers feel premium and smooth.
Cons
- Newer soft cover feels less smooth and less premium.
- Paper is not fountain pen friendly.
- Quality changes are hard to spot online.
- The newer cover may feel more flimsy in hand.
What this quality issue says about buying Moleskine now
The most useful way to read this notebook quality issue is not as a warning that every Moleskine soft cover notebook is unusable. It is a reminder that Moleskine notebooks can vary more than the simple black-cover design suggests. Two notebooks can look nearly identical online and still feel different once you have them in hand.
That matters because the soft cover notebook relies heavily on feel. The cover texture, spine alignment, page block, paper smoothness, elastic tension, and general finishing are the parts you notice every time you open it. If one of those details feels off, the whole notebook can feel cheaper even if it technically still works.
| What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Cover alignment | A twisted or uneven cover makes the notebook feel poorly finished from the start. |
| Spine and page block | The notebook should open cleanly without feeling loose, warped, or badly glued. |
| Paper feel | Thin paper is expected, but roughness, heavy ghosting, or unexpected bleed-through can change the writing experience. |
| Elastic and pocket | These small details show whether the notebook has the usual Moleskine finish or a cheaper feel. |
If you buy one, check it as soon as it arrives. Look at the cover, open it flat, test a few pens on a back page, and compare the finish with what you expected. If the notebook feels wrong immediately, it is better to return or exchange it than to spend months being annoyed by a book you already distrust.
FAQ
What is the Moleskine quality issue?
The issue is the newer soft cover feeling less smooth, less shiny, more textured, and less premium than older Moleskine soft covers.
Is the newer Moleskine fake?
No. The review discusses genuine Moleskine notebooks purchased through normal retail channels; the complaint is about apparent material or quality changes.
Why use Moleskine if the paper is not fountain pen friendly?
The reviewer likes the size, paper feel, ivory color, cover alignment, and classic format, even though pencil and ballpoint are safer choices than wet fountain pens.
How can you avoid the newer cover feel?
If possible, inspect notebooks in-store, compare the cover texture and sheen, or look for older stock before buying.
Final thoughts
Moleskine notebooks still have qualities that are hard to replace: the size, paper feel, clean alignment, and simple portable format. That is why a cover change feels disappointing rather than trivial.
If you are not sensitive to cover texture, this may not matter much. But if the old soft cover feel is part of why you liked Moleskine, the newer versions are worth checking carefully. The notebook may still be useful, but it may not feel like the same notebook you remember.
Moleskine soft cover notebooks
If you still love the Moleskine size and paper feel, compare current listings carefully and look for older stock when cover feel matters.
