Sometimes I ask myself "Self, why do you bother with Moleskine paper?" and I usually don't have an answer for myself. Today that changes with this review of the Moleskine Folio Ruled Pad, the answer is…"Because sometimes it is actually good" which I'm shocked to watch myself typing.
The basics on this notepad are that it is 96 detachable ruled sheets at a standard 8.5″ x 11″ and 3-hole punched. The paper has a very slight egg-shell tone to it with gray rulings across it. The whole thing is fixed inside of a of a matte black cardboard cover. The front cover is about the same thickness of a manila folder, while the back cover is significantly thicker, more like a heavy chipboard. Not missing a chance to brand their product Moleskine used the glued edge of the binding to put their classic "Moleskine" name right there so you don't forget what you are using.
You should definitely click on the photo above to see how well the writing samples on this paper came out. I tried multiple fountain pens/inks, gel inks, roller ball pens, Sharpie pens, and a few others, and there was only ONE that showed through to the other side. The one that showed through was a fountain pen ink that I have yet to review, however all of the other results are quite impressive with hardly any show through, and no feathering. Many of the inks dried very quickly with the best performers being the Medium Point Sharpie Pen, the Uniball Jetstream Ballpoint, and the Noodler's Bernanke Blue fountain pen ink, which is designed to dry fast anyway.
It doesn't happen often but I can say with conviction that this particular sample of paper in the Moleskine Folio Ruled Pad performed very nicely and would be a great option for those looking for a simple notepad that has a bit of style, or that just matches all of their other Moleskine gear.
