Two hardcover notebooks at similar prices, with one real difference between them.
Verdict
Leuchtturm1917, for numbered pages and a blank index. Both are hardcover A5-ish notebooks around twenty dollars with elastic closures and a back pocket. The Leuchtturm gives you 251 numbered pages and a contents page at the front, which turns a journal into something you can actually find things in later. Moleskine's paper is thinner and shows more ink bleed with anything wetter than a fine gel pen. If you write with a ballpoint and never look back, the difference is small.
~$26
Check Leuchtturm1917 Medium A5 Dotted Price| Leuchtturm1917 Medium A5 Dotted | Moleskine Classic Large Ruled | |
|---|---|---|
| Pages | 251, numbered | 240, unnumbered |
| Index page | Yes, blank contents at the front | No |
| Paper weight | 80gsm | 70gsm |
| Bleed with fountain pen | Some | More |
| Ruling options | Dotted, ruled, plain, squared | Ruled, plain, squared, dotted |
| Extras | Two ribbons, sticker labels | One ribbon |
You intend to reread what you write. Numbered pages plus a front index sounds like a small thing until you want to find the entry where a pattern first showed up, and in a shadow work practice that is exactly the thing you want to find. The extra ribbon means you can hold both the index and your current page.
Check Leuchtturm1917 Medium A5 Dotted on Amazon
You like the object and the paper suits your pen. Moleskine's build quality is good, the format is familiar, and if you write with a ballpoint or a fine gel pen the thinner paper never becomes an issue. It is also the easier one to find in a shop the same day you decide to start.
Check Moleskine Classic Large Ruled on Amazon
Barely, and it is worth saying plainly. The number of people who never start because they are still choosing a notebook is much larger than the number whose practice failed because of paper weight. Any notebook you will open beats the perfect one you are still researching.
Ruled for pure writing. Dotted if you also want to make the occasional table, timeline or diagram, which comes up more than you would expect when tracking patterns over time.
Completely. A three dollar composition book holds the same words. Spend the difference only if the object itself makes you more likely to sit down with it.
Comparison based on published manufacturer specifications and the general consensus of owner reports. We have not tested these units side by side. Confirm current prices and specifications before buying. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Both notebooks are reviewed in full: the Leuchtturm1917, whose numbered pages are the whole argument, and the Moleskine Classic, including the fountain pen problem.