Paper
LEUCHTTURM1917 vs Moleskine
The two notebooks most people already own, compared on the one specification that decides whether a fountain pen works in them.
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These are the two notebooks most people already have on a shelf, and they are the two most often blamed for a fountain pen that appears not to work. Comparing them is useful precisely because so many people are starting from one of them.
| LEUCHTTURM1917 A5 | Moleskine Classic large | |
|---|---|---|
| Published paper weight | Not stated on the US listing | 70 gsm, acid-free, ivory |
| Pages | 251, numbered | 192, not numbered |
| Index | Blank table of contents printed in | None |
| Expandable, inside back cover | Expandable, inside back cover | |
| Ribbons | Two | One |
| Ruling options | Dotted, lined, squared, plain | Ruled, plain, squared, dotted |
| Heavier paper available in range | Not stated | 100, 120, 165 and 200 g/m2 in other ranges |
The 70 gsm problem
Moleskine publishes 70 gsm for the Classic range, and that is the single most useful number on this page. Seventy grams of uncoated paper is thin: a dry fine nib is fine on it, a wet medium will ghost heavily, and a broad will bleed.
That is not a scandal — the Classic was designed long before fountain pens came back into fashion, and it works perfectly with a pencil or a gel pen. It is simply the wrong paper for the tool, and because it is a premium-priced object, people reasonably assume the expensive notebook cannot be the problem.
Quick picks
Ranked for the beginner buying their first setup. Every pick names who it is wrong for.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No image LEUCHTTURM1917 A5, dotted Numbered pages, a printed index and a pocket, in the notebook that made bullet journaling a thing — but the paper is the thinnest here. | Structure, if your ink is well behaved | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now. How this is funded |
| 2 | No image Moleskine Classic, large ruled 70 gsm ivory paper — the specification that explains why so many people conclude their new pen is broken. | Everything except a fountain pen | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now. How this is funded |
| 3 | No image Dingbats Wildlife A5, dotted 100 gsm cream paper in a hardcover journal, which is the specification Leuchtturm buyers keep asking for. | Structure plus heavier paper | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now. How this is funded |
1. Structure, if your ink is well behaved
LEUCHTTURM1917 A5, dotted
Numbered pages, a printed index and a pocket, in the notebook that made bullet journaling a thing — but the paper is the thinnest here.
#ad No live price right now. How this is funded
The structure is genuinely excellent: numbered pages, an index you fill in yourself, two ribbons and a pocket. Nothing else at this price is as well organized out of the box.
The paper is the argument against. Read the buyer feedback on the maker's own listing and it splits down the middle on bleed-through — which is exactly what happens when paper is adequate for a dry nib and marginal for a wet one.
If you write with a fine nib and a dry ink, this is a fine book. If you have just bought a broad nib and a wet blue, it is the wrong one.
| Extent | 251 numbered pages, A5, dottedSource: LEUCHTTURM1917 A5, dotted (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
|---|---|
| Maker's claim | Acid-free and ink-proof paperThe maker's own wording. Buyer feedback on the same listing is openly split on bleed-through, which is why we do not repeat the claim as a finding.Source: LEUCHTTURM1917 A5, dotted (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
| Paper weight | Not publishedThe US listing for this edition does not state a gsm figure. We do not fill it in from a comparison chart. |
| Extras | Blank table of contents, expandable pocket inside the back coverSource: LEUCHTTURM1917 A5, dotted (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
What it does well
- Numbered pages and printed index
- Hardcover with a pocket and two ribbons
- The most widely stocked structured notebook
What it does not
- No published paper weight on the US listing
- Bleed-through reports are genuinely split
- Costs as much as notebooks with better paper
Skip this if you write with a broad nib or a wet ink — pair the structure you want with paper that can take it.
2. Everything except a fountain pen
Moleskine Classic, large ruled
70 gsm ivory paper — the specification that explains why so many people conclude their new pen is broken.
#ad No live price right now. How this is funded
We are including this specifically because it is the notebook most people already own, and because Moleskine publishes the number that explains the problem: 70 gsm.
Seventy grams of uncoated paper is thin. A dry fine nib will be fine on it. A wet medium will ghost badly and a broad will bleed, and the person holding the pen will reasonably conclude the pen is at fault.
Moleskine's own range includes 100, 120 and heavier papers. If you like the object, buy one of those instead of this one.
| Paper weight | 70 gsm, acid-free, ivorySource: Moleskine Classic, large ruled (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
|---|---|
| Extent | 192 pages, 5" x 8.25", ruledSource: Moleskine Classic, large ruled (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
| Cover | Hard cover with elastic closure and ribbon bookmarkSource: Moleskine Classic, large ruled (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
| Also offered | 100, 120, 165 and 200 g/m2 in other Moleskine rangesSource: Moleskine Classic, large ruled (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
What it does well
- The maker publishes the weight, which is more than several rivals do
- The physical object is genuinely well made
- Heavier-paper versions exist in the same range
What it does not
- 70 gsm is below what a wet fountain pen needs
- Priced as a premium notebook
- Ivory paper mutes ink colors
Skip this if you are buying it for a fountain pen. This is the paper problem, not the solution.
3. Structure plus heavier paper
Dingbats Wildlife A5, dotted
100 gsm cream paper in a hardcover journal, which is the specification Leuchtturm buyers keep asking for.
#ad No live price right now. How this is funded
100 gsm is the number that removes the argument. At that weight a wet medium nib is comfortable and a broad is workable, which is not true of the 70-80 gsm books this competes against.
The format copies the structured-journal template closely — hardcover, elastic, pocket, ribbon — so you are not trading features for the paper.
Cream paper warms every ink slightly. If you have chosen a color carefully, it will not look the same here as on white.
| Paper weight | 100 gsm, acid-free, creamSource: Dingbats Wildlife A5 (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
|---|---|
| Maker's claim | Made for fountain pens, gel ink and markers; outperforms standard 70-80 gsm paperThe maker's own wording on its listing.Source: Dingbats Wildlife A5 (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
| Format | A5, dot grid, vegan leather hardcoverSource: Dingbats Wildlife A5 (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
| Extras | Inside pocket, elastic closure, bookmarkSource: Dingbats Wildlife A5 (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
What it does well
- Published 100 gsm, comfortably above the fountain pen threshold
- All the structured-journal features
- Coated cover survives a bag
What it does not
- Cream paper shifts ink colors
- Heavier and thicker than a comparable 80 gsm book
- Less widely stocked than the market leader
Skip this if you want ink colors to read true — buy a white-paper notebook instead.
The unpublished-weight problem
LEUCHTTURM1917's US listing for the A5 dotted does not state a weight at all. It claims acid-free, ink-proof paper, and buyer feedback on that same listing splits roughly evenly on whether ink bleeds through.
Practically, that split tells you what you need: fine nib and dry ink, fine. Broad nib and wet ink, likely not. We are not going to resolve it with a number we cannot source — how we choose explains why.
Verdict
For a fountain pen, LEUCHTTURM1917 is the better of the two on the balance of evidence, and neither is the best answer available. If you want this feature set with paper whose weight is published and comfortably above the threshold, Dingbats Wildlife states 100 gsm and offers the same structure.
And if you already own a Moleskine and like it: keep using it with a fine nib and a dry ink, or buy one of Moleskine's own heavier-paper ranges, which the Classic listing itself confirms go up to 200 g/m2.
Questions people actually ask
Is LEUCHTTURM1917 or Moleskine better for fountain pens?
LEUCHTTURM1917, on the balance of published evidence. Moleskine publishes 70 gsm for the Classic range, which is below what a wet nib needs; LEUCHTTURM1917 publishes no weight but generates far fewer complaints.
What GSM is Moleskine paper?
The Classic range is 70 gsm, acid-free and ivory, as stated on Moleskine's own listing. Other Moleskine ranges go up to 200 g/m2.
Why does my fountain pen bleed in a Moleskine?
Because Classic Moleskine paper is 70 gsm and uncoated, which is thin for a fountain pen. A fine nib with a dry ink usually copes; a medium or broad nib with a wet ink usually does not.
What should I buy instead?
Dingbats Wildlife publishes 100 gsm with the same structured-journal features, or Rhodia's Goalbook at a published 90 gsm. Both remove the ambiguity entirely.