Paper
Rhodia vs Moleskine
Two hardcover notebooks at similar prices, aimed at the same buyer. For a fountain pen the comparison is decided by one published number and one absence.
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These two get cross-shopped constantly and they are aimed at the same person: someone who wants a hardcover notebook with an elastic closure that looks serious on a desk. At similar money, the object you get is genuinely comparable.
For a fountain pen the comparison is much less balanced, and it comes down to what each company tells you about its paper.
What each maker publishes
| Rhodia Webnotebook | Moleskine Classic | |
|---|---|---|
| Paper weight | 90 g Ivory Brushed Vellum | 70 gsm, acid-free, ivory |
| Paper family | Clairefontaine group, which publishes 90 gsm across the books this site covers | Moleskine's own; the wider range goes to 200 g/m2 |
| Format | A5 hardcover, dot or lined | Large hardcover, ruled |
| Fittings | Elastic closure, ribbon, rear pocket | Elastic closure, ribbon, rear pocket |
There is an irony worth stating: Moleskine is the one that publishes, and the number it publishes is the reason not to buy it for this purpose. Rhodia does not state a weight on this listing at all, and still wins - on the strength of the paper tradition behind it rather than a figure you can check.
That is not a comfortable position for a site that ranks makers on disclosure, so it is stated plainly here rather than glossed. The full accounting is on the notebook brands page.
The notebooks
Quick picks
Ranked for the beginner buying their first setup. Every pick names who it is wrong for.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Rhodia Webnotebook A5, dot Clairefontaine paper in a hardcover book, which is the shortest route to a journal that a wet nib cannot ruin. | A hardcover journal that holds wet ink | $30.75 · View on Amazon #ad Price as of October 18, 2026. How this is funded |
| 2 |  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 | $24.95 · View on Amazon #ad Price as of October 18, 2026. How this is funded |
| 3 |  LEUCHTTURM1917 A5, dotted Numbered pages, a printed index and a pocket, in the notebook that made bullet journaling a thing — but at 80 g/m2 the paper sits right at the floor for a wet nib. | Structure, if your ink is well behaved | $31.50 · View on Amazon #ad Price as of October 18, 2026. How this is funded |
1. A hardcover journal that holds wet ink
Rhodia Webnotebook A5, dot
Clairefontaine paper in a hardcover book, which is the shortest route to a journal that a wet nib cannot ruin.
#ad Price as of October 18, 2026. How this is funded
Rhodia and Clairefontaine are the same group, and the paper is the reason to buy either. It is coated and hard-sized, so ink sits on the surface rather than soaking in — which is what stops feathering before it starts.
A wet ink in a broad nib is the hardest test a notebook faces. This is the book that passes it.
The trade is drying time. Ink that sits on the surface takes noticeably longer to dry, which matters if you are left-handed or in a hurry.
| Size | A5Source: Rhodia Webnotebook A5, dot (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
|---|---|
| Ruling | Dot gridSource: Rhodia Webnotebook A5, dot (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
| Paper weight | 90 g Ivory Brushed VellumPublished on the listing as of the 2026-10-17 read. It was absent at the 2026-09-01 read, so this row is newer than the rest of the entry.Source: Rhodia A5 Webnotebook, Dot (47391EX) (retail listing, read 2026-10-17) |
| Extent | 96 sheetsSource: Rhodia A5 Webnotebook, Dot (47391EX) (retail listing, read 2026-10-17) |
| Closure and extras | Leatherette cover with an elasticated strap, a ribbon marker and an expanding back pocketSource: Rhodia A5 Webnotebook, Dot (47391EX) (retail listing, read 2026-10-17) |
| Cover | HardcoverSource: Rhodia Webnotebook A5, dot (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
What it does well
- Coated paper that resists feathering and bleed-through
- Hardcover, so it survives a bag
- Dot grid is the most flexible ruling
What it does not
- Slow drying, which punishes left-handers
- Expensive per page next to a plain notebook
- Its listing is not in a shipping state at the time of writing
Skip this if you write left-handed and smudge — coated paper is the worst case for drying time.
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 Price as of October 18, 2026. 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, 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 at 80 g/m2 the paper sits right at the floor for a wet nib.
#ad Price as of October 18, 2026. 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, and the listing now puts a number on it: 80 g/m2. That is the lower end of what a fountain pen is comfortable on — adequate for a dry nib, 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, dottedThe edition currently listed is the Bauhaus special edition; the format, extent and ruling are the standard Medium A5 dotted hardcover.Source: LEUCHTTURM1917 A5, dotted (retail listing, read 2026-10-10) |
|---|---|
| Maker's claim | Acid-free paper with high ink compatibility, to help prevent bleed-throughThe maker's own wording. It is a comparative claim rather than a measured one, which is why we do not repeat it as a finding.Source: LEUCHTTURM1917 A5, dotted (retail listing, read 2026-10-10) |
| Paper weight | 80 g/m2, acid-freeNow stated on the listing for this edition. 80 g/m2 is the lower end of what a fountain pen is comfortable on.Source: LEUCHTTURM1917 A5, dotted (retail listing, read 2026-10-10) |
| Extras | Blank table of contents, expandable gusseted pocket inside the back cover, two page markers, elastic closure band and eight perforated detachable sheetsSource: LEUCHTTURM1917 A5, dotted (retail listing, read 2026-10-10) |
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
- 80 g/m2 is the floor for a wet nib
- Thinner paper than the 90 and 100 gsm books on this site
- 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.
What 70 gsm does in practice
Seventy grams per square meter is thin. It is not unusable - a dry ink in a fine nib is perfectly comfortable on it - but it leaves almost no margin.
Move to a medium nib, or a saturated ink, and the margin is gone: the writing shows through, and on the worst combinations it bleeds. That is the entire reason fountain pen users complain about Moleskine, and it explains why people's experiences differ so sharply - the paper sits right at the threshold where the pen decides the outcome.
The longer version of this argument, including when a Moleskine is still the right buy, is on are Moleskine notebooks worth it.
Where Moleskine actually wins
This page would be lazy if it stopped at the paper.
- Availability. You can buy a Moleskine in an airport, a supermarket or a bookshop this afternoon. Rhodia is a specialist purchase almost everywhere outside a stationery shop.
- Format range. Moleskine makes the format in more sizes, rulings and cover finishes than Rhodia does, including heavier-paper ranges its own listing confirms go to 200 g/m2.
- Construction. The object itself is well made. The complaint about Moleskine has never been the binding or the cover.
- Other pens. For pencil, ballpoint, gel or rollerball, 70 gsm is a non-issue and the comparison evaporates.
The third option
A lot of people cross-shopping these two actually want the feature set of neither: numbered pages and a printed index, which is a LEUCHTTURM1917 rather than either of these.
That comes with its own caveat - the A5 Leuchtturm listing publishes no paper weight, so you are buying on reputation there too. Leuchtturm against Moleskine and Rhodia against Leuchtturm cover both of those comparisons in their own right.
Which to buy
- You write with a fountain pen: the Rhodia Webnotebook.
- You write with a pencil, ballpoint or gel pen: either, and Moleskine is easier to buy.
- You want numbered pages and an index: neither - a Leuchtturm.
- You already own a Moleskine and want it to work: a fine nib and a dry ink, which inks for cheap paper covers.
Questions people actually ask
Is Rhodia better than Moleskine?
For a fountain pen, clearly. Moleskine publishes 70 gsm for the Classic, which is thin enough to show through with a wet or broad nib; the Rhodia Webnotebook uses the Clairefontaine family's paper. For pencil or ballpoint the difference largely disappears.
What paper weight does Rhodia use in the Webnotebook?
90 g Ivory Brushed Vellum, published on its own listing as of a 2026-10-17 read. That is the same weight the Goalbook publishes and 20 g heavier than a Moleskine Classic. Note that Rhodia's No. 16 pads are a lighter 80 g sheet, so the figure is per product rather than per brand.
Does a Moleskine bleed with fountain pen ink?
With a wet or broad nib, usually yes. With a dry ink and a fine nib, often not. At 70 gsm there is very little margin, which is why two people can describe the same notebook completely differently.
Which is better value?
They cost broadly the same, so value comes down to fit. If you write with a fountain pen the Rhodia is better value at any similar price; if you want a notebook you can replace anywhere at short notice, Moleskine's availability is worth something real.
What about Leuchtturm1917?
It is the usual third option, and the one to pick if you want numbered pages and a printed index. Its A5 listing publishes no paper weight, so like the Rhodia you are buying on reputation rather than a figure.