Notebooks & Journals
Leuchtturm1917 vs Moleskine: The Paper Is the Whole Argument
Two black hardcovers that look nearly identical on a shelf, separated by ten grams per square meter and a page-numbering decision.
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The answer first
Buy the Leuchtturm1917 if the recipient writes with anything wetter than a ballpoint, or indexes what they write. Buy the Moleskine if the recognition is the point. Both are true reasons and the second one is not a consolation prize.
The published differences
| LEUCHTTURM1917 A5 | Moleskine Classic Large | |
|---|---|---|
| Paper weight | 80 gsm | 70 gsm, FSC certified, acid free |
| Pages | 251 | 240 |
| Page numbers | Printed | None |
| Contents page | Blank table of contents included | None |
| Perforated sheets | 8 detachable | None stated |
| Page markers | Two ribbons | One |
| Size | 145 x 210 mm, about 5.75" x 8.25" | 5" x 8.25" |
| Extras | Gusseted rear pocket, elastic, archival stickers | Expandable rear pocket, elastic |
Quick picks
Ranked for the person doing the buying. Every pick names who it is wrong for.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No image LEUCHTTURM1917 Medium A5 Dotted Hardcover Notebook 80 gsm paper, 251 numbered pages and a printed contents page, which is why this is the default recommendation in every journaling forum. | The bullet-journal standard | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now. How this is funded |
| 2 | No image Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Dotted, Hard Cover The notebook everyone knows by sight, on 70 gsm paper that is lighter than its main rival and honest about it. | The recognizable one | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now. How this is funded |
1. The bullet-journal standard
LEUCHTTURM1917 Medium A5 Dotted Hardcover Notebook
80 gsm paper, 251 numbered pages and a printed contents page, which is why this is the default recommendation in every journaling forum.
#ad No live price right now. How this is funded
Numbered pages plus a printed contents page is the whole reason bullet journaling settled on this book. An index needs page numbers, and printing them saves the user writing 251 of them.
80 gsm against the Moleskine Classic's published 70 gsm is a 14 percent difference in paper weight, and it is the difference most people notice as ghosting on the reverse of a page.
Two ribbons is not decoration in a journal that has an index. One marks the index, one marks today.
| Paper weight | 80 gsmSource: Amazon listing - LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Hardcover Medium A5, Dotted |
|---|---|
| Pages | 251 numbered pages, with 8 perforated detachable sheetsSource: Amazon listing - LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Hardcover Medium A5, Dotted |
| Size | A5, approximately 5.75" x 8.25" (145 x 210 mm)Source: Amazon listing - LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Hardcover Medium A5, Dotted |
| Fittings | Blank table of contents, two page markers, gusseted rear pocket, elastic band, archival stickersSource: Amazon listing - LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Hardcover Medium A5, Dotted |
| Binding | Thread bound, opens flatSource: Amazon listing - LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Hardcover Medium A5, Dotted |
What it does well
- 251 pre-numbered pages and a blank contents page, ready for an index.
- 80 gsm published, the heaviest of the three mainstream hardcovers here.
- Thread bound, so it lies flat from the first page.
What it does not
- Still not fountain-pen-proof; 80 gsm reduces show-through, it does not eliminate it.
- The dot grid is fainter than some users want for straight-line work.
Skip this: if the recipient has never mentioned journaling. A 251-page dotted notebook handed to a non-journaler is 251 blank pages of obligation. See how to pick a journal as a gift.
2. The recognizable one
Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Dotted, Hard Cover
The notebook everyone knows by sight, on 70 gsm paper that is lighter than its main rival and honest about it.
#ad No live price right now. How this is funded
70 gsm versus 80 is the entire technical argument between this and the Leuchtturm1917, and it is a real one: lighter paper shows more of what is on the reverse. Whether that matters depends entirely on what the recipient writes with.
What Moleskine has that its rival does not is recognition. For a gift that is worth something concrete - the recipient knows what it is before they open the card.
No page numbers and no contents page. For freeform notes that is irrelevant; for an indexed journal it is 240 numbers to write by hand.
| Paper weight | 70 gsmMoleskine publishes this, and it is 10 gsm under the Leuchtturm1917.Source: Amazon listing - Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Dotted, Hard Cover |
|---|---|
| Pages | 240Source: Amazon listing - Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Dotted, Hard Cover |
| Size | Large, 5" x 8.25"Source: Amazon listing - Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Dotted, Hard Cover |
| Paper stock | FSC certified, acid free (pH neutral)Source: Amazon listing - Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Dotted, Hard Cover |
| Page numbers | Not publishedPages are not numbered and there is no printed contents page. A bullet journal user will number them by hand. |
What it does well
- Universally recognized, which does real work in a gift.
- FSC certified, acid-free paper with a published weight.
- Slightly thinner block than the Leuchtturm for the same page count, so it carries better.
What it does not
- 70 gsm ghosts more than 80 gsm with gel and fountain pens.
- No pre-numbered pages or contents page.
Skip this: if you know they use a fountain pen. Buy the Rhodia at 90 gsm instead and spend the difference on ink. See Leuchtturm1917 versus Moleskine.
Ten grams per square meter, and what it buys
Eighty against seventy is about a 14 percent difference in paper weight. That sounds marginal and it sits right on the threshold where gel and fountain-pen ink stop and start showing through, which is why it is the most-discussed ten grams in this hobby.
It is not a promise. Eighty gsm with a broad wet nib will still ghost. What it does is move the odds substantially, and for a gel pen it is usually the difference between a clean reverse and a visible one. Paper and ghosting has the mechanism.
The page numbers are a bigger deal than they look
Printed page numbers plus a blank contents page is the reason bullet journaling settled on one of these two books rather than the other. An index needs page numbers, and the alternative is writing 251 of them by hand before you start.
If the recipient does not index anything, this row is worth nothing at all and the comparison comes back to the paper and the cover.
What the Moleskine actually wins
Recognition, and it is worth taking seriously in a gift. The recipient knows what a Moleskine is before they open the card. There is no equivalent moment with a Leuchtturm1917 unless they are already in the hobby, and for a gift that difference is real.
It also publishes acid-free, pH-neutral paper explicitly, which matters for anything intended to last decades. And it is very slightly narrower, which suits a smaller bag.
The size catch nobody mentions
These two books are not the same size. Moleskine Large is 5 inches wide; the Leuchtturm A5 is about 5.75. Three quarters of an inch is enough that covers, sleeves and refillable leather jackets are not interchangeable between them.
If you are buying a notebook to go inside a cover somebody already owns, check which insert that cover takes before choosing. Notebook sizes explained has the dimensions.
Questions people actually ask
Is Leuchtturm1917 better than Moleskine?
On paper weight and page numbering, yes - 80 gsm against 70, with printed page numbers and a contents page. Moleskine wins on recognition, which is a real thing a gift buys.
What is the paper weight difference?
80 gsm against 70 gsm, about 14 percent. It sits right at the threshold where gel and fountain-pen ink start showing through, which is why it gets so much attention.
Are Leuchtturm1917 and Moleskine the same size?
No. Moleskine Large is 5" x 8.25" and the Leuchtturm A5 is about 5.75" x 8.25". Covers and sleeves are not interchangeable between them.
Which is better for bullet journaling?
The Leuchtturm1917, because an index needs page numbers and it prints them along with a blank contents page.
Which is better for a fountain pen?
The Leuchtturm1917 of these two, and the Rhodia Webnotebook at 90 gsm over both of them if the brand does not matter.