Moleskine Classic Notebook: Sizes, Paper & Pages
The Moleskine Classic Notebook is a hard-cover notebook with rounded corners, an elastic closure, a ribbon bookmark and a back pocket. The most popular Large size measures 13 × 21 cm (5 × 8.25 in) and has 240 pages of 70 g/m² ivory paper. Retailer spec sheets list it as made in China. Moleskine is owned by Belgium's D'Ieteren Group.
On this page
Product facts
- Product
- Moleskine Classic Notebook, Hard Cover, Large (QP060 ruled)
- Brand
- Moleskine
- Brand origin
- Italy
- Made in
- China*
- Material
- Cardboard hard cover, 70 g/m² ivory acid-free paper (FSC-certified and controlled sources)
- Released
- 1997*
- Price range
- $$$$20–75 per notebook
Notes on these facts
- Made by Moleskine S.r.l. (D'Ieteren Group). Made in China: per retailer spec sheets: Galaxus/Digitec list China for the Large and Pocket hard covers, and the Australian promotional supplier Good Things lists China for the XL hard cover. Moleskine's Italian product page doesn't state the country, and Galaxus blocked our reader when we rechecked on October 20, 2026. Source. Released: Per Wikipedia, Milan publisher Modo & Modo launched the Moleskine notebook in 1997, reviving a French notebook design.
- Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
Key takeaways
- Moleskine's Italian site lists five hard-cover sizes: Pocket 9 × 14 cm, Medium 11.5 × 18 cm, Large 13 × 21 cm (5 × 8.25 in), XL 19 × 25 cm and XXL 21.6 × 27.9 cm.
- The Large hard cover has 240 pages; the Pocket and XL hard covers have 192 pages, per retailer listings.
- Moleskine lists 70 g/m² ivory acid-free paper from FSC-certified sources, in dotted, ruled, squared and plain layouts; the Italian shop prices the Large at €24.00 (about US$27).
- Retailer spec sheets list the country of origin as China; Moleskine's own product page doesn't state it.
- D'Ieteren Group bought into Moleskine in 2016 and now owns 100% of it; D'Ieteren reports Moleskine's 2025 revenue as €117.8 (about US$132) million.
What is the Moleskine Classic Notebook?
The Moleskine Classic Notebook is Moleskine’s core hard-cover notebook: a black (or colored) board cover with rounded corners, an elastic closure, a ribbon bookmark and an expandable pocket inside the back cover. It’s the notebook most roundups use as the benchmark, and it comes in several sizes and four page layouts.
Moleskine’s Italian site lists the paper as ivory-colored, acid-free, 70 g/m² from FSC-certified and other controlled sources, in dotted, ruled, squared and plain layouts, and says the notebook opens to 180°. It sells the black Large hard cover for €24.00 (about US$27) in Italy. A soft-cover version with the same name also exists; this guide covers the hard cover unless it says otherwise.
Moleskine Classic Notebook specs
| Spec | Large | XL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 9 × 14 cm (3.5 × 5.5 in) | 13 × 21 cm (5 × 8.25 in) | 19 × 25 cm (about 7.5 × 10 in) |
| Pages (hard cover) | 192 | 240 | 192 |
| Example code (ruled, black) | — | QP060 | QP090 |
| Paper | 70 g/m², ivory, acid-free | 70 g/m², ivory, acid-free | 70 g/m², ivory, acid-free |
| Layouts | Ruled · dotted · squared · plain | Ruled · dotted · squared · plain | Ruled and others |
| Cover | Hard, rounded corners | Hard, rounded corners | Hard, rounded corners |
| Closure / extras | Elastic band, ribbon, back pocket | Elastic band, ribbon, back pocket | Elastic band, ribbon, back pocket |
| Page numbers | No | No | No |
| Made in | China (per retailers) | China (per retailers) | China (Good Things) |
Sizes, paper and features come from Moleskine’s Italian product page, which also lists a Medium (11.5 × 18 cm) and an XXL (21.6 × 27.9 cm). Moleskine doesn’t give page counts there, so those come from retailers (Officeworks, The Journal Shop, Digitec, Good Things and others). The XL is 19 × 25 cm, which is 7.48 × 9.84 in; US retailers round it to 7.5 × 10 in, and one listing says 7.5 × 9.75 in.
Page counts vary between listings. A few US listings show 192 pages for the Large; that matches the soft-cover Large, while most hard-cover Large listings say 240. Check the label on the shrink-wrap if the count matters to you.
Which size should you choose?
The Large (13 × 21 cm) is the all-round choice; pick the Pocket to carry in a jacket and the XL for desk work.
- Pocket, 9 × 14 cm (3.5 × 5.5 in): fits a jacket pocket or small bag. Good for lists and quick notes, like a hard-cover alternative to a mini composition book.
- Large, 13 × 21 cm (5 × 8.25 in): the most popular size. Close to A5 height but 1.8 cm narrower, and it has the most pages (240).
- XL, 19 × 25 cm (about 7.5 × 10 in): the largest of the three, with room for meeting notes and sketches. For a cheaper desk notebook, see the Mead composition notebook.
Is Moleskine paper good for fountain pens?
Not very. At 70 g/m², the paper is known for show-through and bleed-through with fountain pens, especially wet inks and medium or broad nibs.
- In a published paper test on stefanv.com, the reviewer found that a Moleskine pocket notebook feathered with every pen and ink he tried, showed through with all of them and bled through with all but his Pelikan pens.
- The Pen Lounge reviewer found the paper fine for ballpoints but bleed-prone with a fine-nib fountain pen and Diamine Onyx Black ink.
- Goldspot, a pen retailer, uses Moleskine as its example of bleed-through in its notebook guide.
If you use fountain pens, reviewers suggest fine or extra-fine nibs and drier inks. The Pen Lounge reviewer found ballpoints worked well. These are reviewers’ results; we haven’t tested it ourselves.
For gel pens, see our Pilot G2 guide; for notebooks with heavier paper, see the best notebooks for fountain pens.
Where are Moleskine notebooks made?
Retailer spec sheets list the Moleskine Classic Notebook’s country of origin as China. Galaxus and Digitec list China for the Large and Pocket hard covers, and the Australian promotional supplier Good Things lists China for the XL hard cover.
Moleskine is an Italian brand, Moleskine srl of Milan, but its Italian product page doesn’t name a country of production. One Digitec listing for a different Moleskine product (the PROF A4 soft cover) gives both China and Italy, so origin can differ by product. Check the label on your copy.
Who owns Moleskine?
Moleskine is owned by D’Ieteren Group, a Belgian company. D’Ieteren agreed to buy a 41% stake in 2016 at €2.40 (about US$2.70) per share, then made a takeover offer, squeezed out the remaining shareholders and now holds 100% of the shares.
We found no announced sale of Moleskine in 2025 or 2026. D’Ieteren’s 2025 annual report, published in April 2026, still lists Moleskine as one of its businesses, and D’Ieteren’s Moleskine page reports 2025 revenue of €117.8 (about US$132) million, down 3.7% from €122.3 (about US$137) million in 2024.
How does Moleskine compare to Leuchtturm1917?
The Leuchtturm1917 Medium has heavier paper, numbered pages and an index; the Moleskine Large is narrower, with 240 unnumbered pages.
| Feature | Moleskine Classic Large (hard cover) | Leuchtturm1917 Medium (A5, hard cover) |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 13 × 21 cm (5 × 8.25 in) | 14.5 × 21 cm (A5 cover) |
| Pages | 240, unnumbered | 249 numbered (some listings say 251) |
| Paper weight | 70 g/m² | 80 g/m² |
| Table of contents | No | Yes |
| Ribbon bookmarks | 1 | 2 (per The Journal Shop) |
| Detachable sheets | No | 8 perforated sheets |
| Back pocket | Yes | Yes (gusseted) |
| Layouts | Ruled, dotted, squared, plain | Ruled, dotted, squared, plain |
Leuchtturm1917 figures come from retailer listings and The Journal Shop’s comparison. In that comparison, the heavier Leuchtturm1917 paper shows less ghosting with fountain pen ink, while the Moleskine is described as lighter and more classic. Another alternative, the Baron Fig Confidant, uses 90 gsm paper in a 5.4 × 7.7 in cloth hard cover.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What size is a Large Moleskine notebook?
The Large Moleskine Classic Notebook measures 13 × 21 cm (5 × 8.25 in). That's a little narrower than A5, which is 14.8 × 21 cm. The hard-cover Large has 240 pages.
How many pages are in a Moleskine Classic Notebook?
Retailers list 240 pages for the Large hard cover and 192 pages for the Pocket and XL hard covers. The soft-cover Large has 192 pages. The pages are not numbered.
What paper weight does Moleskine use?
Moleskine's Italian site lists the Classic Notebook's paper as 70 g/m² (70 gsm), ivory-colored and acid-free. That is lighter than the 80 g/m² paper in a Leuchtturm1917 Medium.
Do fountain pens bleed through Moleskine paper?
Often, yes. Reviewers report feathering, show-through and bleed-through with many fountain pen and ink combinations, especially wet inks and medium or broad nibs. Fine or extra-fine nibs and drier inks reduce the problem.
Where are Moleskine notebooks made?
Retailer spec sheets, including Galaxus, Digitec and Australia's Good Things, list China as the country of origin for the Classic hard-cover notebooks. Moleskine's own product page doesn't state it, so check the label on your copy.
Who owns Moleskine?
Belgium's D'Ieteren Group. It agreed to buy a 41% stake in 2016, followed with a takeover offer and now holds 100% of the shares. Its 2025 annual report, published in April 2026, still lists Moleskine as one of its businesses.
Is Moleskine or Leuchtturm1917 better?
It depends on what you value. The Leuchtturm1917 Medium has heavier 80 g/m² paper, numbered pages and a table of contents. The Moleskine Large is narrower, lighter in paper weight and has no page numbers.
Sources
- Moleskine (IT): Taccuino Classic, Copertina rigida, Nero (Moleskine's Italian page: sizes Pocket to XXL, carta acid free 70 g/m² avorio, FSC, €24.00 Large)
- D'Ieteren Group: Our businesses, Moleskine (100% owned; revenue 2020–2025, €117.8 million in 2025)
- D'Ieteren press release: agreement to acquire a 41% stake in Moleskine (2016)
- D'Ieteren press release: D'Ieteren holds more than 95% of Moleskine and prepares a squeeze-out
- D'Ieteren press release: D'Ieteren holds 100% of the shares in Moleskine
- D'Ieteren Group Annual Report 2025 (Moleskine revenue)
- Galaxus: Moleskine Classic Large A5 plain hard cover (country of origin)
- Galaxus: Moleskine Notebook Classic Pocket A6 plain hard cover (country of origin, 192 pages)
- Good Things (Australia): Moleskine Classic Hard Cover Notebook, Extra Large (190 × 250 mm, 192 pages, 70 gsm, country of origin China)
- The Journal Shop: Moleskine Classic Notebook Large (240 pages, layouts)
- Paragraph Books: Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Ruled, Black, Hard Cover (5 × 8.25 in)
- Officeworks: Moleskine Classic Hard Cover Ruled Large Notebook, Black (MSQP060)
- PB Tech: Moleskine QP090 Notebook XL Ruled (70 gsm ivory paper, hard cover)
- Digitec: Moleskine Classic XL 19 × 25 cm lined hard cover (192 pages)
- UNM Bookstore: Moleskine Classic Notebook, Extra Large, Ruled, Hard Cover (7.5 × 10 in)
- RCA Shop: Moleskine Classic Notebook, Soft Cover (sizes and 192 pages)
- stefanv.com: A Comparison of Fountain Pens, Inks, and Papers (Moleskine test)
- Pen Lounge: Moleskine Classic Notebook, Singapore Airlines Edition (fountain pen review)
- Goldspot: Best Notebooks for Fountain Pens Reviewed
- The Journal Shop: Leuchtturm1917 vs Moleskine
- AIA Store: Leuchtturm1917 Ruled Notebook, A5 Medium Hardcover (80 g/m², 249 pages, 145 × 210 mm)
- Wikipedia: Moleskine (1997 launch by Modo & Modo)