In an earlier post I marked the passing of the Moleskine Volant notebook line. In today’s post I would like to examine more closely the notebook line that replaces the Volant, the Cahier. Their name comes from the French (pronounced "kayé") meaning "paper book, exercise-book, or copy book". Their styling evokes school composition books from earlier times.
I get a lot of questions about what distinguishes the Cahier from the Volant; they are similar in so many ways that it is not immediately apparent what differentiates one from the other. The most noticeable difference is the material used to make the covers. The Volant has the same material on the cover as the classic Moleskine, the black synthetic "moleskin" oilskin that defines these notebooks. The Volant cover is a thin paperback cover compared to hardbound classic notebook. This makes it slimmer and more flexible, and gives the cover a similar quality as a passport. This notebook is for going places, thin, light, and able to go anywhere.
Moleskine Cahier notebooks in black and kraft covers.
The Cahier line has a cover made from a light weight cardboard and is available in black or "kraft" (natural) colors. The feel of the cover is like a file folder only thicker, and it has a nice toothed surface that a file folder lacks. It reminds me of paper we used in school when I was in elementary school that was called "oak tag". There isn't anything that immediately comes to mind on the market today that I can think to compare it with. This heavyweight paper cover lends itself naturally to a number of creative labeling and embellishing methods, you can see a few examples of what I have done HERE.
The Cahier features a pocket inside the back cover which the Volant does not have. This is not the same accordion-style pocket that the classic Moleskine notebook features. Instead it is made from a piece of the same cover material glued around the edges to make a small pocket. It doesn't offer much in the way of real storage space, especially in the pocket size Cahiers which can hold only a few small slips of paper. I have found after very little use that this flap-pocket comes unglued. I have found it necessary to use tape around the edges to keep the pocket attached to the back cover. All the advantage of the addition of a back pocket in the Cahier is lost in my mind due to the fact that the design is less than functional.
The paper inside the notebooks is an equal comparison, with the same creamy acid-free paper that is used in all Moleskine notebooks. Both the Volant and the Cahier feature the detachable pages in the back section of the notebook, and both are available in ruled, plain or squared page styles. The Volant has cardstock end papers that have a place for the trademark "In case of loss please return to:" name and address, which the Cahier lacks. The visible stitching on the outside of the Cahier doesn't require the use of endpapers in the binding process. The Volant notebooks are stitched together in a method similar to the classic hardbound Moleskine, with pages grouped into sewn signatures. The sewing on the Volant notebooks doesn't seem to be quite as sturdy as with the classic Moleskines, but I have never had a problem with the pages coming loose from the binding.
The exposed stitching on the spine of Moleskine Cahier notebooks.
I have asked an avid Moleskine notebook user to give me his review of the new Cahiers after having some time to test them “in the field”. Let me introduce Bill Brandon, Editor of the eLearning Developers' Journal. Bill uses a wide selection of Moleskines, as can be seen in this picture HERE of his notebook labeling system. Bill was kind enough to provide me with a detailed report on his use of Cahiers over a few months time, and I include the following excerpts from his evaluation.
Bill had this to say about the durability of the covers:
“As you may recall, I carry my working notebook around in the back pocket of my jeans. The Cahiers fit much better than the pocket-size Moleskines, of course, but I was concerned about those paper covers. As it turns out, the paper covers are perfectly adequate for the 30 to 60 days of use each notebook gets. The kraft covers get a little scruffy-looking (well, ok, they're ragged around the edges) but they hold up and do not fall off. The black covers seem to be less affected by wear, but of course they show the wear too.”
Bill agreed with me on the durability of the back pockets:
“The little pocket on the back cover wants to come detached at the lower edge, even if there is only a single sheet of paper in the thing and even if you protect the Cahier inside a pocket briefcase. . . . I found that if I bind the long edge and the bottom edge of the pocket with 2" reinforced package tape (Scotch "Duck" brand), the pocket lasts as long as the notebook."
Bill had this to say about using fountain pens with the Cahier:
“At the desk, I usually write in the Cahier using a fine-point Chinese "Hero" pen and Noodler's Legal Lapis ink, although whatever comes to hand first will do just as well. Away from the desk, I carry a Kaweco AL-Sport fountain pen in my pocket, with a Private Reserve Midnight Blues cartridge in it. The Kaweco point is broad and puts down a lot of ink, but the paper in the Cahier does not have a problem with 'showing through.' "
And he summed up his review this way:
“So people should be confident that the Cahier line is very durable and very practical for everyday use. Cahiers are not quite as "tailored" and elegant in appearance as the Moleskine journals, and on the other hand that may make people less afraid to write in them.”
Thanks to Bill for his detailed evaluation of the Cahier notebooks he uses as part of his daily work routine.
Overall I feel that what the Cahier offers to the classic hardcover Moleskine user is a more casual notebook for everyday use. I have heard from many Moleskine notebook users that beginning to write in a new Classic notebook can be very intimidating. The Cahier is a less serious Moleskine, and as Bill noted above, not as frightening at first when confronted with empty pages to fill.
In an effort to round up a little more money before heading off to graduate school I have decided to part with a few sets from my precious hoard of discontinued Moleskine Volant notebooks. Over the next week or so I will be posting listings of Volants on eBay, and wanted to share this opportunity with you here, to make sure that these little babies go to a good home. For those of you who loved the Volant format as much as I did, you know these have become pretty hard to find anywhere. Let my sacrifice become your boon and bid away!
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