It seems that Moleskine quality is hit and miss these days. I ordered 2 of these notebooks and unfortunately they were both duds. The paper quality is REALLY BAD. It's rough and thin and cheap. Moleskine paper is supposed to be a bit thicker and smooth and silky. It seems the only reliable Moleskine products are there planners. The paper in those always seems to be excellent. (See my review of the softcover ruled pocket size for more details of my bad experiences.) I've given both of these large notebooks to my husband to use since he could care less about what kind of paper he writes on. I'll never buy a regular Moleskine notebook ever again.