Moleskine's New Volant Notebooks Vs. The Moleskine Cahier

One of the newest additions to the esteemed Moleskine catalog is the Volant notebook, an alternative to their Cahier line. Like the Cahiers and all other Moleskine notebooks, the Moleskine Volant sports acid-free, archival quality paper that writes well and makes most any pen feel smooth (I prefer the Pilot G2 line of pens for Moleskine notebooks). The Volant is also like the Cahier in that it only has about a quarter of the pages of a traditional Moleskine notebook, making it very slim. You'll also find the last 16 sheets of the Volant are pre-perforated and detachable, just like Cahier. An added advantage to the Volant is that in certain sizes, all the pages are detachable, making it a cinch to tear out notes to share with friends, family, or collaborators.

Although the Moleskine Volant is very similar to the Cahier, there are three distinct differences that, in my opinon, make the the Volant a superior pocket notebook. First, and most importantly, the cover is a flexible form the traditional Moleskine oilcloth, so it appears to be much more durable than the simple cardboard of the Cahier. While the Cahier can take a beating (I've been carrying one around in my pocket for well over a month, and the cover--while very worn--is still intact!) it seems like the Volant will take the same abuse, while and still look classy after a week or two in the pocket. Second, the Moleskine Volant appears to have done away with the virtually useless back pocket in the Cahiers. Since the "pocket" was little more than an additional glued on piece of cardboard, its use was severely limited, anyway. Finally, the Volant notebooks also come in an "Extra Small" size (2.5"x4") that really give you the ultimate in portability. No, you won't be penning your next novel on the Volant Extra Smalls, but they make a great pocket companion for preserving those spur of the moment thoughts.

Another feature than many will find appealing is the fact that the Moleskine Volant notebooks come in a wide variety of colors; most Moleskine products are only offered in venerable black.

In virtually every way, the new Volant notebooks by Moleskine are an improvement over the Cahiers, and offer anyone with an affinity for pen and paper the class of a traditional Moleskine Notebook in a supremely portable package. Highly recommended!