What's the deal with Moleskin sketchbooks? I see they have lots of fans, but I've recently saw one in a store, and I expect them to sketch on their pages themselves and make you coffee meanwhile, for that price.

Ha! If only...

Yeah, they're a bit on the expensive side, but my local art store has 'em at a decent price, as does Barnes & Noble. But that's U.S. prices, and I have no idea what your local markup might be...

Anyway, the paper in a Moleskin is heavy, durable, and responds to pencil beautifully. Even a hard pencil with very little pressure leaves a decisive mark, yet the paper doesn't have a lot of tooth, so it allows for a clean precision of line. Really nice stuff. The covers are solid, as befits a good sketchbook, so it doesn't flop around while you're sketching on the go. And if you are drawing at a table, the moleskin opens perfectly flat, despite having a traditional binding. Also, it's got a little pocket inside the back cover for scraps and whatnot, a built-in bookmark ribbon thingy, and an elastic closure.

As usual, the best prices can probably be found on Amazon (USD $12.21 for a 5"x8"):
[link]d_sim_b_7

Side note: there are different versions for writing, designing, sketching, and watercolor. I have no experience with the others, just the hardcover sketchbooks (they have the blue wrapper.)