These are the best notebooks I've ever used and I've used a lot of notebooks over the years. I love the soft cover version as I have a great, custom-fitted leather cover from Renaissance Art that makes it look and function like a million bucks. The beauty in all the Moles is their stitched binding that allows it to lie flat for writing. As a fountain pen user, I also appreciate the slight "tooth" in the off-white paper along with the visually comfortable neutral toned rules. I drag it everywhere and order several at a time, I will never be caught without one at the ready!