Stephen Bayley: Not Fit For Purpose?

The Graun has this article about the "joy of Moleskine notebooks" which quotes "cultural critic" Stephen Bayley as saying:

"It's a masterful bit of excavation of the human psyche...The stuff you're writing in it could be the most brainless trivia, but it makes you feel connected to Hemingway."

This is, of course, nonsense.  I could understand the quote if he was being paid by Moleskine to say it, but the only masterstroke I can see is one of marketing.  I admit, I was taken in at first.  Those alluring stands of notebooks stacked in Waterstone's were very attractive indeed, and I bought a few.  Disappointment soon followed when I discovered the paper makes fountain pen ink bleed like crazy, and that the binding is not as robust as it might be.

I don't much feel like Hemingway when using one of my Moleskines, actually. 

By the way, thanks to everyone who responded to my last post on sketchbooks.

A6 Sketchbook?

Hi there! Long time, no see, etc.  Normal service will be resumed shortly; my apologies for the lack of new posts.  I am still interested in pens, pencils, notebooks, paper, ink, rubber stamping and all that.

As I own some of the best pencils in the world it seemed a good time to begin sketching again.  I used to draw a lot when I was a child, but gave it up when I was 16 or 17.  I borrowed a book on drawing from my local library, and the book suggested carrying a sketchbook in A6 size for quick sketches of things seen on everyday travels.  This is a good idea, but rather than simply getting yet another Moleskine (yawn) I wanted something else, with better paper.   Any readers have suggestions?  The only must-have feature is an elastic closure; it can be book-bound, ring-bound, any colour cover, and so on.

Thanks for looking.