and they just keep getting easier to make...

http://magicmockups.com/mockup/1/

Well Moleskine are pretty good notebooks. Although I get your point.

I used to swear by Moleskine A5 notebooks but the quality seemed to change so I switched to Leuchtturm1917 [1] several years ago and haven't looked back

[1] http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002CV5H4Y/

They are but I prefer the Silvine A6 twinwire pads, quality isn't as good but they work out about a pound each in bulk, paper quality is excellent and pages are easy to tear out.

I thought it too, until started (resumed) writing with fountain pens. The ink leaks through the page awfully.

it's so hard writing on my moleskine with anything other than ballpoint pens -- the smudges are just insane.

I absolutely love the feel of a gel pen, and tried out the Pentel Energel Liquid Gel Pen (picked it up at Walmart on a lark). Its phenomenal. I still get the gel feel while writing in my Moleskin, but the ink dries in under a second (I've tested this!). Very satisfied (its the only pen I purchase now).

I'm using the 0.7mm point, but intend to try the 0.5mm point in short order, as most of my writing is diagramming infrastructure/code/etc.

http://www.amazon.com/Pentel-EnerGel-Deluxe-Retractable-Ink-...

Meanwhile, in Australia: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Pentel-EnerGel-Deluxe-RTX-Retract...

(it doesn't seem to be sold directly here)

Edit: found http://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/pentel-ener...

So?