I doubt it is, sounds like another hipster hysteria...

I'm not sure hysteria is the word you're looking for. Hyperbole, sure. But the notebooks feel great and the paper quality is excellent. It's worth noting that some pens perform really poorly on their paper, but gel pens + moleskine is just an extremely pleasant writing combination. Plus I'm pretty partial to the notebook size. It's not that they are the only company to do this, but it is just a consistently very nice experience without breaking the bank.

They are light (at an A5 form factor), have a very good paper quality, and covers with textures that fit comfortably in the hand; they also fit comfortably in my pocket.

(there's also some with hardcover, but I find them too heavy)

FWIW, I like grid-paper, so I use "graph-ruled" composition books.

Moleskin also make grid-paper and non-ruled notebooks.

Personally I have seen the light and find that Moleskin paper is not the best. I switched to using Japanese paper. I'm left handed and Japan needs fast drying pens and paper.

Here is a quick link to some of the brands I like with graph paper. https://www.jetpens.com/Pocket-Notebooks/ct/1668?&f=9e1b4fde...

I just got a few of these and I am really happy with the quality of these. https://www.jetpens.com/blog/leuchtturm1917-notebook-guide/p...

Also the Whitelines app with this notebook is really a great idea. You basically take a picture and the grey background is removed and you have just your writing or drawing.

https://www.jetpens.com/Leuchtturm1917-Whitelines/ct/4346

Yes, left-handed notebook nerds!

I'm a loyal Lleuchtturm user, but have been considering the Midori notebooks. How do they compare?

I confirm this. They are very classy. I use one to write my best recipes (so old school :-)). However the little elastic is a little bit weak.

The elastic stretches beyond repair in a year or so.