Misconceptions

• Unlike the name suggests, moleskin is not actually made from the skin of moles. The fabric is made on a loom and is actually a twill-based fabric with interwoven cotton. This produces a cloth with a soft outer side, which feels a lot like the skin of the small, earth-bound rodent for which it's named. Because of the tightness required to make a cloth like this, there are only a few mills in the world capable, as only a few have the older-style high-strength looms, or have been specially modified for the production of moleskin.
  
  

Moleskin Clothing

• Moleskin is a fabric that has been around since the Middle Ages. The clothes made from this material are strong, sturdy and durable. They make excellent working clothes and offer excellent protection from wind and cold. The fabric is far more expensive than something like denim, which is an incredibly common textile, but moleskin is similarly durable and strong. While most workers will wear denim jeans, some English landowners have been known to wear this more luxurious fabric for work clothes.
  
  

Clothing Care

• Because of the composition of the fabric, it's one that can be easily stained--as with most woven fabrics. This means it has to be dry cleaned or washed gently. Ideally, to keep the color of your moleskin clothing vibrant (although it will fade over time), you should wash moleskin garments inside out. To prevent it from shrinking, most manufacturers of moleskin clothing recommend drying the garments outside on a washing line, instead of using a dryer.
  
  

Medical Use

• Moleskin fabric is a stable first-aid supply for hikers and campers. It's used as a bandage around blisters and to prevent blistering on sensitive areas of the feet. It doesn't actually cure the blister but will prevent it from getting worse. If you're using moleskin on a blister, cut a donut-shaped ring of moleskin out, and place it around the blister. You should find yourself able to walk on that blister, because the moleskin actually protects the injury from whatever was chafing it. The same applies to prevention: cover an area that may become blistered to prevent an injury.
  
  

Legendary Notebooks

• Dozens of literary figures, hundreds of other famous people, and anyone who's put pen to paper the world over is at least vaguely familiar with the Moleskine brand notebook. The simple, slim volume is usually a black notebook with cream or off-white pages, and is a style of notebook most people recognize. This long-time staple of notepads is thus named because its original form was made with a moleskin cover. Since then, these iconic notebooks have been used by writers such as Ernest Hemingway, Oscar Wilde and artist Vincent van Gogh. Today, these notebooks can be found in stationery or bookstores or online.