Vintage Leather Journal - Antique Handmade Deckle Edge Vintage Paper Leather Bound Journal - Book of Shadows Journal - Leather Sketchbook - Drawing Journal - Great Gift (Green, 7.5"x5.5")

I just received my purchase of the large journal and I feel compelled to clear up some of the previous reviews that mentioned issues with quality and craftsmanship. tl;dr: I didn't experience any of the negatives mentioned in previous reviews. On to the full review: Firstly comes the unboxing - the journal arrived in a simple, but neat plastic sealed pouch and Amazon did a good job selecting the proper-sized box and air padding. The key comes wrapped in foam so as to not scratch or become damaged during delivery. The leather strap and securing strap where the key slips in were both properly seated and there were no issues around quality in this area. The leather wrap was just as pictured (wraps around the journal twice) and gives a nice look to the journal. The outer leather is thick, yet soft and pliable. There was no off-putting odor detected in the slightest. I purchased the antique brown leather journal and it's just as pictured - simply beautiful. On to opening the journal... It's clear that care was taken to protect the deckle edge in transit as there was a sheet of thin cardboard in place to prevent any bumps from damaging the edges of the paper within. Upon removing the cardboard piece, there was a nice, somewhat consistent deckle edge. The variance is just as expected and doesn't push beyond around 3/8" or 1/2" or so at maximum. The leather binding within is quite nice and feels nice and secure. I don't feel as though any pages will fall out given the thickness/perceived durability of the paper. Since the sheets are secured in sets with a leather binding, there is a very slight variance in the positioning of each of the individual paper stacks, but not beyond what would be expected from a handcrafted journal as such - certainly nothing I can't live with (nor is too bothersome for me to look at with my obsessive-compulsive eye). Also, the pages will lay pretty flat when opened. There may be some areas that may pose a bit more of a challenge to open fully in this manner. The journal itself and its pages are quite thick, so it's unreasonable to expect every single page to lay completely flat in every position within it. This is nothing that can't be easily handled with a paperweight or something similar, if you're so inclined to do so. From a paper coloring perspective, it does have quite a strong antiquing color which is fairly close to what is pictured in the listing. It's very realistic looking and has a nice, soft texture to it. This texture might be different than what you're used to, so don't purchase this journal expecting perfectly smooth pages - that's not going to happen with handmade paper of this type; but don't let that discourage you - it's actually quite nice and makes it feel more vintage and, in my case, more powerful! Given the paper used (its thickness and composition), it's fair to say that there will be zero bleed from my Sakura Pigma brush pens to the underside of the pages - no concerns here whatsoever. Again, given the color of the antiquing, the only minor issue you may have here is that if you're working with color for your artwork and/or writing/letter-work, it may not be as vibrant (obviously) as if the pages were bright white in color (but, after all, that bright white color would defeat the beauty and whimsy of this journal, wouldn't it?). I also received a message from Liam shortly after receiving my order to make sure it was everything I had expected. This is a testament to their dedication with regard to customer service. I couldn't be more pleased with my purchase. I will definitely buy from this purveyor again in the future. The quality and experience are top notch!

Wow! This journal is absolutely gorgeous! The quality & craftsmanship is amazing! The leather is very soft & the pages are very thick. I was somewhat apprehensive about purchasing it after reading the reviews, good & not so good, plus seeing the pics others have posted. I had a few concerns & was completely prepared to return it if need be. But to my utter delight, no return is necessary! My first concern was with the shade of green that I would receive. Mine is absolutely perfect! I had seen pics of an extremely bright & unnatural green & did not want that! I am guessing it was just the lighting. In my pics there is one that is somewhat bright but it is NOT! The color green is reflected in the other pics. My next concern was the darkness of the paper. I was VERY happy that they are not as dark as initially shown! I read in some reviews that some were not happy with the pages in their journals. I am personally thrilled with them! The varying shades of the aging, the inconsistency & the "misalignment" of each page, with a serious deckled edge, makes for one beautiful antique looking journal! There is one very slight issue that I can fix myself. The wrap around with attached key is about 3 inches too long. In my pics you can see that I pulled the knotted end back through the slit to make the wrap around fit better. I can leave as is or I can cut & make new knot. I have not written in it yet & I will wait to do so only after I have mastered the art of calligraphy! All in all, this is a beauty & well worth the price! It's very giftable but if you are anything like me then you would have to keep it for yourself and buy another one to gift!

Absolutely beautiful! From the cover to the pages, it is so soft! Does not bleed through! Enough pages to journal for a long time! The beauty and quality makes me want to use it everyday! Stunning!!!

Okay, so I gotta admit, I was a bit intimidated by this product, because it was expensive. But after reading the product description, and the reviews, I took a chance. And WOW. The journal arrived quickly and it was packaged really well! The journal itself was sealed in plastic to keep water from getting on it, and the key was wrapped in a protective sort of foam to ensure the cover of the journal wasn’t scratched by it. The inside of the journal had a piece of brown card stock type paper that kept the deckled edges of the journal safe from damage as well. I noticed in some of the reviews that there was confusion about the paper inside, because every single page is different. The size difference is minimal and really not a concern, not for me at least (literally all the pages were pretty much the same size with maybe like a millimeter of variance between pages). And the edges are not MEANT to be “clean” or “even” because this paper has a “deckle edge”. For those who may not know, handmade paper is done with a mold and deckle. The edges are rough unless you cut them, and the product description clearly says that this journal has a “deckle edge” meaning it’s uncut. As far as the various stains and such on the different pages, again this is to be expected. The journal is designed to appear antique and weathered. It supposed to look really old and worn. And again, the product images and such make that clear. The journal is definitely as thick and lovely as advertised, and I could NOT be happier!! I’m a cosplayer on TikTok (@theLacieverse if you want to check it out) and I needed an old journal for a prop that one of my characters will interact with. This journal is absolutely PERFECT for that. I haven’t tried writing in it yet, but I have a dip-pen calligraphy set that I wanted to pair with this. I will let you guys know how that goes once I try it.

Wow! Absolutely incredible. Real leather, the pages look old and are high quality paper and take ink really well. Im using black ink Stapler pigment pens. It doesn't bleed at all. I'm in love!

The product arrived way faster than expected. The quality is absolutely wonderful. I love it so much. Even the rough feeling on every page is so nice.

Bought it for R850 back in September great book.

Este Diario de cuero Vintage, y es algo realmente espectacular. Estoy muy contento con él, porque está hecho con mucho esmero y el acabado es precioso. Es ideal para hacer un regalo y quedar bien. Lo recomiendo a cualquier persona que quiera escribir, dibujar, ya que es un artículo de gran calidad que destacará sobre los demás.

Très contente de mon achat. Produit très correct pour le prix. Acheté pour faire un carnet de croquis. A voir avec le temps pour l'utilisation.