RuzioonGenuine Handmade Leather Journal Notebook, lined 240 Pages, Handmade Leather Bound Notebook for Travel or Writing (8" x 6")

great gift might need another one

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect but I’m really impressed with Ruzioon’s genuine handmade leather journal notebook.What I like-Materials- The outer leather is embossed and smooth in between. Inside the leather is sort of rough/fuzzy/unfinished. The paper isn’t blinding white and perfectly smooth. It is off-white with almost a cardboard-like texture but slightly smoother. Seems like recycled paper which would be good.Smell- It definitely smells like leather- in a good way!Construction- I think one of my favorite things about this book is that while I consider it to be well-constructed, it isn’t perfect. This seems to be done in an intentional way and I really like that imperfect, hand-made feel. It makes it feel very unique. The leather isn’t cut exactly perfect, the paper is off-whiteish with speckles here and there, the ink used for lines looks somewhat uneven- lighter and darker in some spots, the binding and division of pages is not equal and somewhat haphazard. I love it! I saw a couple comments criticizing the imperfections, but I honestly wouldn’t like it as much if everything appeared perfect and completely machine manufactured.Accessories- The book not only comes with a little ribbon bookmark attached to the inside, but there is also a nice, larger bookmark made of leather that could be used for other books. This was a nice touch. There is also a nice little drawstring bag to put the book in for storage which is nice to prevent it from getting dusty.Presentation- I kind of expected the book to just come wrapped in a cellophane-type plastic. While it was wrapped in this, it also came in the drawstring bag and then in a simple, black cardboard box. I wasn’t expecting that. It is ready to give as a gift if that is the intention, which is awesome.Size- The dimension on the website of 8 x 6 inches is accurate and is a good size in my opinion.Color- I love the black leather.There really isn’t anything negative I can say. My only comment is that I might personally prefer a different type of closure- perhaps one that is shorter. The current one is a long leather strap that wraps around the book twice and then I suppose you tuck it in. It definitely works, but maybe a smaller leather piece that loops over a button/leather piece- or even like a short leather strap that buckles in would be nice in my opinion.Also, the website mentions this also being a sketchbook but I only saw maybe three completely blank pages. I think it would have been cool to add more blank pages scattered about for a writer/artist to write and sketch.Anyway, this is a great little book that can be used as a journal, for writing important notes, poems, song lyrics- anything. It would make a great gift for someone who loves writing or just likes to keep track of their thoughts.I haven’t decided what I’ll use this for yet. It is too nice and I don’t want to ruin it so I’ll wait until I’m sure.I’ll be sure to update my review if any issues arise, though I don’t foresee that happening.

The description of this journal says it is "THE PERFECT GIFT FOR WOMEN WRITERS AND TEEN GIRLS".  I hope my brother doesn't feel that way, since this will be a gift for him.  It is one of the best possible gifts for a creative person, particularly somebody who has stories to tell or travels to record.  The pages are lined, so it isn't a sketchbook, as the description says, but it would certainly appeal to any literary artist or wordsmith.  Less so to vegans;  it is made of genuine buffalo leather.  The cover is pliable and supple, and I hope it will grow softer and more supple with use and exposure to the oils in my brother's hands.  It is handmade, basically five small blank booklets all bound together in one leather cover, and there's a nice long leather cord that wraps around the journal to keep it secure.  It even comes with a matching buffalo leather bookmark to keep your place.  The pages in this journal are fairly thick and have a satisfyingly rustic tactile quality to them.  They are made to take ink well so there's less or no smearing or bleed-through.  And it all comes in a canvas bag to protect it, and a nice, structured and lidded gift box, so it is ready to be given to your favorite adventurer!While I do really like this journal a lot, I don't think the product description fits the journal I am holding.  It has a more masculine feel to it, in my opinion, so while I'm sure many women and even teen girls might like it, I don't know what about it makes it more for them than for men.  And I really don't get how the seller refers to it repeatedly as a sketchbook.  Do some people like to sketch in lined notepads?  Somebody has gone to some trouble to make this journal feel special, so why not put the same effort and care to write an accurate product description?A journal like this can inspire the most steadfast homebody to go seek adventure...and then to write it all down here so not a single electrifying moment will be forgotten!  I like it a lot, and I am pretty sure my brother will love it even more.  I hope the seller will update its description, but in the meantime I happily recommend it!I hope my experience with this product might help YOU make a more informed purchase.  Happy shopping!

This is a quality leather journal. I typically prefer a more distressed brown leather, and I'm really not familiar with buffalo leather, so I wasn't sure what this would look like in person. It's actually much nice than I'd expected. It's much closer to black than to dark brown as advertised and that's a positive. The grain is unique to me but the pattern is very nice. I'm not sure why the description calls this out as a gift for women and teen girls. I think it's gender-neutral and definitely something a man would use and carry. The journal is secured by a long leather strap that can wrap around the book easily. There is a thin ribbon (quite long) that can mark a page and, bonus, there's a very nice buffalo leather bookmark that matches to the journal. That 's a nice touch. There are five individual books bound into the leather cover. The paper appears to be recycled and the rustic look of the pages adds to the overall appeal of the journal. An added plus: the journal was packaged very nicely. It was almost a chore to unwrap it. It's very well-suited as a gift. Once you get past the outer plastic wrapper, the journal comes in a nice gift box and is actually held inside a drawstring dust bag. A very nice presentation. A final comment: I didn't notice any overwhelming or offensive odor as some have mentioned. The journal definitely has a genuine leather smell to it but for me that's a plus and just adds to its authenticity.

Gorgeous good quality lovely finish