Art Supplies Art Kids Sketch Book Sketch Paper Poetry songwriting Art Large Leather Journal Diary Notebook Art Teacher 9 inches X 6 inches

Amazing vintage style sketch and notebook

Really nice looking and loads of pages. The paper looks fabulous and certainly conjures the image it tries to achieve. The leather strap and cover is ok, it doesnt seem quite as good as the pages which is why this is only four stars instead of five, but this is still a recommended product and I would buy it again.

I had purchased a different brand with similar dimensions. It was the 8"x6" journal(rough size). I loved it, but this one came up in a suggestion when I was going to leave a review for the other book - which was excellent also. However, THIS book has a much nicer design for the leather strap and rivet to hold the strap in place, I need to add a picture of that come to think of it, and was TWICE the thickness. Yes, twice. No exaggeration. The dye job on the pages is also much more subtle than the brown and yellow of the other brand. It looked like someone rated the litter box to get ochre color for their dye. THIS blue-black looks like it was pulled right from the midnight sky on a new moon. Gorgeous. It isn't so dark as to effect drawings.The paper is smooth, and does not have the gridded look of muslin cloth, but rather the old fashioned method of making paper, where you could even add seeds and plant matter for recycling for compost. It is beautiful. The dying took place prior to making the page sizes because the dye is not darker at the torn edges, which authentically more pleasing. Glass pens, gell pens, felt pens, and other writing tools all will work on this paper service. When I set up to write or draw in this book, I will add a photo, video to show the results with the tool.I paid slightly less than $24 US dollars because a lightening Deal/Daily Deal was being offered, however, once receiving this monster, I would have paid the full price of $29.99. The size and quality makes it worth it.CON: The only thing I can pick on about the book itself is that the sections are bound in a manner that leaves giant open spaces at the binding point between the booklet sections inside the tome itself. It isn't the prettiest think when it flops open to the binding and you see the leather and tying and big gap. However, this is a known binding method, and I appreciate the craftsmanship I can see in this area of the book. Someon's hands, not a machine, put this together. A personal card with your artisan's name is included with your book. I will keep that forever. Someone on the planet made my book. That makes it special.Wish: I wish this book came with a small draw string cloth bag. I have a reptile bag it will likely fit inside of, but something like that to protect it when traveling would have been a nice addition with the company name silkscreen on the bag. The smaller size biiks will likely travel - mine will- and the bag would have been a nice touch. It DOES arrive in a cellophane bag so that no inclement weather can effect the beautiful book if left on a stoop when delivered.Update:I have used Noodler's ink and a glass calligraphy pen in it. The ink is hard to get to flow out of the pen with consistency, but it does not bleed through, and all pen strokes work for drawing and writing. I also uploaded some pictures of the spine and closure rivet.Do consider this as a gift for a pen artist or person who writes poetry, journals, keeps a grimoire, or other personal book.

I have journaled for years. On a variety of paper and or books. I’ve used the same ink for about a decade (J. Herbin).And I’m left handed. If you don’t know why that matters- google “left handed person writing with ink” and you will see lots of pictures with ink stains all over the left palm and smeared pages. It’s a thing. Up to the moment this journal showed up the best I could do was keep a card in my journal and put it under my hand so it smeared less and didn’t stain my hand.This all changes with this journal. I don’t know why- the paper material or - whatever. It does not smear and or stain my hand. Ok now that I think about it I think it’s the paper. It absorbs fast and its porous. I’m betting it spreads and dries fast but doesn’t distort the letters.No joke. This is a game changer for writing for a left handed person.Oh the journal? I got the large one. I feel like if I pull it out in public people will expect me to start casting spells and put on a tall pointY hat. It’s a massive TOME. And it’s huge. Perfect.And it is gorgeous. The paper has a specific smell. Like ink or some such. The leather is minimal and the pages are crumpled. Rough. And perfect for writing with a medium nib fountain pen (see above about my ink use).

I purchased the 9x6 leather journal as a book to create vintage-looking collage and for my botanical sketches (a field journal of sorts). I am thrilled with the way it turned out. I love the tattered edges and discoloration of the paper. I was able to use ink, markers, and watercolor on them without bleed-through onto the next page**. Stickers work great, too. I was able to glue items to the page without any issue. These pages are nice and sturdy.**One minor issue is that watercolor does bleed across the page (though watercolor doesn’t bleed THROUGH the page, the pages are very porous), but an easy solve for that is to pretreat the areas you wish to paint with clear gesso or Mod Podge for paper. Once treated, you can’t sketch on these areas with pencil, but you can paint or use inks without bleeding/spreading.I highly recommend this journal. Beautiful, sturdy, thick...I can’t wait to fill the one I’ve got so I can buy another.

I received this tome earlier today. In perfect condition. I've spent countless hours already gawking at its beauty and size. I am completely taken by this journal/book. I haven't put the pages to the test of watercolor or ink drawings yet. But, the texture and feel of the pages, the bind stitching, the characteristic blemishes of the leather (which there is probably just one) are beyond my expectations. I seriously doubt I'll have a problem with its use. Upon opening this book and slowly flipping through the thick pages, I'm admiring the craftsmanship ...the handmade construction...it almost feels like it's simply from another time. Oh, I could go on and on about how beautiful and large this book is, but you would need to experience it for yourself. I'm an artist and have an obsession with paper. I spend my money on art supplies very cautiously. This was totally worth it's cost and has just landed on top of my preferred stack.

This is my new favorite journal. I got the medium-sized blue one. The pic on amazon looked more black on the outside and more blue on the inside, but really, it is a very pretty, very VERY dark, almost ocean blue on the outside, and the inside is this very cool looking medium gray. I LOVE IT! I read a review that said it was fake leather (that person was clearly trippin, because it is definitely leather) so I would ignore that review. And I read another review that said it smelled funny, but it just smelled like paper, leather, and a slight hint of maybe leather polish? that went away after a day or two, so I don't know if that is what they meant but it doesn't smell like anything now. It's VERY thick (I feel like handmade journals that you purchase from amazon always end up being super thin) and the paper takes ALL MEDIUM. Seriously, I have put hardcore black and gold markers, water color, acrylic and glue in this thing, and the other side of the page is still flawless. You DO need to be gentle with erasers (after a few times erasing, it erodes the color of the paper a little bit, (it starts turning white-ish) but as an artist I am already thinking about how I can use that to my advantage. I don't know where this magic paper came from, or how they made it, but wow, I mean WOW. Good stuff. I am sad to see some of the journals are already sold out. I hope they make more! I would definitely buy from this seller again.