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Please recommend a good leather-bound journal for me

Koyote

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Koyote

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Hi all. Topic and description says it all. I'm not at all familiar with this market and am a bit overwhelmed with the options, so figured I would ask you folks for suggestions.

 

I'm tired of using yellow legal pads!

 

Thanks in advance.

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stevlight Antique

stevlight

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I love the Exacompta sketchbooks{the paper is very FP friendly} I think the lined journals are also good quality but i have never used them myself. They make nice leather covers for them i personally got one custom made from Gfeller casemakers which i highly recomend doing they do amazing work!

www.stevelightart.com

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OneRiotOneRanger Extremely Rare

OneRiotOneRanger

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My taste is not so exotic as some, but I find that using paper with a grid rule - four or five squares/inch - makes for a more pleasurable writing experience.

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txinsk Extremely Rare

txinsk

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What kind of budget are you looking at? Renaissance Art is always tempting for me.

 

Rick

Need money for pens, must make good notebooks. :)

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roscoe New

roscoe

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I just ordered an a5 size refillable notebook from jetpens first order from them and It should arrive next week.

 

the brand is Maruman Giuris Cover File Folder - A5 (5.8" X 8.3") - 20 Hole Metallic Binder - White Cover

[MARUMAN F289-06]

 

Look at it. it might meet your needs. I like the fact I can replace pages.

 

Hi all. Topic and description says it all. I'm not at all familiar with this market and am a bit overwhelmed with the options, so figured I would ask you folks for suggestions.

 

I'm tired of using yellow legal pads!

 

Thanks in advance.

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  • 10 months later...
Chiro75 Extremely Rare

Chiro75

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I just received a Renaissance Art cover I had custom made for my 2011 Moleskine Daily Diary. I downgraded (?) from a Franklin Covey planner I've had for 13+ years simply because the planner/cover is HUGE (classic size) and I never carry it with me, so I've been wasting money for years on buying the annual refills. Anyway, the 400-page 2011 diary is to take its place, and it's the pocket size, which means I could carry it with me all the time. That being said, based on prior experience with lots of Moleskines, I can expect the cover to crack where it opens and closes, especially on something that gets opened and closed many times per day and carried all the time.

 

I initially wanted a Gfeller, of course, but the $20 price tag on the RenArt one looked pretty good, and their reputation seemed good, too. I upgraded some of the features, so I ended up with a cover that has a snap flap and a pen loop. I really like it, and it's still much smaller than my FranklinCovey cover, but the downside is that the cover I purchased added at least 1.5" to the width and probably 1/3" or so to the thickness. It's not unmanageable, but it takes away from the portability of the notebook some. In retrospect I wish I'd have stuck with the plain $20 cover, which maybe I'll order just to compare.

 

Construction is nice, the leather is really soft and pliable, but thick. The brown is rustic, the leather pebbly with a nice hand. Overall, a great package for the price. If I would do it again I'd just get the plain cover, no closures, or possibly see if they can do a Gfeller-style 3-loop system that doubles as a pen holder and closing mechanism.

Steve. Just plain ol' Steve.

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Stargazer34683 Mint

Stargazer34683

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I recently went through this issue. How to find the perfect leather journal. I opted for a different route. I went to Ink Leaf Leather and got a Rhodia webnotebook cover. Looks real nice and I can just buy Rhodia webnotebooks to fill it. Fits perfect. No one can tell it is merely a cover. The notebooks take FP ink well and I have had no issues. Not to mention the latest version of them lay perfectly flat so easy to right in. Hope this helps. FYI I don't think Inkleaf is going to make anymore of the covers until after Christmas. I think they want to work on making other stuff for December but check them out. It is worth the wait.

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OdinLoki Near Mint

OdinLoki

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I just ordered an a5 size refillable notebook from jetpens first order from them and It should arrive next week.

 

the brand is Maruman Giuris Cover File Folder - A5 (5.8" X 8.3") - 20 Hole Metallic Binder - White Cover

[MARUMAN F289-06]

 

Look at it. it might meet your needs. I like the fact I can replace pages.

 

 

 

I've been doing the same for a year with a Kokuyo A5 26-hole ring binder. Works great, lies flat, etc. Maruman & Kokuyo A5 papers are very FP-friendly. You can divide the notebook into different sections for various topics/projects/etc. and file away the filled pages. The only mild negative is the binder rings may get in the way when I write on the right edge of the left page (I'm right-handed).

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Pensfan Extremely Rare

Pensfan

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I recently went through this issue. How to find the perfect leather journal. I opted for a different route. I went to Ink Leaf Leather and got a Rhodia webnotebook cover. Looks real nice and I can just buy Rhodia webnotebooks to fill it. Fits perfect. No one can tell it is merely a cover. The notebooks take FP ink well and I have had no issues. Not to mention the latest version of them lay perfectly flat so easy to right in. Hope this helps. FYI I don't think Inkleaf is going to make anymore of the covers until after Christmas. I think they want to work on making other stuff for December but check them out. It is worth the wait.

 

 

They have taken down the images of their products since they are not making more Moleskine/Rhodia covers until the New Year as you mentioned. Do you have any pictures of the cover? I would love to see one as I am looking for the "perfect leather journal" myself.

 

Thanks!

this year, or this month, or, more likely, this very day, we have failed to practice ourselves the kind of behavior we expect from other people.

~ C.S. Lewis

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Carlos Mint

Carlos

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The Heirloom leather journal cover has a simple design -- one piece of good quality leather that takes in up to three stapled or sewn notebooks, through elastic cords in the spine. They come in three sizes -- the small ones can take field notes or the small moleskine cahier, the large size is a match for moleskine large cahier, and the largest one is for A5 size notebooks.

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Stargazer34683 Mint

Stargazer34683

Posted
Posted

I recently went through this issue. How to find the perfect leather journal. I opted for a different route. I went to Ink Leaf Leather and got a Rhodia webnotebook cover. Looks real nice and I can just buy Rhodia webnotebooks to fill it. Fits perfect. No one can tell it is merely a cover. The notebooks take FP ink well and I have had no issues. Not to mention the latest version of them lay perfectly flat so easy to right in. Hope this helps. FYI I don't think Inkleaf is going to make anymore of the covers until after Christmas. I think they want to work on making other stuff for December but check them out. It is worth the wait.

 

 

They have taken down the images of their products since they are not making more Moleskine/Rhodia covers until the New Year as you mentioned. Do you have any pictures of the cover? I would love to see one as I am looking for the "perfect leather journal" myself.

 

Thanks!

 

http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_570xN.180032714.jpg

 

http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_570xN.180032786.jpg

 

http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.180032753.jpg

 

Ok These are the pictures of the Rhodia webnotebook covers. They are better than Moleskine in my opinion and of course they make them for both sizes. Also make them in 3 colors and they work with you example if you don't like the rivets they can make them without them. As you can see it closes very well and they have cut a slit int he back flap so you can use the elastic band built into the web notebook to keep it sealed. I am very pleased with mine had it for 2 months now. Anyway hope it helps.

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Dark Side Extremely Rare

Dark Side

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Posted

I'm so getting an Ink Leaf cover at the beginning of the year. They are so gorgeous. I was really hoping to find out if the Clairefontaine Basic notebook would fit the Moleskine cover though.

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Stargazer34683 Mint

Stargazer34683

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I'm so getting an Ink Leaf cover at the beginning of the year. They are so gorgeous. I was really hoping to find out if the Clairefontaine Basic notebook would fit the Moleskine cover though.

 

 

Possible. Send them a line these folks are flexible. If you can give them the dimensions they might be able to cobble one together.

 

If you search for inkleaf on the forums you will find a thread they had on here. I believe someone else asked about that. Not sure what the answer was offhand but I do know they are basically willing to try anything if you give them dimensions. At the first of the year of course. They are in the process of making bags right now to start up a line of those. Beautiful bags at that.

 

As usual no affiliation just another satisfied customer.

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Dark Side Extremely Rare

Dark Side

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I'm so getting an Ink Leaf cover at the beginning of the year. They are so gorgeous. I was really hoping to find out if the Clairefontaine Basic notebook would fit the Moleskine cover though.

 

 

Possible. Send them a line these folks are flexible. If you can give them the dimensions they might be able to cobble one together.

 

If you search for inkleaf on the forums you will find a thread they had on here. I believe someone else asked about that. Not sure what the answer was offhand but I do know they are basically willing to try anything if you give them dimensions. At the first of the year of course. They are in the process of making bags right now to start up a line of those. Beautiful bags at that.

 

As usual no affiliation just another satisfied customer.

 

Yeah, I remember that thread. The other person who was interested in using the basic said they ordered a moleskine cover, I think, but never updated on whether or not the basic fit. Maybe I'll go find the thread and send them a message.

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jimhughes Collectors Item

jimhughes

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Bogie is the nom de plume on FPN, He can fix you write up. Send him a PM on FPN. Other choice go to etsy. Search there for Inkleaf Molie covers. You can contact him back channel through etsy too. Usual Disclaimers apply, Jim

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