Finally! Leather GRID Journals for Men! Moleskine Grid Journal Filler + This Leather Cover = INCREDIBLE! • Brown Thread Color •
I have searched the entire internet for a year and a half for a refillable leather journal for my husband. He's not a big journaler but he likes to 'bullet journal' which basically means he makes to-do lists with bullet points, jots his notes and ideas and keeps track of his days that way. I can look at his list and be lost. (No doodles? No cute pen colors?!!) He looks at his lists and remembers the activities of the day fondly and feels productive. But here was my dilemma: my husband prefers graph paper / grid journals to write in but he can't find one he likes. He doesn't want to haul around the bigger gridded composition books because he is a minimalist. He doesn't like the dot grid journals because he wants the grid lines. He insists the smaller grid journals with colored covers I have found are too girlie. {Rips hair out}<br /><br />I have poked around for OVER A YEAR trying to find the man an executive-looking leather journal that is refillable with grid paper but is slim and portable, not huge and bulky. It was impossible to find the journal fillers, let alone a leather cover, which would probably have to be custom made for about ninety if I ever could find grid journals he liked. I didn't mind investing in something that would last for a long time but such a thing just was not to be had. Until I found OleksynPrannyk.<br /><br />You see, Moleskine just so happens to make a gorgeous [[ASIN:8866134244 Cahier grid lined journal in their Large (5 x 8.25) size]]. This seller happens to make a Large size leather cover to fit those Cahier grid journals. I had never seen the masculine, gray covered grid journals in local stores and I hadn't noticed them before on Amazon until I came across this journal and began to look at refill page options. I couldn't believe what I had found! Could this be the perfect combination for my husband's Christmas gift?<br /><br />The truth is I fretted for three days about ordering this journal. Was the leather good quality? Yes. There were rave reviews. What color stitching should I get if I want the stitching to *perfectly* match the leather? Turns out the answer is Brown, which the seller himself helped me with. (He was awesome!) Was the quality of the stitching good? Yes. It is better than good. It is top of the line. What was I waiting for?<br /><br />I ordered the Leather cover Monday afternoon September 19th and waited. It shipped the next day. (Was this thing Prime? No. It's handmade. They just ship fast!) It arrived at my house Thursday September 22nd, practically at Prime speed. Nice!<br /><br />When I opened the shipping envelope I was blown away by the understated yet charming, old-fashioned way the leather cover was wrapped in brown paper and string. It truly looked like a gentleman's parcel. When I unwrapped the leather cover, I was awestruck. First, it smelled AMAZING - like an expensive Italian leather goods store. The quality of the leather was BEAUTIFUL! Supple in my hands with fine grain, a gorgeous saddle brown shade and a good feel. It is the kind of high quality leather that will develop a dashing patina with age that cannot be purchased or mimicked; like the Velveteen Rabbit it can only come from using a beloved item until it shows how magnificent and useful it has been in a person's life.<br /><br />The stitching and the quality of the workmanship is beyond words. The fine needle holes with the high quality thread work carefully completed by experienced hands that love leather and have been doing this work for years is unsurpassed by anything I have seen, including handmade leather items I have not been able to afford. This journal cover is luxurious and will add a touch of old-style class as it sits on my husband's office desk, assisting with daily tasks and keeping track of his notes.<br /><br />Really, I am blown away by the quality and charm of this leather journal. It is exquisite and I am thrilled for Christmas to roll around so I can watch my picky, buy-once-cry-once, minimalist hubby open his gift to reveal this journal that is as unique, reliable and handsome as he is. To all of those who are like me and were worried about investing the money in this journal, worry no longer. Place the order and get ready to meet the love of your journaling life!<br /><br />P.S. The cover ships with a nice Moleskine lined journal with a black cover already inside of it, ready for gift giving. If you do not emboss the leather cover, the cover can be completely reversible. That is, you can flip the cover over and around so the back becomes the front if you stain it or damage the front of it in any way.<br /><br />I was wildly fortunate to receive a small discount to purchase this Large size 5 x 8.25 leather journal cover so I could try it out and write a review. I still invested a significant amount of money in this journal and made a careful purchase. My husband truly is as discerning and picky as I described, which means I am even pickier when it comes to selecting gifts for him because if they are not perfect, he will not use them. This leather cover is perfection itself. I imagine it will be something I see him using daily for years and decades to come, until it is a cherished heirloom. I sincerely hope that by sharing my pictures, my feelings of fretting over the purchase and then my experience with the stunning finished product that you are able to make the absolute best buying decision for yourself or a very lucky loved one! Enjoy your exquisite new journal!
Rating: 5 stars