by I am a creative writer and I keep all my writing in several leather journals. There are several reasons why I like to use leather journals. I love the look and feel of them. I love the sturdy binding. I don’t have to worry about pages tearing out and getting lost. I just really enjoy the feeling of writing in a leather journal. I have several different sizes of leather journals. As a writer I never know when my next idea is going to come to me. I carry a small leather journal with me everywhere I go to write down story ideas or notes. Over the years I have used many different types of leather journals ranging from cheap imitations to high quality leather journals. Of course much of what you are looking for in a leather journal comes down to personal choice.
I have come to look for several qualities in a leather journal to ensure that I am getting the best. The first thing I look for is simplicity of design. If the system of binding is too complicated the journal will fall apart with heavy use. A leather journal with a fancy binding might look cool, but it is not very practical. When I first started using leather journals, I made the mistake of falling for the cool look of a complicated binding. Big thread stitches might look cool, but without proper binding, they will not hold the pages in place. You will end up with loose papers falling out of your journal and nothing is more frustrating than that. I use my journal heavily and it gets pretty beat up. It is essential to find a journal that will stand up to heavy use.
It is possible to find a high quality journal with a unique and intricate binding, but make sure that the binding system will hold up. A high quality bind is, after all, what holds the leather journal together. Without a strong binding, you might as well just buy a stack of loose paper. The second thing I look for in a leather journal is a high quality paper. If the paper is too thin my pen bleeds through to the other side of the paper or even sometimes onto the next page. I use both sides of the page when I write. I like a heavy, strong paper to fill my journal. A paper that will lay flat when the journal is open is also a very important quality.
It can be very difficult to write or draw with bumps and waves near the binding. Leather journals come with both lined paper and blank paper. If you are planning on drawing in your journal or if you like to doodle, then the blank paper is a great choice for you. For the environmentally conscience, there are many leather journals that exclusively use recycled paper. As far as the cover is concerned, this is up to personal preference. I look for a leather cover that is firm enough I can write while standing, yet flexible enough to carry in my back pocket. As leather journals become more popular, there are many different styles and designs available. With my motto being simplicity, I go for a solid black or brown without any embellishments on the cover. I do have one leather journal with an owl etched on the front. I have seen all kinds of tasteful embellishments and designs done on leather journal covers. No matter what kind of leather journal you get, you really can’t go wrong with a high quality leather journal.
