Let me start by saying this notebook is STUNNING. The vintage leather cover feels luxurious, and the moment I unboxed it, I wanted to immediately start filling its pages. The thickness (720 pages!) means I won’t run out of space anytime soon—perfect for my chaotic brain dumps and travel sketches.

The paper quality? Chef’s kiss. I’ve tested everything from ballpoints to fountain pens, and there’s minimal bleed-through (though gel pens do ghost a bit). The little weather/day tracker at the top of each page is such a thoughtful touch—I use it religiously for my morning coffee journaling ritual.

BUT (and it’s a big but)... that pen they include? Absolute trash. It started skipping after five words like a toddler learning to write. And while the binding looks sturdy, mine started separating at the spine before I even wrote in it. For $25, I expected better durability.

Here’s the weird part: despite these flaws, I’m on my THIRD one. Why? Because when this journal works, it WORKS. The creamy paper is easy on my eyes during late-night writing sessions, the twin bookmark ribbons are genius, and it fits perfectly in my backpack for café writing dates. Just buy it without the pen option—and maybe reinforce the spine with some craft glue as preventive care.