I am of the belief that fountain pens and bullet journaling were made to be done together and I consider bullet journaling a way to incorporate creative aspects to your work life, and to the humdrum activity of everyday life. How creative you get with your Bujo is really up to you.
But with every day use, comes natural wear and tear. So I needed something to cover my Leuchtturm 1917 in order to minimize the frayed edges of my journal. I knew I wanted something similar to a Midori Traveler rather than just a book cover. Luckily I found that in Chic Sparrow.
As soon as I saw the ink stains and the cup stains I knew it was what I wanted.
The Chic Sparrow website allows for some customization, I chose to add a riveted pen loop, ink stains and cup stains. But should you chose you could forgo the stains for smooth unblemished leather, or add stitching and some secretarial pockets on the inside of your journal. I wanted to keep mine simple so I declined the stitching and pockets, but I can definitely see where those might come in handy to someone else.
The black cord they used for this journal is pretty sturdy for such a stretchy material. It keeps my Leuchtturm very nice and snug inside, while still allowing me to lay my journal flat. It also blends very neatly into the pages of the Leuchtturm so that I barely remember that it’s there.
Like any smooth supple leather it does scratch rather easily, so be mindful of that. I myself am a big fan of used leather. I like the look of scratches, stains, creases, all the kind of things that make leather look old. I consider it as having character. This all leads me to be less gentle with my leather goods than I probably should be.
As you can see in the picture below, if you look closely you can see the fine white lines that are scratches that have occurred since I’ve had it. I take it to work with me in my handbag everyday, and my house keys and car keys have left there mark in the leather. But that was something I was prepared for and don’t particularly mind.
Cost wise, I’d consider this journal on the more expensive side depending on how much customization you wanted to include. With none at all you’re looking at a cool $112.99 for an A5, and the price only increases from there. BUT the price really depends on what size journal you’re looking to use it with. I needed one for an A5 which is the most expensive option they have.
If you’re looking for pocket size your base cost would be $57.99, which is the lowest cost option.
Personally I think the leather is so nice and soft and luxurious that it merits the high cost. It’s also stiff enough not to lose it’s shape.
I’ve really enjoyed using it over the last month and even though it adds to the overall weight of my journal, and therefore makes my handbag heavier, it protects my journal well enough that I consider that a small price to pay.
Thank You For Reading!
The Pentastic 