⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Second Nomad, and I Plan on Being a Lifelong Customer THE SPECS + MY ARTISTIC/AUTISTIC VIEW FIRST: Size: 9" × 6" Pages: 240 Paper: Thick, handmade, antique-style cotton/jute paper Edges: Soft, irregular deckled edges Cover: Full-grain leather Binding: Hand-stitched Closure: Leather wrap with removable vintage-style key Feel: Thick, substantial and wonderfully tactile. This feels like an actual object, not simply a notebook. For my fellow highly visual and tactile people: the leather deserves its own explanation. This is my second Nomad journal, and the leather on the two does not feel identical. My first has a softer, almost suede-like hand to it. This one feels like a tougher, more traditional leather. I actually appreciate the variation because leather should look and behave like leather. The surface will scratch. I consider that character, not damage. What's fascinating is watching those marks change. Natural oils from my fingers soften their appearance simply through handling. A tiny amount of appropriate leather conditioning can do the same. The scratches don't necessarily disappear completely, but they seem to settle back into the surface over time, becoming part of the coloration and patina rather than sitting on top like damage. That's one of my favorite things about this journal: it changes while you use it. The color isn't visually flat, either. Depending on the light, angle, handling and natural markings in the hide, you see different depths and variations in the leather. If you're artistic, tactile, autistic, highly visual, or simply someone who notices material and texture, there is a LOT here for your fingers and eyes to investigate. Now for why I became a Nomad customer in the first place. Before discovering these journals, I wrote more than 240 pages in a journal with traditionally cut paper edges. After that much daily writing, those edges gave me thousands of tiny paper cuts. It became so bad that I eventually had six Band-Aids covering the tips and sides of my fingers because I could barely rest my writing hand against the pages anymore. I'm not exaggerating when I say that experience changed how I buy journals. I specifically moved to deckled edges, and my Nomad solved the problem. My fingers are no longer being cut while I write. So what looks like an artistic choice is, for me, functional. I've also learned quite a bit about how this handmade paper behaves with different inks. Black ink gives me the strongest readability and contrast. Some regular blue inks, particularly wetter ones, absorb farther into the paper and can become a little harder to read. Black stands beautifully against these warm antique pages. I've had particularly good experiences with rollerball pens. They release ink continuously and more generously than a traditional ballpoint, and these substantial pages have handled them extremely well. That's another reason I love this journal: you learn the paper. It isn't sterile, perfectly uniform notebook paper. It has texture. It has variations. It responds differently to different writing instruments. As someone who writes extensively and also works with multiple artistic media, I genuinely appreciate that. The key is removable, which is worth mentioning because someone might initially think something has come loose. It hasn't bothered me whatsoever. I actually like having the choice of keeping it attached or removing it. And I'm not writing this review after opening the journal, admiring the leather and using ten pages. I've actually lived inside one of these things for hundreds of pages. I've carried it. Written extensively in it. Tested different inks. Watched the leather change under my hands. Learned how the paper absorbs ink. Learned how the deckled edges feel against my fingers after long writing sessions. That's why I bought another one. I didn't return to Nomad simply because my first journal was beautiful. I came back because it worked. This particular journal was purchased through Amazon, but this is my second Nomad Crafts Co. journal, and as long as they continue producing this quality, these wonderful color variations and especially that gorgeous deep blue, I fully intend to remain a lifelong customer. Nomad, please keep making the deep blue. Seriously. Don't mess with my blue.
Store owner replied: Hey, We are absolutely thrilled to hear that you plan on being a lifelong customer and that your second Vintage Leather Journal with Key – Lined Handmade Notebook Antique Leather Bound Writing Journal for Men & Women – Blue has brought such joy and functionality to your writing experience. It's wonderful to know that you appreciate the unique character of our full-grain leather, the tactile handmade paper, and especially how the deckled edges have made your extensive writing sessions so much more comfortable. Your detailed insights into how the journal evolves with use and interacts with different inks are truly valuable, and we're committed to continuing to offer the quality and distinctive features you love, including that gorgeous deep blue. Thank you for your fantastic review and for choosing Nomad Crafts Co. again. We look forward to being a part of many more of your creative journeys!
