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Welcome to Miz Black Crow's first formal Writing Stuff ReviewTM! Today we're going to look at Luscious Leather's Handmade Leather Journal Cover. Disclosures: I am not financially, familialy, or socially related to the designer; the item was a gift from a family member at my request. First off: this cover comes in many, many sizes, and the shop will custom make them to your size. That makes them incredibly versatile. My own version is designed for composition books. If you're not a fan of any one thing about this item, check the rest of her items; she lists 70 different journal covers on her Etsy site. As you can see from the advertising photo, the journal is supposed to be a nice dark brown, with a lighter brown band and D-ring closures. The item I actually received has a cover that's a little lighter, and a band that's almost the same color as the journal cover. The D-rings on my piece are also brass, not black. Since Aixa makes everything by hand, and to-order, pieces are varied, and thus unique. Your mileage can, and should, vary. First, I have to mention the smell. It smells amazing. That crazy lovely leather smell? It's got it, two months after I received it. I had doubts that the two D rings could hold the journal closed, but they have enough friction with the closure band that it's absolutely secure. The piece is about 3 notebook-widths wide: The edge on the left is closed, and holds the notebook securely; the piece on the right is open-ended, to accomodate slight variances in the size of the notebook's cover. If I'm writing in my lap rather than a desk, I can tuck the extra flap behind the last page of the notebook, and occasionally I use it as a bookmark when I close the book. Notebooks sit securely, and even when held upside-down it takes some purposeful shaking to cause it to fall out. That being said, when you fill one notebook and need to insert another, it's simple if not 1,000% smooth. Note: My photo-jitsu is not strong enough to color correct these to the accurate colors; the red ribbon is a little darker, for example. Photo intended for layout purposes. Silly iPhone. You'll see two of my own additions here. There are two spaces where the closure band--the strip of leather that gets fed through the D-rings--come through the backing. I've put both of them to use. The one on the left, which sits just to the right of the spine of the notebook, has been embellished with a strip of ribbon I tied on, that serves as a bookmark. The loop on the right has been pulled forward and is serving as a pen holder. (You can see my Parker Metropolitan tucked inside in the photo). The pen sits just past the end of the notebook, and doesn't inhibit closure, particularly with smaller pens. The leather surface IS prone to scuffing and scratching, so you have to be relatively careful what you put in your bag alongside it. I have yet to oil it, but I suspect a little TLC with the leather will go a tremendously long way to preserving the piece for what I suspect will be a long time to come. Good for: Carrying, cradling, sniffing, journaling, offices, carrying whatever type of journal you love. Bad for: Vegans. The Bottom Line: For a handmade, effective, gorgeous-smelling, durable, leather journal cover, look no further. At $70 (Comp book size / 11/2014), it's also relatively affordable for this type of cover. I look forward to many, many years of loving this item. Strongly recommend!