I've already been carting this around a few weeks, so it has a bit of "character" already!
This is now a two Renaissance Art composition book cover household.
Renaissance Art recently began carrying composition book covers as a standard item, and offered an introductory discount. Since I typically have at least two comp books going at once, one as a journal and one for other writing, and since I'd already been thinking about getting a simpler second one without the wrap and tie, I jumped on the offer.
The two covers compared
I considered going with one of their "Rustic Elegance" leathers this time around: these are thinner, and come in all sorts of beautiful colors (from the on-screen swatches, I'm particular fond of the Twilight Blue and the Merlot). They make for a sleeker, slimmer, more civilized looking cover. But in the end, I chickened out and went with what I know: the same thick, rustic brown leather as my other Renaissance Art cover. It's slightly less expensive, and it is bombproof. This leather can also be "distressed", which I find amusing and entertaining. The new notebook cover doesn't seem to change as much with this process as the old one does...not sure if this is age difference, or just variation between two pieces of leather. Still, it's rather fascinating.
Close-up of the old cover--the top portion of the flap has been mangled a la the video I linked to above, while I smoothed out the bottom portion and left it as is.
My new cover came in a matter of just a few days, which was pretty nifty. And there isn't a great deal for me to add to my original review of the first cover. The leather feels and smells great, the cover fits well, and while it doesn't have the classy, luxurious appearance of something like a Levenger Circa Bomber Jacket folio, I like the rugged, homespun look of it. And like my other cover, this will likely outlive me.
Inside, showing how the notebook fits inside...sorry for the funky coloring on this photo...
I like it. Renaissance Art makes good stuff. (Or, for the British, Renaissance Art make good stuff.)
7 comments:
It looks great. I love the idea of carrying a notebook, but I haave an odd block with them. I can't help but feel pressure to only put substantial material in them, and worse yet I feel it needs to be not just related but add up to a coherent whole. It's stupid, I know, but I end up never using them.
Those look like really great and long lasting covers.
Ooh...pretty. I have been coveting something along these lines since your initial review, but have yet to pull the trigger.
Oh, and the Levenger folio is nice and all, but when the apocalypse comes and you're still comfortably flush with rugged covers, I will be all bereft, my far squishier leather having been rent in the nuclear holocaust and eaten by superbeetles.
Looks home made which, in my book, is a plus!
I like the look of these covers, especially the rustic ones, and really like the idea of them. They are a bit of elegance for a mundane item.
I'll probably not buy one. But as I start making leather gear for my muzzleloaders I would love to try making one myself.
Jeff The Bear
I have to get one now for my writing journal - great pics!
I love the concept of your site as well - the title is perfect - I look forward to delving in, if for no other reason than you are a fellow Tolkien fan!
---todd
http://poems-and-vignettes.blogspot.com
http://catholicsojourner.blogspot.com
@notagain: One nice thing about this particular setup is that while the cover itself is relatively fancy, the composition book inside is one of a stack I picked up for a quarter each at a back-to-school sale. Hard to be intimidated by such a thing. I know what you mean, though. Sometimes I have scraps of stories scattered not only in non-sequential order in a given notebook, but across multiple notebooks. It gives me a certain amount of anxiety, but I'm learning to let go. ;)
@Mike: I still have a certain amount of envy regarding your Levenger cover. Those are gorgeous! But I betcha mine could be dragged several miles behind a raging bull and still look good...so there's that. You never know when these traits might come in handy.
@Jeff: If you tackle such a project, I'd love to hear how it goes for you. I have no such talents, but I admire them in others.
@Todd: Thank you for stopping by! Sadly, I feel like my blog rarely lives up to the name I originally chose for it. I've rambled about that disconnect in a few posts, because it does bother me at times. But I still love St. Therese!
I'll have to check out your blogs at some point!
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