Bullet Journal - 240 Numbered Pages - Size A5 - Black PU Leather Journals - Premium Dotted Paper Notebook - Journaling Notebooks for Men and Woman - Sturdy Lay Flat Design with Pocket

I was searching for a new journal for bullet journaling and needed one with more pages. I just finished using a Lemome notebook, a competitor, with 120gsm paper. I wanted to try something new since the prices for lemome notebooks continue to increase.I was a little nervous to get this since there weren't many reviews. But I bought this journal anyway, thinking that the price would increase soon. I'm not a huge fan of the stitched-pleather cover. It stands out from other black notebooks, but it feels a bit cheap to the touch.Overall, however, I'm impressed at the quality of the paper. The pages advertised as 120gsm do feel a bit thinner than my Lemome notebook, but is a much better medium for my pens (micron, uniball signo dx, muji, and tom bow markesrs). The pens I use look more vibrant and glossier than on the lemome.The numbered pages are nice and the dot grid is not too light not too dark. The pages seem to tear easily if you aren't careful.There is the slightest amount of ghosting from my black tombow calligraphy pens (still wayyy better than moleskine or lectrum1917, but for all other pens I experienced absolutely no ghosting, feathering or bleeding. The pages are also a bright white (reminds me of cheap, printer paper). But once you have writing or drawings on the pages, it looks and writes very elegantly. I'm excited play around more with this journal and very happy with my purchase.The only reason why I am not rating this 5 stars, is because I would only reconsider repurchasing this journal if it was the same price as my original purchase ($11.99 USD). It makes absolutely no sense for me to pay extra for the exact same product two months down the line. I will search for cheaper options until journal brands stick to one price instead of increasing it month to month!

Bookmarked it at $9.99 but paid $11.99 because the price jumped while I was placing it in cart... Ugh! Still it's very nice. Pro's: The size and feel are both good. The numbered pages look good. The dots are not too thick, not too thin. Page color is good (almost blue?). Cons: Single bookmark. I don't think the pages are truly 120 gsm since they're much thinner than my 120 gsm Lemome journal (which is almost like card stock). Can't comment on ink bleeding or shadowing as I haven't tested that yet but I'll update my review afterward for sure. I think it's closest competition is probably the  Bullet Journal/Notebook with Pen Loop - Elegant Black Leather Notebook with Premium Thick Paper 120gsm (A5) - Lemome Best Gift for You  ($10.99 today), the  Scrivwell Dotted Hardcover Black Notebook - 240 dotted pages with elastic band, ribbon page marker, 100 GSM paper, plus pocket folder - great for personal, bullet journals, and travel journals  ($12.99), or possibly the  Kesoto Thick Notebook Journal with Pen Loop, A5, Dotted Grid Page, 200 Pages, Black Hardcover Leather, Inner Pocket, Quality Paper - 120gsm  ($11.99). Overall, I think it's a good buy but I wouldn't price it at $13.99. If priced at at no more than $11.99 then I would be a repeat customer for sure. Otherwise, you couldn't go wrong choosing the least expensive of the 3 listed above.

Overall, I liked the notebook and it will work well for my intended purposes (which was to find a good notebook with a fountain pen that does not bleed through the page). Mission accomplished. I really like that I can write on both sides of the paper and not see any bleed through or a hint of my writing on the other side of the page. I wasn't sure about the dotted line, I would prefer a lined notebook. I got used to it but maybe fainter dots would be nicer so they do not distract while writing. My only other suggestion to the manufacturer is to have a space at the top of the page for a date.One complaint I do have is the difficulty with writing on the left side of the notebook while the book is open. The pages don't stay down and lay flat. I had to pull on the page while writing to keep my lines straight and from smearing the ink. Maybe this will improve as I get further into the notebook, but it was a little difficult in the first few pages trying to write on the left page, but the right side was no problem.

Lies flat pretty well even in the first few pages. Little to no bleed with my pigment liner. Page numbers are handy; wish they started a couple pages in. I also wish the pen loop was more to the middle but this is a problem with all journals that have it. I don't like to clip the pen, I find it gets caught on things easily with all the extra give a top-mounted pen loops grants it. Common problem, not docking a star.I am docking a star for these 2 things: 1) pages don't line up, right side is a bit higher in my journal; 2) pen loop is too fat where it is glued down, causes a bump in the cover and the pages (or it just doesn't lie smooth). I have a stencil in the pocket and this was causing issues, I ended up just carefully tearing the pen loop out.Despite gripes I'm pleased overall.