Overall rating
Size: | 14 x 23cm |
---|---|
Colours: | Red, Brown, Black |
Cost: | $34.95 AUD |
Country: | India |
Available from: | www.uscha.com.au |
For: | Detailed embossing draws attention, Recycled Khadi paper good for environment. |
Against: | Finish and stain on Camel leather, Khadi paper easily bleeds and feathers |
First Impressions
We ordered this camel leather journal as a set of three from USCHA, an Australian owned business based in Melbourne. Their products are sourced from villages all over the world, and this journal was made in India. We immediately felt good to know that by purchasing this notebook, we’re supporting local industries in a developing country. The journal notebooks were packaged very nicely for postage, and included a welcome card to introduce us to the USCHA brand. Company owners Barny & Uscha really take pride in their business.
When first opening this camel leather journal we noticed the embossing design on the front cover was highly detailed and looked impressive. This camel leather has no distinct smell, which is a shame if you enjoy the distinct ‘leather smell’, but safe if you’re not fussed. The dark brown leather paint had seeped around the inside of the cover and stained some parts on the underside, and there was some random blue pen scribbles on the inside of the leather cover. The Khadi paper was soft to touch, and similar to other recycled khadi paper in the sense that it had flecks of coloured cotton fibres interwoven with white fibres.
1 Week Review
We both took this journal notebook with us on mornings to our local café where we like to plan the day ahead, jot down ideas and reflect on the day before. The detailed embossing on the front and rear leather journal covers drew a few looks from people nearby, and one day the lady on the next table asked if she could see it closer. This is quite a cool and unique design feature. The camel leather is quite brittle, and this didn’t soften at all during our week of use.
Our consensus was that whilst it felt conscionable to be writing on recycled cotton Khadi paper instead of wood-sourced paper, we didn’t find it very practical. The pages weren’t lined, which lead us to believe this leather journal is for more creative use than extensive writing. We found the paper caused significant feathering when written on with a heavy line of ink, but lighter ballpoint pens and pencils alleviated this issue.
For obvious reasons the USCHA camel leather journal wasn’t used in any corporate settings or taken to any meetings.
Criteria Review
Quality
Features
Usability
Charm
Value
OVERALL
5.6
“Old world Indian charm for the environmentally conscious”
Conclusion
This leather bound journal from USCHA is good value at $34.95, and has admirable design elements in the front and back leather cover debossing. We felt good knowing we were supporting local Indian villages and helping the environment by writing on recycled cotton paper. This leather journal has a distinct old-world Eastern charm, and we recommend this product for environmentally conscious creative types who don’t require it for heavy writing sessions.