Review on Premium Lined Notebook Insert Refills - Compatible With MOONSTER® Leather Journals - 320 Ruled Pages Of 70Gsm A5 Paper, 8.25 X 5.75 Inches With Bookmark Included by Landon Bandepalli

This is a good little journal (5x8) for writing personal reflections or writing specific comments or notes on brief issues. BUT, it is NOT a stand-alone item. You would absolutely need to purchase the outer leather cover that goes with it if you intend to keep using this journal and brand going forward. As you can see in the pics, the BINDING is fairly tight and has a good grip on the pages but the front and back covers are flimsy and will not stand the test of time. Also, the description says that you can rip out pages, if needed. That is not so easy to do. The perforations are so close to the binding that it is nearly impossible to fold the pages to have a clean rip. Mine came out jagged and I had to go back and trim those jagged edges back so the journal would lie flat again when I went to write on subsequent pages.While the paper quality is better than scholastic, note-taking, spiral binders be aware it is not fine-writing paper, either. It is somewhere in the middle. I would not recommend this for scholastic purposes unless you intend to keep the notes for many, many years. Even then, I would look for a larger format (8x10) or buy a boatload of this size so you have them on hand if you stick to this size.In comparison to my previous journal, I wanted to try this type that I would then continue with, ad infinitum, and number so that they would have uniformity. I am torn whether or not I will stick with this or go back to the hardcover. I did not buy the leather cover that goes with these up front because I wanted to try these out and see which one I preferred. I am still not sure. My previous hardcover had finer paper, was self-contained in one book, secured with a stretch band to keep it closed, and did lie flat. The pages were sewn in so impossible to remove unless cut out away from the stitching. I had lost that one in my sea of books and found it years later. What I had written was as clear as the day I’d put pen to paper, so that stood the test of time (10 years). I just don’t know. In the end, I think journals are very much like the words we write in them, very much what we choose. They are, after all, personal.