RICCO BELLO Classic College Ruled Notebook with Pen Holder | Faux Leather Hardcover Lined Writing Journal for Work, Home, School | 96 Sheets /192 Lined Pages, 5.7 x 8.4-Inches (Cross)

TL;DR review - I have owned this notebook in teal since January, using it, and its pen holder, every single day. It has been dropped, thrown in my back pack, been a constant companion on every meetings I have attending during that time, and gone on numerous trips. Buy it. It is perfection.More detailed review - Despite being in a very innovative, digital first field, I am still a big believer in old school, paper-and-pen note taking. Being a pretty thrifty person as well, I have always gravitated towards whatever notebook is in my office's supply closet, feeling that hard back notebooks were both annoying (they rarely laid flat) and a needless luxury (stuff in the supply closet is free). After a panicked search through my motley notebook collection a couple months ago, I decided to bite the bullet and invest in some notebooks I could buy in bulk, and neatly arrange on the shelf in my office. Needless to say, I am now sold, and believe these notebooks to be sheer perfection.PROS:- Sturdy and very well made- Do not get dirty easily - I am rough on this notebook and it looks brand new after two months of constant use- The pen holder is genius - it holds my favorite pen - the Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball perfectly - which means I am never without one- The notebook lays flat - this is a huge pet peeve of mine as I have no time to fight with a notebook- Very affordable - at ~ $12 this is a great notebook- Very chic - it definitely gives my work game more polish- Perfect size - not too small, so you can't take notes, but not so huge that carrying this and your laptop become a burden- Back pocket is ideal for receipts- I adore that it has an elastic band to keep the notebook closed, as well as a built in book markCONS- Maybe some more colors, but honestly, that is a total nit

This is a beautiful journal. The color is nearly true to what I saw on my screen (purple). I wanted a sturdy journal with the elastic closing and the penholder that was affordable. As one other reviewer said. This is like having a moleskin for half the cost. It feels nice, the paper is a nice thickness and holds gel ink well. It hasn't bled through. I can see the writing from the other side, but not distractingly so and it's the same as all my other journals in which I've used a gel ink pen. So, I'd say the pages are normal thickness, not thin and not extra thick.I love their color options and I'll definitely be buying more in different colors as I get close to to the end of this one. It's the perfect size for what I'm using it for (standard size for note-taking or journaling, not pocket-sized or text-book sized).I couldn't be happier with the price and quality. I hope they stay in business and possibly add more colors. The only con I'd say is in agreement with one other customer. I thought there might be fewer lines per page than my last journal (as another reviewer stated), but I just compared it and it's exactly the same. I have no problem creating my own index and numbering my own pages as I've had to do that with multiple journals. I only prefer the Leuchtturm for my BUJO because it's the dotted pages and for no other reason. This is equal in quality.The photos include size comparison with regular sized mouse and mousepad, page with gel ink writing, the back pocket and the pen holder with medium sized pen in it. I do have to slide that type of pen in from the top up rather than the bottom down because the rubber grip part doesn't "slide" through well, but it fits fine.

this is the perfect journal for everyday journaling! it had the elastic to keep it closed, the ribbon bookmark the mark your page, and the pen holder on the side perfect for travel. the material of the cover is also very durable and beautiful with the tree engraved

I admit I was genuinely surprised by the quality. The price is low, and I was expecting something decent, but this journal is genuinely *nice*. Smooth cover, smooth pages, the whole thing is classy. I don't use the pen holder, I think it's superfluous and I read that it gets worn easily, I can't comment to that. The rest of it is 100% great though.Edit - 9/3/17 - After writing in this journal for 6 months it remains a fantastic product. I filled this journal faster than some of my previous ones because there are slightly fewer lines per page and pages than some other notebooks. However, I'm purchasing a new Ricco Bello notebook today because this has been a quality journal throughout and I'd like to continue using their products going forward. I just wish their purple product was a little richer in color; I think I'm going to go for the navy one for now!Second Edit - 1/10/19 - I've purchased several different journals now, and am now intending to buy my fourth. I continue to be very fond of the Ricco Bello brand, though since I like to change colors every journal, I think I'll be switching sometime soon. One negative I found specifically with the grey journal was that it was prone to damage from being scraped by other notebooks and pointy objects - it ended up with a few light grey lines carved into the cover from being kept in my backpack. Now I keep my journal in a different part of my backpack and have had no other issues. Still consider it a great product, still 5/5 stars. Would spend 2 years writing in these books again.

I keep this notepad by my bedside to make to-do list, journal and just keep notes. I love that it has the little attachment on the side to hold a pen because I never seem to know where my pens are! It's beautiful, colors are vibrant and paper is high quality. Would definitely purchase it again.

This notebook is attractive and highly functional.

I have this as a birthday gift to a good friend and she was very pleased with it. It's nicely made and very pretty. Great for a February birthday gift, or for someone who loves purple.

good quality journal, has nice lines to write on, great cover with a beautiful picture. Gave as gifts and people loved them.