EMSHOI Lined Journaling Notebook - 120gsm Leather Journal with Sticky Notes & 256 Numbered Pages, A5 Hardcover College Ruled Notebook for Work, School, Writing, 5.75”x8.38” - Khaki

Went with this notebook for two reasons. 1: It's way more affordable than a Moleskine. 2: It has pretty thick paper with grid lines (and at the time of purchase I couldn't really find any). I'm so happy I went with this notebook because it's strong enough to hold several layers of other paper to use comfortably as a scrap book and it can hold most of my ink pens. Pages are smooth and I love the double ribbon for place holding. The cover is also PERFECT for stickers. (Although I haven't tried acrylic markers yet, I'm hoping it holds up.) I will say that it does have some issues with ghosting, but not bleeding with some ink pens, but I don't have a particular problem with that personally. I also like using alcohol markers in this, but it definitely will bleed through. Again, I have no problems with this personally, just thought it was worth a mention. Another thing about this notebook that I love is that it has room for everything I need and then some. I bought this notebook around April 2024 and still have so much space coming into the end of the year despite using it pretty much every day. Highly, HIGHLY recommend to other notebook users who would rather customize their own journaling experience to their own needs instead of purchasing a ready-to-go yearly/monthly/weekly/daily planner.

I am an avid writer and use my journal multiple times a day. I purchased this notebook to be my new journal in Dec 2023 and am about halfway through it in Feb 2024. The pleather hardcover feels smooth and sturdy and protects the pages quite well. I travel with this notebook in my purse and backpack every time I leave the house and it’s held up nicely with wear and tear. The texture makes it perfect for adding stickers to decorate and I haven’t had any issues with the stickers falling off even with minor damage. It comes with 2 ribbons to mark pages as well as a pocket with bonus colored sticker tabs. The pages are thick and I haven’t had any issues with bleeding ink. I use a 0.7mm and 1.0mm zebra gel pen for reference. The close up picture shows how well the ink absorbs into the page and doesn’t show any bleed through from the other side (please note there is very minor visibility of the flip side of the page as this is a very zoomed in image and a thick gel ink was used). The pen holder that’s built into the side of the notebook has also held up nicely with my constant pushing and pulling out my pen. Overall the quality of the notebook is excellent and it’s very functional for my journaling needs with gel pens. I am definitely purchasing this brand of notebook again as I’m rather picky with my journaling books.

This is an awesome journal. The pages are smooth and my pens glide smoothly over the pages and I use Sharpie S-gel fine tip pens which sometimes catch on paper and it doesn’t on these. The layflat pages rock and are perfect for how I use this journal. I’m VERY happy with the quality and price point for these notebooks.

I bought the navy blue color (the website calls it light blue) in 2021, and now it’s 2025 and I’m about to order a second one. The notebook is thick (unlike many other notebooks I ordered on Amazon which looked thick in the pictures but were thin like the composition notebook after I got them in person), the papers are in high quality, the binding is smooth to the point that it flattens out when you open and write on it. I LOVE the page numbers at bottom right corner. I made a Table of Content, so flipping to the page for the relevant notes was extremely nice and helpful. The notebook does not have a TOC page, which to me is great because I need the freedom to designate where I want my TOC: ie, I usually leave the first two to four pages blank. The pen holder saves me the hassle from looking for a pen when I need to jot down an idea right away. There are two bookmark ribbons in different colors - love them. It’s been so many years now, and the cover and notebook paper are still looking sturdy and good. The only thing is that the elastic tie has lost the elasticity a bit after all these years. I’m ordering a second one.

I have written in journals for 30+ years now and am always looking for the best one. It doesn't have to be leather bound or a brand name, but it does have to stand the wear and tear of being lugged around and withstanding tears and food stains. I loved the last journal I had because it was large with a lot of space to write and draw. It reminded me of my college sketchbook days when I'd write down interesting conversations I'd overhear, tape tickets to, and sketch random things. The only thing I didn't like about this journal was that it didn't fit in my mini backpack which I carry with me everywhere, everyday. So, I opted for a smaller journal at the beginning of the new year. I was bummed about the smaller space, but there's something about this journal that feels more spacious though it's a standard size. I'm not sure what it is - maybe the quality and sophisticated shade of the cover, the thickness of the paper, the lining? These factors inspire me to write with more precision and intention - I don't know if that makes sense. With certain journals I feel meh about, I write sloppy. With journals I enjoy, I write neatly and enjoy the process more. I recommend this journal because of its affordability, quality, and the creativity it will inspire.

I just received this notebook and felt I needed to review. I bought it based on the positive reviews it had. I was looking for a good notebook which I could bullet journal, or keep all my schedule, thoughts and artwork sketches together. I thought, based on the reviews, and specifications that it would have pages on the thick side with little ghosting. While I like the notebook and will use it, it doesn’t have as thick of pages as I would like. Many of the pens I use regularly show through to the back side of the page. I wanted to use my fountain pen in this notebook and I think that will show through as well. It isn’t bad enough that I would return it but I don’t know if I will be purchasing again. Aside from that, the notebook is great though. It comes with a pocket in the back cover, two bookmarks for holding certain special pages and a beautiful color cover.

The paper is thick and smooth, perfect for using brush pens if you don’t want them to fray. Definitely recommend as a bullet journal that’s high quality but not too expressive.

This is an awesome journal. I got the squared/grid version. It's pretty big because it has so many pages and the paper is very thick. I use a combination of Pigma Micron pens and Sharpie highlighter pens and the ink does not show through or ghost because the paper is so good and thick. The price point is perfect. You can't beat it. Here's my only criticism of this journal: The squares do no align on facing pages. This is a huge deal if you want to use 2-page spreads for bullet journaling. For this reason, I may have to go back to Moleskine. I so wanted this notebook to replace my Moleskines though! If that doesn't bother you, I say go for it. Only time will tell, but I wonder how well the binding of this journal will hold up. I feel with the weight of all the pages, I fear the binding may come loose over time. Just a hunch. One more disappointment: Their lined/ruled version has numbered pages. I would have loved numbered pages in the squared version too. I mistakenly thought they were going to be included but they were not. Would love to see them added if anyone is reading! Here's something cool: They even thought to add removable sticky labels in the back! Super cool idea! Definitely get points for that. But overall, this is a solid Moleskine replacement. Here are the pros: + Lots of pages + Great quality paper + No bleed / ghosting + Unbeatable price + Pen holder + Closure strap + Two Ribbon bookmarks + Super thick cover + Nice colors to choose from