Cover of Hand-tooled Buffalo Hide

• • cover of emerald green buffalo hide 6x5 inches (15x13cm)
  • 100 pages/200 usable sides unlined cartridge paper
  • paper suited for drawing/writing (also for fountain pen)
  • cover hand-embossed with sacred PENTACLE design
  • heavyweight vintage buffalo hide matures and improves with age
  • FAST freepost by First Class within UK
  • handmade from 100% renewable and recycled materials

The cover of this 'Pentacle' journal bears an exquisite handtooled sacred PENTACLE symbol.

I designed this journal as a 'Book of Shadows', but it will also serve as a diary or small sketchbook. It contains a high quality plain unlined cartridge paper* for drawing and sketching, in a rugged but attractive binding of water-buffalo leather.

*I produce books in a variety of papers for different purposes. For advice on choosing a book with the right sort of paper for your needs please see my notes on paper: Notes on Paper

The Pentacle journal is available in several sizes. It is the smallest version offered in this eBay listing. For the larger versions please see my eBay store.

Size: 6 inches x 5 inches (15x13cm)

Contains 100 leaves/200pages (in 5 individually stitched folios of 20 sheets)

Weight: 300 grams (approximately 3/4lb)

Quality: - Paper is 100% genuine cartridge drawing paper.

The paper is bound in individually stitched sheaves (NOT glued!)

The paper has been selected for sketching and drawing in a variety of media. It will NOT yellow with age! It is also suitable for use with a fountain pen and watercolour.

Binding: is 100% genuine water-buffalo hide, stained with a natural dye. The leather is of a heavy quality, and is thick but supple.The binding will NOT crack, tear, or disintegrate (as glued bindings do!). The book will lie flat and remain open at any page you select.

Fastening: is a durable wrap-around leather tie-strap that doubles as a bookmark.

I designed these journals I could not find the kind of journal I wanted to use - which needs to be beautiful, practical, and durable.

I have similar journals in a wide range of sizes and colours - please see my eBay store. I am always open to new ideas and designs.

All my journals are entirely handmade, and each piece is unique.

Always happy to combine shipping on multiple purchases!

RETURNS POLICY

I hope that you will be happy with the quality of my books. If not, you are welcome to return them to me in as-new condition within 14 days of receipt. I will refund the purchase price, less postage.

My Ethical Production Policy

It is my policy to produce books from natural and renewable materials that will have a minimum impact on the environment.

I use exclusively water-buffalo hides and cow hides from mature animals that have come to the end of their working life. No animals are bred and slaughtered solely for the purpose of producing leather for my books. All prepared leather 'blanks' are sourced from Hindu village communities in India and Nepal and are imported to UK by my own company DESTINY HANDICRAFTS Pvt Ltd; I do not purchase or import from any other wholesaler. I am personally responsible for all aspects of design, embossing and finishing. Metal book furniture is - regrettably - imported from China, as all other sources have dried up. But I can make up book clasps/locks/trims etc in silver for custom orders.

To tan leather I use a natural tannin wash as an alternative to the highly toxic chromium salts commonly used in tanning. This natural tannin dye occasionally leaves a small residue on the surface of the leather, and some dye may appear on your hands on first handling of a new book. This is entirely harmless, and will cease altogether on further handling when the dye stabilizes. I hope you will agree with me that this is a small price to pay for a method of production that avoids poisoning our environment.

My handmade paper is sourced directly from the Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry, Taj Handmade Paper of Jaipur, and the cooperative of paper producers in Luang Prabang, Laos. It is produced without the use of bleaches and other toxic chemicals commonly associated with paper production.

It is my aim to produce books that meet the needs and wishes of the artists, art students, travelers and writers and poets who commonly purchase my books. For that reason I am always interested to hear your comments, and any suggestions you have for improvements or for new products. Of the 200 designs in my 'library' of embossing plates over half were made in response to requests from individual customers - but if you do have a special request, please remember that embossing is a low-tech mechanical process and that etching a plate requires time.