Journal/Diary/Sketchbook

Cover of Vintage Mahogany Buffalo Hide

Hand-Tooled DRAGONS Design

• cover of buffalo hide 8x6 inches (20x15cm) - approx A5
• cover hand-embossed with Heraldic Wyvern Dragons design
• 100 pages/200 usable sides plain unlined cartridge paper
• paper suited drawing/sketching and for writing with biro, gel, pencil
• paper also suited for fountain pen
• FAST freepost within UK
• handmade from 100% natural and renewable materials

This journal is bound in water-buffalo hide and is finished with a natural mahogany dye. The cover bears an elaborate hand-embossed Heraldic Wyvern Dragons design.

Dragons are deeply embedded in the ancient mythologies that underpin our culture. Draco - draconem - drakon - the Dragon is a creature of contradictory qualities: a snake-like cold-blooded reptile, but with a breath of fire. A creature of cold, sharp intelligence, but prone to fits of passionate wrath.

In European heraldry the dragon appears as the 'Wyvern', a dragon with bat-like wings, a single pair of legs, and a venomous arrow-like barb in the tail.

The cover of this journal is embossed with a pair of Wyverns face-to-face in heraldic style.

I think of this journal as a book-of-shadows, a book of spells or a 'grimoire' in the Pagan Wicca tradition.

The books contain a high quality plain unlined cartridge paper*.

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

Size: 8 inches x 6 inches (20x15cm) - a litle smaller than A5

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

Weight: 450 grams (approximately 1lb)

Quality: - Paper is unlined cartridge drawing paper (produced from cloth rags (NOT recycled print!). It is suitable for drawing and sketching, and for writing with pencil, Biro, and gel pens. It is also suited for use with a fountain pen and with water colour.

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

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 traditional leather tie-strap.

I designed these journals because 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 take a look at my eBay store). I am always open to new ideas and designs.

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

RETURNS POLICY

I hope that you will be happy with the quality of my books and other leather products. If for any reason you are not happy with your purchase you are welcome to return it to me in as-new condition within 14 days of receipt and I will refund your full purchase price.

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.

You are very welcome to choose and collect items from my workshop in Sussex rather than receiving purchases through the post - so that you can see exactly what you will get before you make a selection.