Leather padfolio?

[jfindon]

Looking for a high quality leather padfolio type thing. It should zip shut and have a pen loop as well as storage for paperwork. I found this company, but there's no loop inside and it doesn't zip shut:


https://www.popovleather.com/collections/a5-notebook-covers

I have this one right now from Amazon and it meets my requirements other than being high quality leather:


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00O16DJI4?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_pd_title

Looking to spend $100 or less.

 

[OldNavy]

Your never going to get Leather + Zipper + pen Loop for < 100.00.
This is 2019 not 1950.
But this is about as cheap as you'll ever find.
https://www.leatherology.com/classic-zippered-padfolio-brown-leather-brown/

 

[annr]

Here's one from levenger for $139

Oops, no zipper , sorry

 

[jfindon]

I guess a zipper isn't really required, just some sort of clasp. I don't want it just flopping open here and there. Found this one:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/514830...folio-chestnut-dublin?ref=shop_home_active_44


Also:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/649774...adfolio-for-moleskine?ref=shop_home_active_75

 

[A.L.]

Leather artesan usually avoids zippers because they are sure to be the first one to break in piece that is otherwise built to last a lifetime. I would recommend getting one without zipper.

 

[jfindon]

A good point. I really like this one:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/635955...kine-a4?ref=landingpage_similar_listing_top-1

 

[GermanyChris]

While it's not exactly the same I ordered this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0741259TJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

but before I did I contacted him to see if he'd make modifications to the product for me and he was more than accommodating and didn't charge extra. If that seller doesn't have what you're looking for he might just be able to make it happen for you.

 

[Scott321]

If you have a large University nearby, they might have decent ones in the campus store, especially if the University offers a lot of graduate programs. Personally, I have a couple that I use that were hand me downs from a former Business grad student and two married dentists and they are still holding up well after 15 years. Nothing fancy .. Pretty sure they were just campus store merchandise.

Recently I tried looking for a replacement for my 25 year old Filofax and found that the quality of that brand, IMO, went down the tubes. Scully, seemed to have some decent quality options for what you are looking for, although I would rate the quality only one or two notches above the options at Office Max.

 

[David T. MacNeill]

Levenger Tyler Folio. If you are worried about it flying open, tie a leather bootlace around it. Zippers are evil.

 

[ignatiousR]

Not sure there's exactly what you want here, but this guy makes custom and I'm sure can accomodate. I've purchased from him and his stuff is fantastic:

http://onestarleathergoods.com/

 

[KnifeRep]

If you have a large University nearby, they might have decent ones in the campus store, especially if the University offers a lot of graduate programs. Personally, I have a couple that I use that were hand me downs from a former Business grad student and two married dentists and they are still holding up well after 15 years. Nothing fancy .. Pretty sure they were just campus store merchandise.

Recently I tried looking for a replacement for my 25 year old Filofax and found that the quality of that brand, IMO, went down the tubes. Scully, seemed to have some decent quality options for what you are looking for, although I would rate the quality only one or two notches above the options at Office Max.

This is a good suggestion...

For the past 23 years I’ve carried a Hartman basket weave leather folio and tried to recently replace it as well and can concur the quality of what’s available today is not so good in comparison. I decided to get mine refurbished at a Hartman authorized repair shop in Santa Clara, CA with new spine leather and re-dye and and seal, the interior is still in excellent condition.

In speaking towards longevity, the zippers fail, especially small zippers on the corners, and the leather will get cut or first wear away from the spine and corners, if you can get a folio with an extra piece of exterior spine leather than the main front and back panels I’d consider those, the ones with one-piece of leather wrapped around to make the spine will fail first because the spine is where it sits the most in a brief case, at least that’s how the spine on my Hartman got abraded.

The other thing to consider is the filler or stiffening board, most well made folios will have a filler board to stiffen them, some makers only put a board on one side, typically the paper side, the better folios will have boards on both sides, my Hartman does, the boards help the longevity, or life, of the folio by keeping the piece from flexing and, in turn, accelerating the leather’s breakdown.