Here are some photos of my A5 Van Der Spek in Cognac Italian Full grain leather after 8 months of constant use, after having bought it second hand on Netherlands eBay when it was 20 years old.
I love this binder to absolute bits. Have no desire or wish to move into another one. Which is a record!
Hi Janet
I am an Anthropology researcher from India.
I have been obsessively reading your posts on english language and planners for the past week.
Totally love the posts, your reviews hence I am a follower now.
This may seem totally random and out of context but I wanted to share my concerns with you with the expectation that you may help me. My love for planners is newfound and I have been eyeing a small (junior/senior) Van Der Spek Touch me for a while. I had been researching the entire cyber world for that one perfect planner that would be my organiser as well as a wallet. Since I am still a student I decided to invest in the best planner so it stays with me for long. To be honest I cannot reason with the idea of having too many planners for I am sure I would end up being muddled. I even considered a personal malden with a wallet pocket. Anyway I will keep it brief and tell you that when I shared the news of buying any one of the two planners with my friend, she quickly pointed out that the planners are leather planners. I am not an animal activist but I hate harming animals and I adore them way too much. I would neither claim that I avoid leather completely but I take conscious decisions and look for leather substitutes wherever possible. However, I wished to enquire about the ethics and responsible practices of the companies in question. Instead of asking them directly, I decided to ask you because you are a fellow animal lover and I feel you would rid me of my dilemma. If the animals die natural death and then they are used for leather I would buy the planner else I am ok with a paper or PU substitute. Huh ! too big a question however grateful for your approachability.
Thanks
Kalindi
Thank you for this…I thought you’d owned this for 20 years and I think I repeated it to someone inquiring about the VDS longevity. Not too far off I guess, someone owned it for 20 years. 🙂 And look how beautiful it still is!
Yes it was made for someone’s dad who worked at the company embossed on the cover. It is absolutely wonderful. I love it to absolute bits!