Leather Portfolio | Zipper Binder Planner 2018-2019 | Tablet Holder Hickory Brown by Aaron Leather

Do your homework before you buy. This is advertised as premium genuine leather. Turns out that is a term that does not mean the leather is premium, nor does it mean it is genuine. "Genuine leather" actually technically means low grade, low quality, sometimes artificially corrected leather. If you want off-the-cow real leather, which is what I thought I was buying here, you should be looking for "top grain" or "full grain" leather. This product is nicer than "bonded leather", but it has a faky look and feel to me. It is nice enough looking, seems well made, but it is not what was advertised or what I was trying to purchase. I wanted real leather. Sad that words don't mean anything any more. Sending it back.

I really expected to love this item, especially in light of the many, glowing reviews. Sadly, I am unimpressed. The item arrived with several, deep scratches on the cover (not just "aesthetic wear" characteristic of real leather, but long, unattractive gouges). The tan leather lacks the lovely patina shown in the photo, and is instead stiff and dull. I'm also not a fan of the prominent logo on the cover. I had to really wrestle with the padfolio to get a notebook inserted under the flap because the zipper is in the way. I had the same problem when I tried to slip a few loose documents into pocket on the other side. Definitely not suited for convenient access! The biggest deal-killer for me was the zipper: it's so stiff that I had to turn the whole item in order to get enough leverage to yank the zipper around each side to open or close it...not exactly the image I want in a professional situation. It's going back.

This is a tough one to review. We had issues with the first one. It looked like a damaged return that got passed off as new again. Very frustrating experience. We are a prime member, first package was late, due to Amazon Logistics but they refunded next day and we reordered. Total of 6 days to get a binder that should have been 2. However my husband was so impressed with the product, we took another chance, returned and re-ordered. The second on the leather had some minor imperfections with staining and some minor scratching, but nothing like the first. I will rate this product at the $93 price. At this price it equal to a factory second of a much hirer priced binder in the $150-$200 range. The leather is nice and smells good. The size is good and can expand to a full 2 inches thick if needed, which is what my husband wanted. The pockets are nice. It can fit an IPad pro, and if you phone case isn't to thick, a IPhone 8+ or equivalent. If you phone is much bigger it won't fit. The zippers a very nice quality, zip smoothly and are a nice color. It if very presentable, and has a high quality look to it. The downside is it lacks binder rings, but we were able to devise a solution. I would recommend checking this thoroughly under good lighting the moment you receive it. I expect this will last quite some time and wear well.

*Edited review after actual use.*Material seems very sturdy. The main panels of leather are thick and a little stiff, like they should be - like it needs to be broken in just a little. There seems to be some kind of paperboard backing some of the leather panels. Not a problem, just something people might want to know. The outside zipper is metal and looks super strong. But the pocket zipper on the inside is plastic. I doubt that will be an issue, but it is a little disappointing since it doesn't seem to match the general appearance of quality of the rest of the product. The "accordion" part of the expanding interior pocket is leather, not canvas or polyester or whatever. The inside of the tablet pocket is soft unfinished leather. The inside of the smaller pockets are cloth.Complaints -The weakest spot will probably end up being the elastic pen holders. Again, they don't quite seem to "match" the rest of the quality. They are loose even on a thick pen, and the fact that they're black clashes badly with the brown leather.The cell phone pocket is too small for my Nexus 5X with case.The "Aaron Leather Goods" text and logo are very prominent on the FRONT of the portfolio. I wouldn't have a problem with it if it was on the back. But since it's on the front and so prominent, it basically looks like I work for Aaron Leather.The "thickness" of the interior space is lacking. The cell pocket, pen sleeves, etc., take up most of the space inside the portfolio. That is the main reason I'm giving 2 stars. It really is no good for carrying more than one A4 notepad and maybe a few papers.The leather is low grade and appears to be sanded, not full grain. But for the price you shouldn't expect more.

Great resume holder. Looks professional. Could benefit from having a more easily accessible internal pocket. The inside out of the pocket is leather, so there is a chance your resume could get stained by the dye or will get damaged from the grip of the leather. If it had a smooth internal sleeve it would correct those deficiencies.

I absolutely love this portfolio/organizer! It is very sturdy, very attractive, and very versatile. It has two different slots for documents. It has a place for me to put a notebook and also a place for me to put slim calendar as well as an outside pocket as a temporary place to hold just about anything I need. I think one of the most valuable aspects of this piece, is that I can zip it closed. So, when I carry my iPad, or even my smaller MacBook air in the portfolio, I feel confident it is secure because I can zip the entirety of the portfolio shut. I think one of the most valuable aspects of this piece, is that I can zip it closed. So, when I carry my iPad, or even my smaller MacBook air in the portfolio, I feel confident it is secure because I can zip the entirety of the portfolio shut. I searched for just the right item for this purpose, and even purchased and returned one. Although the price of this item is on the higher side, I see myself using it for many many years. Thank you for putting together such a great piece.