Essential Folio
4.7
5
13
13
The Perfect Folio
I purchased this folio a couple of weeks ago. I received the item a week - extremely fast processing/shipping! The item is top quality and an exceptional value. The leather has that rich leather smell and is so soft yet durable. The folio has all the necessary styling - just the right placement of pockets, etc. and maintains a very simplistic design. The pad that comes with it is very nice - great quality paper. Overall I couldn't be happier with this purchase. I had been looking for the perfect folio for some time and I finally found it!!
May 4, 2013
Excellent As Usual
Great quality as excepted from Levenger. Nice heft to the folio. Looks and feels professional. Very pleased!
April 6, 2013
Exactly What I Wanted
I have purchased Levenger products online before and have always been pleased with the quality of their products. This was no exception. I needed a professional looking folio and this was exactly what I wanted. In addition the whole process was simple and the shipping was timely. I highly recommend them and their products.
April 6, 2013
A bit heavy
I needed a professioal-looking writing portfolio to take to meetings at the college where I teach and advise. Received it today, beautifully packaged I might add, and was surprised that it was so heavy. I had imagined a thinner, more streamlined version. This portfolio seems bulky and masculine. I thought maybe it was the hefty notepad included, but even after removing it, it was still heavy. Very nice leather and well made. Can't decide whether to keep, return, or exchange.
January 26, 2012
Gorgeous gift
I received this as a Christmas present, and it was a beautiful gift to receive! The folio is elegant and functional, and I'm looking forward to the professional impression it will give when I use it. The photos in the catalogue don't do justice to the beautiful product. It is more substantial than it appears in photos, and it was beautifully packaged. If you want to make someone feel special, this is a great gift choice.
December 27, 2010
My husband *loves* it!
When my husband mentioned he'd like a new folio to replace his old one, I showed him this one in my Levenger catalog -- he thought it was perfect. So I ordered it for him, and when it arrived, he was VERY impressed! It also matches his black Cambridge Briefbag perfectly. Bravo, Levenger!
June 25, 2010
excellent product
I purchased one of these for myself 15 years ago, and am now buying one for my son, who will be graduating from college this spring. Very elegant and functional for office use. A high quality, excellent product in every way.
February 17, 2010
Perfect!
Gift for my father. Folio came beautifully packaged inside and out. All I needed was a bow. Dad's old book had split at the binding. This one has a reinforced binding which looks like it will last forever. Great service and a beautiful gift.
December 20, 2009
Great product, top notch customer service
I'd been looking for an embossed padfolio to replace the one I used to give as a gift that has since been discontinued...I finally found it! This product is so useful in the office, for interviews or any other place you need organization and a touch of class. The Levenger version is a little thicker than the previous one, but it's made of high quality leather and looks very professional. This item is a little expensive at face value (especially if embossed with a name or monogram), but it's a great product and actually reasonable when compared to the pricing of other padfolios.
I'd recommend the essential folio, and furthermore, I'd highly recommend Levenger products in general...they're high quality and Levenger's customer service is top notch.
June 9, 2009
GREAT item, but falls short ona couple details
This is a fabulously high-quality portfolio. It is well cafted of quality materials.
It has medium padding, so it's a bit bulky but it feels very nice in the hand. All exposed surfaces are soft leather--there's no chintzy elastic or vinyl, and there's no plastic windows either (they always seem to stiffen and crack and have no place on a quality item like this).
The pen loop is large enough for a big pen (I use a Retro51 which is pretty fat and it has plenty of room), and it is stiff enough to allow pen clips to clamp over it without buckling. Another plus, the spine of the folio is large enough to accommodate the thickness of the pen without pinching or cramming it into the pad.
This folio is so comfortable to use. It opens and lays flat nicely. It works gread at a desk or on my lap. It also works great with the cover folded back on itself. It folds all the way around without pinching the spine. Many cheaper portfolios will not perform this maneuver, or only do so begrudgingly with the likelihood of breaking the spine or wearing it out prematurely. This one is clearly made to do this easily, without altering its life expectancy.
Despite being pleased with this folio overall, there are a couple of shortcomings that dropped it to 4 stars:
1. It only accommodates top-bound pads. There is no slot along the spine to accept the back cover of a side-bound item such as a notebook, journal, etc. This would be an easy problem to fix. Such a slot would also offer an alternate location to stash loose sheets (I am often wishing there were a second place to put papers). This was almost a deal-breaker for me but I couldn't find another of equivalent class and quality so I settled for this one without the vertical slot.
2. There is a cloth "Made in China" tag attached inside the paper storage flap which makes it extremely difficult to insert loose papers. This is a needless obstruction--it's buried too deep to read anyway, so what's the point? I'm often irritated trying to coerce loose sheets into the pocket and often end up wasting time and wrinkling the papers. Can't theys put that tag under the pad or somewhere else where it won't be in the way? I expected smarter design from Levenger, especially for $80.
Overall though, this is a very classy product that is well-designed for the most part. Simple elegant style with no unnecessary frills. This thing really dresses up my cordura brief case!
May 30, 2009