It's one thing to see the spine lines if they look uniform. But with the pink cover especially, it makes the spine look weird and lumpy. If the Mulberry spine didn't get all scratched up along the ridges, it wouldn't have looked so bad.
I’ve watched several videos like this and I have to say.. y’all are completely INSANE. It is absolutely nothing wrong with these planners. I’ve never seen anything like this. 🥴
I got a Sterling ink again this year. But, it’s an a5 vertical compact in linen. I switched it up a bit. But the cover, eeh. It’s hard to slide it in ANY cover because the vinyl is so weak. It bends with the slightest resistance. But, once it’s in a cover it will stay there. Lol
The spine stitching isn’t a flaw but I can see how it would bother some in the feel and look. But I will say you see that on larger brand planners too like the Hobonichi Cousin. But once you start using it I don’t think you’ll notice. It won’t impact the functionality. The covers that Papertess uses show markings a lot too. The sand color even shows marks where a paper clip rests - like it changes the color of the sand cover. It’s odd but also kind of fun because my planners look used and loved. And of course a clear cover can help so that mulberry may work the same way. You could add stickers to the front or a clear cover with some vellum to help it some. Maybe 🤔
It's mainly how certain spots are super lumpy while other spots are smooth in the fairy floss spine that irritates me about the spine. When it's uniform on the mulberry ones, it's fine (unless it's scuffed up a ton like one of mine). My papertess with the same sort of material from last year was flawless when it arrived. I don't mind wear and tear over time! I think it's beautiful overtime they get worn. I completely mind when a very expensive planner arrives all scuffed up with lots of imperfections and looks bad right out of the package. These are the first ones in 3 years that have come looking a hot mess.
Oh yes I agree - shouldn’t come scuffed. One of the reasons I picked the covers I did was because I knew it wouldn’t show marks as easily which I like. And had less potential for scuffs from just basic handling. I agree inconsistent bumps would be more bothersome. And a little odd. Sorry it was a disappointment. It’s very surprising the number of negatives I’ve seen this year.
I appreciate this video. I received the Mulberry B6 and mine looks like yours. The spine really threw me off. I am a first time customer and had very high expectations based on all the raving reviews and price. I'm still excited, but my first thought was, what do the imperfection planners look like?!? Mine had some printing marks on the inside too. Regardless, I'll still use it, but I'm not as confident in the quality as I was based on prior reviews. Thanks for sharing. Been following since BH project life days!
Here's the thing, I even purchased imperfects in the past and they were dang near flawless! Like one TEENY TINY scratch along the gold edging (and scratches happen over time on the edging anyway, no big deal). These are atrocious even compared to previous years imperfects. The more I have thought about it, the more disappointed I am with the covers. These planners are SO expensive and the cover material quality is just plain terrible for the smooth ones this year. Like so bad, I won't be able to recommend them. And previous years I gushed about the Sterling Inks because they've always been incredible.
I absolutely love my A5 caramel that I’m using right now, but I am a little disappointed with quality of the Fairy Floss N2 I bought. It has nearly the same flaws as yours and I wasn’t planning on buying one of the clear covers when they come out, but now I may have to. I really hope she receives more feedback on this and maybe sticks to the textured covers instead.
@chaos, yeah if she knew it sucked this much, then she shouldn't have sold it at all. Mentioning it came out bad on larger planners while still selling it on a tiny planner to me meant it was decent enough to sell.
I will def be sharing my feedback with her. The more I think about it, the more disappointed I am. I bought imperfects last year and they looked 10X better than any of the ones I mentioned in this video.
Seems like you need to make your own planner so it comes to your liking! My suggestion would be to add a clear cover if you decided to keep them... Catherines covers fit tight on my N1 and it doesnt really feel like a plastic cover.... Also, im thinking of ordering the onyx in A5 horizontal to try out and i think the mulberry and black will be stunning together.... BUT... As much as i thought mulberry would be my favorite.... Im starting to think my favorite is the tweed!
I will have to get a clear cover if I use them or they will quickly look terrible. And I have ZERO interest in selling my own products ever again lol. I ran a stamp store and it was a lot. She does great, but these covers are duds for me.
Nervous about receiving mine now 😬 Ordered a Mulberry N1 full, Pink N2 compact and a Caramel A5. Just have to wait and see I guess. Have you contacted Catherine at Sterling Ink?
I worry that there might be more people with the same issues with the smoother covers. I saw a mulberry for sale on a bst and it was really scuffed up! Brand new. Yikes. I’ve seen people with the caramel/light blue covers that have used them for nearly a year- they still look great. It’s unfortunate because so many people seemed excited by the mulberry.
Yes exactly! I have many other SI planners that have been used a ton and they still look practically new. These ones coming looking all messed up is really just disappointing for $35-50 planners. I ended up with an a5 Mulberry that looks even worse and has an actual defect across the entire front cover (video coming soon). It's just not the great quality we have seen from SI for the past few years. I can't possibly be the only one affected.
I received an A5 vertical in mulberry with a blotchy cover, almost like a stain or discoloration a bit? And the gold edging scratched up all around. I Compared the Mulberry gold to the forest green gold edging and other notebooks - the Mulberry A5 was highly disappointing.
I was out of town and my a5 came while I was away. It is def not great either unfortunately. I also got Mulberry. It's just a dud material all around I think.
I don’t like the bolder more bubble like font it made the overall look feel childish instead of classic to me so I passed on this years release really hoping she goes back to last years vibes instead so I might pick it back up in 2026. It was just better all around before..
Oh I didn't really even notice the font changing that much. I totally understand how that could make you pick something else. What planner did you decide to go with for 2025?
The ridges on the spine indicate it’s been sewn. It’s a vintage style detail, it’s not something they’re trying to hide.
Exactly 💯
It's one thing to see the spine lines if they look uniform. But with the pink cover especially, it makes the spine look weird and lumpy. If the Mulberry spine didn't get all scratched up along the ridges, it wouldn't have looked so bad.
I’ve watched several videos like this and I have to say.. y’all are completely INSANE. It is absolutely nothing wrong with these planners. I’ve never seen anything like this. 🥴
🤣🤣
I got a Sterling ink again this year. But, it’s an a5 vertical compact in linen. I switched it up a bit. But the cover, eeh. It’s hard to slide it in ANY cover because the vinyl is so weak. It bends with the slightest resistance. But, once it’s in a cover it will stay there. Lol
Right? It's just way too thin and flimsy. I didn't even think about how difficult it may be to shove into the clear covers. EEK!
I have that same problem with papertess planners too.
The spine stitching isn’t a flaw but I can see how it would bother some in the feel and look. But I will say you see that on larger brand planners too like the Hobonichi Cousin. But once you start using it I don’t think you’ll notice. It won’t impact the functionality.
The covers that Papertess uses show markings a lot too. The sand color even shows marks where a paper clip rests - like it changes the color of the sand cover. It’s odd but also kind of fun because my planners look used and loved. And of course a clear cover can help so that mulberry may work the same way. You could add stickers to the front or a clear cover with some vellum to help it some. Maybe 🤔
It's mainly how certain spots are super lumpy while other spots are smooth in the fairy floss spine that irritates me about the spine. When it's uniform on the mulberry ones, it's fine (unless it's scuffed up a ton like one of mine).
My papertess with the same sort of material from last year was flawless when it arrived. I don't mind wear and tear over time! I think it's beautiful overtime they get worn. I completely mind when a very expensive planner arrives all scuffed up with lots of imperfections and looks bad right out of the package. These are the first ones in 3 years that have come looking a hot mess.
Oh yes I agree - shouldn’t come scuffed. One of the reasons I picked the covers I did was because I knew it wouldn’t show marks as easily which I like. And had less potential for scuffs from just basic handling.
I agree inconsistent bumps would be more bothersome. And a little odd. Sorry it was a disappointment. It’s very surprising the number of negatives I’ve seen this year.
I appreciate this video. I received the Mulberry B6 and mine looks like yours. The spine really threw me off. I am a first time customer and had very high expectations based on all the raving reviews and price. I'm still excited, but my first thought was, what do the imperfection planners look like?!? Mine had some printing marks on the inside too. Regardless, I'll still use it, but I'm not as confident in the quality as I was based on prior reviews. Thanks for sharing. Been following since BH project life days!
Here's the thing, I even purchased imperfects in the past and they were dang near flawless! Like one TEENY TINY scratch along the gold edging (and scratches happen over time on the edging anyway, no big deal). These are atrocious even compared to previous years imperfects.
The more I have thought about it, the more disappointed I am with the covers. These planners are SO expensive and the cover material quality is just plain terrible for the smooth ones this year. Like so bad, I won't be able to recommend them. And previous years I gushed about the Sterling Inks because they've always been incredible.
I have noticed even the quality of notebooks have gone down specially with my last order. Not sure what happened 😕
I absolutely love my A5 caramel that I’m using right now, but I am a little disappointed with quality of the Fairy Floss N2 I bought. It has nearly the same flaws as yours and I wasn’t planning on buying one of the clear covers when they come out, but now I may have to. I really hope she receives more feedback on this and maybe sticks to the textured covers instead.
She warned everyone that the pink covers didn't come out to her liking.... She said it in every video she posted about the release.
@chaos, yeah if she knew it sucked this much, then she shouldn't have sold it at all. Mentioning it came out bad on larger planners while still selling it on a tiny planner to me meant it was decent enough to sell.
I will def be sharing my feedback with her. The more I think about it, the more disappointed I am. I bought imperfects last year and they looked 10X better than any of the ones I mentioned in this video.
Seems like you need to make your own planner so it comes to your liking! My suggestion would be to add a clear cover if you decided to keep them... Catherines covers fit tight on my N1 and it doesnt really feel like a plastic cover.... Also, im thinking of ordering the onyx in A5 horizontal to try out and i think the mulberry and black will be stunning together.... BUT... As much as i thought mulberry would be my favorite.... Im starting to think my favorite is the tweed!
I will have to get a clear cover if I use them or they will quickly look terrible. And I have ZERO interest in selling my own products ever again lol. I ran a stamp store and it was a lot. She does great, but these covers are duds for me.
Nervous about receiving mine now 😬 Ordered a Mulberry N1 full, Pink N2 compact and a Caramel A5. Just have to wait and see I guess. Have you contacted Catherine at Sterling Ink?
The caramel cover is durable.
I have not contacted her, but I will be.
Agree, MissHoliday, the caramel is nice and durable.
Yes I sent her my feedback with photos. Hopefully enough people speak up and she will do better covers in the future.
I have the blue full year and the spine has bumps . It’s bc it’s sewn.
I just feel like the textured covers disguise the lines way better.
I worry that there might be more people with the same issues with the smoother covers. I saw a mulberry for sale on a bst and it was really scuffed up! Brand new. Yikes. I’ve seen people with the caramel/light blue covers that have used them for nearly a year- they still look great. It’s unfortunate because so many people seemed excited by the mulberry.
Yes exactly! I have many other SI planners that have been used a ton and they still look practically new. These ones coming looking all messed up is really just disappointing for $35-50 planners. I ended up with an a5 Mulberry that looks even worse and has an actual defect across the entire front cover (video coming soon). It's just not the great quality we have seen from SI for the past few years. I can't possibly be the only one affected.
I received an A5 vertical in mulberry with a blotchy cover, almost like a stain or discoloration a bit? And the gold edging scratched up all around. I Compared the Mulberry gold to the forest green gold edging and other notebooks - the Mulberry A5 was highly disappointing.
I was out of town and my a5 came while I was away. It is def not great either unfortunately. I also got Mulberry. It's just a dud material all around I think.
@@SamisSweetLife ahhh- I was hoping not to cover it up with stickers but I just might🤷🏻♀️
I don’t like the bolder more bubble like font it made the overall look feel childish instead of classic to me so I passed on this years release really hoping she goes back to last years vibes instead so I might pick it back up in 2026. It was just better all around before..
Oh I didn't really even notice the font changing that much. I totally understand how that could make you pick something else. What planner did you decide to go with for 2025?