So I recently received a Darcy that was in poor condition (glue residue, scratches...and it was a full priced premium cover not Second Chance). I posted it in one of the FB groups and someone let me know that apparently the Austen leather CS has been receiving has been of lower quality. I asked customer service about it and they confirmed that they are in fact getting lower quality Austen leather. My Darcy was also very soft and felt entirely different than the others before. It also scuffs waaaay easier than my older ones. I feel its misleading to sell lower quality leather and not disclose to the customer beforehand. They also let me know that the tannery is/has been training new people so the leather is not being handled the way it was prior (which was their way of explaining why my notebook arrived looking used and sticky). Some people might not mind the new feel of the Austen leather but it was a big deal for me because I loved how sturdy it used to feel like. The whole situation left a sour taste in my mouth. It's put me off ordering and I honestly don't think I will again which sucks because I loved CS.
Woah 😳 that is awful I’m so sorry that happened. I haven’t bought a new CS in a while. I haven’t liked many of their new things. Did they give you a refund?
@@kaylakeefer5554 They offered either a full refund but I’d have to cover the cost of shipping or a partial refund. I live overseas so I took the partial refund.
I stopped buying from CS when they ceased accepting PayPal, because it is the most convenient payment method for my international purchasing. I used to be a regular customer for CS, personally preferring their product over Sojourner and others. I have 6 different CS covers, compared to one each of other brands (I have kept the others, except for giving my Sojourner away - nothing ‘wrong’, just not my preference). I have recently discovered LeRight - which is great quality and soooo much more customizable and affordable than CS (and accepts PayPal), so it’s been a good thing that CS no longer accepts PayPal, because I likely would have stayed brand loyal and would have missed out on trying another great brand.
Thanks, Sylvia! I like this one, but it's too wide. I'm totally with you - I like my notebooks narrow so they're not floppy, so I try to stay with Traveler's Notebook because it bulks up with only a few notebooks. Looking forward to next video. 😊
I got an Emma which I believe used to be marketed as a Mr. Darcy Buttered Rum. I’m not a die hard CS person so I’m not sure on the deets. It’s a second hand baby but I’m not sure exactly what year she is. It is shiny and quite nice. That leads me to a question: is there anywhere that has a timeline of the make and model of Chic Sparrows are, year by year? I’m curious what her make date might be but I’m unsure of tells. My Emma has no pockets and has a riveted pen loop. The exterior has no wrinkles or markings. That plus the no pockets thing leads me to believe that it’s old but looks fantastic. It’s my understanding that it has been a while since they offered no frills covers.
You should be able to date it by the style of the pen loop - I had bought (new from CS) various covers over the years because I wanted to try different sizes (and chose different colours/leathers); and every one I got has a different kind of pen loop. It seems that CS changed the design of the pen loop often, maybe every year or so. I don’t know the date of when the pen loops were in service, but my first CS bought many years ago is the only one with a riveted pen loop, the newer ones have different kinds of pen loop. It was purchased when CS had a separate website, not a shop on Etsy. I am sorry I don’t remember the exact year, but the CS Facebook group members might know what year(s) certain style of pen loops were used. I can tell you that it’s my favourite of all the kinds of pen loops; the newer designs were not an improvement from a user perspective (but probably make things easier or quicker or less costly for the maker).
@@MummyBrown Does your pen loop rivets have a CS on them or plain? My “classic” (no pockets) A5 in the colour Time Traveller (dark blue) has plain, silver coloured rivets and is possibly as old as 2014 (I’m just guessing, I still don’t remember when exactly I bought it)…by 2019 they still had the “classic” option of no pockets and a riveted pen loop, but had brass coloured rivets with a CS logo. I love my first CS and use it the most heavily (I use it for at-home journaling, I don’t treat it preciously, but I don’t travel with it - I love the A5 size but it’s a bit too large and heavy for carrying around on the go). It still looks great after all these years of perpetual use. I don’t remember the type of the leather…it’s smooth, not textured, and I don’t think it scratches easily, which leads me to think it’s not a Darcy/Austen leather (I have another CS which I know for sure is a Darcy leather and a charm on the elastic closure immediately scratched it - it seems to scratch if you look at it the wrong way, lol); but maybe my old A5 would have become more worn out if I travelled with it. Despite having no pockets and not being a thick leather, it has a nice structure. My Sojourner had pockets and was still way too floppy for my liking. I guess the different leathers just take getting used to…I have 2 Mavericks (Water Buffalo leather) and they are very thick and stiff in comparison. It’s funny how I felt the need to try journaling in different sizes and have a variety of styles (pockets and colours), yet my favourite is still my first (and it’s not sentimental - I bought it for myself, no special reason, and it never travelled anywhere with me, no particular memories attached). It’s just been very useful and handy as a cover for various notebooks (both hard and softcover) over the years. I plan to buy another A5 cover, this time from Start Bay Notebooks, since I like using A5 so much.
@@kimberly3706s Mine a classic with plain brass rivets. It looks GREAT which makes me believe it's younger than 2014 but for all I know she may have just really kept it protected well. It has no scratches and really doesn't seem to be as delicate as many lead me to believe this leather is/can be. Some people buy these and really baby them so anything is possible.
@@MummyBrown Leather can last a lifetime, or multiple generations even. I shop vintage often and sometimes old leather looks brand new. In addition to how it’s been taken care of, the geographical climate of the owner makes a difference - I know someone whose cover developed mould just from sitting on her shelf (maybe it’s called dry rot instead of mould - she’s in a very dry and dusty climate). She thought she was babying her cover, but she didn’t notice the mould because it wasn’t in use at the time and it was “safe” on the shelf. Any extreme temperatures or drastic temperature change could cause leather to show wear, even if it’s not being touched. Maybe your cover is from around 2017 (give or take a year)?
It’s cute that your niece bought the same size & similar style as her aunt! 😊 I do like your matte, Sylvia, and I must say: having watched the hilarious “rant” unboxing of your CS, it certainly turns out to be a handsome number. You’ve really brought out the best in it with that set-up. Thanks for for all these wonderful vids you do for us. Hope your niece adores her new Darcy!
Thanks for the review. I have one of the original Toffees and it is thick and higher quality. I did purchase an Austen and I like it, but the toffee is more Matte. (About the same color but 2 different leathers) It is definitely preference. I haven’t bought any of the new 2022 monthly collections because they all look very cheap and overly priced. I am intrigued to see the new July leather though. Can’t wait to see how your niece likes this one over time.
So I recently received a Darcy that was in poor condition (glue residue, scratches...and it was a full priced premium cover not Second Chance). I posted it in one of the FB groups and someone let me know that apparently the Austen leather CS has been receiving has been of lower quality. I asked customer service about it and they confirmed that they are in fact getting lower quality Austen leather. My Darcy was also very soft and felt entirely different than the others before. It also scuffs waaaay easier than my older ones. I feel its misleading to sell lower quality leather and not disclose to the customer beforehand. They also let me know that the tannery is/has been training new people so the leather is not being handled the way it was prior (which was their way of explaining why my notebook arrived looking used and sticky). Some people might not mind the new feel of the Austen leather but it was a big deal for me because I loved how sturdy it used to feel like. The whole situation left a sour taste in my mouth. It's put me off ordering and I honestly don't think I will again which sucks because I loved CS.
Woah 😳 that is awful I’m so sorry that happened. I haven’t bought a new CS in a while. I haven’t liked many of their new things. Did they give you a refund?
@@kaylakeefer5554 They offered either a full refund but I’d have to cover the cost of shipping or a partial refund. I live overseas so I took the partial refund.
If they know the quality is lower, than the price should reflect that. I've heard of so many issues with quality problems I'll never buy from CS.
@@heartmusingswithcrystal2042 I'm glad they offered refund.
Wish we had heard from Hailey and seen her hands touching it for the first time. What does she even think?
I love my Chic Sparrows, and have a small collection. I hope your niece loves her cover!
I stopped buying from CS when they ceased accepting PayPal, because it is the most convenient payment method for my international purchasing. I used to be a regular customer for CS, personally preferring their product over Sojourner and others. I have 6 different CS covers, compared to one each of other brands (I have kept the others, except for giving my Sojourner away - nothing ‘wrong’, just not my preference). I have recently discovered LeRight - which is great quality and soooo much more customizable and affordable than CS (and accepts PayPal), so it’s been a good thing that CS no longer accepts PayPal, because I likely would have stayed brand loyal and would have missed out on trying another great brand.
Omg yes, I completely thought "wait a minute Sylvia, didnt we give up on Chic Sparrow?" So I am PROUD of you for not buying one for yourself.
Staying strong 💪 😂
Thanks, Sylvia! I like this one, but it's too wide. I'm totally with you - I like my notebooks narrow so they're not floppy, so I try to stay with Traveler's Notebook because it bulks up with only a few notebooks. Looking forward to next video. 😊
I got an Emma which I believe used to be marketed as a Mr. Darcy Buttered Rum. I’m not a die hard CS person so I’m not sure on the deets. It’s a second hand baby but I’m not sure exactly what year she is. It is shiny and quite nice.
That leads me to a question: is there anywhere that has a timeline of the make and model of Chic Sparrows are, year by year? I’m curious what her make date might be but I’m unsure of tells. My Emma has no pockets and has a riveted pen loop. The exterior has no wrinkles or markings. That plus the no pockets thing leads me to believe that it’s old but looks fantastic. It’s my understanding that it has been a while since they offered no frills covers.
You should be able to date it by the style of the pen loop - I had bought (new from CS) various covers over the years because I wanted to try different sizes (and chose different colours/leathers); and every one I got has a different kind of pen loop. It seems that CS changed the design of the pen loop often, maybe every year or so. I don’t know the date of when the pen loops were in service, but my first CS bought many years ago is the only one with a riveted pen loop, the newer ones have different kinds of pen loop. It was purchased when CS had a separate website, not a shop on Etsy. I am sorry I don’t remember the exact year, but the CS Facebook group members might know what year(s) certain style of pen loops were used.
I can tell you that it’s my favourite of all the kinds of pen loops; the newer designs were not an improvement from a user perspective (but probably make things easier or quicker or less costly for the maker).
@@kimberly3706s Oh thank you! This is extremely helpful
@@MummyBrown Does your pen loop rivets have a CS on them or plain? My “classic” (no pockets) A5 in the colour Time Traveller (dark blue) has plain, silver coloured rivets and is possibly as old as 2014 (I’m just guessing, I still don’t remember when exactly I bought it)…by 2019 they still had the “classic” option of no pockets and a riveted pen loop, but had brass coloured rivets with a CS logo. I love my first CS and use it the most heavily (I use it for at-home journaling, I don’t treat it preciously, but I don’t travel with it - I love the A5 size but it’s a bit too large and heavy for carrying around on the go). It still looks great after all these years of perpetual use.
I don’t remember the type of the leather…it’s smooth, not textured, and I don’t think it scratches easily, which leads me to think it’s not a Darcy/Austen leather (I have another CS which I know for sure is a Darcy leather and a charm on the elastic closure immediately scratched it - it seems to scratch if you look at it the wrong way, lol); but maybe my old A5 would have become more worn out if I travelled with it. Despite having no pockets and not being a thick leather, it has a nice structure. My Sojourner had pockets and was still way too floppy for my liking. I guess the different leathers just take getting used to…I have 2 Mavericks (Water Buffalo leather) and they are very thick and stiff in comparison. It’s funny how I felt the need to try journaling in different sizes and have a variety of styles (pockets and colours), yet my favourite is still my first (and it’s not sentimental - I bought it for myself, no special reason, and it never travelled anywhere with me, no particular memories attached). It’s just been very useful and handy as a cover for various notebooks (both hard and softcover) over the years. I plan to buy another A5 cover, this time from Start Bay Notebooks, since I like using A5 so much.
@@kimberly3706s Mine a classic with plain brass rivets. It looks GREAT which makes me believe it's younger than 2014 but for all I know she may have just really kept it protected well. It has no scratches and really doesn't seem to be as delicate as many lead me to believe this leather is/can be. Some people buy these and really baby them so anything is possible.
@@MummyBrown Leather can last a lifetime, or multiple generations even. I shop vintage often and sometimes old leather looks brand new. In addition to how it’s been taken care of, the geographical climate of the owner makes a difference - I know someone whose cover developed mould just from sitting on her shelf (maybe it’s called dry rot instead of mould - she’s in a very dry and dusty climate). She thought she was babying her cover, but she didn’t notice the mould because it wasn’t in use at the time and it was “safe” on the shelf. Any extreme temperatures or drastic temperature change could cause leather to show wear, even if it’s not being touched. Maybe your cover is from around 2017 (give or take a year)?
It’s cute that your niece bought the same size & similar style as her aunt! 😊 I do like your matte, Sylvia, and I must say: having watched the hilarious “rant” unboxing of your CS, it certainly turns out to be a handsome number. You’ve really brought out the best in it with that set-up. Thanks for for all these wonderful vids you do for us. Hope your niece adores her new Darcy!
Thanks for the review. I have one of the original Toffees and it is thick and higher quality. I did purchase an Austen and I like it, but the toffee is more Matte. (About the same color but 2 different leathers) It is definitely preference. I haven’t bought any of the new 2022 monthly collections because they all look very cheap and overly priced. I am intrigued to see the new July leather though. Can’t wait to see how your niece likes this one over time.
Wow! That looks nothing like my Darcy… it looks flimsy.
i like that it's called Mr Darcy!!
but i like yours better Sylvia, i like that it's matte
Me too 😀
TFS Sylvia & Hailey! Can't wait to see how long Sylvia stays in hers...
Not going to lie...I laughed when I saw the title!
Dang im early!
🔥 I appreciate you 😊
@@SylviaWithAPlan thanks! By the way just got my first apple-pig! Highly reccomend the notebook wallet 3