When I first started my online store, Necessities Or Not, I was going to make finished books in 2 sizes with writing paper for a journal or 2 qualities of watercolor paper.
I started tearing paper and making signatures then had a better thought. Why not offer a build it yourself book? I put photos of the paste paper online and offered the book in both sizes and in whatever paper of choice. Meanwhile I had created quite a stack of signatures in journaling paper. I had my leather out and decided to make a small leather journal and give it to a friend. The leather was so soft like glove leather and the book felt so soft in my hand that I wished I journaled!!
I coptic stitched the spine which probably wasn't the most beautiful way to bind the book because the soft leather pulled in a bit on the edges. The actual outcome of this was a book so soft to hold that I didn't care how funky the spine looked.
My friend LOVED the journal!!