I just received the portfolio so I cannot comment on the durability but it appears to be very well made. The outside is made of real, genuine leather which is hard to find. It feels great and smells good. Because it is real leather, it has a few irregularities. But those are not defects, this is just what real leather looks like. It is also hard to see unless you pick up the portfolio and stare at it in detail. The inside appears to be made of synthetic leather but that is alright, it looks decent. The zipper works very well, as it should. The inside is roomy enough, considering it is a portfolio. Some portfolios seem to hold not more than maybe 5 pieces of paper but this one can accomodate an actual stack of papers.The picture on amazon and the reviews were a bit misleading. The notepad that comes with the portfolio really can be adjusted for left- or right-handed people. You just slide the notepad out, turn it around and slide it back in. And you don’t need a special notepad for it either.I bought this for just below 35 Dollar and that was a really good deal. For this price, I am perfectly happy and that is why I am giving it 5 stars. I would not pay retail for it even though the retail price may actually be realistic. However, I would only pay retail for it if it was the perfect portfolio for me and there are two reasons why it is not: First of all, the leather is rather thin. But then again, if the portfolio was made of thick leather it might be too heavy. And at least it is obvious that the leather is real leather which is a sign of quality. I have seen other items made of genuine but low quality leather that simply ended up looking like synthetic. For this one there is no doubt about the material. Next issue I have with this portfolio: I am not a big fan of the Swiss sign on the pad. I think it would look more classy and professional without it. And if the company wants advertisement for themselves, the Swiss sign on the zipper would have been enough, that would have been a little more subtle. That sign is only on one side though, I may try to get into the habit of not holding that side up. But if I had unlimited resources I would have gotten a portfolio without the Swiss sign.