After waiting months for the Ruby Sugar Cole Haan Woven Cover for Kindle 2 to come back in stock, I finally gave up and ordered the cover in Dark Brown. That one had received good reviews (average 4 stars) with such comments as "quality expected of Cole Haan," etc. Since I already have some lovely covers, my expectations were pretty darn high, i.e., this ain't my first rodeo, so when I opened the package from Amazon, my first reaction was one of disappointed dismay. The color was a drab brown, although the leather was smooth and well cut. However, I immediately noticed that there was a strange, uneven bulge on the bottom of the back cover when I opened the covers. (Tentative diagnosis: The leather-covered cardboard had gotten bent or folded.) I thought the bulge was odd but also figured it would smooth out. Then I actually put the Kindle in the cover and started to read. First, it was hard to get the Kindle in the fairly skimpy, too-soft elastic holders. Next came the crucial test, i.e., folding the back cover back, which had been mentioned as requiring patience in the Amazon reviews so I was prepared to be patient. Unfortunately, that's when the bulge on the back cover that I mentioned earlier sprang to life and pulled the bottom left elastic right off the Kindle. I thought maybe it was a fluke, or maybe I had folded the cover back too quickly, so I replaced the elastic and tried again more slowly. After repeated trials and repeated removals of the bottom left elastic from the Kindle, I am sending the $119 Cole Haan Woven Cover back. I'm guessing this one is defective and that not all of them are this way, or else it wouldn't be getting all those enthusiastic reviews. But its looks just don't measure up for me and (minor point) its outer dimensions are slighter larger than the other covers I have. All that said, this cover would be nice for a man (minus the bulge quirk that mine has): it is a quietly understated, elegant design, in a masculine color. The inside is very plush suede, also dark brown, with a little card holder that is innocuous enough but that some reviewers said they removed. It certainly couldn't hold much more than a business card or a guitar pick. Bottom line for me: quality control on this one failed, and it's going back to Amazon.

