My Favourite Notebook Covers (by Charles)

One of the reasons for which we are so enthusiastic when it comes to the products we sell in our store, is that we sell what we like and like what we sell. 

Check out our "About Us" page and you'll see that we are pretty obsessive about workmanship and the quality of the materials used, but also the importance of practicality. We not only love these products because they are well-made and long-lasting, look good and feel great, we actually use many of them ourselves on a daily basis. We dislike mass-produced and mediocre products, but we really loathe them when they are useless!

Stationery, especially notebooks in all forms and materials has always been a core segment in our product strategy. We love notebooks and use them everyday, for work, travel and hobbies and some of our most popular brands make notebooks or accessories for them. 

I love to read user stories or reviews of these products (there's a huge amount of information out there on the Traveler's Notebook range, for example) but have rarely read honest articles by vendors on their personal kit.  

The aim of this article is to give you a general idea of the notebook covers I use on a daily basis and why I selected them. 5 of them are systems (in fact 2 systems), 2 of them are "Organizers", both by The Superior Labor, one of them is a simple notebook cover (but a very nice one)..

1. The Superior Labor "Re-Use" Notebook Cover

A big favourite of mine! Made from a single perfect sheet of Japanese (tochigi) leather, slightly larger than an A4 sheet and a solid brass rod. Not for the faint-hearted, this cover is unlike any other and takes some getting used to. You can either use it by slipping folded A4 size sheets of paper under the rod, a (not too rigid) A5 notebook (like this one) or a couple of thinner A5 notebooks (like these). Some customers have hacked theirs using Traveler's Notebook elastics. 

The cover is beautifully made and brings a smile to my face every time I pick it up. I use it when travelling light but need larger pages for drawings or longer meetings.

2. Roterfaden WK_12 Taschenbegleiter

My latest acquisition and one of the two systems I mentioned. The leather and suede (inner lining) used for this cover feel amazing. The spring clip binding system is a doddle to learn and use and I am very impressed with their inserts and refills. At the moment I mainly use mine for work. The Taschenbegleiter system is one of the best I have used since discovering Filofax in the late 80's.

Check out our tutorials on Youtube for more detailed information on the Roterfaden range, we'll also be publishing blog articles including a detailed one on my personal one.

3. The Superior Labor x Nomado Store Writer's Organizer

My most "personal" notebook cover and one of the two "Organizers" I mentioned. The WO is specifically designed for people who love well-crafted leather goods with a retro feel, travel, like to carry several pens or pens and drawing materials and feel comfortable with the A5 format. I designed it with Kawai-san from The Superior Labor, based on a sketch of my personal ideal travel notebook cover/portfolio. Currently (July 2019) only available for pre-order, the Writer's Organizer will be available in store next month in 3 colours. Read our blog article for more details on this project.

4., 5. Regular size Traveler's Notebooks

The brown one is over 7 years old and my original Midori Traveler's Notebook. This elastic-band based system is all about flexibility and simplicity, every TN is a blank canvas ready to be configured and/or decorated any way you like. I used mine originally for business (I still do) when I was working for large companies and always carry one when I travel. When weight isn't an issue, I use it as shown in the pic with various refills and our Highmeadows x Nomadostore leather insert, as well as our Higonokami and Pen Case (shown on the front). The olive traveler's notebook is a limited edition from a couple of years back, which I use with max. 1-2 refills when I want to travel light. The A5 slim format is great for lists (planning an itinerary for example).

This classic Japanese design is a must-have for every travelling stationery lover. We probably wouldn't have started Nomado Store if we hadn't discovered the Traveler's Notebook 5 years previously.

I'll be publishing a detailed blog article and youtube video on my TNs soon.

6., 7. Passport-sized Traveler's Notebooks

Both of these are limited editions, a camel-coloured Star Ferry Edition and a fairly rare Nigel Cabourn one in black. I use them on shorter trips when I need a very lightweight and compact notebook system or for some reason I decided not to bring this one:

8. The Superior Labor Traveler's Note Cover.

This one, in navy blue, is a GEM! Superior Labor couldn't make a bad product if they tried, but if you want a perfect example of the level of quality their craftsmanship can achieve,  get one of these or the larger Traveler's Purse.

The TNC is exquisitely made, slightly larger than the Passport format Traveler's Notebook and has pockets and slots galore for notebooks, cards and a pen loop. I use mine as a passport and mini-travel wallet and wouldn't travel without it.

Thank you for reading this article! All of the products mentioned are available from our store, with the exception of the limited editions. We'll be publishing more detailed articles on the individual products, but feel free to email us in the meantime if you have questions on any of them or need advice.